Nice picks Jerry!
Spacer =
Coilover =

 

Wouldn't the same thing happen to the ball joint if he was running a coilover too with the stock UCA?

 

Wouldn't the same thing happen to the ball joint if he was running a coilover too with the stock UCA?

No, the aftermarket kits meant for stock arms are no longer than the stock coilovers, or at least no longer than the additional maybe 3/4" wheel travel lthat the stock joint allows. Bilstein 5100s work that way. I've heard a couple places that Kings are actually slightly shorter.

 

No, the aftermarket kits meant for stock arms are no longer than the stock coilovers, or at least no longer than the additional maybe 3/4" wheel travel lthat the stock joint allows. Bilstein 5100s work that way. I've heard a couple places that Kings are actually slightly shorter.

Doesn'tmake sense to me, but I have never been up to par on my coilover stuff . I think I understand a little.

 

Wouldn't the same thing happen to the ball joint if he was running a coilover too with the stock UCA?

The coilovers will be around 1/2-1" longer but not 2" longer. The coilovers are also solid because they use a spherical bearing and no bushings. The after market shocks with bushings will pull on the bushings at droop and also allow the upper ball joint to bind. The shocks limit the droop so if they are to long your droop travel will not be limited correctly.

I have a challenge for those with a spacer kit. This will only take a few minutes for most. Go remove the spiral snap ring off the ball joint boot and see if your spacer kit is allowing the upper ball joint to bind. If it is this is very dangerous!

 

Doesn'tmake sense to me, but I have never been up to par on my coilover stuff . I think I understand a little.

To make it simple and the way I understand it!

If the coilover is not under pressure and is (for arguement sake) 10" long, then the UCA and LCA ball joints allow a droop of 11" long you don't have any problems.

However if you add a 2" spacer to the top of the coilover you are now making the relaxed, drooped, unsprung length of the coilover 12" long.

This is 1" greater than the UCA and LCA ball joints can handle and begin to bind.

The after market coilovers are 11" long but the spring compression is adjustable and therefore allows the truck to ride at a taller height. All the while it doesn't actually put the ball joints into any bind because they are not longer than the UCA and LCA ball joints can handle.

Hope this helps.

 

The coilovers will be around 1/2-1" longer but not 2" longer. The coilovers are also solid because they use a spherical bearing and no bushings. The after market shocks with bushings will pull on the bushings at droop and also allow the upper ball joint to bind. The shocks limit the droop so if they are to long your droop travel will not be limited correctly.

I have a challenge for those with a spacer kit. This will only take a few minutes for most. Go remove the spiral snap ring off the ball joint boot and see if your spacer kit is allowing the upper ball joint to bind. If it is this is very dangerous!

Makes sense to me. Do limit straps help prevent this at all?

 

To make it simple and the way I understand it!

If the coilover is not under pressure and is (for arguement sake) 10" long, then the UCA and LCA ball joints allow a droop of 11" long you don't have any problems.

However if you add a 2" spacer to the top of the coilover you are now making the relaxed, drooped, unsprung length of the coilover 12" long.

This is 1" greater than the UCA and LCA ball joints can handle and begin to bind.

The after market coilovers are 11" long but the spring compression is adjustable and therefore allows the truck to ride at a taller height. All the while it doesn't actually put the ball joints into any bind because they are not longer than the UCA and LCA ball joints can handle.

Hope this helps.

Thank you. Makes sense now.

 

Makes sense to me. Do limit straps help prevent this at all?

They can as long as they are set to the correct length. You would have to droop out and check legths and where the ball joints are hitting the cups.

It is still better to spend the money to get a worth while setup instead of a cheap lift so you don't have to add unnecessary parts.

 

...It is still better to spend the money to get a worth while setup instead of a cheap lift so you don't have to add unnecessary parts.

Yes yes I know that. I'm in that camp too.

 

In reference to the Bilstein 5100s. Which style is more preferred? The true adjustable coil over style or the strut with adjustable c-clip? Pros vs. Cons of each?

 

Great post and pics on ball joints and spacer lifts! I'm the unfortunate owner of an 05 Tundra DC who went the cheap route. I installed a ReadyLift 3" spacer lift and have since, within a year, replaced one BJ and see another appears to have failed now also. What do you recommend as the best way out of this predicament? I'm not sure I want to(read:am allowed!) spend the $$$ for a coilover replacement like a SAW. Short of the SAWs do you think I'd be better off with the Bilstein adjustable or the uni-ball UCAs to cure my BJ woes?
THanks!!!

 

The bils will stay within stock lengths to keep you from binding UBJs. That is the cheapest way out of a spacer lift.

Just tell the wife that the "ONLY" way out is the SAWs or ICONs otherwise you could loose a balljoint on the highway and kill yourself and anyone else around you and their dog and their grandmother and grandfather and auntie and uncle and brother, etc... That way if she doesn't care about you maybe one of the other words will strike a cord that touches her heart and then she won't be able to say anything but, YOU BETTER BUY THEM TODAY!!! :devil:

 

The bils will stay within stock lengths to keep you from binding UBJs. That is the cheapest way out of a spacer lift.

