Jump to content

Installing UCA’s

Arkangel

Recommended Posts

Arkangel Enthusiast

Arkangel

Posted
Posted

Hey folks,

 

looking at ordering up some UCA’s, is this something I can do myself in the garage?

 

havent been able to find any DIY

 

 

aaronarf Enthusiast

aaronarf

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Arkangel said:

Hey folks,

 

looking at ordering up some UCA’s, is this something I can do myself in the garage?

 

havent been able to find any DIY

Fairly easy install, just make sure you have all the proper size sockets etc. 

 

You will need an alignment afterwards.

4 hours ago, Arkangel said:

 

 

 

Madcow2020 Enthusiast

Madcow2020

Posted
Posted

Here was my write up when I did mine and my shocks. DONT GET THE ICONS!

Silverado with Icon 71555c GM shocks and Dirt King UCA

I'll start with the Dirt King UCA. They rock. The UCA is solid and beefy, and the alignment shop had no issues getting a good alignment on the truck set at 2.5 inches of lift. The Dirt King UCA shipped fast and arrived packaged well.

There does sound like there is a piece of slag rolling around inside the UCA, but I have not heard it from inside the cab. I wish they would of drilled and tapped a hole on top of the UCA to relocate the ABS Sensor cable. It would of been a simple enough modification. I cut the locator tabs off of the factory ABS sensor cable bracket and ziptied it to the UCA. I plan drilling and tapping the UCA when I have time.

The Icon Vehicle Dynamic 71555c shocks:
They are the 2.5 inch remote reservoir CDCV adjustable ( means you are able to soften or firm up the shocks). Install was pretty straight forward. They do not come with the directions, so I had to download them from their website. The factory lower shock mount bolts have to be used. Keep them if you put a leveling kit. I was only able to find 3 out of my original bolts but luckily I had an extra from one of my past trucks. It was a little shorter but worked.

The tricky part was setting the ride height. If you watch the video on how to set the ride height for Icons it is good and accurate, but the four turns equal half an inch is not. The hardest part about getting the ride height set was getting a good reading of the shock mount to adjuster nut.

There is a bezel on the upper mount that makes it a little difficult if you do not have perfect lighting.

My recommendation is to set the shock to the highest setting with the tires removed and a good flood light. Once set at the heights setting and a good calibrated eyeball alignment drive it for a day and check the ride height. 24.13 inches from Center Hub to the fender is what they say will give you 2.5 inches of level over factory. Then get an alignment.

Driving impressions they are 1000 times better than factory. I am still braking them in and seeing what I think. They have rally shown how poor the factory rear shocks are. If anyone want to send me a matching set for the rear I'll review and write those up too.

Oh by the way they like to say .827 inches that's 7/8 of an inch. So unless you want to use a micrometer.

MRT had awesome prices I'll be ordering some other parts from him in the future. Looks like a set of Matching rear Icons and a Dirt King rear shackle kit are in the future.


If anyone has any questions just ask, and I'll be updating as I have some more time to evaluate.

Here are my notes:
Wheel well measurements

Passenger front 40.5 inches

Driver front 40 3/8 inches.

Sway bar 15 mm socket and wrench

Ball joint 18 mm wrench
Smack with 2 1/2 lb hammer


Upper shock 18mm deep socket extension and impact

Lower shock were 17mm impact socket and a wrench. I had a 2.5 leveling kit.

Unbolt 10mm abs sensor and disconnect.

Loosen upper ball joint small with BFH to feee balljoint.

Tie spindle to frame I used a ratchet strap

Remove nut from upper ball joint

Remove factory shock.

23.5

Lower control arm measurements from chassis pivot to ball joint
Approx 21 inches
Inside approx 20.5


Shock mount to chassis 11.5

Spring 9 inches on truck
Spring 13” 3/16” off of truck

I do not recommend Icons.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Atlas
      GM discontinuing interior parts on a 5YO vehicle??

