stock uca w/ billys

[rkpalm]

I am about to order the bilstein and install them at the 2.8 mark. I have been searching to see if anyone is having the issue with the stock uca's that spacers have. I have found where people have changed them, but not really because of an issue. So, do the stock uca's hold up with the bilsteins? Or is it necessary to swap them out?

If the answer is already out there, sorry. Please provide the link to it.

Thank you

 

[DILLIGAF]

I replaced mine to have peace of mind. If you are going to the trouble of upgrading the shocks and doing an alignment, you might as well change those out as well.

Here is a side by side of teh OEM and the Mevotech. ( yes I know the Mevotech aren't the best, but they still do a better job than the OEM junk )

Its a good time as well to upgraded the sway bar endlinks bushings to MOOGs, The factory ones are cheap rubber.

 

[rkpalm]

The replacement does look a lot stronger. Hmmm

 

[Ricks Ram]

Most of the people that have installed the Bilsteins at 2.8 have had no issues. Most of the issues with the UCA are due to running a spacer. I have mine set at 2.1 and the have been in for almost two years with no issues. I have two friends that have had there's set at 2.8 for well over a year and they haven't had any problems either. Changing your UCA,s just for piece of mind is isn't that expensive and as stated you are going to have everything apart anyway. I guess it's just personal preference.

 

[JB1]

I replaced mine to have peace of mind. If you are going to the trouble of upgrading the shocks and doing an alignment, you might as well change those out as well.

Here is a side by side of teh OEM and the Mevotech. ( yes I know the Mevotech aren't the best, but they still do a better job than the OEM junk )

Its a good time as well to upgraded the sway bar endlinks bushings to MOOGs, The factory ones are cheap rubber.

What's the P/N for the moog endlinks?

 

[DILLIGAF]

These are 2 I upgraded. The picture amazon uses is black but mine showed up Blue.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000C59Z40/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000C59Z6S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[AustinB]

It always confuses me when people say that the aftermarket UCAs are "beefier", or "look stronger"..

If your not jumping over things..who cares?

The "issue" hasn't ever been the UCAs twisting or breaking... its the ball joints popping out because of the angle. (Assuming that it actually happens)

Id say keep the stock ones... if a ball joint pops out, replace it. Money spent now, money spent later... is still money spent.

Mevotechs fail also.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Both my UCA were busted and my Truck had 60000km

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjW3o_m7OIA

 

[iam_canadian22]

20k + kms on stockers with bils at 2.8, 0 issues

 

[brandonjansen]

As Austin said, the problem is not the A-arm itself, it's the ball joint popping out of it. This happens with spacer type leveling kits as they allow the suspension to overextend which is where the ball joint pops out. Bilsteins keep the suspension travel within OEM specs which should keep the ball joint happy. You just want to be careful when installing them not to allow the suspension to overextend to get them in. I always recommend unbolting the steering knuckle from the upper A-arm during install to allow the lower A-arm to drop down far enough to get the Bilstein in without extending the suspension too far.

 

[kg93]

my stock ucas did fine with bils at 2.8 for over a year. The joint only started to pop out after some rough offroading. The mevotechs i bought to replace them did just find. I just didnt trust them for getting a little air. Recently switched to zones.

 

[DILLIGAF]

If and when the Mevos fail Ill upgrade to Zones. I do quite a bit of offroading during hunting season. Ill see how they hold up this fall.

 

[Ronan]

I replaced mine to have peace of mind. If you are going to the trouble of upgrading the shocks and doing an alignment, you might as well change those out as well.

Here is a side by side of teh OEM and the Mevotech. ( yes I know the Mevotech aren't the best, but they still do a better job than the OEM junk )

Its a good time as well to upgraded the sway bar endlinks bushings to MOOGs, The factory ones are cheap rubber.

Funny, my stock UCA 's on my 13' look much bigger than those mevo's

 

[iam_canadian22]

Funny, my stock UCA 's on my 13' look much bigger than those mevo's

Early 13's had the older/better uca's

 

[Ronan]

Early 13's had the older/better uca's

Well that settles that!!

 

[DILLIGAF]

Funny, my stock UCA 's on my 13' look much bigger than those mevo's

Those are off my 2012

 

[iam_canadian22]

Those are off my 2012

Odd, late 13's and up are the ones said to have issues

 

[rkpalm]

Well, I got the bilsteins in today. Can't wait to tear into this weekend. Only question is "do I attempt to use a spring compressors and do it myself, or take it apart and go to a shop to swap out the shocks?" What have most of y'all done, and how hard was it to compress the springs?

 

[AustinB]

Just swing by pep girls and borrow one.

Usually a $50ish refundable deposit.

Impact wrench will be your best friend for those, and for the top nut for disassembly.

Also...

 

[iam_canadian22]

Well, I got the bilsteins in today. Can't wait to tear into this weekend. Only question is "do I attempt to use a spring compressors and do it myself, or take it apart and go to a shop to swap out the shocks?" What have most of y'all done, and how hard was it to compress the springs?

Do it yourself, very easy, just remember that top washer bikstein provides goes under the top spring cup and not under the nut