SPC UCA

I know this has been covered before, but the threads I’m finding are from years ago.

What’s the story with SPC UCAs? Are they really as hard as people say they are to align for most shops? Are they unreliable still? Will they wear out in a short amount of time? Just wanted to ask as I have a pair of them, but after reading more and more I was thinking of returning them and getting the Freedom Off-road UCAs

 

Do you have a good off-road shop/garage you like going to? It’s no big deal for them to align properly.
Do you off-road hard or like driving forest-service roads?

 

I don’t have a specific garage. I know of one but they charge a lot and when they did work on my shell, I had to fix the clamps because they didn’t properly put them on. Don’t want something like that to happen when they align it and I don’t have the knowledge to fix it.

I do both. I plan on over landing in Mojave and Anza Borrego, but I won’t do any serious rock crawling. This truck is also my daily driver so I don’t want to risk rolling it

 

That garage does not sound great. Lots of guys run spc, I think the problems happen when your going hard on rocks, slamming them, can get out of adjustment. For most users I don’t think you’ll have an issue.
What lift you doing and tire size?

 

There’s another garage I plan on checking out soon.
I’m gonna be doing around a 33” tire, don’t have the exact size. I think it’s somewhere in the 285 range. Then I plan on a 2” in the front, and a 1.5” in the back for a little bit of rake. I have eibach pro truck 2Rs and they recommend not going above 2” apparently. I’ve heard issues about the SPC nut coming loose. But yea I won’t be slamming super hard. Mostly slow crawling over pretty intermediate-advanced terrain. No crazy rock crawling.

 

@TacoPacific you voted something else, any recommendations?

 

Loving my Dirt King’s with a ball joint. But that a “where I live” decision for the ball joint.

I had SPC’s before and have found alignments stay truer longer etc.

 

How does where you live change the choice with SPC?

 

sorry when I chose DK’s i went with their ball joint assembly rather than HEIM.

Once I went this route I found that alignments stay truer longer.

 

Been running SPC's for 40k now, my alignment shop has no problems with them and I like he added adjustability

 

I had SPC’s went out of alignment way too much. DK’s now not looking back

 

That's a big no on spc's for me, made it 8k and everything was worn out. They warrantied them fine but they got sold off replaced with dirt kings over a year ago and I havnt looked back. Ran 285's with no cmc on a 17x9 +1 now I'm on 295's with a -25 wheel with a cmc never had an issue.

 

Over 35K on my SPCs, zero issues. Alignment does not change after off-road use. The adjustability allowed me to get 285/75 wheels centered in the wheel well, no rubbing, no BMC.

 

SPC only seem to get a bad rap here. Their was some issues with the earlier versions with the greaseable zerk (2020-2022?) and SPC will warranty any issues. Newer non greaseable setup would be something I’d confirm you want/shop has.

 

Can confirm buddies new ones with the revised ball joint failed in 5 months. It's the x axis that are the main issue not the ball joint.

 

Okay. I returned my SPCs and now I’m on the market for something else. I’ve been looking at the Freedom Off-road UCAs, the seem to have a pretty good rep and are budget friendly. On top of that, the rest of my build is budget friendly. I have an AAL and Eibach pro truck suspension.

 

I went through tons of them at work, they always warrantied them but the labor isnt covered and the impact to their brand isnt either. I don't suggest them anymore at work. I sold quite a few and had to warranty all of them. Every aspect of them failed from the ball joint to the control arm bushings.

They seem to have been fixed the issues but I wont recommend them anymore.

 

the older style or the newer ? You recommend JBA instead ? Dirt kings? polys?

 

I’ve heard this too unfortunately.. ugh

 

The greaseable style, but even some sealed failed.

JBA is next on my list, but we havent found a solid replacement yet. I just stopped recommending arms and stay away from aftermarket again.