What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Especially if you have lifetime alignments

 

And I plan on getting them eventually just have to figure out which ones best suit me and save.

 

Uniballs only help if you lift your truck 3" because the stock UCAs cant handle the new angle, so you can't get a good alignment.

And it only takes 10 min to get the front suspension out, so you don't really need to do it all at once.

 

Yeah. $700 is nothing to sneeze at. You can do it without them. I've had mine lifted for 3 or 4 years now, and still use stock UCA's.

 

True, you'll need a new alignment. But, what is "everything" that you have to disassemble? The only part of your shock/coil installation that you'll have to repeat is taking off the front wheels...

 

Light Racing UCAs cost half that and give you the most freedom for alignment numbers..

 

in order to get the bolt out of the UCA you need to remove the battery, air box, and both air bag sensors. but under the wheel well is just taking the tire off, supporting the spindle (may have to remove ABS sensor clip) and then swapping.

 

Read the post I quoted and was replying to. He said he would have to disassemble and reassemble everything he put in for his suspension swap. If he didn't do UCAs in his initial suspension swap, then he won't be repeating any part of the suspension swap process other than taking the wheels off.

 

ahh, ya true

 

Are light racing any good though, haven't heard much good or bad on them.

 

I sure hope so, I just installed them on my truck!

 

I read somewhere some shops have problems adjusting them.

 

I would say the vast majority of 1st gens rock stock UCAs are there are relatively few issues. I think it's more of a problem for 2nd gens

 

I've had them for a couple years now. The only issue is that you will be replacing the upper ball joint more than you would like, maybe every year or two. I'm on the second set. However they are cheap and easy to replace. There are some pics/discussion about this in my build thread.
The uniball type UCA's appear to be a better design but have no adjustment features.
If your LCA adjusters are functional, you can prolly stay with the stock UCA.

 

How do you adjust UCAs? I have the TC ones and there are no adjustments that I can see.

 

Those don't adjust, the LR ones do because the ball joint can be swiveled a few degrees.

 

I don't think yours are adjustable.
Here is the LT racing adjustment for castor, simply rotate the ball joint.

For camber adjustment, the ball joint will slide in a slot on the arm itself.

 

If you look at the picture you will note that there is a slot in the arm that allows the BJ assembly to be positioned for desired camber. The star plate you see just to the right of th BJ assembly can be rotated so as to positioned your spindle such that caster is affected. I don't know of any other UCAs on the market that allow this style of adjustment (that are compatible with Tacomas, that is.)

 

lol @BDN looks like we pulled the same pic from googler!

 

Unless you have the TC HEIM uppers.....