Upper Control Arm Questions

schnid21 · August 5, 2022

Hey guys

I’ve read quite a few different posts on this but haven’t been able to 100% understand it / get my answer.

I have a 2018 Sierra that has 100k km on it. Leveled since new with a RC spacer up front. Stock 20” rims with 33” BFG tires.

I have lots of front end clunks and need to replace by upper ball joints. I was going to replace with aftermarket to correct the ball joint angles. Here is where the questions start though.

I’ve looked at Ready Lift and Cognito. Cognito installation instructions say to cut the frame vs Ready Lift does not. I do plan to sell this truck in a year or two so I don’t want to start cutting it up unless I need to.

Cognito seems to be the most popular brand. But again I would prefer not to cut anything. Is there any drawbacks to going with Ready Lift and not cutting the frame stops?

I’ve also read various reviews where people say that if you cut the frame stops for the Cognito you should get longer struts to ensure proper travel? Any truth to this?

Im looking to keep things simple. Just address the ball joint issue so any advice you have would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jason

ftwhite · August 6, 2022

If the object is to keep it simple, use the ReadyLift control arms. They have a replaceable ball joint, and probably work with your spacer lift.

In either case, once you get them installed, check your max droop. This is the max down travel of the tire/suspension. Jack one side of the car up at a time, and then both sides at the same time. If the UCA is NOT hitting the droop stop ("frame", but really just a welded bracket), then either the shock, or something else is stopping the down travel. Find what it is. If it's the shock, then you are good (you need to measure to figure this out). if it's the UCA hitting the coil, then your spacer is too tall.

If it does hit the droop stop, then it is limiting shock travel. Might be a good thing as it might limit the UCA hitting something else further down, or the ball joint getting maxed out.

However, aftermarket UCAs, ball joints, and coil overs are usually designed for more droop travel. So if you don't remove the factory droop stops, you are kind of wasting money, or at least creating an abrupt suspension limit for no reason.

But again, to keep it simple, just buy the aftermarket UCAs for their improved ball joints, which you needed to do anyway, and leave the droop stop in, which limits travel and is harder on the arms, but no more so than it has already been.

Note: I am still learning about suspension and how all the parts influence each other, so their maybe better advice out there, but this has worked for me on two Silverado's, one Jeep, and one 4runner. Just being transparent.

I cut the droop stops off my 2018, but I have Fox 2.0 coil overs for 2" lift, after market wheels with 0 offset, and Cognito UCAs. It seems to work just fine. The coil overs are the droop limiter for mine.

Edited August 6, 2022 by ftwhite