FJ upper a-arms...looking to buy

[BoBoNel]

ok...since i put on my lift my tires are looking like crap so i have to get some upper a-arms. any suggestions/recomendations on brands, types, etc????

what are you using and what did it cost you? what would you do differantly?

[BlueFJ]

Bobo,
Pardon my ignorance, but how do new a-arms make your tires look better. I guess a better question would be how does the lift make your tires look bad?

[cruiserlarry]

I'm also not sure how new upper A-arms will improve the appearance of your tires, but I'll be happy to sell them to you anyway...

There are several brands of FJC UCAs available, and they range in price and function. The least expensive are the Light Racing arms, which use the stock ball joint but allow for proper alignment angles. Next are the Total Chaos and Camburg style tubular arms, which correct for the alignment angles, use poly bushings to mount the control arms, and have a uniball instead of the ball joint at the spindle end to allow for additional flexibility / articulation when used with coilover kits. At the top of the heap, in function (IMO) and in price (no opinion involved here), are the Icon Vehicle Dynamics UCAs. These arms are billet aluminum works of art; They use heim joint mounts that can be adjusted for different alignment angle on the vehicle, and a covered uniball for flexibility. They will flex more than any of the other styles, which you can take advantage of when used in conjunction with Icon Vehicle Dynamics extended travel coilovers (same price as the standard travel model , but an inch + of additional travel is designed in).

If you have any interest in these products, call me 310-390-9086 M-F 10a-7p PDT

[BoBoNel]

duh!!!!!!! its not a matter of looking BETTER or WORSE. its something to do with the camber/caster or something like that. they are wearing funny on the edges. pardon my lack of thorough description. i'm not a motor head.
hubby and the suspension shop we go to agreed that better quality/adjustable upper a-arms would better accomodate the lift and tire size that i have on right now.

sorry larry........i should have called you first. i ordered some thru a group buy on the blue room ($599/$399 group buy price) and couldnt pass that up.

i just rec'd them friday and hubby hasnt put them on yet. i'll let you know if it solves my bad tire wear situation. i have no vibration, wobble, etc and i rotate/balance/align so its not due to those issues.
will keep you posted.

[BlueFJ]

Aaaaahhhh! I see! Uneven tire wear due to bad alignment. Got it!

[cruiserlarry]

duh!!!!!!! its not a matter of looking BETTER or WORSE. its something to do with the camber/caster or something like that. they are wearing funny on the edges. pardon my lack of thorough description. i'm not a motor head.
hubby and the suspension shop we go to agreed that better quality/adjustable upper a-arms would better accomodate the lift and tire size that i have on right now.

sorry larry........i should have called you first. i ordered some thru a group buy on the blue room ($599/$399 group buy price) and couldnt pass that up.

i just rec'd them friday and hubby hasnt put them on yet. i'll let you know if it solves my bad tire wear situation. i have no vibration, wobble, etc and i rotate/balance/align so its not due to those issues.
will keep you posted.

Keep in mind the UCAs in that group buy do not allow for more articulation with a suspension lift (they use stock ball joints)- they only correct for alignment issues. That is why they are less expensive. So before you install them, make sure you are OK with the limitations the Light Racing UCAs have....

One more reason I recommend folks talk to an expert before making a purchase...

[big dave]

Aaaaahhhh! I see! Uneven tire wear due to bad alignment. Got it!

Its not really a bad alignment issue, its more of a lack of adjustment to align correctly. Just like my Path, i had to do UCA's to give the extra adjustment so i could get a proper alignment.

[BoBoNel]

i'm screwed......i dont have allignment issues. just that dang adjustment issue......guess i have some heavy paperweights sitting on my floor.

[cruiserlarry]

i'm screwed......i dont have allignment issues. just that dang adjustment issue......guess i have some heavy paperweights sitting on my floor.

Well, I'm confused...A front-end adjustment issue IS an alignment issue, so anytime you cannot adjust the caster, camber , and toe-in to spec, you've got an alignment issue. So here's a little primer on wheel alignment and it's effects:

The problem is lifting usually throws all three alignment angles out of whack. The camber angles, which affect tire wear by allowing the tire to ride on it's inner edge (negative camber) or on it's outer edge (positive camber) can change depending on the type of lift used. Caster is affected on the FJC, becoming more positive as the vehicle goes higher. Tire wear is not affected by improper caster, but the vehicle's handling is affected - the car wanders more when the caster gets more positive. This is what the replacement upper control arms is designed to correct - it relocates the top of the spindle to reduce the additional positive caster created by the lift. Only the Icon Vehicle Dynamics UCAs allow for additional adjustments for both caster and camber. Toe-in is the simplest angle to correct and the angle that most dramatically affects tire wear. Basically too much toe-in makes the tires pigeon-toed, while too much toe-out makes then duck-toed. Either way, the outer (or inner) edges of the tires will scuff and wear quickly. In addition vehicle steering and mileage can also be affected in a negative fashion.

What exactly is the tech telling you is out of adjustment on your front end ? And why does he feel it cannot be corrected ? We've installed lifts on hundreds of FJs, and haven't had an alignment adjustment issue on any FJC that used any of the popular lifts.