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UCA help

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by Spolar, Feb 24, 2017.

  1. Feb 24, 2017 at 10:58 AM
    #1
    Spolar

    Spolar [OP] Going broke

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    I'm reading as much as I can regarding uni ball vs ball joint UCAs, but I'm still new to suspension so I'd really appreciate some advice. I just ordered King 2.5 front and rears and I'm deciding on UCAs to go with them. I'm leaning towards Camburg ball joints because I really don't want to have to deal with the maintenance I've been reading about when it comes to uni balls.

    The questions I have are that if I'm running high quality suspension like kings, am I going to be giving up a significant amount of travel they could provide by not going with uni balls? Also, how frequent is the maintenance with uni balls, and how difficult or expensive (if I need to take them to someone) are they to service? I'm trying to learn about suspension and ideally want to be able to work on my own truck but I don't want to be forced to maintain uni ball UCAs if I can go with ball joints and still get great performance. Thanks for any advice fellas.
     
    SoCal619 likes this.
  2. Feb 24, 2017 at 11:08 AM
    #2
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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  3. Feb 24, 2017 at 11:11 AM
    #3
    dcsleeper408

    dcsleeper408 BASTRDS

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  4. Feb 24, 2017 at 8:53 PM
    #4
    Spolar

    Spolar [OP] Going broke

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    I've read that thread, as well as checking out many others. I don't see anything in there regarding how much less travel you get with a ball joint vs uni ball, are the performances THAT much different etc. I understand what makes a ball joint different than a uni ball.

    I appreciate the link but its not the answers I'm really looking for
     
  5. Feb 24, 2017 at 9:02 PM
    #5
    CM-LENNY

    CM-LENNY No Complaints

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    Sounds like the Kings you got are a direct bolt in. I would think they would max out at 2.75-3" lift. I would go with the SPC arms that run a factory type ball joint that is NO maintenance and will not limit your travel with that shock configuration. Hope this helps.
     
  6. Feb 24, 2017 at 9:06 PM
    #6
    joonbug

    joonbug °°°°°°°°°°

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    Here's a quote from @jberry813

    "I'm personally a fan of uniball UCAs over ball joint UCAs. A uniball is not a sealed joint like a ball joint, but it's way stronger and allowes for more droop than a ball joint. But the maintenance is remedial at best. It's pretty easy: when your balls get dirty, wash them with water."

    :D
     
  7. Feb 24, 2017 at 9:11 PM
    #7
    CM-LENNY

    CM-LENNY No Complaints

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    I do agree with the fact you can get more droop with a uniball, but are the Kings in question not the limiting factor for droop in themselves ? I think the SPC would work fine, but not 100% sure on the King shock specs. Good point though Joon, and smart quoting the mad scientist !
     
  8. Feb 24, 2017 at 9:15 PM
    #8
    joonbug

    joonbug °°°°°°°°°°

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    If it were me, I would probably just get the maintenance free ones. I may not even notice when my balls are dirty.
    :anonymous:
     
  9. Feb 24, 2017 at 9:15 PM
    #9
    ColoradoTJ

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    I had a nice long explanation, but...

    Sorry I didn't answer your question. Good luck on your research.

    Hint: BJ's are only good from the old lady.
     
    Phillipk98, jberry813 and TheBeast like this.
  10. Feb 24, 2017 at 9:46 PM
    #10
    TheBeast

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    can't go wrong with Total Chaos or Camburg.
     
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  11. Feb 24, 2017 at 10:09 PM
    #11
    Spolar

    Spolar [OP] Going broke

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    I'm just trying to get all the info I can before dropping a lot of money on UCAs. And sorry the link in question didn't really give me the answers I was looking for.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2017
  12. Feb 24, 2017 at 10:11 PM
    #12
    Spolar

    Spolar [OP] Going broke

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    Yea I went to him for his opinion and he convinced me to get the Kings. I might just go with uni balls if that's his take on them.
     
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  13. Feb 24, 2017 at 10:20 PM
    #13
    JBSTOY

    JBSTOY Was tired, so I woke up.

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    I just did 6112s (highest setting) and I was strongly advised to change UCAs. I went with the uni-ball from ProComp. I was told they licensed or there was some sort of partnership with one of the aforementioned companies. I will leave it at that. I don't think taking care of it will be that much of a chore.

    One word of caution though. I don't know if you are doing the job or not but these arms require being put together. I had to pay quite a bit extra to have them installed. I would have done the job myself but a serious back injury prevents me from tackling jobs like this. Hope this helps. I think the grease fitting is right on top so it shouldn't be an issue.
    IMG_1506.jpg
     
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  14. Feb 25, 2017 at 3:19 PM
    #14
    jberry813

    jberry813 The Mad Scientist Staff Member

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    You gain a short hair under 1/2" of droop travel with a uniball over the factory BJ UCA.
    There is an internal shaft spacer inside Kings that limit how far the shaft extends. If you run a uniball upper, you can run a smaller spacer.
     
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  15. Feb 25, 2017 at 3:26 PM
    #15
    jberry813

    jberry813 The Mad Scientist Staff Member

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    And I don't understand the fear of uniballs in terms of maintenance. People that complain are people that use the wrong lube or too much. On my old truck, I had the same set of uniballs for over 5 years and only lubed them twice...and I live in an area that has snow 4 months out of the year. You don't even need to hose them off. Seriously just pouring what's left of your almost empty water bottle once every other month is all it needs to keep them squeak free.
     
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  16. Feb 25, 2017 at 3:51 PM
    #16
    Spolar

    Spolar [OP] Going broke

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    That's the kind of information I was looking for. I was under the impression from some things I've read you needed to replace the uniballs every couple years and keep them lubed. What your saying makes it seem like a non-issue.
     
  17. Feb 25, 2017 at 4:05 PM
    #17
    Otaku4life69

    Otaku4life69 Welcome to the Dark Side.

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    I was looking for the same info.
     
  18. Feb 25, 2017 at 4:09 PM
    #18
    TheBeast

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    "when your balls get dirty, wash them with water"


    :bucket:
     
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  19. Feb 25, 2017 at 4:12 PM
    #19
    jberry813

    jberry813 The Mad Scientist Staff Member

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    Absolutely not. The people that replace them every X years don't know what they are doing. They hear a squeak so they lube it. The squeak comes from dust scraping on the liner. Adding lube (even teflon based dry lube) will trap the dust and eventually tear the liners apart causing play between the ball and the race.

    If you absolutely have to use lube because you washed them and still have sounds, you just need a couple drops of a dry lube. My personal preference is Tri-Flow dry. Just make sure to get the dry (grey label instead of red). Dry lube sets like a wax rather than an oil. And when I say a couple drops, I mean just a couple drops. Sparingly at best.
     
  20. Feb 25, 2017 at 4:35 PM
    #20
    jberry813

    jberry813 The Mad Scientist Staff Member

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    More mad scientist geek shit just so everyone knows how it really works. The uniballs used in pretty much every aftermarket UCA I'm aware of all have a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) woven fabric liner. PTFE has once of the lowest coefficients of friction of every solid piece of material on earth. Seriously, it's the same shit used in non-stick cookware. By adding lube...you are actually doing the opposite of lubing and just giving dirt and debris something to adhere too. Ever drop some salt into a non-stick pan? Turn the pan upside down and it falls right out. Now put some oil in a non-stick pan and add salt........

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2017

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