Do YOU Need Upper Control Arms For A 2 Inch Lift? - Which One Should You Get?

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

*Correction* :@3:08 we say positive and negative toe back to front. However the premise is still the same.

[@jamesharper8373]

2 inch lift for last 12 years and 170,000 miles. Still running original factory UCA, and on 4th set of tires. Maybe I'm just lucky

[@primebeef3938]

Dude. That’s a little over 40k per set. That’s not lucky at all, that’s below average. I have a 2 1/2 inch Old Man Emu Lift, came with upper control arms on my 99 Jeep Cherokee Sport. I currently have 86k miles on a set of all terrain tires

[@jamesharper8373]

@@primebeef3938 My dude I was talking about the UCA. Just put on my fourth set of tires, so roughly 60,000 per set, which is totally decent.

[@fanboyreview]

You're not bright ​@@primebeef3938

[@bigdogg9644]

Very informative, Great presentation.

[@robertboyd321]

Been in a MN Triton with Fulcrum control arms and everything was good except for the ride feel, rubber bushes may wear out quicker but the difference in ride is worth it.

[@lindseyrobinson4986]

Have you got good shocks? I have an MN too, UCA made it drive better, I didn't notice any ride feel changes, just steering and handling. I found good shocks (I have Bilstein), and correct spring application makes all the difference. For example, throwing 2" lift HD's in a ute with no bullbar or weight on the front, will cause a terrible ride. The harder poly bushes just extubate that issue.

[@antonreyment8945]

This is the explanation I’ve been looking for, thank you.

[@irodriguez8870]

Super educational went front not knowing anything to understanding what I need thanks

[@hawkman0310]

Great explanation of how and why UCA’s are so important even with as little as a 2” level I know this from my setup, uneven wear on a set of KO2

[@modesteanton5632]

Most comprehensive explanation

[@gavinhelgeson2880]

Awesome video 👍

[@kevandthekidsadventures4839]

PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ME I have a ford ranger 2015 with a 35 mil strut spacer if I put these 8:09 upper arms on will it lift up further I’ve asked the retailer an they don’t know Thanks Kevin

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

Hi Kevin, The Upper Control arms won't lift the vehicle at all just simply change the wheel alignment specs and allow give greater clearances between suspension components its next to such as the strut and springs. The Upper control arms at 8:09 (Left side black UCA's) are the factory upper control arms and so will already be on the vehicle if you haven't changed them to aftermarket ones. The middle one on the table is the best for most people as it fixes your alignment after a 2 inch lift and provides that clearance to the strut like mentioned before. Are you looking for more height on your current setup or just wanting to confirm the upper arms won't lift the vehicle up further?

[@francisalexander3440]

Hey there! I dont know much about UCA's and suspensions, but how could I find upgraded aftermarket UCA's compatible with a not we'll know vehicle that you cant find prefabricated after market ones for it?

[@jamesm6341]

Best explanation thank you

[@modesteanton5632]

MITSUBISHI Triton 2017 (MQ model) . Do you have UCA with adajustable ball joint.?

[@kevandthekidsadventures4839]

Hi I like your channel I have a two spacer on my ford ranger I bought aftermarket strut spacer,put them on I was told to buy a 2” upper control arms which I did,the new arms are touching the strut tower What can I do to get rid of this issue also the two shafts snapped when put it in gear I’m not much of a mechanic but I do try The ranger is 2015 Do you think the spacers are two big ?

[@kevandthekidsadventures4839]

Hi I wonder if you use 25 mil strut spacer with 2” lift ucas please?

[@moderngunguy3666]

So I seen another video that said you had to have more backspacing for aftermarket upper control arms? Is this true

[@jerrymolina147]

Great video but my question is will using stock upper control arm with a 2 in lifted strut restrict the struts travel ? The reason I ask is because I put a 2in raised strut on my truck with the stock upper arms and it is very rough ride especially when I hit bumps it feels like the strut isn’t able to do its job ? Was wondering if these would help

[@triplexinaz]

I'm assuming you have your strut at max height setting which just means it has nowhere to go hence the rough ride.

