Uni ball replacement for TC UCAs

So for those of you with Total Chaos UCAs, how long did your uniballs last? What are the signs that they need to be replaced? Mine make a horrible grinding sound when turning which I think are the uni-balls. They're about 1 1/2 years old now. How easy are they to replace and where can I get them?

Maybe I should just go back to stock. Less headaches. Or the Light Racing ones....

 

Well, what else could it be if the wheels are turning left and right in neutral? Do you think maybe it's the bushings?

Oh, I just noticed another issue. If I put the truck in Reverse and just hold the brake, there is a rattling/humming sound coming from under the shifter? It goes away if I put in D or P and get this, it goes away when the AC is on. Crazy!!!

 

Anyone else have this issue with these control arms?

 

They squeak all down the road like an old mattress. It sucks to pay so much for these things and this is the result. I may to take them apart and re-grease everything again.

 

LOL...Everyone always says "It sucks to pay so much and have this happen" You said they are a year and a half old:
How far did you drive in that 1.5 years??
How often did you any maintenance to them in that 1.5 years??

They pay lot for the space shuttle too...and that shit breaks CONSTANTLY. Same with military aircraft. Parts wear down and get dirty and need attention. And there are probably a lot of things that aren't QUITE right with your truck that you don't even know.

I hope that some spray lube like chris recommends fixes it. You can also take the whole suspension apart and make sure everything is clean and reseated properly.

Best of luck

 

Thanks. I use dry Teflon lube fairly regularly on the uniballs and super lube on the bushings about every oil change. I currently have under 40k miles on my 2006 truck so I'd say I don't put a ton of miles on it. Not sure where you're going with your comment that there are many things wrong with my truck but I take care of my truck!!! Beyond this minor squeaking, it runs and looks great.

 

I was getting at you being about the third person I've heard say THEY have a squeak because of uniballs. Lots of folks generally blame uniballs and say that someone one time had a squeak...but I haven't seen many folks say their uniballs (at least not the TC arms) squeak. I just want info about what you've been doing while this squeak is happening.

You kinda skirted my question with vague statements- How many miles in the past year and half and what is "regularly" using teflon lube?? And have you just used teflon lube in there (Some know, some dont-but WD-40= bad mojo for those uniballs..even once)

And I'm sure you do take good care of your truck. I'm not pointing fingers or bagging on your truck in specific...I'm just as guilty. Cars are made in such a way that you don't need to carefully monitor everything about it. When was the last time you check the torque values on the suspension items?? Cleaned them all independently?? Checked the cotter pins/boots/sundry other parts??

I come from a different mind set- I fly a helicopter..I know the normal operation ranges for engine and transmission oil temps and pressures to the degree/psi, fuel pressure, engine temp, torque output, and several engine rotation parameters. I know those from memory so if I see one that is wrong I know it's wrong and I can do the appropriate thing (usually land the helo). And one degree or a few psi is HUGE. Car are more forgiving...so it's very likely that exact tolerances that it came set to have slipped...not enuf to matter...but they aren't quite right.

 

I appreciate your perspective and insight. Perhaps I did jump to a conclusion that it was the uniballs. Perhaps it's the bushing. Regardless I plan to disassemble the ucas this weekend. I use the Teflon lube about every two weeks. I put in approximately 16k miles since I added the control arms.

 

::nods:: Taking them down and seeing what you can see makes sense. I hope it's something small.

Again-Best of luck- and let us know what you find!!

 

I need to replace the uniballs on my chaos ucas and this was the only thread I could find that was headed in that direction. My uniballs are actually loose however and I need some advice on removing the ball. Has anyone done it? Does the arm need to come off? I bought my arms second hand and they were probably pretty hammered on. They make a nice rattling sound at low speed going down the street.

 

Thanks. They're going to run about 120 bucks for both left and right sides. Sound about right?

 

Picked two Uni balls up today for $133 out the door from ORW. Dam that shis is expensive. I was talking to the guy about how I was ultimately trying to find out if something was loose in my stearing and inadvertently came across my sloppy ball joints. I told him how the alignment shop set my caster extra high so to clear my 33" tires and to that he responded "that won't last long". So I asked him what he meant by that and he told me that having your caster set abnormally high just to clear tires will put excessive strain on your ball joints and weaken the steering rack especially if you are offroading. I can definitely see his point so I'm going to have my alignment re done and lower the caster back within factory specs. Hopefully that in combination with replacing my uniballs will get rid off all the clunks and clanks I hear when I hit speed bumps. We'll see....

 

mine make different sounds at different times- creeking, squeeling,clunking and the other day kinda a rattle. It always happens about every month or so. I can always make them quiet as day 1 with water proof gease on top and bottom of uni ball. I have never put any grease in bushings since i installed them. You can blow out bushing by pumping to much grease into thoose suckers, Its happened to a couple guys on here. Ive never tryed the teflon, but silicone dosent work.

 

Im gonna try that teflon,sounds like thats the sh#t. I was putting alot of graese like covering the whole thing so the dirt stayed on top, but then you cant see the ball, and isnt that the part that looks cool anyway? thanks for the tip