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 Post subject: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 2:19 pm 
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Hello. Perhaps someone can clear this up for me. The Jeepin By Al and Rocky Road control arms. I understand they are good to have when lifted but other than not hitting the coil what other benefit do they provide??? Also are there any others? Not trying to bash the company but JBA charges too much for them. You cannot convince me they need to be that expensive. A little ridiculous.


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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 5:18 pm 
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The main reason for going with JBA upper arms is because the ball joint is replaceable.
Otherwise, Moog upper control arms would still work depending on your lift.
But with the Moog, they are just like stock arms and the ball joint is part of the arm. Makes replacing worn out ball joints a total pain.

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 5:26 pm 
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flash7210 wrote:
The main reason for going with JBA upper arms is because the ball joint is replaceable.
Otherwise, Moog upper control arms would still work depending on your lift.
But with the Moog, they are just like stock arms and the ball joint is part of the arm. Makes replacing worn out ball joints a total pain.


Gotcha. So the area that the ball joint is mounted to is not on a different angle? I would assume so if you cannot use JBA control arms without a lift.


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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 7:33 pm 
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Jba makes arms for lifted and unlifted. By the time you price them out, having a replaceable ball joint will outweigh new arms a couple times


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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:14 am 
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Soloshot55 wrote:
Hello. Perhaps someone can clear this up for me. The Jeepin By Al and Rocky Road control arms. I understand they are good to have when lifted but other than not hitting the coil what other benefit do they provide??? Also are there any others? Not trying to bash the company but JBA charges too much for them. You cannot convince me they need to be that expensive. A little ridiculous.


JBA UCAs
available for lifted or non lifted KJs/KKs and other Jeep and Toyota IFS models
Ball joints are replaceable
Ball joints sit at a different angle on the lifted ones
Rocky Road has problems with their on and off, some don't fit
With JBA they are guaranteed, if you have any issues they are great to help in any way they can
Great customer service even after they sent the product out, unlike some others
Ridiculous? Not sure that is a fair assessment when talking about something you haven't even seen obviously or used.

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 2:19 am 
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I added an OME lift to my 2003 3.7L, 4X4 sport and used the stock UCA for 5 years. I got right at 1.5" of lift in the front and 2"in the rear. Firestone is kind enough to offer a life time 4 wheel alignment so I get it done about every 6 months (got to love free stuff). over the course of the 5 years, the eccentric adjustments on the LCA got to be maxed out and they could no longer keep my Jeep in alignment.

I knew one day I would have to install new UCA and when I installed the JBA pieces, I got back the adjustability. my Jeep alignment is now and has been back in spec. in my opinion at least, the JBA UCA are top notch. I wasn't so much concerned about the cost because I plan on keeping my Jeep for quite some time into the future. like other people have noted, the ball joints are grease fitting and the replacement joint is a lot cheaper and easier to install the OEM UCA's. after installing new UCA's once, i'd pay the extra cost to prevent that experience for a second time.

if you do buy a set, be sure to follow JBA's instructions and open up the attachment points inside the wheel wells. a dye grinder, 30 minutes and some black paint will go along way. Its also recommended to check the bolt torque on the ball joint at a routine frequency. it takes a torque wrench and 30 seconds to check all 8 (no need to jack it up and take off the wheel).

I'll add that after 4 years and using a Jeep like its supposed to be used, my Liberty still has plenty of alignment adjustability and the coating is as fresh as the day I installed them.

Good Luck.

Ed

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Last edited by metalengineer on Thu Oct 27, 2016 9:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 8:41 am 
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tommudd wrote:
Soloshot55 wrote:
Hello. Perhaps someone can clear this up for me. The Jeepin By Al and Rocky Road control arms. I understand they are good to have when lifted but other than not hitting the coil what other benefit do they provide??? Also are there any others? Not trying to bash the company but JBA charges too much for them. You cannot convince me they need to be that expensive. A little ridiculous.


JBA UCAs
available for lifted or non lifted KJs/KKs and other Jeep and Toyota IFS models
Ball joints are replaceable
Ball joints sit at a different angle on the lifted ones
Rocky Road has problems with their on and off, some don't fit
With JBA they are guaranteed, if you have any issues they are great to help in any way they can
Great customer service even after they sent the product out, unlike some others
Ridiculous? Not sure that is a fair assessment when talking about something you haven't even seen obviously or used.

