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SPC UPPER CONTROL ARMS.. YAY OR NAY?

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by toyotahenry, Feb 18, 2024.

  1. Jan 15, 2025 at 5:15 PM
    #81
    3JOH22A

    3JOH22A トヨタ純正男娼

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    ^255/85-16 doesn't have broad availability. If you change to 2nd gen TRD Sport wheels, 255/80-17 opens up a lot more choices, and you can clear that tire on stock suspension.
     
  2. Jan 15, 2025 at 5:44 PM
    #82
    James2406

    James2406 Well-Known Member

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    is says 3° of caster built in, with no adjustability. Do you have a link?

    Also is this caster towards the firewall or caster towards the front of the vehicle? Caster towards the firewall is the same issue as the JBA, where as the SPC can push the ball joint forward (a long with moving the LCA and lower ball joint forward) and clear the firewall.

    Screenshot_20250115-204314.png

    If the caster on the upper ball joint moves towards the firewall, and you have to max the lower control arm forward towards the front of the vehicle. Does my hub move enough forward to clear? Does the cam adjustment with the LCA allow for enough movement to clear the body mount, and allow the caster to remain in spec due to the 3°?

    You gain Caster on the strut yes, but does the hub and subsequent wheel move forward in the wheel well, because if it's just adjusting the caster and not moving the wheel hub assembly forward then it pretty much defeats the purpose of clearing larger tires. Granted that might be why the SPC exist, because otherwise that's impossible.

    Unless I'm just grossly misunderstanding something here. You can't move the UCA ball joint forward because they don't have cam adjustment bolts like the LCA.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2025
  3. Jan 15, 2025 at 7:00 PM
    #83
    UMC

    UMC I will not comply

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    ..
    No not that one. This one.
    https://exitoffroad.com/product/dobinsons-billet-aluminum-ucas-toyota-tacoma/
     
  4. Jan 15, 2025 at 7:04 PM
    #84
    James2406

    James2406 Well-Known Member

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  5. Jan 15, 2025 at 7:10 PM
    #85
    UMC

    UMC I will not comply

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    Yeah they look like one of the best adjustable control arms on the market. Quite expensive. They were not available when I was looking for a uca but if I could go back I may have got the Dobi instead.
     
  6. Jan 15, 2025 at 7:55 PM
    #86
    James2406

    James2406 Well-Known Member

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    Unfortunately looks like they might not be available for a while. Wonder if anyone else has a similar adjustment UCA, kinda makes you wonder why SPC didn't do the same style of adjustment.


    Looks like quite a few manufacturers make similar UCA's notably ICON and Dirt King
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2025
  7. Jan 16, 2025 at 6:29 AM
    #87
    DirtTaco

    DirtTaco Well-Known Member

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    Well I’m late to this party- but I have 4000km on Spc light racing upper control arms and the ball joint has play and I feel it over bumps on the drivers side. Is it worth putting the same ball joint in? What others work with Spc control arms?
     
  8. Jan 16, 2025 at 7:03 AM
    #88
    James2406

    James2406 Well-Known Member

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    From what I've seen you can risk it for the biscuits and put their newest iteration in as a replacement or just purchase a new UCA that doesn't have any issues.

    Someone posted prior in this thread a picture of their updated ball joint.

    Good luck
     
    DirtTaco[QUOTED] likes this.
  9. Jan 16, 2025 at 7:31 AM
    #89
    UMC

    UMC I will not comply

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  10. Jan 16, 2025 at 7:38 AM
    #90
    DirtTaco

    DirtTaco Well-Known Member

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    Thanks guys. Have a nice day.
     
    UMC[QUOTED] likes this.
  11. Jan 16, 2025 at 7:43 AM
    #91
    hyrule_trd

    hyrule_trd It’s a Secret to Everybody

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    Ironman Stage 1 Foam Cell Pro lift kit, 255/85/16 Cooper ST Maxx, SCS BR6 Wheels, SPC UCA, Heated seats, MESO TRD start button, Meso Total Tail v1, Meso V5 mirror white DRL turns, bed decal, ditch and hidden bumper lights, screen protech, RAV4 radio knobs, steering wheel anytime camera kit, dash cam, ECGS bushing, Timbren Active Off Road bump stops with Wheelers flip kit. 35% Xpel CS Ceramic Tint, KD Max Tune, SumoSprings front bump stops, RRW Sliders ‌ ‌ ▲ ▲‌ ▲
    If you’ve had them less than 3 years and bought them new from one of their resellers that should give you a replacement set.

