What UCA did you go to after SPC and why ??

havent repalced any parts as nothing looks damage or broken and replacement parts are cheap, https://jbaoffroad.com/replacement-parts.html
also got a good alignment, 0.03/0.05 camber, 4.8/5.2 caster and 0.02/0.03 toe.
am really happy with my jba that's why am hesitant to get the ironman foam cell stage 2 with the UCA for suspension upgrade, their UCA might suck and i cant get the same alignment i have with the jba.
i asked around if the ironman front coilover/struts would not rub on the uca at full dropp but havent gotten any reply from someone runnign the set up.

i currently have falkens 285/70/17 on 17x9 -12 wheels with eibach stage 1 suspension and icon aal. no rubbing at all and i've wheeled it in moab although only on easy and moderate trails.

 

I would wait for long term results on the foam cell shocks.

 

my sister lives in australia, she has foam cell since 2012 on her landcruiser and jimmy. no problems.

 

Ended up just going with the tubular dirt kings. Good price and easy to replace parts at home

 

Thanks for your advice and thoughts.

 

I have JDfab.

-it was better priced than anyone else
-beefy
-support company that is local and does cool Tacoma stuff nobody else does
-match other parts I have from them like Pivots that address known Tacoma issues that nobody else makes
-matching geometry
-quiet durable bushings and ball joint

 

Play in what direction? I ask because the ball joint has play in the vertical direction by design. The inspection procedure described by SPC says to only check radial play. This has confused some people in the past.

https://www.spcalignment.com/partFAQ/25003_FAQ.pdf

 

Another happy JBA user here. For anyone with their old style ball joint the updated version is way better. No more grease everywhere. I replaced mine while I had them apart doing my spindle gussets. They weren't worn or anything, I just wanted the upgraded ones. I ordered them on a Monday and had them Wednesday. Awesome company!

 

when did they came out with the new one?

 

Not exactly sure. A couple years ago maybe.

 

I bought the Freedom Off Road UCA's. I'll report back after I've had a chance to install.

 

Just replaced the RC that were on the truck. Went with Dirt Kings. Waaay better but I guess that's not saying much.

 

JD Fab. All you need to do is hold one in your hands and the superiority is clear. OEM rubber bushings and beef tits EMF joints. Basically bomb proof as long as you squirt a little grease in them.

My happiest day with the SPCs was when I returned them.

 

I like the look of those JD Fab UCA's... looks very similar to the sealed Dobinson's ones, just cheaper.

 

I’ve read through the JD fab thread. Seems like there been several reports of blown EMF joints, sheared pins, and just “broken” stuff. Also it sounds like JD fab has substituted the EMF for some other kind of joint and are sending them out to folks to prevent more issues …

 

They callout for Moly because the bushings are not rubber.
JBA bushings are synthetic elastomer.

JBA stats. from their website:
WHAT INCLUDED
1 Right UCA
1 Left UCA
2 JBA Max 90 ball joints
8 synthetic elastomer a-arm bushings
1 Bushing washer kit
4 steel bushing sleeves
Installation Instructions
2 JBA sticker 6 x 1


Cheers

 

I refer to elastomer based bushings as "rubber" for lack of better term. It is my all encompassing term for these types of bushings. Just like "metal" bushings is used as a generalized term. There is of course bronze bushings, steel bushings, aluminum bushings, etc. which all fall under the metal bushing umbrella. Depending on modes of contact, such as sliding vs spinning, "metal" bushings will require different types a grease to get the best efficiency and longevity out of the bushings. This generally holds true for "rubber" or elastomer bushings but these type of bushings only see a rotational movement along its longitudinal axis. Hence, making it easier to call out the grease needed.

Natural rubber, silicone, nylon, butyl, nitrile, and urethane are examples of an elastomer. JBA calls out this on their website:
What is synthetic elastomer?
Synthetic Elastomer is a long-chained polymer with many urethane constituents.

Since JBA does not have a material call out the exact synthetic elastomer, I am going to assume it is a urethane based elastomer based on their description. Considering polyurethane and urethane is made up of the same chemical compound (poly has chains of urethane), the most ideal grease to use on Poly bushings is a SILICONE based grease. If I can be so bold, a silicone based grease is the favorable grease for all types of elastomers, or as I like to use the general term "rubber".

Really, these bushings are a wear item that needs to be replaced over the life of the UCA. All this "lithium vs silicone" debate is theory from what I learned in school but I've also seen it in practical applications both from my line of work and car hobby. We can probably agree using the correct grease is probably not as important as routine greasing. However, if you are going to go through the effort to greasing routinely MIGHT as well use the correct grease.

 

Anyone have any insights how well the uniball type hold up in the salt belt? I'm not looking to change mine any time soon, but salt and brine spray are used in my area, and the brine spray seems to be able to find every small nook and cranny it can and cause very fast corrosion compared to salt slush.

 

Thanks for the great brake-down, pp2small.

Cheers

 

i have jbas on one tacoma and icons on the other. neither had had any issues. the jba bushings can be greased without loosening uca bolt. ive thought about cutting relief slits in the icon bushings to allow this too