Alignment after greasing UCA frame bushings?

[RVA Ram]

I recently greased my frame bolts/bushings (Icon Delta Joint), and to get the grease to flow through the bushing I had to loosen up the bolts. Would loosening these bolts warrant an alignment?

 

[kurek]

Nope. No alignment cams on the uppers, no reason your geometry would have changed.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

I recently greased my frame bolts/bushings (Icon Delta Joint), and to get the grease to flow through the bushing I had to loosen up the bolts. Would loosening these bolts warrant an alignment?

You should not have to loosen the bolts #1

Walk me though how you tightened them back up. Was the truck on a jack? Did you torque the bolts?

 

[ram1500rsm]

@Quick_Shifter , With the Icon UCA's that's how we do it. You'll damage the bushings if you didn't loosen those bolts.

@RVA Ram no you won't need an alignment. You won't need any special grease either. with the truck on the ground, loosen up the bolts, pump your frame bushings and DJ with grease, then tighten the bolts to factory torque and enjoy.

Grease recommendation from Icon.

https://iconvehicledynamics.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041257914-What-grease-is-recommended-for-ICON-upper-control-arms-#:~:text=ICON%20recommends%20a%20National%20Lubricating,EXTREME%20PRESSURE%20GREASE%20WITH%20MOLY).

This is what i use in my Icons Delta Joints every oil change. Not a single issue, zero noise.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CQ6L64/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Have fun.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

@Quick_Shifter , With the Icon UCA's that's how we do it. You'll damage the bushings if you didn't loosen those bolts.

@RVA Ram no you won't need an alignment. You won't need any special grease either. with the truck on the ground, loosen up the bolts, pump your frame bushings and DJ with grease, then tighten the bolts to factory torque and enjoy.

Grease recommendation from Icon.

https://iconvehicledynamics.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041257914-What-grease-is-recommended-for-ICON-upper-control-arms-#:~:text=ICON%20recommends%20a%20National%20Lubricating,EXTREME%20PRESSURE%20GREASE%20WITH%20MOLY).

This is what i use in my Icons Delta Joints every 5k miles. Not a single issue, zero noise.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CQ6L64/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Have fun.

I didn’t know that. Learned something new. Icons wants you to pump grease until all the old grease is out. Where almost every other bushings on the market want to be torqued before greasing.
My apologies it just scares me when guys loosen bolts I’ve seen more bad than good from that

 

[RVA Ram]

Good information, thanks ram1500rsm. I tried to grease them without loosening the bolts at first and the grease wouldn't go through the zerk.

 

[ram1500rsm]

Talking about good timing, i did grease my Icon zerks and DJ BJ's this morning. Takes me around 10 min per side and it's mostly cause i like clean the grease run out.
I back out the frame bolts until i see around 2-3 threads left at then end of each bolt, then i give about 3 pumps to each bushing, then i torque those bolts back to 120ft/lbs. The BJ will also get 3 pumps. and that's it. Easy peasy.

2021-09-19_12-55-51 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

2021-09-19_12-55-57 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

 

[RVA Ram]

So, greasing the bushing helped for about a week, but the bushings returned to being incredibly noisy. Any thoughts? Should I remove and reinstall and try to grease them better? The noise is definitely from the bushing.

 

[ram1500rsm]

What grease are you using?

 

[RVA Ram]

I used the super lube, but I picked up some Lucas red n tacky yesterday and I'm going to give that a try. I've also had a hard time getting grease to come out both sides of the bushings.

 

[ram1500rsm]

I posted an Amazon link above of the grease I'm using. I've had my UCAS for a year or more in very dusty conditions and mine are quiet as day one. You can find that Valvoline at any auto parts. Never had any luck with super lube or red and tacky with poly bushings. Avoid synth lubes.

 

[RVA Ram]

Oh, I didn't realize you were using the Valvoline for your bushings too. I have some of that for the delta joints. I could have figured that out based on the photo of the grease, haha.

 

[ram1500rsm]

Also grease should come out nice and easy out of the bushings. Make sure those bolts are fairly loose when you do so. Flush as much of that old grease out, clean and keep pumping the Valvoline one. Same grease for the Delta joints too.

 

[RVA Ram]

Just wanted to revisit this and say the Valvoline worked like a charm. I disassembled the frame bushings and wiped all the old grease out and recoated with Valvoline plus I pumped some through the bushings and they are very quiet now.

 

[westcoasting]

Just wanted to revisit this and say the Valvoline worked like a charm. I disassembled the frame bushings and wiped all the old grease out and recoated with Valvoline plus I pumped some through the bushings and they are very quiet now.

Hey can you tell me more about the icon UCA’s? How did you decide on them and any regrets in that decision?

 

[RVA Ram]

Hey can you tell me more about the icon UCA’s? How did you decide on them and any regrets in that decision?

I ended up going with the Icon's based on ram1500rsm recommendations. I had Zone control arms before and the Icon's feel more planted, but that's just my butt dyno telling me that. No regrets with the Icon's so far except for I wish I would have just gone with them first instead of switching from Zones. If you go with Icon's I would recommend chasing the zerk threads prior to installing.

 

[westcoasting]

I ended up going with the Icon's based on ram1500rsm recommendations. I had Zone control arms before and the Icon's feel more planted, but that's just my butt dyno telling me that. No regrets with the Icon's so far except for I wish I would have just gone with them first instead of switching from Zones. If you go with Icon's I would recommend chasing the zerk threads prior to installing.

Thanks for that info