Sanity Check: UCAs for 6" Drop Bracket Lift

2012 TRD Sport DCLB: I have a 6" Drop bracket lift with 33 x 12.5 x 20" on 20 x 10" Wheels. I have had the truck since 2015 I installed the lift the same year. The lift keeps the stock UCA in place as the Suspension geometry in theory so be close to stock and have had no issues with the UCA hitting the springs or the tires since 2015. I am looking to replace the UCAs as one of the boots is broken and a bushing in the back is wore out. I would like to get some aftermarket Adjustable UCAs. I should be able to get stock ride height arms just with an adjustable setting.

Any Recommendations? So far I've read SPC, JB Fab any others?

Below are some picture of my truck the way it currently sits, i dont think the angle is too severe but if im wrong please let me know.

 

Welcome to TW


Looks like the ball joint itself has been hitting against your coil (and would be why the boot is torn and leaking). Its got quite a lot of angle (Rough Country went pretty aggressive with that on their 6" kit, the drop brackets themselves only drop down 3¼ inches, so angles are the same as you'd have at 2.75" lift w/o DBs).
How come you don't have the droop stops (extension limiters) installed? (that might've prevented the boot from getting torn)

As for aftermarket arms, you definitely can put them on there no problem (and probably should), but you'll likely still have to install the droop stops too because the new UCAs may end up doing the same thing. If you don't have the droop stops anymore, then limit straps.

(some UCAs such as SPC are thinner, so it's possible you'll need a taller bumper to go on the droop stop mount, see this post).

 

JBAs aren’t adjustable and there really is non need for them with that kit. Also JBA I believe makes a replacement uca with no caster built in I believe.

 

Curious how this went for you. I also have a 6" drop bracket lift. M1 shocks though. Having terrible camber issues though, and considering SPCs. Did you put them on? Any issues with the boots rubbing coils like 4x4junkie cautioned??

Check my recent post to see the alignment issues I'm having.

 

I would recommend against SPCs - they have changed bushing styles several times in the last several years and they just don't last, and can't be really be replaced - your only option is to RMA them over and over and over again. The original style had replaceable bushings, but the new "x-axis" style are a royal pain and require specialized tooling that even a well equipped offroad specialty shop doesn't typically have. I also found that I didn't actually need the super duper adjustability, they confused the hell out of most techs even at good garages (let alone toe-and-go joints) and after I got fed up with dealing with them, I replaced them with some Dirt Kings which have a certain amount of caster built-in to the geometry. Enough to push you out beyond the factory specs if you need/want it there, but not so much that you can't maintain factory numbers with standard LCA hardware.

The DK tubular uppers have quite a lot more clearance than factory UCAs, but given the gnarly angle you're sitting at, you may actually want to talk to Icon about their Delta Joint uppers - they have more range of motion than a typicall balljoint without the drawbacks of a Uniball setup.