5100 lift with stock UCAs

my question is regarding alignments. for those of you with stock UCAs and 5100's, how is your alignment after your lift. i cant afford the aftermarket UCAs right now, so if i have to worry about my tires getting eaten i will hold off on my "lift". (its in quotes because its nothing huge). i'm looking at using the 5100s to left my truck on the 1.75 setting.

 

yeah same here. i'll do the 1.75 setting up front, and the 1.5 aal in the rear and be done with it. i just didnt wanna eat up tires in the process.

 

But those UCAs are just so nice compared to stock. That is what sold me on going 2.5 on the old truck, so I would "need" them to get the truck aligned properly. As was stated, there shouldn't be issue with alignment and even if the caster is a bit low for some reason, that isn't gonna eat your tires. The camber and toe being off is what eats tires. The caster will just annoy you into getting UCAs with the wandering feel like the wind is a 35mph crosswind all the time at frwy speed and wants to follow grooves and uneven surfaces.

 

is it really that bad without the UCAs with that small of a lift?

 

Not from what has been posted here. I did my 05 2.5 and caster sucked but didn't wear tires. This time on the 08, I only lifted 1/2 inch up front with Toytec taco lean spacers on each side when switching the base model shocks to the yellow toyota bilsteins I had in the attic. No caster issue on this one. You shouldn't have caster issue going 1.75...........

 

I've got the same lift as Wolfpack, 5100's with Eibach coils for a total of about 1.6" of lift. I was able to get my caster within spec with stock UCA's. As far as wander, I did not notice any changes with the lift. I did notice a big change when I swapped out tires. The wider tires I'm running tend to follow 'ruts' in the road more so than the stockers.

 

thats all i'll be running too. i'm at 265 70 16 now, when these wear down i'll purchase the 265 75 16s

 

How soon after going up to 1.75" do you need to get your alignment? Is it something that needs to be done immediately or can it wait for 50-100 miles or so?

 

i figured i'd wait like 100-200 miles. that way things have settled in.

 

I drove mine to the dealership and got it aligned right after so maybe 15 miles. Anything that's going to 'settle' will do so when you hit the first bump. In my opinion, there's no point in driving around misaligned any more than is needed. It's nothing that's going to do any real damage waiting 50 - 100 miles, I just didn't see the point in waiting.

 

How soon after going up to 1.75" do you need to get your alignment? Is it something that needs to be done immediately or can it wait for 50-100 miles or so?

 

So I'm looking to get the 5100s and get rid of my 2.5 spacer lift. If I set the 5100s at 2.5, will the truck look the same as with the spacers?

 

Basically, but it will ride better

 

here's my 2.5 spacer lift...

So if I have the 5100s set at 2.5 it will look the same?
...I'm just trying to make sure

 

I had 5100s @ 2.5. It looked off but tracked great! I could let go of the wheel at 90 mph and it would go straight. I never had vibrations either. Simple as this, try it! It's not a permanent thing. If you are dissatisfied, drop em to 1.75.

 

I drove 50 miles before getting my first alignment...it drove like shit...

First alignment...They didnt do to well...

Second one, they got it right after I gave them some specs...


0 camber
0 toe
2.4 caster

They didn't get it exactly, but +/- .02.

 

With the spacer lift I have now, after getting it aligned it was perfect. I want to set it at 2.5 and I am ordering the 1.5 AAL as I already have the TSB done. I know it will be a little higher in the back after the AAL but I don't want the front to be higher.

 

should be damn near level.

 

Thanks fellas

 

I set my 5100's at 1.75 and had the tsb done the next day. So i got a free alignment out of the deal. Love the ride but about to put on some eibachs with a 1/2 and 3/4 inch spacer as well as a toytec aal and some 275/70r17 goodyear at/s tires. the middle pic is the before.