    If you can get a video of the movement by shaking it, send it to them on Instagram and they’ll walk you through the process.
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2025
    Superdave1.0 and Road Bull like this.
  12. Jan 17, 2025 at 9:05 AM
    #92
    DirtTaco

    DirtTaco Well-Known Member

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    Thanks a bunch!
     
    hyrule_trd[QUOTED] likes this.
  13. Jan 17, 2025 at 9:07 AM
    #93
    drizzoh

    drizzoh itsjdmy0

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    JBA > SPC. I'll die on this hill.

    Sure the SPC has adjustment, but it's not adjustment you really would need when compared to the JBA which is already built to about where most would adjust the SPC's to in the first place.. but with less parts to fail, greaseable, and much easier to service in the event of a failure.

    I love my JBA's, but FWIW, I would pick almost any UCA over the SPC's.
     
  14. Jan 17, 2025 at 9:09 AM
    #94
    World2405

    World2405 WUBBA LUBBA DUB DUB!!!!1!

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    Crap…. I just had SPCs installed last month….
     
  15. Jan 17, 2025 at 1:50 PM
    #95
    DirtTaco

    DirtTaco Well-Known Member

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    Can I avoid another alignment if I’m swapping out ball joints and keeping the same settings?
     
  16. Jan 18, 2025 at 9:45 AM
    #96
    UMC

    UMC I will not comply

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    Yes you shouldn't need one unless the old ball joint was really bad. I just put mine on the same setting and it was fine
     
    DirtTaco[QUOTED] likes this.
  17. Jan 21, 2025 at 1:59 PM
    #97
    th3clara

    th3clara Well-Known Member

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    SPC's design decouples the caster & camber adjustment, which the other adjustable UCAs are not able to do. The horizontal slot in the SPC control arm allows camber to be adjusted without changing caster. For the other brands of adjustable UCAs, changing camber also changes caster.

    The various places I've used for alignments say SPC is easier to align than the billet adjustable arms, but that doesn't really matter to the end user.
     
  18. Mar 11, 2025 at 11:27 AM
    #98
    jboudreaux1965

    jboudreaux1965 Ragin Cajun Fan

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    I had SPC's on my 2nd gen and I now have them on my 3rd gen. I put about 30,000 HARD miles on the SPC's on my 2nd gen before the ball joints wore out. It was my DD for many years. Off-road I put it through the ringer including jumps off the ground, trails, etc... When the ball joints wore out, instead of replacing them, I just had SPC send me a new set of UCA's. After the warranty runs out, you pay full price, they ship you new ones in like 3 days, then when you send the old ones back they give you the core charge back. All said and done for the new set I want to say it was only a few hundred dollars. I bought my 2023 12/28/24. Before I even picked it up I already had 4" spindles, 3" coilovers, new 3rd member from ECGS, 36x13 Amp All Terrain Pro's and new SPC UCA's ordered.

    So within a week of buying it I had my 7" lift, tires on it, it was regeared and I brought it to straight to my driveshaft guy and had custom aluminum driver shaft built. So before it had 200 miles on the truck it was all setup. So far I only have 7,000 miles on it and have done some mild wheeling and have had no issues with the SPC's.

    As far as alignments go, I run 0 camber, 0 toe and between 5 and 6 caster. Without the SPC's I have no idea how I could get those specs.

    Yes over the years they have refined the ball joint design, but with each iteration they got better. I think it is a big PLUS, that the manufacturer is always improving on the design. I have no idea why people complain about SPC's, all things considered they have been great for me. and customer service has been excellent!
     
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  19. Mar 11, 2025 at 11:29 AM
    #99
    jboudreaux1965

    jboudreaux1965 Ragin Cajun Fan

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    ABSOLUTELY YOU WILL NEED TO GET ANOTHER ALIGNMENT! Anytime you adjust anything or replace anything with the front suspension you need to have an alignment done.
     
  20. Mar 18, 2025 at 6:03 PM
    #100
    Monkeybutt2000

    Monkeybutt2000 Well-Known Member

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    I ran SPC's on my 15' for 45k with NO issues. Might've greased them once a year.
     
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