JBA Offroad Upper Control Arms And Suspension MEGA Thread BS thread

FedEx claims arms will be delivered today so once I get home I'll snap pics of the new ones. Plan to install on Saturday so I'll snap some side by side pics of the old ones versus the new designed ones.

 

Pulled the trigger and ordered mine yesterday. Says they are on there way. Not sure yet when I'll be able to install though.

 

Got a set of high caster non HD arms installed on Sunday night. Haven't got an alignment yet as I'm getting wheels and tires installed tomorrow. Going directly from Discount to Firestone to get the alignment. I will say, the truck drives like sh!t right now without the alignment. I know my caster with the stock UCAs was around 1.5. Now it just feels really loose. When I turn to the right and let go, truck does not straighten back out. Not jumping to conclusions before the alignment gets done though. Just simply stating that I have not experienced what other have of these making the truck drive great pre alignment.

 

3" lift btw.

 

tdcampbe may have been referencing one of my earlier posts in that I said after installing the non-HD (non high caster ones too) arms that my truck drove better than it did with the OEM arms, prior to an alignment. I wouldn't say it drove great, but I immediately noticed less twitchiness in the steering.

Anyhow, got the new non-HD, high caster arms today and as promised, here's some pics of them. Looking to install maybe on Friday as I have other plans on Sat/Sun that my wife reminded me of tonight...ugh. Anyhow, here's the pics:

 

I am not knocking the product or Merlin in anyway. Not sure you are so defensive of him/jba when there's no need. I was just stating because I know you and others have said that even before the alignment the truck drives great. This was not my experience. I am sure once the alignment is done tomorrow it will drive great. I have the lifetime alignment with Firestone but just didn't want to go once yesterday and then again tomorrow once new wheels and tires are installed. I will update tomorrow.

 

must be practicing his quoting...


btw, did you mention our discussion to Marlin? he emailed me out the blue this morning, lol

 

yeah, its all subjective depending on where you were before and where you end up after. when i changed them out the first time mine felt worse as well, could feel the tires scrubbing while i drove

 

That's weird you only got 2.2° of caster from the camburgs. I went with them instead of JBA since they still hadn't worked out the caster issues when I ordered mine. My alignment tech struggled to get the caster LOW enough with my camburg ball joint arms, I ended up with 2.8°

 

Mine are at 2.7 caster and 0.5 camber which after talking to Marlin he said my Camburg UCA's were fine

 

Got the alignment last night. Obviously my caster could be all the way up to 4 if needed. I asked for caster to be 3 and toe and camber to be 0. I'm happy with the way the truck drives now. Would highly recommend these UCAs.

 

But your Camber isn't at 0.0 it is at Positive 0.6 which from what I am told is good for lifted trucks for turning purposes. I talked to Marlin personally on the phone as I was going to buy one of his Standard High Caster sets of arms because when I just lifted my truck the full 3 inches with Camburg Ball Joint type UCA's and only got 2.7 of Caster and 0.5 Positive Camber. People told me that was a shit alignment and I'm gonna wear out my tires, and to bring it back and have him do it again. I would have went with these if all the kinks were worked out but instead I got stuck paying 600.00 for my arms, good numbers man and good for you. Even though I paid more I am comfortable now to know that my numbers are fine as well.

 

3 in the front and two in the back. Getting 17" method NV's and 285/70 cooper st Maxx mounted tonight.

 

I had to take the little front fenders off and I'm not running any other plastic even at full lock forward and reverse. BUT, this is a big one, I rub my UCAs when I'm at full lock in reverse... Idk how I feel about this or how in going to go about solving it. I really hate rubbing. It's the flat metal that the ball joint is mounted in that rubs. My wheels are a 0 offset with 4.25" backspacing.

 

Actually my wheels are 4.75" backspacing so I'm a 1/4" further back than you. But these NVs are a decently common wheel ran on tacos and I've never heard of anyone having issues before.

 

Regarding tdcampbe's rubbing issue: If nothing is out of whack you could always put some spacers on. I didn't want to deal with that possibility so I got my st maxx's in 255/85s bc I wanted - ~33" tire but didn't want spacers or rubbing.

 

I have 255/85/16 Toyo MT tires, stock TRD off-road wheels, stock UCA, LCA. The tires rub the UCA, frame and LCA.


For years in this forum people said the 255 would fit without rubbing...that's all wrong according to my experience.

EDIT:

I wanted to amend something I wrote. I had forgotten this detail but I feel it's worth mentioning... The Toyo tires I have a larger than most other tires in the tall and skinny category. And that would explain why my tires are rubbing the frame with stock TRD OR wheels. And other tall and skiny tire owners from different manufactueres don't have that issue. This was pointed out to me in the 255/85/R16 thread. Just wanted to clear that up.

 

^ point taken

 

Just something to be aware of and sharing my experience, that's all.

I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do about it. It does bother me, and its unclear to me if an aftermarket UCA will fix some or all of that...