purchased some used uniball UCAs

Hey all,

I picked up some uca's off facebook last week for 250 (i thought shit, might be a scam, but it worked out fine)
seller said they were icons (which is why i jumped on them, and i was going to immediately press new uniballs in). When i got them, and looked them over- not icons. gussets are different, uniball spindle pin is different design, and then i popped out the bushings to check that- bushings have a TC-002. I traced that down to them being tuff country's. (which i dont know much about other than they made sketchy "lift kits" back in the day for disco trucks.

Overall for 250, not bad. I’m realistic in that these are used and not perfect, totally understand, no worries. I got an extra arm with a new stainless uniball also (these arms actually came with stainless uniballs which was another giveaway that they are not icons).

My plan is to strip them down, fully clean, (repowder or pain the arms) and new uniballs or delta joints.

So my questions is- the new uniball (not pressed in) is super tight, which i expect. the ones currently mounted in the arms are alittle loose. how much play should i uniball have under normal circumstances? Im debating popping in new ones or maybe these are ok?
What should i look for on these arms while inspecting them?

Also, been searching for methods on pressing out the uniballs. Im seeing lots of ideas- some better than others- bj press looks like a pain, BFH-looks like a good way to destroy something, and the icon press looks nice but for 150, with delta joints- im just short of new arms. Ideas good are bad are welcome haha.

Ive done a fair amount of research on uniballs, but just looking from first hand experience from yall.

I'll post of pics in a few minutes so you can see what im working with.

 

anyone?

 

Maybe try to find someone locally with the icon or total chaos tool that will let you borrow it. I'm in the same boat right now.

 

yeah, i’m going to have to do that. i also found out that i can’t even use these ha. from everything i read in the tuff country ones, if used on lifts less than 2” they definitely give more caster, but totally throw out the camber. ill have to get the LR/spc ones so i have the flexibility.
regardless, i have new uniballs coming and i still plan to clean these all up before i sell them. or should i even bother and just toss the new uniballs in the box?

 

You might get more for them if they are installed....but time is money so there's that. If you are gonna dump them I would just let the next guy fight with em.

 

New uniballs are supposed to be tight, so that's normal. Too much play is indicative of needing replacement. BFH works well to knock out the old one. Using a bench vice and a large socket is perfect for carefully pressing in the new one.

And just inspect for cracks, breaks, straightness, etc. Nothing crazy.

 

I have so far been unsuccessful in using the BFH method

 

me neither,
i rented a bj press from advanced auto- bastard was missing half the cups, and of course- the ones i needed

 

Ball joint press or a vice. Use a old socket that will fit snug to edge on uniball and a bigger size for a spacer in the other end. Just easy. Remember to coat the new uniball outer surface with anti seize to prevent the new set from corrosion.

 

i going to try the vice method at work. then i can fully clean and refinish these. suck i can’t use em!

 

got the uniballs out. stripped the. down and getting the cleaned up-

 

got one put back together. pressing the new uniballs was super easy thank god. used stainless steel ones too.

 

both done.