hey guys....

What UCA's are you guys using???

I'm gonna order UCA's for my Frontier (i know, its not a X,) soon... and am just wondering what the experience is with whats out there...

AC's UCA's i've been told are only meant for a 2.5" lift... which i know you can overcrank them to 3"... but i would like something where i'm getting 3" with normal alignment... AC's have gone up to $370 from the 350 they always where too....

SLR econ or SLR Stg.1-4's ??? I think the econ's are $325 and Stg1's are $350 and you pay an extra $15 for either to get zerk option...

Calmini's are $350... and I had written them off the list due to shipping stories... but i called today, and they have the UCA's and Idler Arm Brace instock and ready to ship.. So i may tease the idea...

I am kinda thinking the SLR stg1's because i may look at the diff drop kit later and can gain almost another 1" out of them that way (i think)...

thanks for any help you can give................

STAY AWAY FROM AC, their uca's add zero droop to your travel, the slr's curve over the bumpstop to actually allow more suspension travel, i dont know about calmini, but their customer service sucks, and their blue powdercoat sucks equally

+1 For the SLR Stage UCA's

I don't have them, but after seeing them they are in my plans.

thanks guys...

I think the SLR stage ones are gonna be my pick... I know CALMINI has tons of negative feedback on there customer service and such... but everybody i know that has there suspension lift loves it.. and blue would be awesome cause my truck is blue... but i think SLR it is...

thanks for the help

and yes, i did hear the AC's where only good for 2.5" unless you loose all your downward travel like the PML

nice signature "I" set up huh? lol...

NICE AND LARGE!
what i meant by their powder coat sucking is that it will start flaking/chipping within a year, and start rusting shortly after

nice signature "I" set up huh? lol...

Very nice! :wink-big:

what UCA's are good theses days...slr is outta biz right?

I have the slr's and they have been nothin but butter. I had a ball joint fail and the rim collapse in on them and they started peeling layers of steel off my rim with no real damage at all to the uca.

where did you get them?

where did you get them?

I found them used, with help from aztecnissan03. there is someone on here selling slr parts though, not sure what they're affiliation is to slr. sorry for my lack information/ignorance but im sure someone can help out.

Jason (BlueX) has a relationship with SLR, in that he says SLR stuff is still available through the owner.

I'd PM Jason to find out more.

:D

thanks so much TJ!

Jason (BlueX) has a relationship with SLR, in that he says SLR stuff is still available through the owner.

I'd PM Jason to find out more.

:D

Just so you guys know...I haven't talked to the guy @ SLR for 6 months or so. Just sent him an email and waiting for a reply back...

Keep us posted on what you find out Jason. I'm in the market for a set of UCA's myself.

Keep us posted on what you find out Jason. I'm in the market for a set of UCA's myself.

well just got an email back from him....

Hey jason, hope you had a good weekend, I can build anything you guys
want. Just drop me a line.

Thx
SL

group buy anyone?

What kind of price are we looking at? I'm not sure what they were originally.

said he will have something more official 1st of the year.

if you want his email just PM me ...thanks!!

I emailed him earlier today.

Here is what I got back.

"The arms are 450 shipped powder coated, zerk, oem balljoints, all 4130.
Stage 5 bushings and 4130 crush sleeves. 5pr or more I might be able to get in 425 shipped range.
All paypal transfer. 2 week turn around.

Stage 1_4 upper control arms.

Steering kits are 650 shipped."

My question is - are the stage 1_4 the ones to use if we are looking for a lift? or the Econ one? is there a difference besides design? I've seen the Econ and it looks rigid and boxy, but I don't know about the lift questions.

What do you guys know?

so are these ones better then the AC ones for the same price?

You want the staged ones, you get more droop travel out of slr's staged arms, 2" more, whereas the econ ones are more like the calmini arms.

so these SLR ones are the staged ones right? IE i should buy these ones right not the AC ones?

If you're still trying to get a group buy together let me know. I'm in the market for some new UCA's also. I was going to go with AC, until I read this and saw that the guy from SLR is still making them.

I'd still be interested in doing this as well.
though my finances open up a bit in the first of the year.
so could see about doing the whole package, steering and UCAs

I didn't SLR would make them for the 1st Gen X's? I'm in the market for new UCAs also. $395 from AC. So I guess $425 shipped is a pretty good price.

I ordered the ones from SLR!

Also got the rest of the steering package from him as well.

no group buy?

Do the SLR UCA's allow you to use them without a lift? As a matter of fact, do any of the aftermarket UCA's allow you to use them without a lift?

