“Premature” Control Arm Failure with 3/2 ReadyLift?

[montazuma]

Aces, are these the UCA’s that you have?

https://truetraveldynamics.com/shop/04-17-ford-f150-uniball-upper-control-arms/

 

[Aces]

Too be honest no idea what that is

 

[07navi]

Too be honest no idea what that is

How is the alignment camber done. I am new to these but I heard some have no eccentric adjustment where the upper control arm pivots.

 

[Greg S]

I just installed the 3/2 ReadyLift on my truck about 3 weeks ago (replaced all 4 shocks/springs at the same time with the KYB Strut-Plus), and have about 700 miles on it so far. I've got 99K miles on my truck (2016 Expedition EL XLT). The truck aligned just fine after installation. After allowing a couple of weeks for the new springs to settle in, I noticed that the factory UCAs were still pretty well maxed out and I was concerned about the stress it would put on the factory upper ball joints over time, so I replaced my factory UCAs with the Mevotech Tough Terrain TTX which have a zerk fitting on the upper ball joints so I can grease them. Time will tell how long the ball joints will last, but I'm hoping they will last awhile with regular greasing. Also, alignment wasn't an issue after I installed the Mevotechs...caster and camber did not need adjustment as they were within specs, and the toe only needed minor adjustment.

I looked into getting an extended UCA, and couldn't find any for the Expedition but there are several options out there for the F150s. The factory UCA part number for the 2009 - 2017 Expedition is the same as for the 2009 - 2016 F150, so any of the aftermarket UCAs for lifted F150s of those years should fit our Expeditions as well. The only thing to watch out for is the backspacing of the wheels if you're running aftermarket wheels. All of the extended F150 UCAs that I found would only work with wheels that have 5 inches of backspacing or less. My wheels have about 5.5" of backspacing, so I didn't go that route as I was concerned about the extended UCAs hitting the inside of the wheel and tire.

Time will tell how long the Mevotechs will hold up, but I read some good reviews. The UCAs are close to the spring and I would prefer to go with an extended set of UCAs, and may end up going that route if these don't hold up in the long run.

Best of luck.

 

[Mark Buckner]

Well, here I am back again with the same issue except that it's only 24 months. They may actually be failing earlier because we only have safety inspections every two years in Missouri and that is when they have been caught. Ror right now it's only the right UCA that is shot, but I will replace both of them while it's in the shop anyway. Lifetime warranty "Precision" brand UCA, so I am "just" paying for labor. ReadyLift SWEARS that the 3/2 lift should wok with stock suspension parts, but I am really skeptical at this point.

I am going to plan on having to do this again in another two years (or less) and would appreciate any recommendations on a better UCA. I'll be checking into the True Travel Dynamics and the others mentioned by Aces. There is also a company called Specialty Products out of Colorado that I intend to call. Thanks for your help!

 

[oldpaddy]

I went with BDS upper control arms when I added the 3/2" readylifts.

 

[Dustin Gebhardt]

I have a full set of the Mevotech Tough Terrain uppers and lowers in the mail via RockAuto. I’ll install them in a week or two. The alignment shop told me that the upper ball joints were toast and the lower arms were unadjustable at the bushing.

 

[oldpaddy]

I have a full set of the Mevotech Tough Terrain uppers and lowers in the mail via RockAuto. I’ll install them in a week or two. The alignment shop told me that the upper ball joints were toast and the lower arms were unadjustable at the bushing.

Good luck. I've had the lifts and bds uca's in since 12/19 with no problems. In fact I had it serviced yesterday and the mechanic says it all looks good. I want to say I had my lca's replaced at the same time as the uca's. The nice thing about the bds uca's is the ball joints can be replaced without replacing the whole arm.