To buy or not to buy?? Upper Control Arms

In the next month or so I am going to be putting on an OME 3" lift kit with new Dakar rear leafs and was wondering if this lift effects the geometry enough to need to put on aftermarket Upper Control Arms.

They are pricey (~$400.00) but I do not mind spending the extra cash if it is going to help me out in the long run.

What are you thoughts about adding these? What are some pro's and con's?
2001 Tacoma DC 4x4 Limited 3.4L

 

Well it seems 1st gen's have a decent amount of room to get alignment back in spec so you'll probably be OK there. However they would help out in the long run, as the stock ones being fully extended more will wear the ball joint and eventually tear the ball joint boot so going aftermarket will solve that, and in turn give a little bit better alignment range while lifted as well.
Is it easy for you to do it all at once and fork out the cash? If so, I'd probably go that route and get the new UCAs and do it all in one shot. If it's stretching your budget, maybe save up over a few more months after lifting and then upgrade the UCAs(keep in mind you'd need a second alignment when installing the new UCAs later as well though).

 

You don't have to, but when you get it re-aligned, they won't be able to put the caster within specs, it will be at the high end and make it tilt towards the rear of the vehicle. It will make the steering respond quickly.

With aftermarket arms, the alignment can be put within normal specs and the steering will feel normal.

 

I have little knowledge on 1st gens but I would just to possibly avoid issues with alignment since you don't mind spending the money.

 

I would. And I would recommend staying away from LR. Sure they are cheaper but you get what you pay for

Edit: nvm don't think LR makes UCAs for first gens

 

From the sounds of it, I think I should add some UCA's.

Now onto the next question....which brand? I live in Colorado and will be making the trip up to ToyTech. Do they have high quality UCA's? Would make it easy just to pick up all the stuff at once.

 

I've got the kit you are installing (only for a Gen 2), with the 886's up front. I didn't get the UCA's and had no issues with coil rub or alignment. After I put the front plate and skid on I installed the 1/2" top plate spacer and now I have coil rub. Moral of the story: Better to be looking at them than looking for them.

While some guys install the OME kit and don't have any issues, others run into issues which are alleviated with the UCAs. If I were to do it all again I would install the UCAs at the same time I installed the lift. The bulk of what I've seen here is that guy's can't get good alignment numbers after the install. You'll also get a little more travel, which is always a plus. When I had my Gen 1 lifted I was really putting a lot of strain on my upper ball joints, and the UCAs with uni-ball would have helped eliminate that problem.

Because you have a Gen 1 you should also do the 1" diff drop, worthless on a Gen 2 but effective on a Gen 1. Also seriously consider the longer SS brake lines. I ran the Dakars on my Gen 1 and the extended line was a must.

Good luck! You'll love the ride of the OME setup.

 

I have to disagree. LR still makes their UCAs for 1st gens. Yes they are cheaper, but they are a good quality. I think you will find a quite a few folks running LR UCAs on here.

You don't get as much articulation from them as you would a uni-ball, but the ball joint is "sealed" from the elements. If you live in an area that salts the roads this is helpful. It also keeps crap from getting in the joint when off-roading.

 

Maybe check out our Uni Ball UCA's you will get the full articulation and ours are TIG Welded and powdercoated and look really clean. If you buy the shocks with us you also get 10% off the UCA's.
Best, Ryan @ All Pro Off Road

 

Thanks for all the help guys! If All-Pro had a complete OME lift kit I would buy from them! I will definitely be getting my Front Bumper from All-Pro, the baja tube style looks sick!

I think I am definitely going to get the UCA's at this point!

 

x2. I have the Light Racing UCA's as well. No problems or complaints here about them. Price is right too. They have great customer service as well.

 

One failure out of how many that do not? That doesn't mean they are junk. All products have issues which are usually worked out of the life of the product.

 

You prefer your product and I prefer mine, I'm just giving both sides of the story.

 

x3
In my local club (Rocky Mountain 4x4) a bunch of us run LR UCAs without any problems In fact, one member cracked the spindle from stress, while the UCA was fine. I would stay away from Uniball UCAs out here in CO just because of the road grime and salt in the winter. Talk with Jeff or Dylan at Toytec and tell the "Lumpskie" sent you. They'll hook you up with whatever you need!

 

Just out of curiosity...which UCA's you run?

 

Total Chaos

 

nice

 

To the OP, I was in the same situation as you earlier this year. Had the full OME 882s, Dakars, D6XL, extended brake line, etc etc etc. I was reading stuff back and forth about replacing the UCAs. Finally I decided, screw it, the $400 now for LR UCAs will make this entire issue go away. I hate thinking "what if" or "should I have...". So yes, I went ahead and bought the LR UCAs and installed it all at the same time.

Now, unfortunately, I only went with a 5mm trim packer to help the taco lean towards the drivers side. Now I'm in the works to get a 3/8'' top plate spacer to correct the ~1/2'' lean that I've still got after the lift. It never ends...

Anyhow, goodluck. Was the LR UCAs necessary? Who knows. The truck drivers great and that is one less thing I have to think about.

 

I would get the new UCAs, especially since your old vehicle is bound to need new UCA bushings soon anyway. I think a diff drop is a waste of time. I went Camburg UCAs because I wanted the most articulation possible and they are strong a hell.