Need help with UCA’s

another question for you all. if i install these on my tacoma, will these help with the wobble in my steering wheel when im off road.

 

Anyone else running the freedom Offroad ucas? They seem inexpensive vs the others.

 

If the ball joint is very very messed up, you might feel it in the wheel. Otherwise you've got something going on in the steering shaft, rack or other steering components.

 

i just found it weird that it doesn't do it when i'm city driving. is this normal. i just dont want to buy these UCA, if i don't need them

 

they fixed that issue

 

like what you mean you have steering play when your going balls to the walls off road? are you sure its just not the terrain your driving on? maybe you have bad tie rods give your wheels a shake

 

Yep and I hammer them on two tracks, boulder fields, eroded and poorly maintained ohv trails, overlanding, some moderate crawling, etc. Rock solid as long as you pump em full of grease. I do drive like a grandma in town, so I cant comment on taking corners too hard or driving 80 on the highway. I have a soft long-ish travel suspension without a sway bar (I have the freedom shocks too, but a nice soft coilover), so I've learned to be a more conservative driver. Im sure someone could mess these up as a type-A daily driver.

My honest opinion is buy them. No regrets. I go where people with total chaos UCAs go that actually use their trucks, and I have no problems. Nothing wrong with being affordable.... if only they made them red/white/blue.

 

no i dont go balls to the wall. just east but when i hit big bumps the steering wheel moves erratically for a sec.i heard a word today called bump steer? i have no idea what this is.

 

There are couple things to think about when having steering control issues. You gotta think is your truck moving with respect to your tires, thus your tires are firmly planted and the "shake" you are experiencing is your suspension appropriately cycling as you are passing over an object and your steering wheel is moving with your tires, or do you have a loose suspension/control arms/tie rods that is allowing the terrain to move your tires with respect to your truck, or is your rack and pinion shot and thus not stabilizing your steering?

Lots of parts involved. I recommend going slow over an obstacle that would traditionally cause the shake. Slow enough that the suspension doesn't need to cycle. If you hear shifts, clunks, etc you probably need new ucas and lcas. Also listen for the classic hard clunk (sometimes a double or triple clunk) on tight turns in and out of parking spaces or after hard breaking - all signs of ball joints going (so LCAs, UCAs, and tie rod ends). I like to pump these full of grease and see if that fixes the problem before I spend the cash to replace them. If your steering wheel gets pulled hard and you don't have the clunks, your rack and pinion maybe worn - consider replacing. If you only get the shakes at a high rate of speed its likely your suspension is just cycling and the shake is because you are going to fast - in which case its time to either change your driving habits or upgrade your suspension.

 

I think you are describing the exact same issue I have going on. I have a 2015 OR and feel the same wobble off road. On pavement it perfectly fine but over washboard or small rocky off pavement I feel this wired loose wobbly feeling in the front wheels and it translates to the steering wheel. I have replaced tie rods inner and outer. Sway bar end links. Even replaced the front HUBs. And I installed JBA UCAs and none of that fixed it. I am suspecting the steering rack. Funny thing is I don’t feel like my steering is loose on road at all. Just over small repetitively bumpy surface. I have play in the front wheels when I grab them and shake at 3&9. Nothing at 12&6. Only things left as far as I know is steering rack and lower ball joints. I’ve been dealing with this for like 2 years and I’ve spent too much $$. Just want an answer!

 

exactly the same as me frustrating

 

Now that the thread has been properly derailed...

I looked at those, ended up going with the JBA's because they were cheaper than the others, and had a good reputation. (though not quite as cheap as the freedom's)

 

I have All Pro uppers and the right bolt (the long one) keeps coming loose resulting in about an inch of play forward and back on the upper ball section. I'm not sure if the bushings are shot at this stage of it the bolt has worn away. What would everyone here recommend?

 

"Fixed" yes if that's what you call it.

 

you get what you pay for eh, don't the new ones come with gussets now

 

I think a different style bushing, not sure on the gussets

 

Total Chaos UCA for me. SPC gave me issues. They honored their warranty though.