$700-800 for UCAs is dumb and price gouging. Prove me wrong

I agree that the price just doesn’t seem to match the manufacturing in bulk quantities. Sometimes we swallow the cost because we want it bad enough.

I paid $900 for a graphite stick and $450 for a spool to put flyline on. I can’t think about it or I get sick but I sure enjoy fly fishing with my Sage equipment.

 

thats because there is actually tech involved in the rod and the reel is a piece of art. Hardy’s, Ross, etc has a stigma to them as the rolls royce of fly gear.

SPCs and basic UCAs are no where near the rolls royce caliber

id argue that there is more RnD and time put into the new fishpond thunderhead backpack that is made from 100% recycled material than a generic UCA design that has been around for 15 year

 

If you see something you don’t like it and do something about it it’s complaining. If you don’t it’s just whining.

 

Could say the same about your effort to comment

 

Then don't buy them. You have that choice. Who cares what they cost. Either you can afford it or you can't.

 

Liability insurance to make and sell them is probably nasty, not saying anyone likes to sue in the event of a failure, Haha

 

OP, there is only one way for you to understand how parts are priced.

I am by no means saying that basic UCAs are not over priced in some ways, but there is way more to it than just a guy with a welder.

UCAs do have engineering involved to meet vehicle safety standards. That engineering and testing is not going to be free to the guy with a welder, nor a well known manufacturer.

I would suggest that you suck it up and just deal with the price if you want to play with manufactured parts. Otherwise just man up an go build your own set since it's basic metal fab done with a welder, as you put it.

This silly thought process like your happens in just about every hobby I've been in that has aftermarket products available.

I'm sure many here (myself included) would be delighted to see how you go about fabbing your own UCAs and see which over priced brand of UCAs you finally went with when you realized you were not as smart as you thought you were.

 

Close.

If you see something you don't like and you do something about it, that is taking initiative to resolve it.

If you don't then it's whining or complaining.

 

I am glad I got a lot of 'bigger' items on my truck done before the prices started going through the roof. Regardless of why prices are going up..

 

I got a set of freedom off road uca's when they were like 300 on ebay. Im down with that kind of price. No pressing off joints either.

 

I have these beauties and love'em. Even after paying $1200 for them in mid 2020 from Head Strong.

Haven't looked to see where the price is now.

 

Stock UCAs are fine if you don't care about alignment numbers

 

Why don't you save your money and just build your own sliders? I plan to when I finally get to that project.

I can make sliders for my truck for a few hundred in materials and a weekend of free labor.

However, I do have $2k in tube bending equipment, and $10k in welding equipment.

I still wouldn't tackle UCAs for liability reasons.

 

About $1,350.

 

I'd still buy em at that price.

 

It is tempting…

 

Agreed. Truck parts are already at a premium. UCAs take it to another level of thievery. Surprised so many actually defend an $800 price tag for some horseshoes with ball joints.

 

Go make some to sell and be sure to back your work without form of insurance. See how that works out for ya.

 

wait for a sale?

 

OP just buy the Mevotech re-boxed SPCs off RockAuto and work a few hours overtime.

Friday thread on a Wednesday whew