Help please: Installing older set of SPC UCA

This comes with eight flat washers. I’m assuming this is for four washers per arm. The only instructions I can find are for the newer versions of these control arms and those instructions say to install the washers only on the outside. What am I supposed to do with all of these extra washers? Should I be putting one on the outside and one on the inside at each pivot point?

 

So as you can see in the photo with the red arrows, I put a bushing on each side. Or, according to the newer instructions, should I just put the bushing on the outside and leave out the second one?

 

Well I just got off the phone with a tech at SPC. He says to eliminate the inner washer and just use the one washer on the outside of the control arms. So two washers per side, 4 total for the truck. Hope this helps some of you in the future.

 

So I installed with just the two bushings on the outside. But I notice that there’s now quite amount of play between the bushings and the sleeve to where I can slide the entire UCA back and forth about a 1/4 inch or so. Is this okay???

 

I don't want to leave you hanging, I have the gen 1 SPC uppers, the one without all the fancy eyelets and non-greaseable uniball. Without actually looking at my UCA's, I'm pretty sure I installed 4 washers per side. They were thicker than typical so I'd have to go out and look. When I get a break, ill go take a peak.

Edit: Just checked, two flat washers per UCA, both installed on the outside. The bushing installed with the tapers pointing inward. I cant tell if there's significant play forward or aft due to everything being tight and with weight on the wheels. The bushings look like they are at least 1/4 to 1/2" exposed rubber. Tape measure is buried under the back seat beneath car seats to confirm measurement. My calibrated eyeball says it looks like a hair under 1/2".

-J

 

what do you mean about the bushings having exposed rubber?

 

It sounds like you might have different bushings than me. I have the spec ride bushings.

 

This is the style of SPC UCA that I have. Its the gen 1 version of the second gen tacoma. If my memory serves me correctly, the gen 2 SPC uppers have the spec ride bushings, and the third gen SPC have heimed(?) joints and a greaseable ball joint. If your SPC UCA's look different then what is pictured in this video then perhaps you could include a picture to help me out. Bear in mind that if you included pictures in your previous posts, I cannot see them on this computer and Ill have to wait until i get home to see those pictures.

-J

 

Not OK. Just use 4 washers per UCA. Most other UCAs (All-Pro, Total Chaos, Icon, Camburg...) are designed this way. Thoroughly grease the bore and washer face of each bushing.

 

Doesn't look like your photo has been attached correctly.

 

Ya, that’s what I figured. Gotta pull that log bolt back out!! See ya in a couple hours. Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions.

 

@bunsojr any updates?

-J

 

After a bunch of cussing and pounding and pulling on that long bolt, I finally got it installed with 4 washers per arm, both inboard and outboard. Definitely took care of the extra slop. I contacted SPC again because I found out that there is a free replacement for the pivot sleeve for this generation UCA. It is a longer sleeve that will remove the need for the inboard washer that apparently cause the issues. I’ll wait for those to come in but I should be fine for now.

 

If it's any consolation, I'm currently doing UCAs myself as well and that UCA bolt removal/install is the most ignorant f'ing thing ever!

 

If you want it to look like a professional install, you'll want to use something like these. It'll help you bend the sheet metal out of the way without inducing undue metal fatigue that may lead to cracks. Or you can just ugga-dugga it with some pliers, either way, you'll need to bend that sheet metal out of the way.

-J