UCAs really worth it?

I’m planning on getting an OME suspension in the next several months. After doing some research a lot of people also replace the UCAs with aftermarket uniball ones. I’ve also seen people that just use a diff drop kit. I don’t know if I’ll be able to swing $600-700 UCAs. It might take a little more saving. You guys have any thoughts?

 

You’ll be ok running without. Ive ran 2 years on my original ones but wouldn’t recommend it.

I plan to get a set of JBA UCAs for mine and they run $460 or so.

 

Maybe I’ll see where I’m at financially in a few months and make the decision then. Just seems like a lot of money for some metal to me

 

You’ll be fine going a few months without getting new ones but I’d recommend them as soon as you’re able to afford them.

 

You can get the first model of SPC on rock auto for fairly cheap.

Not uniball, but you probably not want those anyway.

 

Mine aren’t uni-ball, more like a factory ball joint. They were less than $300 and have been good so far. They aligned well and seem very sturdy, my two cents anyway. They are Freedom Offroad brand by the way. Good luck with whichever and whatever you choose.

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinf...L3OsscUag0Et7Qd49ZXwPjyyTBpnfamJOJDae/qciPQ==

 

I actually need some advice on this topic as well.

Do some upper control arm kits not work with larger tires? I have 265/75r16 tires on my 04 pre-runner and am looking for some new UCA's but my current ones are aftermarket of some kind.

 

Should all be fine unless your wheels suck the tire into the wheel well 10 miles

 

When I bought my truck the front shocks and UCA’s were stock. I first bought fox 2.0‘s front and rear and a few months later installed my total chaos UCA’s. The UCA’s brought a noticeable difference. Well worth the money IMO

 

I got JBA High Caster UCAs for $450 a few weeks ago... Haven't had an opportunity to install yet, but I'll get them on soon lol.

 

I have some total chaos UCA bnib that I never used because I just used the 881 springs witj the 5100s. I was under the impression the new UCA are not really necessary unless you have like a 2” lift or more?

 

So I'm all for aftermarket UCAs, I mean shit I have brand new uniball Icons that have been sitting in storage for months now.

I'm curious about the above statement though; elaborate

 

I don’t know. All I can say is that it was noticeably a smoother ride. When first installing my Fox 2.0’s, coming from a stock suspension I was expecting a far superior smoother ride and I wasn’t blown away. Sometimes I couldn’t tell that much of a difference. When I had the Fox’s installed at 4WP I had them maxed out to the highest setting which Ive read that brings a stiffer ride quality. When I had my UCA’s installed, I remember being pleasantly surprised. What I was expecting out of upgrading to Fox 2.0’s is how I felt after the UCA install. They also changed the lbj’s and lca bushings. Perhaps my buddy ( a Toyota master mechanic) changed the settings on my Fox’s that 4WP maxed out during install? He never told me, all I know is that I drove away and that the truck was a lot smoother prior to the install of my UCA’s?

 

I know the actual ride quality is for the most part found in the shock/spring. I never really thought too much into it or called my buddy and asked him what he did. I just know the ride was smoother.

found this- https://sams4x4.com/n-3-replacing-upper-control-arm.html

• Improved ride quality (depending on shocks) - There's absolutely no reason that an upgraded control arm has to reduce vehicle ride quality. In fact, most coilover kits for off-road use offer a smother, better ride than factory during regular day-to-day driving. Aftermarket control arms often weigh less than OEM control arms, reducing unsprung suspension weight and improving ride quality. Aftermarket control arms can also accommodate replacement shocks that offer better all-around performance than OEM shocks.

 

If you’re going for under 2” of front lift you should be fine. I put OME 880’s on a few years ago specifically trying to avoid aftermarket UCAs. I ended up with over 2.5” of lift. My local Firestone had a really good alignment guy who could get my truck to drive decent even though he couldn’t get it in spec.

When that guy quit I was up shit creek so I got SPC UCAs. I believe that’s the only brand with adjustable caster, which allows the wheels to be moved forward in the wheel well, gaining clearance for bigger tires. That ended up working out really well when I just had to step up to 33” tires. You can see in the photo that they easily clear.

A diff drop won’t do anything for your alignment. They just slightly decrease the operating angle of the CV axles after a lift. Some people swear a diff drop extends the life of their CV axles and lowers the odds of getting annoying drivetrain vibrations. Other people swear they don’t do shit. But they’re cheap so it’s a low risk mod.

 

Im sure at least some of this was already covered, but here’s my piece:

Those two thigs address 2 different issues. You may need both, or neither.

Diff drop for if you go over 2 inch lift, just to keep your CVs at better angles.

UCAs are not necessary at all, unless you go with mid or long travel or really beat the hell out of your truck. There are other less expensive options that MAY be necessary but only if you can’t get a good alignment after you lift it. Usually more than 2.5”... unibals are stronger and have better articulation, but they also require more maintenance.

There are aftermarket balljoint style UCAs that adjust the geomtry for your alinment issues (if you have those issues), that are generally much less expensive, and are just as good for moderate offroad.

 

“Budget” and “lift” don’t deserve to be in the same sentence IMO. If you’re tripping over $600-$700 for a very important piece of the puzzle, maybe it’s not the best time to spend money on suspension if you can’t do it right..

lifting IFS is already a shit show waiting to happen if you actually off-road compared to solid axle, so why anyone wants to skimp on parts is beyond me.

If you crawl malls then fuck it, 5100s maxed and pray.


Take it from the guy who has done it both ways. Don’t get cheap - especially if money is hard to come by (like it was for me).


Penis

 

Yes they do.

 

95% of people out there don’t need to drop 4 grand on suspension. That’s ridiculous.

$400 on some bilsteins and an add a leaf in the rear work perfectly well for the vast majority of people. I bet half the folks who dropped a ton of cash on their fancy external resi shocks wouldn't even notice the difference if you took their shocks off and gave them some 5100s painted blue.