SPC UCA Alignment Sheets

[fourfive]

Ive read about Tacoma guys running E to do this but not the G setting

This is where I initially got the idea to try a more negative caster setting via the SPC UCA ball joint & after a lot of experimenting I ended up on G. Like I said earlier, I don't think I've heard of anyone else using the G setting but it was the best option in my case.

 

[JayRolla]

This is where I initially got the idea to try a more negative caster setting via the SPC UCA ball joint & after a lot of experimenting I ended up on G. Like I said earlier, I don't think I've heard of anyone else using the G setting but it was the best option in my case.

So I ended up on g today testing the rub. I will lose caster but can live with that. Wife will be happy. She always got mad driving her friends around and it running all the time. Thanks for the tip!!

 

[psraff]

Thanks for all the info guys. I've been out fishing the past several days when when i have time I'll try to organize this info and post it up.

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[fourfive]

So I ended up on g today testing the rub. I will lose caster but can live with that. Wife will be happy. She always got mad driving her friends around and it running all the time. Thanks for the tip!!

Very cool! Even though the caster was less then the facory range on G, the drivibility really didn't seem compromised. The steering wheel still self centers on turns & no rubbing.

 

[psraff]

Well, I had issues.

Yesterday I noticed my steering wheel was riding at the 1 o'clock position. Today, it was all the way at 2 o'clock! I took it back to the alignment shop and the put it right on and started to look it over. None of us could tell where anything shifted.

My toe was insane! It was like this on both sides.

I'm going to paint pen some marks on the UCA to see if it's shifting. I was pooping myself because I have to drive to Anchorage in the morning.

Also... is anyone else bottoming out their tie-rods to get the toe correct?

After I get back from the Slope, I'll take it to them and I will have my rear LCAs installed. We'll straighten up the back end and also move the setting from "D" to "F or G" on the front.

 

[fourfive]

Well, I had issues.

Yesterday I noticed my steering wheel was riding at the 1 o'clock position. Today, it was all the way at 2 o'clock! I took it back to the alignment shop and the put it right on and started to look it over. None of us could tell where anything shifted.

My toe was insane! It was like this on both sides.


Also... is anyone else bottoming out their tie-rods to get the toe correct?

I actually saw this happen on my friends 3rd this past April. He took it in for an alignment after replacing the ITRE, OTRE, lower control arm bushings, & LBJ. Immediately after that he was driving through some mild dirt roads & after hitting a moderate bump, his steering wheel got thrown out of whack 90 degrees. We checked it out & it turned out the alignment shop didn't tighten down the lock nut on the OTRE allowing the ITRE spin on the OTRE. The lock nut was completely bottomed out. Luckily nothing was damaged. Once the alignment was corrected, the lock nut on the OTRE was no longer bottomed out.

 

[psraff]

I actually saw this happen on my friends 3rd this past April. He took it in for an alignment after replacing the ITRE, OTRE, lower control arm bushings, & LBJ. Immediately after that he was driving through some mild dirt roads & after hitting a moderate bump, his steering wheel got thrown out of whack 90 degrees. We checked it out & it turned out the alignment shop didn't tighten down the lock nut on the OTRE allowing the ITRE spin on the OTRE. The lock nut was completely bottomed out. Luckily nothing was damaged. Once the alignment was corrected, the lock nut on the OTRE was no longer bottomed out.

I watched him tighten everything both times... BUT, he did look at me a little funny the first time when he broke loose the lock nut on the driver side. Even though the nut was tight, the OTR rotated under force (the wrench). I replaced my ITR, OTR, LBJ at the same time just around 3 years ago. The shop didn't see any slop or play in them (Even commented on how good my UBJs were after all these years. They could be original for all I know.).

This time around he pointed out how my pass side is rotating some even with the nut tight (again, under force of a wrench). What would cause that? Could the Inners come unscrewed from the steering rack???? That seems a little silly....

