UCA upgrade - worth it?

[awd.nv]

Hello,

I do mild trails but since getting the Tremor I am realizing how fun it is to blast down the smoother sections. What can I expect from a UCA upgrade? Is this more of a durability thing or will it help geometry enough through the articulation range to feel the improved handling?

The suspension on my Tremor is still all stock outside 1" wheel spacers. I do more towing than actually playing in the dirt but figuring if I am going to do 1" shock spacers, it might be good to just do UCA at the same time.

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[Colo_Ranger]

UCAs are to get the suspension back in to spec. They do *usually* offer more travel before binding. Really isn't necessary with a spacer lift.

If you're looking for a better ride, you really should look in to a full suspension. I have the Eibach Pro 2.0 kit and I love it. The only thing I would consider swapping out to is the OME kit.

 

[PltFX4]

UCAs are to get the suspension back in to spec. They do *usually* offer more travel before binding. Really isn't necessary with a spacer lift.

If you're looking for a better ride, you really should look in to a full suspension. I have the Eibach Pro 2.0 kit and I love it. The only thing I would consider swapping out to is the OME kit.

I have the same question as the OP. Mine is stock FX4 Lariat Crew cab.
Please elaborate... "UCAs are to get the suspension back in to spec." Are you referring this is needed if the truck is leveled/lifted?? That I get, but if NOT leveled/lifted, beyond more droop travel, do they add any value??

 

[Colo_Ranger]

Back in to alignment spec. The stock upper control arms have a limited amount of adjustment and when the truck is lifted (generally more than 3"), the stock UCAs can't meet the amount of adjustment needed to get back in to the specifications for correct alignment. The UCA will allow for more droop before binding, but on stock suspension, that's not usually the part that is binding. Factory shocks are short and you can only extend them so far...

I hope I am being clear. Let me know if I can help answer more questions.

 

[McDeuce]

Hello,

I do mild trails but since getting the Tremor I am realizing how fun it is to blast down the smoother sections. What can I expect from a UCA upgrade? Is this more of a durability thing or will it help geometry enough through the articulation range to feel the improved handling?

The suspension on my Tremor is still all stock outside 1" wheel spacers. I do more towing than actually playing in the dirt but figuring if I am going to do 1" shock spacers, it might be good to just do UCA at the same time.

A question .. I have a tremor as well. Do you have any rubbing from the 1” wheel spacers?

I have the 1” RangerLifts for the tremor , but have not installed it yet.

 

[Frenchy]

Honestly I think you will be fine. With my ranger I had the Old Man EMU lift and still ran the factory control arms with no issue at all

 

[awd.nv]

Back in to alignment spec. The stock upper control arms have a limited amount of adjustment and when the truck is lifted (generally more than 3"), the stock UCAs can't meet the amount of adjustment needed to get back in to the specifications for correct alignment. The UCA will allow for more droop before binding, but on stock suspension, that's not usually the part that is binding. Factory shocks are short and you can only extend them so far...

I hope I am being clear. Let me know if I can help answer more questions.

Ah ok, I am guessing I will be fine with just a 1" level. I was mostly asking from a place of curiosity what the performance value is. I won't lie, I would love to see some aftermarket ones on my truck since they are so exposed but not unless there is a performance reason I would benefit from.

A question .. I have a tremor as well. Do you have any rubbing from the 1” wheel spacers?

I have the 1” RangerLifts for the tremor , but have not installed it yet.

Mine is stock Tremor height and I did have rub when I put the 1" wheel spacers initially, reverse only at about the 85% range mark perhaps. Front crash bars specifically. I loosened and moved them out (there is a bit of range there) and most of the rub went away. One side has zero rub and the other side I can almost hit full lock before the rub kicks in. I need to see if I can push it out further or it could just be a geometry thing. With a 1" lift level installed you may not have the rub at all but for sure wont have any if you push out the crash bars.

