Should I install my UCA’s?

S

spoonmectr

New member
So I have gone back and forth on what lift I want. Originally I was going to do a 3” lift so I snagged some SPC UCA’s during the Ebay sale. Now I am thinking about getting the TRD kit for ~$600. Its only a 1” front lift. Will it hurt anything to go ahead and install my UCA’s or should I just sell them and keep the stock ones?
 
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spoonmectr said:
So I have gone back and forth on what lift I want. Originally I was going to do a 3” lift so I snagged some SPC UCA’s during the Ebay sale. Now I am thinking about getting the TRD kit for ~$600. Its only a 1” front lift. Will it hurt anything to go ahead and install my UCA’s or should I just sell them and keep the stock ones?
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I'd be concerned with ball joints on the SPC UCAs, are they going to last as long as stock, do they require more maintenance, are they going to make noise. I wouldn't go the aftermarket UCAs unless I had a reason to do so. If you stick with the OEM you know it will last and work well and you'll always be able to find replacement ball joints or bushings for it and they're not going to make any noises or clunking.
 
spoonmectr said:
So I have gone back and forth on what lift I want. Originally I was going to do a 3” lift so I snagged some SPC UCA’s during the Ebay sale. Now I am thinking about getting the TRD kit for ~$600. Its only a 1” front lift. Will it hurt anything to go ahead and install my UCA’s or should I just sell them and keep the stock ones?
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Hardly worth it with an inch lift, I'm on stock UCAs on a 2.5" lift! :lookout:
 
TrDpRo_J said:
Hardly worth it with an inch lift, I'm on stock UCAs on a 2.5" lift! :lookout:
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Same here. 2.5" front 2" rear and stock UCAs.

How is your alignment with the stock UCAs? Mine is right on the edge of acceptable. My alignment guy (also a wheeling buddy so he put in the effort to get it right) got my caster to 2.4 degrees (specified range is 2.5-4.0) and it drives great so far.
 
I have ran SPC UCA for over 20K miles. Ghost quiet. Not a peep.

Now with that said if you plan to stay with a 1 inch lift I would stay stock on the UCA.
 
+1 for stock for the TRD shocks

I stayed stock till 2.5" without issue.

You could probably just sell off the UCA's too
 
I would go ahead and install them. For work I regularly am traveling at 80+mph for long stretches and the 4R handles speed much better on my 3" lift with aftermarket UCAs than it did at 1.75" lift on stock UCAs
 
I might be interested in buying them, and will be through Amarillo late Friday and Sunday afternoon. If you want to sell let me know a price.
 
codyHTX said:
I would go ahead and install them. For work I regularly am traveling at 80+mph for long stretches and the 4R handles speed much better on my 3" lift with aftermarket UCAs than it did at 1.75" lift on stock UCAs
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after talking to Ben from Filthy Motorsports at length about my King setup, the crossover point for aftermarket UCAs is about 2-2.5". 1" lift would not require UCAs, so IMHO, better to run stock. for 3" it's def a requirement!
 
I installed JBA ucas with a 1.75 lift. I have caster set to 4.5 and feel like it tracks better. If you go with a lower lift, make sure they max out your caster because the geometry of the after market UCAs will push your wheels backward. If you go with a larger tire, you'll get more rubbing at your mud flaps and potentially at the body mount.
 
HighTechAddict said:
Same here. 2.5" front 2" rear and stock UCAs.

How is your alignment with the stock UCAs? Mine is right on the edge of acceptable. My alignment guy (also a wheeling buddy so he put in the effort to get it right) got my caster to 2.4 degrees (specified range is 2.5-4.0) and it drives great so far.
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Its pretty much like you say acceptable if I'm honest and my caster is maxed at the same, I'm just about to order some JBA's just to help with overall tracking off road. I'm aiming for 4+ if I can :pray2:
 
fastdiablo said:
after talking to Ben from Filthy Motorsports at length about my King setup, the crossover point for aftermarket UCAs is about 2-2.5". 1" lift would not require UCAs, so IMHO, better to run stock. for 3" it's def a requirement!
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Maybe not a requirement, but I would still say install them while you're doing the suspension work. For a 1" lift you could set the SPC arms to +0 caster and, if you wanted, adjust it when adding more suspension lift later on. If you do add caster, alignments will be much easier and the higher caster makes hwy driving much more comfortable. [MENTION=234088]spoonmectr[/MENTION] if you have them new and on sale I don't see a negative to installing them.
 
codyHTX said:
Maybe not a requirement, but I would still say install them while you're doing the suspension work. For a 1" lift you could set the SPC arms to +0 caster and, if you wanted, adjust it when adding more suspension lift later on. If you do add caster, alignments will be much easier and the higher caster makes hwy driving much more comfortable. [MENTION=234088]spoonmectr[/MENTION] if you have them new and on sale I don't see a negative to installing them.
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Alright. Thank you for the advise
 
I decided to keep them and go ahead and install them. Im just hoping I can find an alignment shop with a tech that can handle adjusting them! Does anyone have the factory alignment specs they could send me?
 
spoonmectr said:
I decided to keep them and go ahead and install them. Im just hoping I can find an alignment shop with a tech that can handle adjusting them! Does anyone have the factory alignment specs they could send me?
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If your alignment shop doesn't have the factory specs, run away!

When I got mine done I was given an entire printed sheet of the alignment specs, what they were when I drove it in, and what they are when they finished with the alignment.

After a couple weeks living with it, and several hundred miles of high speed highway driving, plus around the city and a bunch of construction areas, I'm very happy with my setup as it is.

The only thing I haven't done yet is any wheeling with the new setup, but I'll be resolving that very soon.

I had my alignment done at Firestone, and they offer a lifetime alignment plan. Now for the rest of the time I own the vehicle, I can bring it in for a free check and fresh alignment. Nice peace of mind for me, knowing that if I bounce it around off road and knock it out of whack, I can just bring it in any time.

Good luck with yours.
 
HighTechAddict said:
If your alignment shop doesn't have the factory specs, run away!

When I got mine done I was given an entire printed sheet of the alignment specs, what they were when I drove it in, and what they are when they finished with the alignment.

After a couple weeks living with it, and several hundred miles of high speed highway driving, plus around the city and a bunch of construction areas, I'm very happy with my setup as it is.

The only thing I haven't done yet is any wheeling with the new setup, but I'll be resolving that very soon.

I had my alignment done at Firestone, and they offer a lifetime alignment plan. Now for the rest of the time I own the vehicle, I can bring it in for a free check and fresh alignment. Nice peace of mind for me, knowing that if I bounce it around off road and knock it out of whack, I can just bring it in any time.

Good luck with yours.
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Nice! Im gonna call Firestone tomorrow. Hopefully they offer that here. Thanks!
 
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