UCAs: Light Racing vs Built Right vs Camburg (OEM ball joint)

im about to pick up some new UCAs before i get new tires again and was wondering yalls opinion on these 3.

LR- ball joint stlye

Built right- Uniball

Camburg- the ones that utilize the OEM ball joint not the Uniballs

i want to spend around $400 but if the uniballs are alot better than i will go with those.

i feel bad about posting yet another uca thread but i didnt see any threads comparing these in my search...
the truck is 2wd 2nd gen im not going to be jumping it or bashing it. just a little bit of off roading and mudding everyone in a while. eventually will upgrade to the icon ext travel coilovers. truck is my dd so i dont want ones that require alot of maininance.

 

EDITED

I went with the LR's and I love them...I got 5k miles on them and haven't had any problems

And they're fully adjustable...Toytec refers to them as the most adjustable UCA

 

no issues with alignment or anything? off road at all?

 

Nope...NOTHING


There built very well IMO

 

ill probably end up getting these. thats what my inital plans where but had to run the options by you pros

 

I got the LRs because I don't off road too hardcore and there fully adjustable...now if I was a 4x4 and rock crawled and all that other crazy shit than I would've gotten a uni-ball application for sure for the strength factor. I just do mild trails and drive fast through the open desert so these UCAs are perfect for me

 

sounds exactly the same thing id use mine for.

 

well there ya go

 

The LR units are built about a 1000X beefier than the stock arms. I seriously doubt that any of the other brands have any strength advantage over the LR arms. The stock arms seem like they are made for a bicycle, but then again I don't remember anyone complaining about bending the stock arms either.

 

yea, the stock arms are a damn joke

Its looks like folded hollow aluminum, I was surprised

The LRs are a solid iron bar it feels like...night and day quality over stock

 

Im running LR and they are stout and align perfectly. Im very impressed with them and got them cheap, new from a member here.

 

Camburg!

 

I just installed my LR UCAs yesterday. It took me about 90 minutes outside on my gravel driveway in the rain here in Seattle. I set up a blue tarp over the fender. I was surprised as to how easy the install was. A few pointers:

1)Make sure you have the right tools before you start (sure, this is a given but I cant tell you how many times I have been halfway through something only to realize "shit, I have to take that off too"). Take the wheel off and look at that needs to be removed, and visualize the mod in your head. Buy or borrow any tools you dont have that you might need. I needed two different torque wrenches - one for the ball joint to spindle nut, and one for the ball joint to UCA nut and UCA pivot mount-to-frame bolt/nut assembly. Unless you want to remove the sway bar pivot off of the spindle rod, you will need a 1/4 drive torque wrench, and a 1/2 inch drive torque wrench, as there is not enough space between the sway bar pivot connection and the ball joint castle nut.

2) If you are going to cut the UCA pivot mount-to-frame bolts, make sure you order new bolts first. It took me a week to get them here in Seattle.

3) If you are putting the UCA pivot mount-to-frame bolts back in backwards, consider the following:

-The bolt will be backwards and facing doward, if the nut falls off, the bolt will slide out. Maybe I am OCD, but I would suggest replacing the factory nut with a nylock nut so it wont fall off!

-The fuel lines are in the way and make it hard to get the bolt back in (drivers side). Suggest using piece of a 2x4 to wedge fuel lines out of the way between the fuel lines and frame but be carefull not to smash the lines, they just need to be moved up and back a little.

-If you are using a sawzall to cut the UCA pivot mount-to-fram bolts, make sure you have the right blade, the bolts are very hard steel and I burned through 8 bi-metal 16 tooth blades. I did not have the right blades! Watch out for the wires/cables and hoses - use a short blade!

4) Sounds like everyone has different results, but I set the camber all the way out, and set the caster at "0" (which is really +2 per SPC instruction sheet).

The truck drives much better now (no more darting and wandering), but I did have to remove the mud flaps due to rubbing whereas before the switch to the new UCA, there was no rubbing problem running 285-70-17s. I know some will laugh at wanting to keep the mudflaps, but here in the Northwest the weather is really bad and I drive a lot on forest roads with lots of superficial mud, the mudflaps help keep the vehicle clean and I want it last a long time so I prefer to protect my investment.....like I tell my wife who never cleans her car: "It's like a $30,000 dollar bill slowly turning into a $20,000 dollar bill. Keep it clean and maintain it and it will last.

Good luck either way!

 

+1 rep for you. thanks for the good advice and tips

 

So would you recommend using an angle grinder or something like that to cut the bolt? I was going to try my dremel, or a saw, but if that won't cut it maybe I should look into an angle grinder?!

 

Angle grinder would be really hard to get up in there. I used a sawzall. Just did not have the right blade, honestly, I just overlooked the fact that the steel on the UCA pivot bolt-to-frame was hardened steel. It would have been a sanp if I had the right blades! I used a 18T Bi-Metal. Even with that type blade, it only took about 5 minutes per side, I just used about 8 blades total becuase it eat them up.

 

After looking at a while before I did the install, you could bend a portion of the wheel well out of the way, and then bend it back, but I already had the bolts from the dealer and I only had a limited time window to do the work. I think bending the wheel well may take longer than cutting the bolts, and you always run the risk of cracking the paint and inviting rust in that location. I was born and raised in Hawaii and am paranoid of rust. I have seen some serious rust cancer on some vehicles I have owned and it always starts in a place where the paint is damaged.

BTW...The install was really really easy. These parts are not load bearing (for the most part unless you consider camber and caster), so it is a nice relaxing part swap, not a battle against an unweildy spring!

So far, I have checked the torque on the ball-joint-to-UCA several times, it seems to have stayed in spec, and I talked to the rep at SPC, he reassured me they will keep their 120 #'s of torque specd on the install instructions, although I am not sure why they did not use a castle nut, nylock nut, or lock washer of some sort to lock that big-ass nut down so it wont slip or slide on you. Oh well! I am keeping the torque wrench handy and will re-torque the "jesus nut" at every oil change.

Otherwise, I am really happy with the overall setup, and I think I got about 1" of additional droop with the sway bar connected, would love to see how it performs with the nanny stick removed.

 

Awsome, thanks holmes. I don't have a sawzall, or a grinder, so I'll have to figure that out. I would bend the sheet metal out, but when I looked at mine, I would have to bent it a LOT to get the bolts by. I'm hoping that the install goes easier then the lift did...that was a PITA!

 

I went to get a sawzall, and ended up getting a small angle grinder on sale for like half the price! Came with a case and 20 wheels. It was much smaller then any of the sawzalls, so I'm hoping it does the trick. I'm just a bit paranoid of the sparks lighting the truck on fire...think that's something to worry about?