So the ball joints do sit at a different angle? That's what I wasn't sure of. I can definitely see how that would be beneficial. I'm not knocking their product. I'm sure it's great. I'm simply saying it need not be that expensive. Manufacturing cost are what they are. That doesn't change. Gouging the customer because you are one of only 2 in the market is not a good business practice.

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 10:34 am 
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IDK if its fair to call it price gouging. IDK what it costs to make those arms.
But in case you havent noticed, unlike a Jeep Wrangler, there are few aftermarket suspension parts available for a Jeep Liberty.
So you only have two options, buy whats available or make your own.

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 10:46 am 
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The price isn't that far off from buying two stock arms either...

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:15 am 
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You can get 2 stock arm's for like $120!.... actually less

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http://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts/DC/ ... 7433950292


Last edited by Soloshot55 on Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 1:19 am 
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costs money to employ skilled labor

when the labors cheap and the products cheaper, you get monkey bidness like this sent to customers
Image

i've seen some of those trial and error UCA's first hand be off at the bushings by a matter of 1 1/2 inches and when they were sent back to the company, a few months later the same set of uca's were sent back that had been heated and bent and when pulled the balljoint we didnt even need to xray the uca you could see the stress cracks from two feet away

both of mine survived hitting a horse that was dead in the road at 50mph and destroying 2 teraflex bumpstops wrecking 2 of my shocks, it probably should have wrecked the uni but i got lucky. part of the value of anything is the sleeping good at night knowing you dont have to worry about whatever it is. and everytime i got in my Jeep before it was even lifted i didnt trust the uca's. I'd seen enough of them pop on the highway, libertys and otherwise. just make sure ya do the research into whatever it is that you thinks a better value, they might replace the uca's if a weld breaks but they wont be paying for the other doodads

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 3:21 pm 
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Soloshot55 wrote:
tommudd wrote:

JBA UCAs
available for lifted or non lifted KJs/KKs and other Jeep and Toyota IFS models
Ball joints are replaceable
Ball joints sit at a different angle on the lifted ones
Rocky Road has problems with their on and off, some don't fit
With JBA they are guaranteed, if you have any issues they are great to help in any way they can
Great customer service even after they sent the product out, unlike some others
Ridiculous? Not sure that is a fair assessment when talking about something you haven't even seen obviously or used.

So the ball joints do sit at a different angle? That's what I wasn't sure of. I can definitely see how that would be beneficial. I'm not knocking their product. I'm sure it's great. I'm simply saying it need not be that expensive. Manufacturing cost are what they are. That doesn't change. Gouging the customer because you are one of only 2 in the market is not a good business practice.

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Just for S's and G's just what do you think JBA should sell them for ??
I often ask this question when people start asking for discounts, or saying prices are too high, labor is too much, always interesting.......
Of course my next question is what do you do, what do you get paid per hour, what is the overhead of turning on the lights daily, designing new products, insurance for equipment and employees etc
Have to remember there were no aftermarket UCAs for quite a while until Mr. Al Handy designed the first ones, then sold to Marlin.
of course with several revisions/ upgrades to those we are now at Version 4.5 .
Now many many products for IFS 4X4s are coming out of his shop, designing/ testing new parts never stops


Now one other company took a short cut ..............but we won't go there ..............

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 5:53 am 
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Bahahah mevotech. Yeah I put one of those on the driver side last year because i was cheap. Lasted abut 10,000 miles. Had to replace again this year. Just so you are warned...

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:27 pm 
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Please, upper control arms for the f150 are $600-800 for a good set and they probably sell 10x as many of those.

$400 is not unreasonable

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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 9:33 pm 
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Soloshot55 wrote:
You can get 2 stock arm's for like $120!.... actually less

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk

http://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts/DC/ ... 7433950292

OEM UCA's will run you $200+ each.

Those you posted a link to may last a year if your lucky.


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 Post subject: Re: Upper Control Arms
PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 9:03 am 
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tjkj2002 wrote:
Soloshot55 wrote:
You can get 2 stock arm's for like $120!.... actually less

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk

http://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts/DC/ ... 7433950292

OEM UCA's will run you $200+ each.

Those you posted a link to may last a year if your lucky.


Not even a year TJKJ! I know!

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