Could Use a Bit of Wisdom from the Lift Gurus Out There...

For those that read at a glance:

1. 5100's don't actually bolt right into stock suspension and give a true alignment.
2. Don't ever go to Midas Touch.
3. Will a Uniball Joint UCA correct a 2.5" lift's alignments problems?

For those that like a story:

So it all starts when every bump and dip in the road seems to continue when you're no longer driving over them. I think to myself, It's time to replace my shocks. If I'm gonna replace them I may as well do a lift. Super long and boring story short I went with 5100's. Why? because all your dreams come true and they BOLT RIGHT IN!! What?!! Well it's true they did bolt in and the truck drove, and it was better than my blown out stock shocks but my alignment sucked (which is totally understandable). So I took it down to get that "Midas Touch".

Another long and boring story short I pay something cheap like $80 bucks to Midas lame-touch for an alignment and grab lunch with a friend. Upon my return the desk guy explains to me that he can't fix my camber or toe or both and then seriously asks me, "Do you jump your truck? cause the frame looks tweaked."(My frame isn't tweaked) While that could be a totally normal question to a different person with the right type of truck, I'm sort of haphazardly laughing and squinting my eyes wondering if he's actually asking me, a guy with a 2.5 inch front leveling lift on my taco. So I leave and the first thing I notice is now my steering wheel is crooked when I drive straight. I mean it's freakin crooked. Fastforward 1 week and my steering wheel starts shaking violently. Four out of the six lugs are missing on my front right tire, and two of the wheel studs snapped off (whispering Midas Touch). I spend the next day pulling my suspension apart and pressing things back together to make my truck operable again. It doesn't matter right? Sad day for me and Midas can suck a nut, but what I'm here for is to ask some wise people what has worked in the real world for them.

Which brings me to point number 3. I still have a truck that has uneven tire wear because the truth is that 5100s don't bolt right in and everything is hunky dory. The truth is that 5100's bolt right in up to a point and work with your stock UCA if you stay somewhere around 1.75" or so I've read. So here it is my new found Tacoma Friends: Will these $675+ Uniball UCA magically have the proper angle to fix my camber and or toe?

From what I've read, I'm a bit turned off by LR UCA and I was thinking between Icon or Camburg. I'm open to suggestions of springs (as I've heard a lot of noise about OME springs) and other possible suspension upgrades if you really think that'll make the ride that much better (which I've become a bit of a skeptic since all the rave of 5100's albeit maybe UCA is the lacking component). I just need to know real life people can back it up. Tired of reading threads of people that may or may not be able to tie their own shoes but swear by X.

Tires:
265/75/R16

For the Visual:



I'm at your mercy, help a fellow taco friend out

 

When i install my lift (3in 5100s) i took it to brake check to get my truck aligned, when they finished it was crooked going to the right then. They took it for a drive they put my truck on the lift and realigned it like 3 times till they got it straight, and i have stock arms people say that you need new arms for an alignment as exact to oem been like 6 months since install and alignment drives straight.

 

yes, aftermarket uca's are needed to get your alignment "perfect" again. with 2.5in lift i would highly recommend getting uca's. i used to have the light racing uca's they are pretty good. i crashed my truck and bent them and they sent me a brand new pair, so their customer service is A+++++. I went with downsouth motorsports boxed uca's this time around and couldn't be happier. my alignment is perfect with 3in lift. if you do want to go the cheaper route, buy the camburg ball joint uca's and im sure you will be happy.

 

Take it to a reputable shop that has an experienced person doing your alignment. Not a kid that's reading numbers on a screen. Lifted trucks with bigger tires need someone with experience to align them. The base numbers are just kind of a starting point when you have a modified truck. That's where the experience of aligning vehicles comes into play

 

I put mine in with no issues put them on the highest lift inmediatly went to the shop and in 15 minutes i was leaving, and for the uca i felt like i did needed them but it was a terporary thing alignment was good to the day i took the shocks out.
Check your bushings, ball joints

 

Your upper ball joint looks pretty greasy . You might wanna make sure that thing's in working order