Upper Control Arm - Ball Joint?

[Alpha X]

Has anybody tried either of the following?

A) Attempted to modify the Upper Control Arm to accept a standard tapered Ball Joint, like a Silverado has?

B) Attempted to make a new UCA, and used some other better, stronger ball joint?

This would also require Knuckle modifications.

 

[atvspeed4]

Has anybody tried either of the following?

A) Attempted to modify the Upper Control Arm to accept a standard tapered Ball Joint, like a Silverado has?

B) Attempted to make a new UCA, and used some other better, stronger ball joint?

This would also require Knuckle modifications.

Yes and yes. I posted pictures a few years of a cut apart h3 ball joint. The diameter is really small and not possible to rework.

Yes, I've made upper control arms with a massive rebuildible ball joint that I ran for a long time and then another member on here bought them.

There is a company in Michigan that sells tubular upper with a uniball and adapter pin to fit knuckle but the strange part is I read some people have purchased them but no one has posted they have installed or how they have worked long term

http://michiganmetalworks.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=151

The concern I have is that I am not sure about tire clearance on those with a really wide 12.5" tire. On our first set we almost exactly followed the outside profile of the factory arms but were slightly different on the edges (square vs rounded factory) and still had slight rubbing on the upper arm at full lock and full droop so we needed to modify the arm.

 

[RamRod]

Yes and yes. I posted pictures a few years of a cut apart h3 ball joint. The diameter is really small and not possible to rework.

Yes, I've made upper control arms with a massive rebuildible ball joint that I ran for a long time and then another member on here bought them.

There is a company in Michigan that sells tubular upper with a uniball and adapter pin to fit knuckle but the strange part is I read some people have purchased them but no one has posted they have installed or how they have worked long term

http://michiganmetalworks.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=151

The concern I have is that I am not sure about tire clearance on those with a really wide 12.5" tire. On our first set we almost exactly followed the outside profile of the factory arms but were slightly different on the edges (square vs rounded factory) and still had slight rubbing on the upper arm at full lock and full droop so we needed to modify the arm.

Uni-balls work great as long as your not living in an area that salts the roads in winter... everyone of the Toyota guys that installs a LT system with uniballs always complain that they need to rebuild them each season

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

 

[atvspeed4]

Uni-balls work great as long as your not living in an area that salts the roads in winter... everyone of the Toyota guys that installs a LT system with uniballs always complain that they need to rebuild them each season

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

Ive run heims here in New England on the steering of our S10 blazer we used to have and just had to use a special spray once a season on them but it wasnt a DD. The arms I had made used a greasable, all metal balljoint which we never had an issue with.

 

[Alpha X]

I don't know the reason(s) that GM used a different upper ball joint when the knuckle is nearly identical to a Silverado. Packaging doesn't seem to be a concern. Anybody have some insight into that? Isn't this ball joint more of a car-related one?

 

[4speedfunk]

There is only one reason GM does anything...to get the most profit for the least effort. Period. If they can save $.05 of time on the production line, they will. The only goal is to get their product to survive 36,001 miles, at which point it is no longer under warranty and no longer their problem.

 

[5gn-h3t]

Yes, I've made upper control arms with a massive rebuildible ball joint that I ran for a long time and then another member on here bought them.

What are you running now?

Side note - I had a truck with uniballs and, while I wasn't afraid of them breaking, they wore much quicker than I expected.

 

[atvspeed4]

What are you running now?

Side note - I had a truck with uniballs and, while I wasn't afraid of them breaking, they wore much quicker than I expected.

Stock, had a run of new set of upper ballpoints made to try in a new arm design but haven't had a chance to finish it up. After Moab and the fun of snapping a bunch of the alignment pins I really want to make arms that have heims for adjustment and delete the cams but haven't had the time

 

[Korby7]

Stock, had a run of new set of upper ballpoints made to try in a new arm design but haven't had a chance to finish it up. After Moab and the fun of snapping a bunch of the alignment pins I really want to make arms that have heims for adjustment and delete the cams but haven't had the time

Are you making these available here when finish them? I've snapped a couple alignment pins and like your design idea.

 

[atvspeed4]

Are you making these available here when finish them? I've snapped a couple alignment pins and like your design idea.

Unfortunately I am not a vendor on here so I cannot speak to that out of respect for forum rules but I'll be happy to post up if the idea works.

 

[SlcHummer]

Are you making these available here when finish them? I've snapped a couple alignment pins and like your design idea.

+1...and for a custom dana 44/50 IFS setup :O