Steering Tight after ICON Lift

I just installed an ICON stage 3 (UCAs, extended coilovers, AAL) on my 09 Tacoma 4x4 DCLB. The steering seems a little tight now and it does not want to fully return to center as it did stock. It tracks very well on the road and does not wander. The coilovers were left at the factory setting of about 2.25". Is this normal after a lift? Would it have anything to do with the stiffness of the uniball? Would it loosen up over time? It has been aligned to the following numbers:

L/R
Camber: 1.23, 1.11
Caster: 2.47, 2.36
Toe: -0.01, 0.02

 

its normal buddy; mine had the same symptoms after i installed my stage 4 w/ tubular UCAs

it went away after about less than a week of daily driving. those uniballs just have to get warmed up

 

here's the thread i started after i installed my lift.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/stiff-steering-after-icon-stage-iv-install.340539/

give us an update after awhile

 

^dis.

Be sure to add some lube to the uniballs for protection as well as to help improve the uniball "break in"?

 

Thanks for the info. Just heard back from ICON. They said the same thing that it was probably due to the stiffness of the uniballs. I did not put any lube on the uniballs. Most of the articles here on TW said not to put anything on them. So, you think they should have the dry lube?

 

I'm not sure if any lube is quite necessary.

I have a vague memory that I called ICON a long time about maintenance of the UCAs.

If I remember correctly I was told not to grease the uniballs because it would only attract dust and debris, thus potentially wearing them out faster. He just recommended keeping them clean.

 

You can use dry lube on them.

I'm not really sure what the uniball has to do with travel during turning though... Did you up size your tires at the same time? Ever flushed your power steering fluid? Sure nothing is bound up around the tie rod?

 

DO NOT lubricate the uniball. It will soak it up and the teflon will deteriorate quicker, and dry lube still collects dust. It is completely exposed on the bottom side, so you really aren't lubricating anything anyway.

 

The uniball turns when the wheel turns. when a uniball wears it will pop and make all kinds of noise when you turn the wheel.

 

Grease is bad. Dry lube is good. The uniball has a Teflon-impregnated liner. Squirting more Teflon won't hurt it. I use Finish Line bike chain lube or WD40 PTFE spray (not regular WD40!). http://www.artscyclery.com/Finish_Line_Teflon_Dry_Chain_Lube_4oz/descpage-01409.html

The uniball simply has more friction than a grease-filled factory ball joint, so it takes more effort to turn.

 

Have any video of this?

 

It is advised to only use dry lube (as opposed to silicone, grease, PB blaster, or WD-40). "Wet" style lubricants will actually introduce contaminates into the uniball cup and could cause premature wear. Small dirt particles could use the wet lube as a carrier to get into tighter spaces. The dry lube I posted above applies as a liquid and dries to an almost wax-like surface, this will help seal out any contaminates. Keep in mind it does need to be re-applied periodically, but you should clean the surface every time you do.
And just as a heads-up, your uniballs will start to squeak within the first 6 months to 1 year or so- completely normal. Racecar parts make noise and there is no way around it. Using the dry lube helps keep the noises at bay.

 

Tie rods are free. Steers easily off the ground. Never flushed the fluid. Steering is not that tight. Just tighter than it was stock. Kept the same tires. 265/70/16 Firestone Destination ATs. Tires are pretty new. Not sure if I will go to 33s when they wear out. Love the tires. Last time out, they didn't slip at all. Just a little worried about cutting up the sidewalls. They are P metrics. Not LTs.

 

To be fair you've played with the steering geometry now. It's gonna feel different. If everything seems fine it's different under load I wouldn't stress about it.

Also: don't be surprised if you blow out a tie rod end in a few months. They spend all their time wearing in at one angle and you move it and they are likely to go.

 

I won't worry about it for now. Hopefully, after 500 miles or so it will loosen up. I'll post some pics later today.

 

OP was installing the UCAs easy?

My new uniballs out of the box were SO DAMN stiff i could not freely move the tapered bolt into the spindle.
I had to lower the car and "shoot" the tapered bolt into the spindle hole just to install it (using the vehicle's weight to maneuver them).

My experience seemed to be worse than yours. The steering eventually loosened up close if not equal to stock.
I'm still trouble free after 40K miles on the suspension knock on wood.

Cheers for the new setup

 

UCAs were pretty easy to install. Uniballs were very stiff. Had to hit them with a rubber mallet to line them up into the spindle. The hardest part was removing the main UCA bolt on the passenger side. Had to grind part of the bolt head to get it past the wall in the engine compartment. Drivers side was easy. Just had to bend the inner fender well a little bit.

 

^And that's with Icon UCAs with 1.00" bore uniballs. The All-Pro UCAs with 1.25" bore uniballs are even stiffer.

 

Are you being serious? I hope you are just kidding and or do you expect the spindle just rotates magically? The balljoints/uniballs are press fit in the spindles, so where else do you suspect something that would allow the wheels to turn?

 

Waaaaay too much camber. That's DEFINITELY going to wear your tires down faster on the outside.