      By Atlas · Posted

      If one can't be found, a good automotive upholstery shop should be able to replace/sew in a new panel where the damage is on the old cover. It might not be the cheapest option..
    • Chuck FB
      first oil change - 2026 2500HD gas

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      Does your dealer charge you for the tire rotation on top of the oil change price ?. I haven't had any service work done at my dealer yet other than when I brought it back soon after owning it to have the front end aligned to correct the steering wheel being off center a bit. Oh they called me at least twice hounding me to bring it in for an oil change and pushing a 300.00 package of oil change and tire rotation and whatever other quick simplistic checks they would do. Only going off of what a friend gets charged for his half ton for the basic oil change and its the same amount of oil as the L8T holds, it was about 150.00. Once one buys a set of tires from most shops these days or so I believe, they will do free tire rotations and some do free tire balancing as well as free tire repairs.    Certainly doing a tire rotation is no five minute job, and definitely not at home but because I run a set of winter tires on their own wheels, I swap them at home and its a one tire at a time deal because of the tire season swap although I jack up the rear and do it and drop it back down and then raise the front and do them and coordinate the tire rotation into that process for both sets of tires. I am using a floor jack though and if I need to raise both ends at once I use a couple sets of jack stands to have all four tires off the ground. I use either an air impact or battery impact and have electric impact as well so no shortage there of easy methods to spin the lug nuts, and then retorquing the lug nuts. None of it goes quick though but my wages are cheap though ... zero. I live an hour out of town, its easier just to do things like that myself than waste a bunch of time in town and having to make an appointment and probably a special trip and sit there at the tire shop waiting for them to get my vehicle in and get it done and not screw something up in the process. 
    • mrbflat
      Clunk when coming to a stop... driveshaft/slip yoke? Mechanic couldn't recreate it

      By mrbflat · Posted

      I do have the 8 speed.  Interestingly enough, after driving my truck for the past 2 days now, I have not had the clunking issue at all!  I am beginning to think it may have been suspension/leaf spring related, and somehow when the shop put my truck on the lift to do their initial inspection, it relieved some built up tension/pressure that was causing my problem.  I swear it felt I was a bull rider on a bucking bull the way the truck would almost rock back and forth slightly before the big thud/clunk when coming to a stop.  I am hoping I got lucky here and it's gone for good.
    • Pryme
      first oil change - 2026 2500HD gas

      By Pryme · Posted

      Bring it to discount tire. They do free rotations even if you didn’t buy your tires there. I didn’t believe it until I tried and they did. You can tip the employee if you would like 
    • Grumpy Bear
      The Peckish Synapse

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      Best part of this video is how it resets expectations. Wonderfully done piece. It also made clear a few points I've made from day one. Detergent oils DO NOT KEEP A MOTOR CLEAN at the recommended or longer change intervals. They just get dirty slower than a non-detergent oil and there isn't spits difference between them on this point if they carry the DEXOS license. Great thing about the license that gets missed is it assures CONFORMITY even it that means a low bar.    One thing he did not talk about that I paused on an magnified was the condition of the oil ring separator. Besides a stuck ring a plugged separator and land drain back is huge when it comes control. We see in short order improvement in control IF that is the problem.    Another item I took exception to and he did not make plain was the condition of the timing chest and under valve cover having something to do with indicating piston cleanliness. Schaeffer's Oil makes that same omission in their million mile Ford video. I'm guessing he has never torn down a Red Line HP, AMSOIL SS motor that has been on that diet from the get. What he showed in the video was a good deal of varnish. Something totally absent in Peppers 165K cover off look. I smiled because he did his at the same milage.    He also makes the mistake of assuming oil temperatures in the pan are the temperature all over the motor even though he makes note of the piston being the hottest part of the engine. that baffled me a bit.    I can tell you from personal experience and witnessing teardowns of family motors that even oils of the 1960's would keep them squeaky clean when OCI's were 1500 to 2000 miles without exception. At 3K and above you get what he experienced and the longer you leave it the quicker to gets to the junkyard.    I think his is missing a opportunity not tearing it down again when he's done killing it. Time would be his only cost. 

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...