Colorado B.S. Thread

Are you sure you need UCAs? Or do you just want them?

I'm far from an expert so take this with a grain of salt, but I'm not running aftermarket UCAs and don't know that I'll need them.

I was able to get an alignment of 0 toe and camber and just over 1 degree of caster. "They" say that that's not enough caster, but the truck drives fine for me. It doesn't wander if I let go of the steering wheel or anything.

If I understand correctly, aftermarket UCAs would give me more adjustment allowing for more caster but would do so by putting the front wheels further back in the wheel well. I also haven't had to chop the cab mount to run 33s but adding caster via UCAs might make that necessary.

I think that in mid travel applications, stock UCAs may limit your droop?
35s may also benefit from UCAs with extra clearance relative to the tire?

 

I use the Light Racing arms to get more caster while keeping the camber correct. When using the light racing arms you can actually move the wheel farther forward further reducing the need for a body mount chop. This only applies to the Light Racing arms.

 

I found someone locally selling the light racing for 200 after they didn't need them. Keep am eye out

 

I'd like to be schooled on this. My impression was that adding caster from the bottom moved the wheel forward and adding caster from the top moved the wheel rearward.

 

I have Lt racing uca's. Mine are a fixed castor of 2-3 degrees, can't remember which.
They allow a greater range of Camber adjustment. Mine are not adjustable forward or back (castor) just for camber.
The droop is virtually the same with the stock units but the range of motion is better with the aftermarket units.
What I mean by that is with the stock uca at full droop, the ball joint is stressed to the point of almost popping out.
With aftermarket uca's, full droop is engineered into the design so the ball joint has much less stress.
The only reason I went with aftermarket uca's was because my alignment adjusters were frozen and it was the easier way to deal with it.

 

Correct.

 

My understanding was an 3" lift severally stresses these components/ drive linkage thus reducing life expectancy. Figured I would be proactive by getting an UCA designed to handle this over "hoping" stock UCA will hold up for X period of time.

Thanks for the feed back, maybe my thinking was all wrong on this.

 

However, we're just talking 2-3 degrees of movement. Mine were adjusted from the top with the fixed castor, I don't have rub problems other than that pinch weld which is a problem for all 1st gens on 33's.

If i recall, I have something like 2.5/2.3 castor and 0 camber. Or it was before Bunce School Road redid my alignment.

 

It stresses the upper ball joint at full droop. Not much else is affected.

 

2003 so the trusty rfs engine.

 

The good ol' KickTilMonday RunsForShit?

 

so close... yet so far...

 

That's the one!

 

Broke trail on Hackett and Metberry Gulch today.

 

Dunno the only issues I've had with my '07 525 RFS was shit the last owner did to it.

 

very good Eric^ not an expert

also correct

? LR ucas have camber and caster adjustment?

hell yeah, makes me want to go up and get stuck

 

The way I read it was that the built in caster of the LRs allows for more camber adjustment.
Isn't stock camber/caster adjustment a balancing act? IOW give in one to gain in the other?

 

Fixed caster only and the camber is adjustable at top, you can slide the ball joint assembly side to side, but not front to back.

 

yes it is a balancing act. and yes with the ball joint into the middle position in the uca, it gains +2* over stock arms. however you can go back to stock caster or go all the way to +4*. and the ball joint slides in and out giving u camber adjustment. they are extremely versatile, which is also why some people install them due to seized lower arms. not a fix imo, more of a band aid but it does work.

if we put ucas on your truck Eric, I guarantee you'd notice a difference in how it drove. plus with more correct amount of caster, the tires scrub on the ground less when turning, leading to better tire wear.

 

Pshh. .. michelins!