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

The stock upper control arms might be restricting the strut's travel, especially with a 2-inch lift, so aftermarket ones could definitely help. But there is also the possibility the spring rates are incorrect for the weight of your vehicle stopping the vehicles shocks and springs compressing.

[@jfriday1ify]

Why doesn't Superpro sell those UCA's in the USA? SPC is another option but they have a bad Rap here.

[@JD_49]

The only person I know with them has had to get them warrantied three times within a few years and nothing but negative experiences. And frustrating company to deal with they say.

[@DaleConnolly-t4f]

I have a 2015 Nissan navara np 300 . Thailand built. I already have 2” lift . I was wanting to upgrade to a fulcrum 2” lift kit front and rear. Do they come with the recommended control arms?

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

Hi there! On our website, when selecting your lift kit options you'll be presented with if you want to get the Upper Control Arms in the kit or not. The arms shown will suit the 2 inch lift kit and would be the ones we recommend.

[@aidenp8550]

Hey I have just put a 2 inch lift and 285/75R17 I believe on my toyota hilux and I noticed on full lock turn my tyre touches my control arm and sway bar link do I need to get after market control arms to fix this issue or do I need to go down a tyre size?? some one please help me 🙏🙏

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

This one can be tricky as we see this happens when the offset of the rim is too negative or even too positive. Depending on the offset of the rim it can bring the tyres closer to points it can contact like the ones you're experiencing. An aftermarket control arm can give you more clearance potentially to the tyre and give more ability to align the wheels better, but it may not fix it if the issue is more to do with the rim offset and not the alignment. A wheel alignment or suspension specialist should be able to have a look at the vehicle and give you their best recommendation depending on what they see.

[@garytheguru]

Do I need uca's on my tacoma with a 2 inch spacer lift?

[@yvenskylebrun]

02 Toyota tundra 2 inches lift kit install with stock upper control arm, it messes up both my upper ball joint. When I try to slow down truck vibrate like crazy you think my control arms cause that?

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

Hi, It's tough to say the cause of your ball joints being messed up without inspecting the vehicle. I'd recommend getting in touch with a local mechanic to get it looked over to find the cause.

[@waynem.6372]

i want to LOWER mine around 3 inches, a 2024 amarok dual cab, do you have adjustable upper control arms for this or will one of these control arms that are offset suit lowering as well or not?

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

We unfortunately don't have any UCA's that suit LOWERING the Amarok by 3 inches and haven't tested the factory UCA for that as it's not a typical thing to see or be done.

[@melissaforeman8809]

Why can't I find anything like this for 10th gen Ford 4wd?? (99-03)

[@S9RUT]

Honestly, soooooo many IFS vehicles would benefit from a quick disconnect sway bar! 👍

[@Chris_kyle1776]

What UCA do you recommend for a 3 inch leveling kit ?

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

I'd opt for the adjustable ball joint UCA if there is one available for your vehicle, if not the standard fixed offset one will still work.

[@andrewcaldwell2275]

From your experience, does this apply to all vehicles? Or some models once lifted 40-50mm still have enough adjustment in the OEM UCAs for a correct alignment? (Prado 150 2019)

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

Hi Andrew, In our experience, most vehicles require some form of caster correction after a 40-50mm lift. While some people manage without the aftermarket Upper Control Arms (UCAs), every vehicle has slightly different geometry specifications due to manufacturing tolerances. For example, one person with a 2015 Hilux might not achieve the same specs as another person with the same model and year. For Prado 150s specifically, we highly recommend new UCAs after a 40-50mm lift. This recommendation is partly for caster correction but mainly to address a clearance issue between the UCAs and the springs when using the factory UCAs after a lift.

[@Ben1010Ten]

Noob question... havent had a suspension lift yet, but i did change out my stock 31s with 33s. Would it be necessary for a uca upgrade?

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

@@Ben1010Ten Fair question, for this case a UCA will generally not be needed as the vehicles alignment adjustment range at standard height is generally enough and because the aftermarket UCA's have inbuilt correction for a set lift height. However with a lot of IFS vehicles at 33's there is usually some scrubbing in the body mounts near the wheel arch or on the wheel arch itself. An alignment shop can sometimes set the alignment in a way that stops or minimizes this scrubbing though.