 

[fourfive]

This time around he pointed out how my pass side is rotating some even with the nut tight (again, under force of a wrench). What would cause that? Could the Inners come unscrewed from the steering rack???? That seems a little silly....

With the OTRE lock nut tight and putting a wrench on the ITRE to rotate, are you referring to the little bit of rotation that occurs at the outer end of the OTRE ball joint/boot? Because I think that bit of rotation that occurs where the OTRE connects to the LBJ is normal IF the ITRE & OTRE are locked together and slightly rotating back and forth as one unit.

But in the the case of my friend's 3rd gen I was referring to, the lock nut came loose allowing the ITRE to spin on its ball joint & if I remembered correctly, it looked like the ITRE spun to the point to completely shorten the length of the OTRE causing it to bottom out (no more threads on the OTRE showing) leading to excessive toe out & the steering wheel being 90 degrees off center.

 

[fourfive]

Your situation may be different....it just reminded me of a similar incident I encountered on my friend's 3rd gen. Also, I know a lot of alignment shops don't torque the alignment components after making adjustments leading to over or under tightening.

I think the torque specs on the OTRE lock nut is around 41 ft/lbs so it may be possible that even though it was tightened, it may have not been tightened enough?

 

[psraff]

I just went out there myself to put a wrench on it. Lock nuts are tight, and as for the amount of play I have, I feel it's normal (correct me anyone if I'm wrong). But if the wrench is in the 12 o'clock position, I can move it to the 2 o'clock position on both sides.

So that's like 20* worth of movement.

He didn't torque them, but I know he put some beef into them. He wasn't swinging from them, but he was making sure they were tight.

 

[psraff]

I also just put paint pen marks on the UCA to verify that the ball joint isn't getting moved.... It doesn't look like they have, but just to cover my bases.

 

[fourfive]

I just went out there myself to put a wrench on it. Lock nuts are tight, and as for the amount of play I have, I feel it's normal (correct me anyone if I'm wrong). But if the wrench is in the 12 o'clock position, I can move it to the 2 o'clock position on both sides.

So that's like 20* worth of movement.

He didn't torque them, but I know he put some beef into them. He wasn't swinging from them, but he was making sure they were tight.

Yes i think that little bit of movement is normal with the ITRE & OTRE locked together at least from what I've seen.

Was your OTRE bottomed out when you had the initial alignment or did you notice it after you took it back when they were looking everything over? Because when my friends OTRE lock nut came loose, the lock nut bottomed itself out on the OTRE & the ITRE kept spinning on its ball joint until the ITRE tightened itself against the lock nut. And at that point, the lock nut was very tight so at first glance when we were checking to see if anything was loose, everything seemed good and tight until I noticed that there were no more threads showing on the OTRE............my bad if it sounds confusing.

 

[psraff]

Yes i think that little bit of movement is normal with the ITRE & OTRE locked together at least from what I've seen.

Was your OTRE bottomed out when you had the initial alignment or did you notice it after you took it back when they were looking everything over? Because when my friends OTRE lock nut came loose, the lock nut bottomed itself out on the OTRE & the ITRE kept spinning on its ball joint until the ITRE tightened itself against the lock nut. And at that point, the lock nut was very tight so at first glance when we were checking to see if anything was loose, everything seemed good and tight until I noticed that there were no more threads showing on the OTRE............my bad if it sounds confusing.

The first alignment (last week) was right after the SPC UCA were installed. The nuts were in a "normal" position when started. During the alignment is when he noticed the toe and to fix it, had to back them all the way out. So from then to this time, those didn't move or change, and where still tight. That's what's strange. There were 4 of us looking it over and none of us could see where anything moved or shifted.

 

[Bootboy]

After alignment today with the top set on E

255/85 cooper ST maxx. No rubbing while flexed statically.

 

[psraff]

After alignment today with the top set on E

255/85 cooper ST maxx. No rubbing while flexed statically.

How is the in town and highway drivability?

