Dirt King LOWER CONTROL ARMS

Has anybody installed a set of these?

 

@ClassyTacos has them. You might find some feedback from the group buy over

 

here's the link to the group buy if you want to throw a wide net for feedback. i have been super happy with mine.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...nt-type-group-buy-ends-5-31-20-closed.658857/

 

Im super happy with mine. My ride did get noticeably stiffer in the front, which I like. Also, no issues with steering or the wheel coming back to center after a turn. I have read about those issues in the past.
I have an install video on my channel if you want to watch it in order to see some detail on the arms and the process. You know, not from someone trying to sell them to you. I hate my voice on video so there's that to deal with.

@su.brat did you notice any change in the front end? stiffer/softer turning and such.

install vid--
https://youtu.be/O7HDMkByNeI

 

Thanks for the posting. This might be my next mod.

Now when you say noticeably stiffer do you mean that in a good way or is it so stiff that it might be a little jarring when you don’t want it to be? I personally like a stiffer ride but don’t want it to be uncomfortably stiff. And by the way, didn’t find anything “odd” about your voice in the video LOL

 

Yes, I have them. I’m about to buy the boxed uppers off a member too.

 

I am a horrible judge of to stiff/ jarring as I like all my vehicles that way. Currently if I hit a quick dip in the road at highway speeds I would say it might be a tiny bit jarring. I also have the preload set pretty high on the coil-overs, so that has an effect also. Now a lot goes into that, tire psi, preload, shocks and so on, not just LCAs. Best way for me to describe it would be I fell the road more/ better connected. Overall it just got a bit stiffer in the front. For me it was good. I'm also betting if I lower the preload it will get softer.

 

yeah quite a bit tighter with the front end. I'm reinforced upper & lower (spindle gussets, Marlin frame braces & TC double shear), and all together it's great and pretty strong. the LCAs helped pull it all together... i had all the bits installed but added the DKs last and can definitely feel the difference every drive.

 

the LCA's bushings will firm up minor movements and you'll feel more of the road and tires, but it all depends on your total setup, tire rating, pressures, etc. if you believe you need or just want these LCAs then don't let the bushings put you off. you can [and probably should] put your effort into tuning/tweaking your front end: suspension, alignment, tires. then you'll get things dialed in to your liking.

 

I installed the Camburg lower control arms (with uniball pivots at the frame & spindle) and I didn't notice any difference in ride on, or off road. I'm not sure how much of a difference you will see by swapping out your lowers with either polyurethane or Delrin or even uniballs vs. the stock arms. Maybe your pivots are binding up causing resistance ? My uniball pivots moved with no effort (by hand cycling) after I torqued down all the bolts. So I wonder if something is "off" with your bushing or bolt sleeve if you feel the ride is stiffer. You should hear no squeaks and certainly should not feel any additional resistance from suspension pivots ! Like you said that is going to be mostly determined by your spring/shock setup, bump stops, and tire configuration.

The other possibility is that your stock lower arms were so blow out and sloppy that by comparison the new lower arms feel "stiff". The lower arms should only go up and down in a prefect arch. The stock rubber has some play in it so it might permit wobble side to side which you got used to? In terms of pivot types , which limit loose wobble / play in the suspension it's like this:

rubber < polyurethane < delrin <steel uniballs

 

Are they better than tc's?

 

I'd argue they're better for a street driven vehicle due to the outer pivots being ball joints rather than uniball like the TC ones.

 

I have no knowledge of these, why would that be true?
I would have guessed that a ball joint is weaker in any application.

 

Uniballs will just be noisier and require more maintenance. Just because race car/truck parts are stronger, doesn't make them better for the street. Ball joints are sort of set-it and forget-it and it's a big plus on a street driven vehicle.

 

True . However , I have been running heim and uniball suspension parts for decades on most of my trucks and I have zero issues with sound or wear. I do live in So Cal , we have a very dry nice climate . I also only do desert off roading (no mud or salts). I would say once every 2-4 years I swap out uniballs or heim joins. I think polyurethane squeaks way more in my experience and using that grease gun to lube them is very messy (excess can drip over time and just looks sloppy and cheap)
In my personal experience I would only use dry , strong, precise suspension pivots (heim uniballs), but again I live in a clean dry climate and I service all things myself. Keep the balls clean and use a dry lube once in a while. Literally no issues for years thus far ...


I will admit a lot of the reason I run them is off principal lol. It sickens me to know that a “pivot” is not pivoting like it is intended to. What kind of messy crap “flexes” in all directions under load? Seems so cheap and compromised. It’s obviously a little extreme and impractical but it’s the same reason people run steel breaded hoses and AN type fittings in their engine bay as opposed to the cheap ass Chinese rubber hose and barbed plastic crap . Every thing else just seems like a chop shop fix ....

 

If I lived somewhere that they didn't salt the absolute hell out of the roads in the winter, I would be much more inclined to run uniballs or heim joints. I run them on my track car, and even from sitting in the driveway they have gotten nasty from the home owners association coming around and salting.

 

both of the upTOP trucks have the performance lowers and boxed uppers with heim. We love them, it's the best product we have purchased from other companies. Most noticeable difference of feel over all other mods and its the only thing that hasn't broken

 

I'm switching from TCs to DK ball joints because of the noise and the feel. When you're parking or going slow it always feels like I'm low on power steering fluid. TCs are great but the noise really increased when I added the lowers and it just feels a little weird to me.

 

Man, I just ordered these A-arm skids, but I'm regretting not buying the DK's LCA's already...

I know when I go in for round two of suspension mods, I'll be installing these LCA's (along with the DK double shear kit)

 

Anyone know of a place with these in stock? Pretty sure my stock lowers are blown out.