JBA Offroad Upper Control Arms And Suspension MEGA Thread BS thread

I didn't cut, used hammer, punch, sweat and curse words. oh, and vice grips

 

Got the HD arms installed. They clear the coil bucket by about 3/4" all the way around. They are all beef.

Getting my old arms out were not as difficult, not as bent, and bolts were greased. Punch and tapping with hammer.

My UCA bolts were in perfect shape, but I replaced with new anyways.





Old bent UCA.

 

I couldn'treally tell if my bolts were damaged, but also replaced them just in case

 

I'm also working along with Marlin to make these arms better including using poly non binding bushings.
Miles

 

Hey mon!! I would say that if all the kinks are worked out, these arms would work great as a mid travel suspension using the stock lower arm and a longer shock. I used the Monster rides Balljoint to allow more droop with longer shock. The problem was that the Balljoints were expensive and only Australia has them. Marlins design is great but needs a little tweaking. He's on his way to finally producing a mid travel arm without an exposed uniball.
Miles.

 

yes, part of the draw for me was cheap and easy ball and bushing replacement. it wasn't exactly fun being one to suffer the kinks before they wereworked out, but now that the clearance issues are fixed and they are bigger and beefier I'm satisfied

that being said I have a camping/wheeling trip next weekend so we'll see how they hold up

 

He needs to make a new sticker too.. Toyota guys don't like Jeep stickers on their trucks!! Lol

 

yeah, maybe just JBA without the picture

 

The test should have been installing arms without coilover / sway bar and jacking up to full compression and release to full droop.. This usually tells you of all issues.
Cheers.

 

maybe so but did not have time or inclination to remove my coilovers

 

Gotya!!

 

Just curious, why are you using aftermarket UCAS with those shocks?
Thanks.

 

cuz they look kewl






































actually its more of a "planning for future suspension upgrades" type thing

 

I'm curious as to why you ask? i.e. not enough lift to justify, etc.? thx.

 

I've wondered about poly bushings in these as well... Wouldn't it be as simple as pressing out the rubber bushing and putting in an after market poly like energy suspension? Or is it more complicated than that? Poly needs to be maintenance by grease, so zerk fittings, etc.?

And by binding, you're speaking to the condition when the a-arm cross bolt is torqued at vehicle ride height, the rubber bushings in the a-arm will want to stay in that static condition, right? That would be binding. Whereas a non-binding poly bushing would allow full range of the a-arm without wanting to return to it's static ride height condition?

 

Okay. That's a separate issue but an important one. On that subject I don't understand why we need the steel shell at all. Why not press out old rubber bushing, push in lubed poly bushing, insert inner metal sleeve. Done. Why isn't it the same procedure as the Dakar rear leaf pack bushing? The poly bushing manufacturer would just need to increase the poly bushing diameter to take up the extra space that the shell is using? Right?

 

Put mine on today, truck drives better already without an alignment. Took 2 hrs, would take 45 min if not for the required body work to get the bolts out.

 

Match these with a pair of standard length HD tube LCA's styled like the All Pro long travel arms and you would have a winning combination. Are there any plans for JBA to make LCA's? I definetly plan on watching the progress of JBA.

 

Took me about 2hr yesterday. Took the nut off the uca bolt moved it toward the front then used a grinder with a cutoff wheel and cut the head off and slid it out. My problem was passenger side ball joint nut would not come off had to chisel it off( trying to save the ball joint stud) then the driverside uca bolt was difficult because my fuel lines were in the way. I can't tell at all but they look kewl. Now to get it aligned this weekend. I've been spraying the Lcas with penetrating oil all last week and I'll hit it again this week so hopefully the adjustment cams aren't seized.