lifts and balljoints

when using any of the following: top plate spacer, 5100s or complete coilover kits i think we can all agree the length of the coilover is being lengthened to lift the truck. All of these will create the same angles on balljoints. There are upper control arms that can counter the new angles but what about the lower? Is there any difference between these kits that make one better than the other on ball joints only?

 

An good example would be a top plate spacer vs. something like the 5100's.

When all wheel are on the ground, you are correct that the stresses on the ball joints would be the same. However, these kits accomplish lift is different ways. The bilstein 5100 shocks are no longer than stock, and they preload the spring to get lift. Therefore you lose 2.5 of down travel, but have the exact same droop as you would with the stock setup (it just take 2.5" less extension to get there).

The top plate spacers just force everything down by 2.5 inches. Therefore, at full droop, the UCA/LCA on the top-plate spacer setup is able to move 2.5 inches further downward than it was intended, causing the ball joints to bind.