Light Racing UCA install ?

I just ordered some Light Racing UCA's from Fat Bobs Garage, and I have a question about the install. When I installed my lift it was extremely hard for me to get the stock UCA and the spindle back together again, especially on the drivers side. I tried to use muscle, then the bottle jack.After trying for over an hour I had to use a c-clamp to get it back together...will these LR UCA's be the same deal, or do they have more downward flex? The getting them in part is not my worry, I just don't want to be in the same boat as last time, as it was extremely frustrating. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Way less hassle. Biggest deal is getting the bolts out past the metal of the fender well and that was easy too. Had zero hassle doing mine. No cutting of the bolts or anything like that.

 

Nice, that is what I want to hear. I'm not worried about removing the old ones or anything like that, just the part about getting the tapered ball joint piece in the spindle was keeping me awake at night, lol. I take it these LR's have more down travel then the stock, correct?

 

the reason they were so hard to pull down is because they use a rubber bushing, that does not rotate freely like a poly bushing would. if you loosen the big UCA bolt that holds it to the truck, it will actuall just drop right down. the installation instructions for the LR UCAs will tell you this too, but don't tighten the UCA bolt all of the way until the truck is back on the ground. when you tighten that bolt, it essentially locks the bushing in place. if you tighten the bolt while the suspension is fully extended, it will put a lot of stress on the bushing while the truck is on the ground and you'll tear or wear out the bushings.

 

Use the stock bottle jack to push the UCA downwards and use a floor jack to lift the LCA & knuckle upwards, then just use your hand to guide the ball joint back into the knuckle. I did this on my taco and did it installing the OME lift on my buddy's 4runner.

Just like this VVVV

 

I don't remember using anything other than the floor jack underneath to get the ball joint back in the top of the spindle enough to start the nut since the spindle bolt was still loose as stated above. UCA bolt was last thing tightened once truck back on ground but yeah, do whatcha gotta do.........

 

Thanks guys, great advice. I tried the bottle jack method on my stock UCA's but it wasn't enough to put the tapered part in tight enough to tighten the bolt. I'll try colinb's method and keep it loose until it's on the ground, then tighten it up.

 

When I installed my 5100s I knocked the upper ball joint loose to get some more room to get the bottom bolt in. When I went to attach the upper ball joint to the spindle I pulled it down by hand far enough to get a pry bar between the UCA and the spring, then used the pry bar to push the balljoint through enough to get the bolt started. It worked like a charm.

 

the instructions that come with them are pretty goo, jsut follow them and you'll be all set.
you'll probably start laughing when you loosen the UCA bolt and the UCA just rotates down all of the way to where it needs to be.

 

Awesome. When I put them on I will have the logo face out and have them pulled all the way out in the slot, correct? I currently have caste of 1.9/ 2.08, so with that setting I will be at 3.9/ 4.08 with the built in 2 deg caster on the LR UCA's, right? Will those numbers be too high for the 3 km drive to get an alignment seeing as 2.4 is ideal?

 

Subbed for later

 

Just set it on the 0 setting. It already adds 1 degree to caster set that way. I had 1.8 and 1.6 then it went to 2.8 and 2.6 just having them set on the 0 setting in the instructions before the alignment dialed them in afterwards. 3 would start to be stretching things too far, 4 would be more than necessary and most likely be moving the tire too much and rubbing somewhere. 2.4 to about 3.0 is where I target my caster to drive right and not rub in front or back.

 

Cool. I was under the impression that at the 0 setting they had 2 deg more caster over stock...my bad. My camber is right now at 0.6, so with these pulled all the way out it will probably give me more until I get my alignment, correct? Don't mean to ask so many questions, just want to get everything right

 

The big nut in the slot adjusts camber not caster. Caster is adjusted there by the position of the flat plate right under the arm itself that is part of the ball joint(gold color, square on one side, round on the other) That has splines inside the hole where that is offset and can be rotated a certain direction to increase + or - caster. The 0 setting is where the flat side faces towards you looking in the wheel well. Tightening the nut on top locks it all in place. Where it is in the slot is additional camber adjustment to the oem adjusters. I just centered mine in the slot to drive to alignment place and let them center oem adjusters then set the camber using the slots in the UCAs

 

So the 0 setting with the brass plate facing you is where I intend to set them, but I was just under the impression this allowed 2 more degrees of caster over the stock UCA. I'm also aware that sliding it back and forth in the slot changes the camber. Most people set it all the way out and let the shop take it from there, so that is what I was going to do...I just hope that at that setting along with my camber currently being at 0.6 doesn't make it much worse...like over the max of 1.2. I will have to make it as easy for the alignment techs around here as possible, as I feel they are inept compared to the ones in other city's. I had my truck aligned 5 times after my lift, and at 3 different places, and they finally got it "OK" at Toyota after I bitched and complained and told them exactly what I needed.

 

yeah, i'm pretty sure it adds 2* caster, but my memory may be bad. you are correct with how you are going to take care of it. the SPC logo will be facing out, and the nut slid all of the way out. request that the nut on top be torqued to spec, but that it remain all of the way out. and they allign only using the stock adjustments. that way, if you ever hit a curb or something off road and the nut gets knocked inwards, all you have to do is losen it, pull it back out, and tighten it up.

as for the short drive to the alignment shop, you won't have a problem. i put about 75 miles on mine before i was able to get an alignment.

 

Sorry to post this so late in the thread Fabian



I couldn't post it from my phone

 

Awesome, thanks guys. Now I'll just have to wait for it to warm up some, and drop em in.

 

Do the light racing uca's offer more caster than the 1.25" Camburg uniballs?

 

not the same ^^^^^
this are the specs from my lr uca's