UCA Install.

About to replace my Fabtech UCAs with SPCs to improve my caster. Just wondering if I should save the $340 labor and DIY.

Looks straightforward and videos dont show any snags to worry about.

EDIT: After posting this and texting the owner, he knocked down the price of labor to $275 + $50 alignment fee.

 

I’m in the same situation. Going to replace mine when the weather warms up. From the videos I saw, once they loosened the bolt it slide right out. I’m pretty sure it won’t go as easy for me, but I want to save that labor cost too.

 

My garage is good and the guy is a master Toyota tech who now owns his own biz so I trust him working on it but I feel the labor is a tad high - could be because these are highly adjustable and require extra work to align/install.

 

I just installed Camburgs - it is very straight forward - but the manual labor about killed me as one nut was hard the whole way off - turned a breaker bar a quarter turn at a time with like a hundred pounds of resistance with one arm - while trying to hold the other end of the bolt with a combination - was a work out and not a fun one. That said, there was nothing special or hard about the job, just partially dropped the splash shield and then pushed the bolt in-between the hoses & wiring harnesses - did not remove anything. It was fairly tedius putting together the new UCA's, installing etc. - the project took a lot more time than expected; that said, you have a fairly new truck so everything should go much smoother on removal.

 

It's literally two nuts. You got it. Torch and a mini sledge will help hit the UBJ out. The UCA bolt is just long and requires a little dexterity to slide everything around. Idk how much your time is worth, but I think spending a few hours to swap the arms then take it to dude to align it is worth the effort.

 

SPC install video

The correct star plate installation looks to be the tedious, most concerning part to me. That part alone tells me I need a shop that does this on their alignment rack.

 

It's an easy job but there are some tools that make it much easier. My torque wrench has a flex head (torque is +/- 170 lbs as I recall). And, an extra long 22mm flex head wrench make it quite simple.
https://www.zoro.com/gearwrench-dbl...MIvbep3bqf6AIVDttkCh2N9QLwEAQYAiABEgLmn_D_BwE

 

Diy all the way

 

Agreed with DIY. It’s not too difficult on these Tundras. If I remember correctly the passenger side is easy, with the driver side being a little more difficult, but just need to unbolt and push a wiring harness out of the way.. as with any of the DIY projects, I ask my Pops @mikey281 to lend a hand, and think an extra set of hands makes things much easier, even if they are just topside and help pull the bolts out.

You can do it, save that MONEY. If you run into issues, the squad here has your back!

 

I removed my UCA's one day - and then next day started on the Camburgs, thought I'd be done in an hour - it took like four plus hours - super tedius, had to install grease zerks on the arms, bushings, press in sleeve's, grease everything with PTFE grease which gets everywhere, once installed clean threads with grease/wax remover and apply red loctite, torque everything to spec, hit grease zerks with grease gun (once installed), install new speed sensor clamps, replace half my splash shield clips with new Toyota ones as they all broke off - on and on - its just a lot of tedius stuff you don't think of. Definitely can be done, its just a matter of if you enjoy that type of thing!

Don't forget on the dissasembly too you have to break both ball-joints loose which don't always co-operate, then you have to wire up the spindle so brake lines aren't over-extended with ideally two wires on each spindle for redudency (had single wire break on me before). This isn't just a matter of un-bolting a nut off the old control arm. I do think the job would be much easier though since you have such a new Tundra.

 

I swear, have never had a car project where there isn’t something that awry or a part that doesn’t cooperate with you. Well said

 

Yup, absolutely thats how it goes!

 

You sound like you have the exact kinda luck I have when I undertake ANY seemingly simple task lol. I do not think I would have much trouble separating things as these are already aftermarket arms and my truck's mileage is only 59k. The arms were done at probably 15k.