Best UCA's

What UCA's do you all recommend.
3" Ironman lift with Ironman UCA's now but I think they are failing.
Lots of vibration on and off, some terrible clanking sounds, and steering is hookin a bit to the right.
Tires are all OK. Filled right. Brakes are good. Rotors good....
Cant think of anything else it could be.

 

Have you verified no issues with your tie rods, LCA's, shock bushings, etc.?

 

So far yes, we've checked all of those. It's crazy because the whole suspension system is new a little over a year ago. Dumped crazy money to build a capable vehicle and it's so embarrassing when hitting the smallest bump in the road. lol

 

https://youtu.be/huMztKaHsUE?si=9Yl5lndyvCz4aflX


https://youtu.be/InQnp42pfts?si=hgPXSLnUf3EL8gAb

 

I love Kai's videos and seeing his FJ makes me wish I still had mine. T4ROP, a few other things I would check would be:

1. Front wheel bearings for play, especially if they haven't been replaced
2. Wheel balance (test by swapping fronts with rears and see if there's a difference)
3. Lower control arm bolts
   1. May just need to be tightened
   2. Might be slop in the bolts
   3. Also check the two bolts for the lower ball joint

Sounds like the Ironman setup, if installed properly, is a solid choice. If they are only a year old, I doubt they are failing unless they are defective. Personally, I have Total Chaos UCA's and although they are higher maintenance with the spherical bearings and polyurethane bushings, they haven't failed me.

That said, I know the last owner replaced the lower control arms on my 4Runner with a cheap set form TRQ. Not sure if they are the issue, but I get an occasional clunk when hitting a bump and turning. It's either that or the worn top hats on my shocks, which are fairly new Bilstein's but I the top hats are original. I still have the factory LCA's and parts to rebuild them.

 

Since Tinkers video I thought Ironman is good and need no maintaince like OEM UCA. If they are also sh^t I think OEM Toyota UCA is the best. Less likely to fail, have very good ball movement, no maintenance required.

 

If your Toyota has less than a 2" inch lift and/or your not running wide or crazy offsets, I agree with kmeeg.

However, like Tinker mentioned in his videos, at 2" of lift or higher (2.5" is a common lift height on Toyota's), an aftermarket UCA is recommended to correct the caster and create clearance for the tire. Otherwise attempts to get back or close to factory alignment specs will be difficult and may result in poor handling/steering. Think shopping car steering.

Can you run a stock UCA with a 2.5" lift? Yes. I did for several thousand miles in my 4Runner, so it is doable but I don't recommend it.