After 6 months with my F150 Bilstein 5100s at 2” lift, UCAs are a MUST!

Tuff Country UCAs and Bilstein front shocks arrived today. I’ll be installing those and new lower ball joints to replace the Monroes and ReadLift on the front.
I’d like to lower the front from 3” to 2” and reinstall the factory springs. The Monroes are too stiff. Not sure that I will like the poly bushings on the TCs but we will see.

Eric Mowrer said:

Tuff Country UCAs and Bilstein front shocks arrived today. I’ll be installing those and new lower ball joints to replace the Monroes and ReadLift on the front.
I’d like to lower the front from 3” to 2” and reinstall the factory springs. The Monroes are too stiff. Not sure that I will like the poly bushings on the TCs but we will see.

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Fingers crossed for you that the Tuff Country’s work for you with the Ford factory wheels.
Would have much rather been in that price range.

Black said:

Fingers crossed for you that the Tuff Country’s work for you with the Ford factory wheels.
Would have much rather been in that price range.

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Yep. Factory 18” wheels are 6.5” backspace. I’m running Raptor 17” with 6” backspace. Instructions say 5.5” backspace with 33x12.50. I’m running 315/70/17. So I’m about 0.5” to short assuming same geometry and spindle length as F150.

Looking at distance from center of ball joint to edge. I don’t think it’s much a larger than stock. But I’m close now. So.....We will see

I’m out of the country on business next week. So it will have to wait a few weeks.

Will any of these options work with CCD? We have a '16 King and I only want to level our the front, say an 1" or so.

Swapping out the struts certainly will not work but I have no clue about a spacer on them.

I decided on BDS Upper Control Arms. I picked them up from the local 4wd shop yesterday.
They seem to be a well built piece. I’ll post up some pictures later and hope to get them installed next week.

Man these things are STOUT!!!!! Hope to get them on tomorrow.

What size tire are you spinning?

275/70/18

So we have a new problem and BDS aren’t compatible with the Bilstein set up.
So with the Bilstein and factory UCAs the inside of the control arm hits the top coil at full droop. The knuckle and ball joint are close but do not make contact. No binding or anything just an annoying clunk at full articulation.


On to the BDS arms. They are a very well built piece and make the factory arms feel like folded coat hangers.


Unfortunately the new angle of the ball joint cup pushes the top of the knuckle down and over so the top of the knuckle is actually inside the coil at full droop. Giving me an absolutely unusable setup.


And to make things even better the UCA bolts hit the top coil when trying to remove them so the whole coilover has to be dropped out to get the bolts free.



I actually broke out the install instructions to make sure I did not screw anything up.
And it says the arms are designed for Fox 2.0s and will only work with some spacer kits.

So as I see it now my options are as follows.
Maybe where I bought them will take them back (which I doubt and won’t fault them).
Try a set of SPC arms since their balljoint mounts are adjustable and or Icon Delta joints.

Just go ahead and get the Fox 2.0s and have a bit of a bastard setup with Fox up front and Bilstein out back.

Or say screw it put the thing back to factory and buy an 80 series and build an actual trail rig.

Might I suggest a 100-series... Equally as stout, similar build options, and the JDE v8. Oh the toys to have...

(Sorry to hear this setup doesn't work!)