Light Racing UCA installation video & side by side comparison

Without getting into too many details that's what I mean was that angles are different due to manufacturing variances. This isn't a 1.5" long bolt we're talking about after all so it wouldn't take much variance to make something that long quite a bit off at the extent of it's length upon removal. Mine absolutely sucked on the passenger side and when I had read about the install I read that the battery side was worse. I was dreading the battery side but it was actually cake by comparison. Also, had I had another set of hands it may have been much easier but trying to pry from the bottom while pulling from the top by yourself is akin to witchcraft if you can accomplish it. In my case, witchcraft took LOTS of time & cussing. lulz

 

hahaha yeah, mine went fairly easy, didnt even have to remove the battery!!!

i am a 2013 though, so the front clip did change a smidge.

overall though, i had her aligned, got 3.4* of caster EASY, and perfect toe (just a smidge in) and perfect camber (just a smidge negative). Alignment guy took an hour n a half and was SUPER meticulous. Literally mirroring both sides within a few hundredts of a degree. Truck drives like a freight train down the road and wheel centers nice n quick.

 

Damn that sounds good. Did they give you any grief about the LR UCA's and the additional adjustments on the arms? That is my one concern about going with LR is that it might be hard to find someone who actually cares to learn something new when doing an alignment with them.

Unfortunately unlike the US there is no lifetime alignment deals available in Canada so it could start to add up pretty quick if the shops get confused by them.

 

I got mine aligned at Toyota in Duncan , I just brought in the install sheet and explained to the tech how they work and he let me come in to the bay when they were doing the alignment to make sure it was all done how I wanted it

They said they would charge me the extra time it took to do the alignment over their regular alloted time up front which I thought was fair enough and agreed to before starting

 

Yeah that sounds completely fair. I'm pretty surprised Toyota would adjust above their spec in caster.... or did you just keep it within their specs?

 

I went 3,0,0

I think they had me sign sonething acknowledging that I was requesting specs outside of their range

 

Might have to check with Toyota if they would be okay doing the same. I don't have a great deal of confidence in the one local tire shop here that is capable of doing alignments.

Do you know how important it is to get an alignment right after messing with the suspension. I basically have one local option for alignments which I would rather not use and the next closest is about a 45 minute drive (on the highway).

 

Don't want to be that idiot wandering all over the place lol. Just not sure what to expect and how close I can get it myself so that I can drive somewhere to have it properly aligned.

 

You have to get an alignment after any suspension alteration and get the VSC zero point recalibrated

If you're just driving a short distance with it close you should be fine

 

Nope no grief, he understood exactly how the UCA's worked as he had seen em many times before. like stated the dude knew what he was doing.

Best way you can do is install the UCA's in the 0 (+2* of caster) setting (ball joint spun center, position "D" i think). Then slide the ball joint all the way to the outside of the UCA, then back in about 1/4 of an inch. This will allow the alignment guy play in all directions. I installed them this way, then got toe close by adjusting the tie rods (simply measured the difference between the track width between front and rear side of the front tires and got it to where the font measurement was about a 3/16ths of an inch LESS than the measurement taken on the backside of the tire, to get a lil toe in). My guy didnt need to touch the upper ball joint on my truck to slide it in or out to get my perfect measurements.

 

I can go anywhere from 1.5-4 degrees positive castor on my truck with it lifted 2.75" in the front but I'm unsure of what is optimal. I will be doing the alignment in my shop (BMW Dealership) at night this week so I have all the time in the world to fiddle with it. I have toe SLIGHTLY in (front tires driving into each other a few minutes) and camber SLIGHTLY in (tires leaning slightly in to one another a few minutes) as well, but still unsure about castor. Spec is 2 degrees but I hear about people with around 3 or more..

Edit: Oh yeah I have ball joints both at D setting which is recommended from LR

Edit X2: Forgot to mention, but when I am turning full lock both ways I really feel and hear the tires digging into the pavement and have to give gas to move the truck. I don't remember it being like this before lift/uca/KO2's but I have a feeling it has to do with the castor leaning the wheel into the ground at very low speeds and changing toe and camber in relation to the other side and truck in general.

 

Most report good results if you can get your castor up to about 3 degrees. No personal experience in this yet, but it does seem like that is what the large majority agree on.

 

Thanks for the tips. I'll be doing a lift in spring time but trying to start educating myself in advance.

 

Yup you are right, the extra caster can mess with the ackermann angles at lock... but its not a big deal at all.

Run at 3-3.5* of caster, Steering will feel a lil heavier, but DAMN i love how well my truck tracks now, and just seems to auto center without ANY effort.

.1* of toe in per side (.2* total)

Then a smidge of negative camber (top of the tires in), i am right at .4* of negative camber and this should make tire wear nice n even.

 

okay so just to double check before install this weekend:

do i also grease the UCA bolt prior to installing in sleeves and tighten bolt while suspended by jack? Or are you supposed to tighten UCA bolt with full truck weight back down on the ground similar to LCA bolts as to not stress the bushings (i think i read that somewhere) ? Thanks!

 

Don't grease the bolt, only the interface between the sleeve and the bushing. Not sure what the instructions say but I prefer to have the UCA at the ride height position before torquing the UCA bolt.

 

Perfect. I agree, Torquing at ride hight makes sense to me.

 

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What size socket is that top nut?

 

I know this is an old thread - but maybe someone is still lurking here? I installed my SPC UCA's without the "supplied offset washers" as I bought them secondhand and was told I could use my OE washers. Anyway, after a painful install I found this thread and wonder how screwed I am. I installed the OE washers - on the outsides of the UCA - dish facing in. Here is a picture, tell me if I should go back in there and also somehow procure some SPC washers..