2009 Tacoma (Need help picking new UCA’s)

I need help picking new UCA’s for my 2009 Tacoma Trd off-road (prerunner), i got new front struts and now the coil is hitting against the control arm because of clearance issues and I need help picking a new UCA set in my budget I left some options near the end to get some help, if there’s better options around the same price let me know.

 

I don’t want to be rude, but why are you lifting it with the block spacer, what are your objectives?

If you are never going off-road and only going for the look and stance.
spacer block is fine as at ride height it will never contact the spring at full droop. (Unless you find a giant pothole)

If you do go off-road… that’s a different scenario.

 

the truth is the truck came with the block spacer, so i just passed it onto the new shocks, and it’s lifted for looks more than offroading bc it is a daily commuter, and it is hitting currently the control arm in any slight bumps or dips in parking lots or on the road, so even casually driving I can’t avoid it from happening

 

You have a few options to stop your UCA from hitting the spring.
None of which require a new UCA, as the main issue is the ride height change. Or to be specific the spacer block. Which looks 2+in
Changing the UCA won’t fix the main problem. As it is lifted too high for this IFS.

As your problem is the top hat spacer. Changing the geometry of how all the parts work.

• Remove the top spacer. You loose your lift but keep the same coil over and UCA. Cheap and economical.

• Replace with a shorter top spacer a thin 0.5 in or 1.5in spacer. You loose some height but reduce the chance of the UCA crashing into the spring. If opting for the 0.5 you will not have the issue of the UCA hitting the coil over.
A good enough compromise. But as long as you don’t go off-road.

• Replace the Coil over with a aftermarket that supports 0 to 2 in of lift.
(I won’t get into detail as to what coilover) or 3in lift that would require new UCA.
Expensive, but long term solution.

• drop bracket kit etc

• Solid axle swap (very expensive)

There are other well documented factors as to why spacer lifts are generally bad and I have experienced the spacer lift issues.
But am open to hearing others experience and perspective, who have more insight than me.

 

From the photos, the spacer looks huge. Measure how tall the spacer is and report back. Typical maximum lift is 2 1/2 inches (without a drop bracket lift) which equates to a 1 1/4 inch spacer (spacer is 2:1 for lift). Just from my quick look at it without knowing the spacer thickness is that there is too much lift.

 

The spacer is 2 inches btw, this is how the truck looks from the front,
i’m definitely considering adding the lowering spacer for the sway bar

 

nice truck.

Keep in mind lowering the swaybar by means of a spacer will not fix the UCA crashing into the spring issue.

 

yea, i’m aware that it won’t fix it but i’d still need it to fix the horrible flex on the sway bar endlinks so ima get that to fix that issue. i’ll first go at the issue by removing the spacers, thing is my dad keeps bothering saying to go aftermarket UCA, can i have more insight on why buying a different set of control arms won’t fix the issue. and if i did get the upper control arms and don’t remove the spacer what other suspension parts would i need to upgrade?

 

Whoa that 2" spacer is WAYY too much for these trucks. Sure, I know your truck is only a 2wd (RWD) and you don't have front CV axles to bind up, but you may not solve the actual problem with even aftermarket UCAs with that much lift. If you do solve the problem of the UCA hitting the spring, you are then left with the fact that your truck has ZERO downtravel and rides like crap over any tiny bump.

You probably have 5-6" of lift in total from stock with the space and replacement spring/shock.

 

If you want to excessively lift a Tacoma (>3") you're going to have to do a Drop Bracket (DB) lift.
Rough Country is cheap and I would never use it, but for your use case, that may be in the price range.
https://runnin4tacos.com/blogs/blog...vs-drop-bracket-lift-kit-whats-the-difference

Or maybe a cheap ProComp https://www.procompusa.com/shop/sus...-15-toy-tacoma-4wd-6-complete-kit-pcstoy116m/ and put caps on the spindles since you don't have CVs.

 

There is a very good information regarding the ins and outs of the IFS.
Close to scientific from a third party.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_68Hc8GtLko&t=1s

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=huMztKaHsUE&t=205s


But to put it plainly.
using a giant top hat spacer does change your ride height. But maxes out the UCA and LCA geometry. To where balljoint failure and shock failure are more likely to happen.
there is also the down side of a very very harsh ride as when the suspension cycles and bottoms out (ie going to a speed bump too fast or similar type object) the suspension travels up and does not hit the bump stop, letting the whole weight of the vehicle land on the shock itself.

you essentially lower the coil over total length out of its natural operating range. Hence the UCA crashing into the coil spring.

If you do decide to go with the drop bracket kit (I am not familiar with) I believe this process is irreversible as it cuts some parts of the sub frame and the frame. But again I’m not familiar with this process.

If you were to replace the UCA and want to know what needs replacing after?
You would only need to replace the coil over that allows up to 2in of lift. And yes you can still run a stock UCA, I have a stock UCA on my truck and have aftermarket coilovers.

But to be very blunt.
The spacer block is the issue. Don’t lift too high, it isn’t a Chevy or a solid front axle. Less than 2in of lift is fine. The more you lift the more issues you will see and create, and more money and thoughts on the problem.

 

I’m curious, how does it ride? (I imagine like floating on clouds )

 

LOL, it rides like a BRICK on wheels, no sort of articulation whatsoever, no flex on the front end because the strut can’t compress down bc of the lack of clearance from the control arm

 

As someone who had spacer blocks and took it off road on a FSR for 2 hours.


I had to stop every 40mins. It was like riding a stage coach.

oh wait you are being funny. Haha

 

Psst it’s not the UCA it’s the top hat spacer. Not allowing suspension articulation.

 

Sounds like he needs a new UCA, maybe rough country?

 

I would be quicker to drop the lift to level, take out all the spacers and get 5100s, than to cut the frame and lift 4+ inches.
Stock trucks look cool too!
Just my 0.02

 

As others have said, you have too much lift.

 

It sounds to me like you want to keep the lift height...

What I suggest you do is ditch the spacer entirely, then add this kit instead:
https://maxtracsuspension.com/product/2005-2023-tacoma-6-lug-2wd-4-lift-kit-max-trac-shocks/

This will restore your suspension's factory geometry (and therefore your ride quality and the UCA not smacking the coil spring), while at the same time retaining the 4" of lift you had from the 2" spacer.

Drop-down bracket kits do similar (keeping factory geometry) but instead they do it by lowering the LCAs and providing taller knuckles to take up the space created by lowering the LCA.
On a 2WD truck the kit I linked above is a more economical solution.

Part of the frame does need cutting in order to drop the 4WD differential housing down, but if you save the part that was cut, it's easy enough to weld it back on (it gets much more complicated if you don't have the original part removed... Fabrication will be needed in such case). OP doesn't need this though since he has 2WD.

 

removed the spacers now i have normal clearance, now ill save up to upgrade to better shocks to better the quality, my front is now about 2.5inches and the back about 2