Best UCAs for my setup??

I'm in the process of building my custom bed rack that will allow me to mount my rotopax, maxtrax and some other camping gear, and then eventually a roof top tent in a few years.
Link to this slow but steady build right here https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bed-racks-on-a-budget.582814/
I have Bilstein 5100s right now with a minor leveling lift but plan to piece together a 3" lift over the next couple of months. (Thought about 6" lift but was persuaded out of it). I'm dead set on getting the OME Dakar HDs along with a set of 5125s meant for 2-3" and some extended brake lines. I know he 5125s are not necessarily valves for our truck but I plan on going to Bilstein 8112/8110s in the next two years, so the 5125s should be enough for now.
I'm also going to go with OME 888 coils on my 5100s.

My question is specifically towards UCAs. I've done a bunch of reading and it seems like aftermarket UCAs help with three main things. 1) alignment 2) fitting bigger tires 3) travel
Is this correct?
If I plan on sticking with my 265/70/17s for a while but only plan on going up to 255s (33" tire) do I need fancy/expensive UCAs? I see a bunch of people buying SPCs UCA but some people have issues with alignment shops not knowing how to use them. Should I just go with JBAs?

 

If it’s anything like my 1st gen a uniball UCA will allow more droop travel and won’t bind like the stock ball joint will. Sounds like your going for a lot of lift so I would think you would want a UCA. If it was close to stock height I would think a stock UCA would be ok.

 

Yeah I'm definitely getting a UCA. Just trying to decide on which type. I don't rock crawl, so it seemed like a uniball type would be way overkill.

 

check out this video. he really goes into it and should help with your decision better.

https://youtu.be/d4A3QGLEpTQ

 

I have that same setup.
I don't off road much, so just need something to not bottom out.
I bought the freedom off road ones and love them.

Bilstien 5100's
OME 888's
Freedom Off Road UCA's
Full Dakar Medium Leaf's
XD 17" w/ BF Goodrich 275/70/17

 

SPC light racing UCAs. Have a ton of angle available and can adjust easily for alignment, caster, etc. I beat the snot out of mine running bumpy trails. And they are cheap (around $420?) replacement ball joints are like $80

 

Awesome content. Thanks for the link

 

Very nice. Never heard of those UCAs. What made you choose those UCAs over others?
Also how much lift did you gain from the 888s?

 

Yeah I definitely have heard these are a favorite on our truck so they are at the top of the list. Did you install them yourself? I will be doing all installs myself and probably need to do some research on how to set the adjustable ball joint prior to taking it in for alignment.

 

I have:

Bilstien 5100's
OME 888's
Freedom Off Road UCA's
Full Dakar Medium Leaf's
XD 17" w/ BF Goodrich 275/70/17

*what I did is frowned upon*

I put the front 888's and 5100's on the 2nd notch (+1")
And I put a 1" block under the rear.

The reason I did this was to get the tires to stop rubbing.
The lift alone wasn't enough. It settled at like 2.5"

I'm at 3.5" lift now.

 

I did not and with good reason. The UCA bolts are a bitch to get in, plus I wanted my camber and caster done right.

I’m sure you could do it, just watch a lot of videos and how-tos for those specific UCAs

 

I did my entire installation myself.
It wasn't that hard, but I used to be a mechanic.
Saved myself $1000. With common tools.
Only thing I couldn't do was the alignment.

 

Right on! I'm planning on doing the same exact thing if mine settle too much. Did you do the ECGS bushing? What about shims in the rear?

 

I've seen quite a bit of videos on removing and installing UCAs so I'm pretty confident. I know the bolt needs a little body work to get it to come out, along with unbolting some stuff under the hood.

 

I have over 39400K miles on my SPC Light Racing arms and I wheel offroad too.

 

I didn't do the bearing and I have zero issues. No shims needed.

 

Nice! Still on the same ball joints too? Install yourself?

 

Yes, installed and still running them.

 

Damn no shims needed!? That's lucky.

 

Is the install pretty straight forward? What about setting that adjustable part?