[@Ben1010Ten]

Appreciate all of the knowledge and thanks for your response. Ive sorted out the rubbing issue by using some hub centric spacers to push out the tires. I did get a set of aftermarket UCAs in advance in preparation for my shocks to arrive. I was wondering if there would be any positive or negative effects/benifits if i threw on the UCAs prior to the lift as it may take longer than initially anticipated? Thanks heaps!

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

@@Ben1010Ten You'll probably find with the aftermarket UCA's on before you fit the new shocks that it'll cause alignment issues as it'll push your caster too far and give you too much camber. My recommendation is to hold off on installing the new UCA till you get the new shocks.

[@lindseyrobinson4986]

Super clear, great for the laymen and absolutely correct. I probably would have left that Hilux pretty close to where it was in the "red." On a another note, how good are those hunters? Hands down best machine I've ever had the pleasure of using.

[@mrgmrg9375]

Hey if i ger a 2 inch body lift and a 3 inch suspension lift , which products should i chose thanks

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

We'd recommend looking for Upper Control Arms that suit 3 inch suspension lifts like the adjustable ball joint arms shown in this video!

[@batfleck3504]

My car is lifted from the manufacture 2.5 inch then i increased it to 1.5 inch .. do i need to change the upper arm ?

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

Best to check what your wheel alignment is like at an alignment specialist. If they believe your camper/caster is out then it's recommended to get some offset/corrected upper controls arms that suit the lift increase you've done.

[@dannygilmer]

I have stock control arms but have a 6” lift . Will control arms made for 2-4” lift help me ?

[@owencorbett1901]

yes, will save ur front end too

[@keqrou]

Think about it, many people use stock UCAs on a 2 inch lift eith no issues, so one can assume a upper control arm can facilitate 2 inches of difference (not exactly), so if you have a 6 inch lift and go with a 4 inch UCA should be fine. Im no expert but thats how i can best use my logic

[@moderngunguy3666]

I need something for a 6 inch lift. My tires are getting all F’ed up.

[@moderngunguy3666]

Also, what about the lower control arm? Do you need to do anything with that or we’re doing some thing with that at least help something?

[@reddog4x4Matt]

Some of this is accurate. The N70 they've used needs UCAs with 33" tyres mainly because of the offset they've used. You can see the rims are either 0 offset or very close to it. The factory spec rims are positive offset. This particular car with those rims and tyres really needs fully adjustable UCAs as the control arm mounting is raked to the rear on the hilux, i.e. the front mount is noticeable higher than the rear, pushing the entire tyre backwards in the wheel arch and usually results in the mudflap fouling the tyre a lot. Unless you are changing tyre size to 33" (illegal in most states with a 2" lift unless engineered,) the majority of IFS 4wds can be aligned correctly without upper control arms. So it's really about clearance of the strut and aesthetically pleasing the driver in a lot of cases.

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

While what you're saying isn't incorrect, clearance is a major factor for getting Upper Control Arms especially if you intend to use the vehicle offroad, so while you might be able to align a vehicle with a 2 inch lift back to some what of an okay alignment without the aftermarket UCA's and running standard sized tyres, you won't achieve full droop and can damage the factory UCA and/or the spring/strut due to fouling. Our in house engineering team found that a large majority of IFS vehicles have this clearance issue and is part of why Fulcrum will always recommend UCA's when lifting an IFS vehicle, plus the added benefit of being able to correctly give a specialist alignment without restriction of lost caster/camber due to the lift.

[@jeremywayne6361]

You're spreading misinformation, mate. I worked in a tyre shop, performing W/A's on lifted 4WDs for many years, and I can confirm without question that numerous models simply do not align correctly without extended upper control arms. Claiming that it's merely about clearance and aesthetics is laughable.

[@lindseyrobinson4986]

@@jeremywayne6361 Same, over ten years experience. It's not even numerous, it's nearly all IFS utes. While you could probably get most into a decent enough spec at a two inch lift to not absolutely chew tyres, they'll always feel like they have the steering and handling of a 70's pick up.

