Upper Control Arm preference
- Thread starter kevinb_NJ
- Start date
4runnin4mylife
New member
I got an alignment 2 weeks ago on my 5th gen 4runner with JBA UCA's. As mentioned in an earlier post I have a 3" front/2" rear Icon Stage 2 lift and my caster came in at 4.82 on driver side and 5.5 caster on passenger side.
As for your second question, they are definitely better suited (ball joints in general) for winter environments. They are enclosed and aren't as susceptible to the outside elements. Salt and other debris are uniball killers if you don't take the time to clean them properly and do the upkeep on them.
Just my 2 cents! Hope that helps ya!
mteolus
New member
Amen to that! If redundant questions weren't allowed, you might as well shut down the board.
DaddyLongToes
New member
JBA STD or HD
Now the questions is..... JBA STD or JBA HD :wof:
Now the questions is..... JBA STD or JBA HD :wof:
mteolus
New member
HD is probably overkill. Red powdercoat is cool though.
The Waco Kid
New member
Std. There's no point in going HD with our trucks if it's not going to result in more caster, more articulation, or offer extra features.
STD is red powdercoated.
Teamoatmealpie
New member
I have SPC and have had a BJ fail. There a fair number threads on here of peps not happy with SPC product.
SPC also uses a proprietary BJ, where as I believe JBA uses standard chevy size BJ- which you can get anywhere you can get chevy parts- that's a win in my book.
SPC also uses a proprietary BJ, where as I believe JBA uses standard chevy size BJ- which you can get anywhere you can get chevy parts- that's a win in my book.
4runnin4mylife
New member
I would just go with the Standard... They come in the nice red powdercoat too and I don't see much use for the HD unless you are gonna go hardcore wheeling in your 4runner, and not so sure you need them then. I am sure some people have use for them, but I just never had a thought about going HD when i bought mine.
Jetboy
New member
Just as a side note - steer clear of the Ebay/amazon UCA's with an off brand. They're all the same. Mine broke on day 2. I've also mounted a set of the Tuff Country ones. They actually had worse alignment than OEM. Their shop is just a few miles from me. I spoke with them and they said "1 degree of caster drives just fine" to which I said - here's your shit back.
So I ended up with JBA. No issues at all. I have the surface rust issue that was a problem on the first ones. But I really don't care. It's just cosmetic. They are well engineered and well built. I'm sure many other options are also good.
I don't know why MOOG or other similar manufacturer doesn't just stamp a caster correction part like the OEM style. They should be $100 a set if someone like that would produce them. The geometry isn't rocket science.
So I ended up with JBA. No issues at all. I have the surface rust issue that was a problem on the first ones. But I really don't care. It's just cosmetic. They are well engineered and well built. I'm sure many other options are also good.
I don't know why MOOG or other similar manufacturer doesn't just stamp a caster correction part like the OEM style. They should be $100 a set if someone like that would produce them. The geometry isn't rocket science.
honda250xtitan
New member
titan guys still try and run EBAY uppers...the frightening part is the heims/uniballs that are being used, i've seen a few shear right off. BUT IT WAS ONLY 200 FOR THE SET:rofl:
Charlievee
Senior Member
Keep in mind three options are available.
Standard= stock replacement
High caster= more caster/articulation
Hd= is heavy duty for desert racing kind of stuff.
TotalAutomotiveLV
New member
Lots of great choices for UCA's and this thread's response is amazing for feedback.
If you are looking for Ball-Joint UCA's, our Team will recommend...
Dirt King, Part #DK-812901 and,
JBA Offroad, Part #JBA-7.0.HC (High Caster)
Both are great options that will not disappoint.
_
If you are looking for Ball-Joint UCA's, our Team will recommend...
Dirt King, Part #DK-812901 and,
JBA Offroad, Part #JBA-7.0.HC (High Caster)
Both are great options that will not disappoint.
_
Jetboy
New member
The quality of the arm its self on mine was actually not terrible. It was the uniball hardware that broke. The misalignment set was made of cast aluminum and the through bolt was not designed in a way that it would retain the joint if they failed.
These really are a part that shouldn't cost more than $2-300 a set. They're not hard to make. OEM stamped arms are under $100 for a pair. But it's a small market. So they do.
West Texas Bound
New member
I’m wondering if JBAs would work with my TRD Pro wheels and 285s. I’ve read a bunch about offset issues so I’m on the fence.
DaddyLongToes
New member
Same
I just emailed them regarding some Method 702 with 0 offset and 4.75 backspace on 285s. It was hard to tell with the specs they listed so I'm hoping for the best before I make the purchase.
I just emailed them regarding some Method 702 with 0 offset and 4.75 backspace on 285s. It was hard to tell with the specs they listed so I'm hoping for the best before I make the purchase.
mteolus
New member
Not sure if yours were the old or new version, but I think the complaints about the SPC were an old version of the UCA. I haven't read any complaints about the new ones. Mine are fine, no issues.
With any ball joint, grease it every oil change.
4runnin4mylife
New member
That's the setup I had before i went to my current SCS Ray 10 wheels. My pro wheels (no spacers) with 285/70 worked with JBA High Caster arms. I had 1/4 to 3/8" clearance from tire to UCA which is completely fine. That was with steering at full lock so it's never going to get closer than that. Now your mileage may vary, and every 4runner is different. That's just my experience.
KNorm92
New member
I run SPCs. The price point is good, they are SO much beefier than what comes stock and unless you are doing some crazy wheeling, they are more than you'll need. I took my Runner into a reputable shop once I lifted it and threw some new shoes/UPCs on. They were able to hit the exact numbers I asked them to. I'd check out the SPCs on Amazon...don't remember what I paid, but they've been great.
My $0.02