Just tell the wife that the "ONLY" way out is the SAWs or ICONs otherwise you could loose a balljoint on the highway and kill yourself and anyone else around you and their dog and their grandmother and grandfather and auntie and uncle and brother, etc... That way if she doesn't care about you maybe one of the other words will strike a cord that touches her heart and then she won't be able to say anything but, YOU BETTER BUY THEM TODAY!!! :devil:

I like the way you think Imdone!!:ts:

 

I like the way you think Imdone!!:ts:

:tu: This ain' my first rodeo! I've had years of practice with the ol'lady!!!

Only problem is I didn't marry a dumb one, so she has caught onto my game... Dammit

 

OK... you all have convinced me not to buy a spacer lift. I'm now looking at the complete OME setup for my 4x4 Crewmax... will this system damage the ball joints? Is there any reason to replace the UCAs? Should I still purchase a differential drop? I intend to run 305/55/20s as I really like hbonney's setup. Thanks.

 

If the extended length of the OME shock is the same as the OEM shock then you will be fine.

The changing of UCAs provides additional wheel travel, when you get the extended length coilovers and use the Burg UCAs you will get more droop without binding ball joints.

Diff drops don't hurt, but not sure how necessary they are on this truck yet.

 

so, the best way to go is with a full coilover...check...now with those i believe i read that you dont need the UCA's? But reading, your caster will be off and you'll have shopping cart like twitchy steering which is cured with the UCA's... so the best bet solution for a lift/level is about $2k?

 

Yeah, full coilover is the best way to go. Who's ever it is, doesn't matter just go route of coilover, not spacer.

The caster will be harder to dial in with a lift, but it's not like the truck is going to fall apart without aftermarket UCAs. Yeah, they help and are great, I had them on my last tundra and have a set in the garage waiting for this tundra. I will also be putting them on my 4runner. Are they absolutely necessary? No, do they make it better, yeah!

The suspension for my 08 CM 4x4 is:
IVD extended length front coils
IVD 2 or 2.5" rear shocks.
Overload replacement rear spring pack
Camburg UCAs
Diff drop

This should all compliment the truck, be able to jam a 35" tire with the correct offset of wheel and some trimming of body mount and front plastics and bumper. I was going for least amount of lift, max size tire and keep it functional for towing my 9000lb toyhauler.

You could keep it cheaper by going with Bilstein adjustable coils and 5100 rear shocks. Good luck on the suspension pics!

 

Can you use TC UCA's with a spacer? I know it's a cheap way, but its hard to spend 2k for the coilovers and UCA's when I'm spending $600+ for books every 5 months. Thanks.:tu:

 

You can use any UCA with any type of coilover/spacer lift, but you still need to watch the over extension of the spacer and OE coilover, this means paying attention to your drooped out suspension and if the uniball is binding on the arm or if the LBJ is binding.

 

Thank you.:tu:

 

I married no dummy either however...she believes in doing things the right way so I could sell the SAWs if I believed they were the best solution.
My big question with the SAWs would be the ride. 95%+ of my driving is on asphalt. I like to go offroad a couple times a year, no boulder crawling or anything like that mostly bumpy fireroads and short jeep trails to get to a climbing crag or trailhead. With that in mind, do you think the SAWs would drive me crazy Mon-Fri?
I hate hearing my truck clunk if I hit a speed bump too fast, like 6mph instead of 5 or likewise hitting a pothole deeper than a couple inches. Bottom line, the clunks need to go away so I don't feel like my 4x4 is a frickin' low rider!
Whatcha think guys?

 

What category number does my leveling kit fall into? 1 2 3

Tundra Solutions Forum - Tundraman10's Album: Tundraman10's Album - Picture

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/foru...an10/albums/tundraman10%27s+album-76/2-trail-master-leveling-kit-installed-339/

It came with bump stops too. The ride does feel a little bit stiffer?

 

I married no dummy either however...she believes in doing things the right way so I could sell the SAWs if I believed they were the best solution.
My big question with the SAWs would be the ride. 95%+ of my driving is on asphalt. I like to go offroad a couple times a year, no boulder crawling or anything like that mostly bumpy fireroads and short jeep trails to get to a climbing crag or trailhead. With that in mind, do you think the SAWs would drive me crazy Mon-Fri?
I hate hearing my truck clunk if I hit a speed bump too fast, like 6mph instead of 5 or likewise hitting a pothole deeper than a couple inches. Bottom line, the clunks need to go away so I don't feel like my 4x4 is a frickin' low rider!
Whatcha think guys?

You will be fine on road. If anything instead of hitting that speed bump at 5mph, you will likely hit it at 10 just to hear the really cool squish sound that a B/A shock makes when it's working. It won't clunk, actually the opposite. A lot of spacer kits are putting the suspenion under preload which will make them droop out really fast because the shock was not designed for that extra preload. The SAW/IVD/King, etc, shock is however designed for your truck and designed to carry it at a different ride height so you will have a better handling.

You will like it.

I will tell you this, my wife's 2004 4runner has 2.0 SAWs set at 2.25" and she likes the ride on road better than the OE suspension. She also knows very little about vehicles, but you bet your @ss that she knows what she likes, and she loves them. I am getting them for the rear with an extended lenght coilspring since she likes the fronts.