[@mochavib3s856]

What about 9

[@EricSmith-mx7ol]

I had a 2.5” lift (just spacers and shackles) installed on my 2024 Nissan Frontier SV 4x4. The upper control arms are hitting the top of the strut tower/bucket thus only allowing 2” drop of suspension. How can I know if custom Upper control arms will solve the problem? Also, is it possible that custom upper control arms will allow too much drop of the suspension?

[@Demitri7]

Yes or an extended upper ball joint

[@111dcormack]

It's not a CAH. It's a Yute.

[@speterbilt]

Looks like a truck instead of a car. 🤦‍♂️🤣

[@PeterKnagge]

Spot the Yank!!😂 That's not a truck, it's a utility (ute) or a 4wd... "Car" is short for carriage aka "horseless carriage" so technically everything is a car, mate! 🤣

[@Silverfox1982]

@@PeterKnaggethe first truck in America was the Ford TT in 1917. It was called a truck. Australia coined the word “Ute” in 1930. So…”truck” was used 13 years before “ute”. Crikey!!!

[@PeterKnagge]

@@Silverfox1982 You entirely missed the point. LITERALLY NO ONE CARES, AMERICA! Who elected America rulers of the world & the English language?? 🤔 You're wrong anyway, a "truck" is something big like a Mack/Kenworth/Peterbilt, the vehicle in the video is a "4WD", "car", or "ute". As per usual America can't do anything properly & has to overcompensate & self-validate their egos. Hasn't America ruined everything on the planet enough??

[@johnschilinger8444]

get as grip thiose are outrageous bvurh GET A JOB !!~!!~!~!~!!! YOU THINKL IO GOTR A JOB TO AFFORD THAT????

[@danielg.1707]

Why call a truck a car? Heh...

[@dpdog88]

In Australia it is a car or technicaly a ute. Trucks are much bigger like a prime mover is when we start calling them trucks

[@danielg.1707]

@@dpdog88 got it

[@TheChamp601]

It’s a truck bro not a car 😑

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

Haha 😅In Australia we don't really call anything a truck unless it actually requires a truck license to drive. Like a Hino, Kenworth, Iveco etc A Hilux or similar we just call a 4wd or car.

[@TheBigCheekiest]

All utes are cars, not all cars are utes. Trucks, are trucks, completely separate idea and hauling capabilities.

[@farncoisbisson7737]

A pick up truck is not a ute.. a ute is a car with a pick up box. Get up with the rest of the world Australia!. A car is a car.. a pick up is a pick up.. semi-truck is a semi truck.​@@TheBigCheekiest

[@dennishilligoss7386]

Try listening !

[@idontcaresapo8233]

My lift don’t require a uca. I have the falcons on my ram but the lift is done by compressing the spring

[@HunterDYI88]

I’m guessing you are doing a 3” lift on a 2500? If so you are correct, we do not require UCA. I’m getting mine installed Monday! Gonna run 35s on 18s.

[@ggbogo935]

I run stock size tyres on a n80 hilux with a 2inch lift are UCA's necessary?

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

It really does depend on what your alignment is looking like. If an alignment tech says your caster or camber can't be adjusted correctly than you'll need one but if they can get good alignment specs with the factory UCA then you'll be fine.

[@hardcoreenduro2068]

I Have ajustable on dmax with 2" lift but the ball join nut came undone lose ,was rubbing on 17" rim inside lip i could hear these sound grinding ,i took it back to shop who did lift they fixed it re alined it tighten up the nut ,but i am thinking now that i should of got the fixed ones ,i dont trust the big nut

[@wayansengara5880]

Can this Adjustable UCA fit the GWM Tank 500 that has been 2 inch suspension lifted..

[@FulcrumSuspensions1976]

Hi mate, unfortunately we haven't tested any of our UCA's on a Tank 500 at this stage so we're unaware if any current arms we make also suit that vehicle. Generally though with UCA's each vehicle needs a specific arm made for it as the degrees of caster change need to be perfect or else the wheel alignment is going to be out.