Do the SLR UCA's allow you to use them without a lift? As a matter of fact, do any of the aftermarket UCA's allow you to use them without a lift?

Huh? They are what lift your front end along w/ readjusting your Tbars.

Huh? They are what lift your front end along w/ readjusting your Tbars.

I understand that, but I was questioning if they will fit without a lift; can I use them with a stock X until I can get the time to lift it, or do I just need to put them on when installing the lift?

Hope that clarifies my question.

Reasoning for the question: TJ stated that the UCA's don't add lift, but they allow for adjustment once a lift is added.

My understanding is that the UCA alone does not add lift. You still have to crank the T-bars to get it.
The UCA will just allow for better/proper alignment with the lift due to the reconfigured geometry of the arm to bumpstop.

I just ordered the UCAs from SLR, and I asked him about a group buy. As previously mentioned by someone, he would do a group buy price of $425 compared to the usual price of $450. All orders would have to be shipped to the same location though to get that price. Didn't really seem worth it to me unless everyone lived nearby because we'd still have to pay probably $25 or so to get it shipped again.

Just in case anyone is still thinking about ordering the SLR UCAs, here's a couple pictures of them right out of the box.

If you ask me, they look nice and solid. Customer service was great too. Spencer responded quickly to my emails and I received the UCAs ten days after I ordered them. Not bad at all considering he doesn't have them in stock and had to make them.

good to hear!! My steering kit will be shipping out this week :D

Where are you guys getting the camber bolts,if you need them?

I got the camber bolts from AC. I'll find out if I need them or not on Saturday when I try to take off my old UCAs. Considering how everything else has gone so far though, I'll probably have to sawzall the old ones off.

Here's a link to the AC bolts. Not cheap, but I was already ordering other parts from them too.
https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/cam-bolts-p-6123.html

I ordered my camber bolts from Courtesy nissan.

Question for you ripcurl...the hole on the bottom side, what is that for? the bumpstop?

Where are you guys getting the camber bolts,if you need them?

I replaced mine after about 3 or 4 years when I replaced the bushings in my AC UCAs. I just got them at my local dealership.

I got the camber bolts from AC. I'll find out if I need them or not on Saturday when I try to take off my old UCAs. Considering how everything else has gone so far though, I'll probably have to sawzall the old ones off.

Here's a link to the AC bolts. Not cheap, but I was already ordering other parts from them too.
https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/cam-bolts-p-6123.html

Helped a budy sawzall his off,not easy.Make sure you have extra blades.

Yea, I heard they're a pain to get off.

I'm pretty sure the hole on the bottom side of the UCAs is for the brake line bracket. I've read that on some of the other aftermarket UCAs you need to ziptie the brake lines back on, but it looks like SLR threaded a new hole to use the existing bracket. You don't need to do anything with the bumpstops if you are just doing the UCAs.

Huh? They are what lift your front end along w/ readjusting your Tbars.

Clarification:

THE Lift Kit UCA's do NOT lift the truck...the ONLY allow alignment once lifted.

The torsion bars pushing the LCA down is what gives lift, and supports the truck's weight, etc.

The UPPER control arms have nothing to do with lifting you, as the ONLY part that is weight bearing is the LOWER control arm.


Essentially, when the truck is lifted, or, when a tire is drooping, etc (Same motion), the tires swing in and down...

If you hold your hands to your sides, and then lower them, that's the same motion, your hands swing in and down.

If you start that motion with your hands turned like a cop signaling someone to STOP! - IE: Fingers up, heal of palm down....

...And do that motion, you will notice your fingers will tip outwards, until your palm is horizontal instead of facing the horizon, etc.

If your palm is the tire, when the tire swings down and in, it ALSO is tipped outward.

If this is how your tires SHOULD look, viewed from the front:

|---------|

This is what they look like when lifted:

\-------/

So, to pull the tops of the tires inboard again, you can use a shorter UCA, or, angle the ball joint mount back to pull the end up, and pull the top of the tire back where it needs to be.

That's what the lift kit's UCA do.


:wink-big:

Thanks man!
I was wondering what that was for! :)
I hate seeing threaded, untreated or coated holes...leads to rust inside...so was wondering what bolts on there.

:)

Let me know how the install goes, take pictures and do a write up!

Yea, I heard they're a pain to get off.

I'm pretty sure the hole on the bottom side of the UCAs is for the brake line bracket. I've read that on some of the other aftermarket UCAs you need to ziptie the brake lines back on, but it looks like SLR threaded a new hole to use the existing bracket. You don't need to do anything with the bumpstops if you are just doing the UCAs.

See my new thread for the write up