Honestly I think you will be fine. With my ranger I had the Old Man EMU lift and still ran the factory control arms with no issue at all

Thanks, I think you are right. Sorry about the cow incident as well. Hopefully the insurance payout makes it worth it considering current market prices. I have a friend who is an insurance adjuster and was telling me not long ago how insurance payouts are crazy high right now because current value.

 

[McDeuce]

Ah ok, I am guessing I will be fine with just a 1" level. I was mostly asking from a place of curiosity what the performance value is. I won't lie, I would love to see some aftermarket ones on my truck since they are so exposed but not unless there is a performance reason I would benefit from.



Mine is stock Tremor height and I did have rub when I put the 1" wheel spacers initially, reverse only at about the 85% range mark perhaps. Front crash bars specifically. I loosened and moved them out (there is a bit of range there) and most of the rub went away. One side has zero rub and the other side I can almost hit full lock before the rub kicks in. I need to see if I can push it out further or it could just be a geometry thing. With a 1" lift level installed you may not have the rub at all but for sure wont have any if you push out the crash bars.



Thanks, I think you are right. Sorry about the cow incident as well. Hopefully the insurance payout makes it worth it considering current market prices. I have a friend who is an insurance adjuster and was telling me not long ago how insurance payouts are crazy high right now because current value.

Thank you !

 

[Todd Chapin]

For me the answer is yes. I had my Eibachs pro truck 2.0 extended coilover/ rear shocks on for 4k miles riding smooth and aligned within spec.....then I saw the Stage 3 Icon UCA group buy.
I had slight buyers remorse upon recieving them, they aint cheap even 25% off. But after installing them I definitely can tell they make a difference in ride. Driving on rough pot hole ridden DC streets they smooth out the bumps/ ruts. I have limited offroading since installing them but its a noticable suspension improvement over whoops and uneven terrain. Did I absolutely need them? No, but I am very pleasantly surprised in the the improvement they made. Hopefully they will also help with they longevity of my front suspension.

 

[JohnnyO]

Unless you're lifting more than 2.5" you don't need new UCA's.

 

[Utah_Bound]

I wasn’t going to buy UCA’s, until I found that 3 inches of lift basically maxes out your tie rods, sway bar links, and ability to align it. It also puts your ball joints at a very extreme level. So I bumped up my eibachs to 3.5” lift and went with UCAs. I was worried about the price but now 100% worth it in my opinion. I think with 2.5” I wouldn’t replace them. I also installed a front dif drop kit, which I think is necessary at even 2.5”, but that’s just my opinion.

 

[mgallo13]

Fox 2.0's on all 4 corners with Icon tubular UCA's - there are some pictures of trucks with 2" levels/lifts and the stock UCA's look closer to being maxed out than not, but plenty of guys runs the stock UCA on here with no problems. From what I recall reading (and what has been reiterated in this thread) you REALLY NEED them once you get to the 2.5"-3" lift/level range.

I probably didn't need to do it for my truck as I tow a small 13ft fishing boat on some pretty terrible roads to get to boat ramps, but the peace of mind knowing I'm not gonna bind up was worth it IMHO. Truck rides exponentially better than stock but I had everything installed at once so cant compare otherwise.

Obviously, just make sure you take it to an alignment shop that actually knows what the hell they are doing...

 

[HotShotOffroad]

Unless you are planning to adjust your suspension set up, you dont really need to get upgraded UCAs. The main point of a UCA is to get your suspension back in spec, or aligned. Typically when you begin going 2.5+ inches in height increase, you will want to look into a UCA that allows better adjusting to get the truck back into spec. We have them on our Ranger due to the increased height we added to the front end! Hope this helps.

 

[Todd Chapin]

I agree if after a lift if you can align to spec they are not necessary. But there are other advantages such as more wheel travel if you have extended length struts as I have. Also better articulation. I added my UCA after upgrading my shocks and tires and can say they improved the ride. Much better response on rough terrain smoothes out big bumps. Is it worth the price? For me it was, others perhaps not.

 

[Aonarch]

As stated a nice aftermarket UCA will improve ride quality both on road and offroad.

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