ICON Billet UCA or SPC UCA?

Set up with ICON RXT leaf springs and Bilstein 6112/5160 set at max height for about 2" lift all around. Next step I have 285/70R17 Falken AT3W Wildpeaks just arrived with ICON Billet UCA (DJ) to go with it since I may want to play around with caster to fit the bigger tires.

Tech at the shop recommends I return the ICON UCA and go with SPC, he says due to our climate the ICONs will require shorter service intervals since it rains most of the time here. He said the ICONs are more pain in the ass since he has to install them twice. Something about installing once and then removing again to adjust the point screws ? Therefore it'll cost more labor for the ICON ones.

Hoping someone on here has some experience with both or at least the ICON ones to let me know how their install went? Lastly I'm not sure if I should just get the SPC since they're way cheaper and I'll be saving on the labor too. Maybe the shop just has better experience with the SPC UCA?

BTW they don't sell the SPC ones I would order them elsewhere. Yes ICONs are super nice looking and after holding them in my hand the construction is very good but I am looking for longevity. If the SPC are better then I may consider switching.

 

Definitely SPC. I’ve had mine for 4 years now and changed the ball joints once (easy). So much adjust and range of motion. I run a similar setup.

 

The icon UCA adjustment is at the threaded mounting heim.

To adjust them you have to remove the long UCA bolt and then thread them in or out. The one in the back adjusts camber while the one in the front adjusts caster.

This is in addition to the cams on the LCA that also adjust Caster and camber.

The typical procedure with aftermarket UCA is to set the caster cam on the LCA to maximum forward giving the most clearance for the tire from the body mount. Then use the UCA to correct camber that can’t be corrected with the LCA camber cam bolt.

Your mechanic will need to remove, adjust, reinstall, and repeat with the icon UCA. The genius of the SPC UCA is that the caster and camber adjustment can ba done with the UCA installed because the adjustment is made at the upper ball joint mounting design. The ball joint can be rotated forward and backwards to adjust caster and slide in and out to adjust camber, all while remaining bolted in place.


This post has a great explanation on alignment:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...d-love-alignments.594309/page-7#post-20252854

This video and the whole series explains very well how the Toyota IFS works and the benefits of aftermarket UCAs:
https://youtu.be/huMztKaHsUE

 

I thought that the Icon while being Heim was actually adjusted on the vehicle?

 

How do you adjust the hiem with the UCA bolt going through the hiem eye?

 

Looks like the Icon heim joints don't thread into the UCA directly; there's a sleeve. The sleeve is reverse-threaded on the outside, it would act like a turnbuckle.

That said, the heim joints will likely need monthly spraying with teflon lube to reduce noise.

 

Under Features and Benefits. I will state now I do not have these. I am just starting to figure things out and comparing these two products. I am starting to gather parts for my lift.

https://www.iconvehicledynamics.com/accessory/14635/icon-accessories-05-up-tacoma-billet-uca-dj-kit/

 

I was unaware, and stand corrected. In that case it seems adjustment of the icons while installed wouldn’t be too difficult. I don’t know the max forward caster the Icons can give compared to the SPC. I also don’t know the longevity and maintenance of the delta joint vs the SPC ball joint, or how the ride is with the hiem joint vs bushings. All things to consider.

 

There's a few videos on YouTube to explain ball joints and delta joints...I did some research and found that the spc where the best value uca for me

 

I also went with SPC for the same reasons, value, ride comfort and longevity, ease of maintenance, and adjustability were all superior in my evaluation of the UCA options.