UCA Question for a minimal lift

Hey Guys,

I've got 6112s that are being installed in a few weeks and I may pull the trigger on JBA Standard High Caster UCAs while the truck is being worked on. Buy once, cry once right?

Anyways, I realize at 1.5-2" lift you don't really need UCAs, but will getting these UCAs have any negatives when not lifting as high? I heard that these have a 3 degree caster so wouldn't that mean you only should install them with a higher lift? Also, when getting an alignment, do you need to do it a certain way or mention certain settings to the tech?

 

The UCAs will not have any negatives because of minimal lift. What size tires are you running? The larger tire you have, the higher caster you want in order for them to clear the fire wall. As long as your camber and toe are in spec, high caster will not have a negative impact on how your truck drives or performs. I would suggest looking into SPC adjustable control arms. They have adjustable ball joints to help fine tune your alignment. I only run about an inch of lift and I have the SPC arms and love them, there is no way I could fit 35s without them

 

Well thats the thing... for now, I'm just running one size up (265/75r16). So its more for the added beefiness and people say you can get a better alignment with them. No plans to go bigger with wheels/tires. I just hear that even at 2" on a third gen, UCAs can help caster and with alignments. Any reason for SPC over JBA? I also heard the techs have a hard time with the SPCs.

 

That is fair, if you get the SPCs you would either have to tell the tech the proper way to align with them, or go to a shop that does a lot of off road vehicles, who would know what they are looking at. I have no experience with the JBA arms and have heard of no issues with them, the only reason I suggest SPCs to people is the extra adjustability. I also like the fact that the SPC arms are fully cast, not made of tubing welded to cast. Since you have no plans to get bigger tires than it seems unnecessary to have that much adjustment. Either one, SPC or JBA, will absolutely help with your alignment

 

Even if only doing a 1.5-2" lift? The reason I'm asking is I thought the high caster/ 3 degree thing was made more for higher lifted vehicles. Also, would then mean the tech would try for zero caster (even though its really 3 degree with the JBA UCA).. or would they try for going as close to 3 as possible?

 

Higher castor is better at every height, not just lifted. The vehicle will track and ride better with more castor. The reason there is more castor in these arms is to get back to stock specs when you lift, because you lose castor as you lift and the stock arms can not compensate for it. You have a solid plan, good luck with the install.

 

With arms that give 3 degrees the tech should be aiming for 3 degrees of caster (some techs like to try to get slightly higher on the passenger side to fight against road crown). You will have to inform the tech of this prior to the alignment, that way they know the spec you want. Almost everyone I wheel with has high caster and under 2" of lift, 3 degrees shouldn't have a negative impact. Trucks with Higher lifts NEED the high caster, but it will benefit you at any height

 

Awesome guys thanks. I may now pull the trigger on the JBAs! They also sell a standard/OEM replacement (instead of high castor) so it gets confusing!

 

So the castor isn't set at 3 degrees on the JBAs... they just can be set to 3 degrees? Because if they are set at 3 degrees... wouldn't you want the tech to zero out castor (since its already at 3 degrees).

 

https://jbaoffroad.com/jba-a-arms/t...ster-upper-a-arms-for-2005-toyota-tacoma.html
one of the pictures on the JBA website is a spec sheet of a completed alignment with their arms. Looks like the specs read 3 degrees of caster, so that is what the tech should aim for. The arm gives 3 degrees, so in theory, if everything is set to where it would be 0 with stock arms, you will have 3 degrees

 

I've got 2" of lift with JBA's. No issue.

 

Awesome thanks. So when you say the arms "give" 3 degrees. Does that just mean they allow for 3 degrees more than the stock ones? So if you tried setting castor on the stock UCAs to 3, it wouldn't work... but with the JBA UCAs it allows them to set it at 3 degrees without an issue?

 

What setup are you running?

 

These arms themselves are not actually adjustable. They are built in a way that compared to the stock UCA you have 3 more degrees of caster.

 

In regards to?

 

Gotcha. So maybe I'm not understanding as I'm new and I apologize... but if they are already built in with 3 degrees of castor, wouldn't the tech at the alignment shop set castor at zero? Because wouldn't telling them to specifically set it at 3 actually be 6 degrees of castor then?

 

your lift setup

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/m603holden-truck-journal.484928/page-3#post-17676706

 

Looks great man. It said you got more like 2.5" of lift tho. Did it settle? Also, Dakar HD or medium? Looking to do the dakar medium but only want 2" of lift settled.

 

Yup.

I did the medium. There's pics later on of how the truck is today that shows how it sits with the weight on it.