On "D" and correct Caster I feel its way too sensitive on the highway. I feel I can't relax and drive. When I get back from the Slope it's going back in to be set on E or F.

I want to have my rear shocks put in and rear LCA (adjustable ) as well first though.

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[Bootboy]

How is the in town and highway drivability?

On "D" and correct Caster I feel its way too sensitive on the highway. I feel I can't relax and drive. When I get back from the Slope it's going back in to be set on E or F.

I want to have my rear shocks put in and rear LCA (adjustable ) as well first though.

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I've only driven it from the shop to home, about 2 miles. I'm road tripping next week so I'll get back to you then.

 

[fourfive]

After alignment today with the top set on E

255/85 cooper ST maxx. No rubbing while flexed statically.

Did you set the top to E then take it in or did the alignment shop set it to E for you? If you set it to E before you took it in, they should have at the very least been able to maintain where your caster was with the "before" measurements.


My experience with the D-G settings with 315s & daily driving/driving dirt roads:

When I set my caster to D, the alignment shop was able to get my caster to ~3.2-3.5. I believe the factory range is around 2.3-3.8. On D, drivability was good but rubbed the pinch weld frequently with 315s.

On E the alignment shop got my caster to ~2.5-2.7. Good drivability & less rubbing but would still occur turning on inclines going forward or backwards.

On F, the alignment shop got my caster to ~2.1-2.3 which is just outside of the factory range. Good drivability and occasional rubbing when turning into or out of steep driveways/hills.

On G, the alignment shop got my caster to ~1.5-1.7. No rubbing and good drivability.


With the above caster readings, the alignment shops where able to get the camber and toe in the factory range going from D to G.

 

[JayRolla]

How is the in town and highway drivability?

On "D" and correct Caster I feel its way too sensitive on the highway. I feel I can't relax and drive. When I get back from the Slope it's going back in to be set on E or F.

I want to have my rear shocks put in and rear LCA (adjustable ) as well first though.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

DO you have your day bars installed?

 

[psraff]

DO you have your day bars installed?

Sway Bars? I have the front one in. I broke the bolts off in the mounts on my rear taking it out to grease the bushings so I have to rebuild those. Right now my rear is pulled out. That's happened a while ago and I can't even tell I pulled it out (did it before I changed out my UCAs). Now, I don't plan on leaving it off because I do what the protection they provide in emergency situations.

Though if you look at my alignment sheet at the start of this thread my rear axle is off. I'm right now putting parts in the cart for new shocks and adjustable LCAs. I'll put those one when I get off of the Slope in about a month. Then align my front again with most likely "F" setting. I just want to make sure doing that won't make it even more sensitive.

I'll save the "G" setting for a last resort (if or when I go to 35s)

 

[JayRolla]

Sway Bars? I have the front one in. I broke the bolts off in the mounts on my rear taking it out to grease the bushings so I have to rebuild those. Right now my rear is pulled out. That's happened a while ago and I can't even tell I pulled it out (did it before I changed out my UCAs). Now, I don't plan on leaving it off because I do what the protection they provide in emergency situations.

Though if you look at my alignment sheet at the start of this thread my rear axle is off. I'm right now putting parts in the cart for new shocks and adjustable LCAs. I'll put those one when I get off of the Slope in about a month. Then align my front again with most likely "F" setting. I just want to make sure doing that won't make it even more sensitive.

I'll save the "G" setting for a last resort (if or when I go to 35s)

I was just asking because I was missing rear also do to broke bolts and had to drill and tap them. I'm currently at 4* caster and when it was missing had same issue on highway. She is pretty solid now. The rear sway bar helped dramatically. Went from unsafe feeling to completely safe. Months back I installed adjustable Panhard and had rear aligned. That helped a lot also. I don't see how adjusting rear pinion angle with adjustable lca's will help.

I'm getting aligned Saturday on g. I did still notice some rub when pulling into drive way quickly even on g with 33's. Hope alignment helps.