They should stop selling the leveling pucks for these trucks! The problem is the top of the strut doesn’t rest in the center of the puck. The strut pushes to the outside, this is why they rotate the hat 180. They will eventually start to squeak from the metal to metal contact. Also if you hit deep holes you’ll get the bang. Coilovers is the only way to go!
Well I recently got the 3.5 inch lift rough country on my 2015 Ram bigler and let me tell you it's amazing preloaded struts upper control arms rear shocks and 1 inch rear spacer for the rear best thing I ever did
Great video and explanation. I'm looking to do a 2in leveling kit on a Big Horn and with the help of this video, I will purchase a set of upper control arms. Just to keep from running into the same issue shown here in this video.
Im driving Ram 1500 with 2.5 motofob leveling, factory control arm and no issues at all in 3yrs. Now Im going to upgrades my tires to a bigger one and with my tires going to upgrades control arm and some suspension parts, just like a rutine maintenance.
I was originally going this route to be able to fit 35x12.5r20 and because I like the look of a 3 inch lift but seems like there’s still issues present even with the bilsteins and new UCAs. I’m just going to bite the bullet and go with a BDS 4 inch lift and not have to worry.
I have the RC 3in spacer lift with the new RC arms on 5th Gen Ram, not rebel.. My truck makes a solid clunk in the front going over speedbumps and the back makes a similar noise going over bumps in the road or speedbumps. I'm not sure what it could be. Seems like everything is tight too.
@@stevepm6351 stock front shocks and the rear has the v2 monotube. The front has always done it over speedbumps. The rear is now worse over even changes in the road.
@@craigfura758 Gotcha, I am installing the Moto fab 3 inch front leveling and 2 inch rear on my 21 Bighorn. I also picked up the rough country front upper control arms and Bilstein 5100s. Have you noticed any wear marks on your springs? Do you think that it’s the upper control arm contacting the springs?
Your stock shocks could be stretched out to the max with the leveling kit for example if they are made for stick height imagine stretching them 2-3 more inches. So in my mind I see them being stretched to the max so when you hit a bump the absorb your hit and slam back to the stretched back out stock shocks which causes the clunk if that makes sense. I leveled my gmc back in the day without changing the stocks and when I did I notice they couldn’t extend out any more but would compress tell me they had no my give in the retraction of them hope it helps and makes sense !
Those exact RC UCA was put on my truck about four months ago and already blew out that cheapie ball joint they come with (on passenger side). I'm going with Pro Comp pros now. Twice the cost but look beefier and hoping for the best.
I'm running a 3" front and 2" back. I did buy the RC Arms to fix this problem because they're cheap and planning to do a 6" lift. Although there are way better Arms out there, these arms work fine. Just expect to loose that RC black cover in about a week! Lol
To use factory uppers you have to use actual leveling struts or preload spacer. No spacer on top of strut. Your only asking for trouble doing it the cheap way
Having this same issue on NY navigator. Did a 3.5 in front 3 in rear. Brand new struts all the way around and feels worse than the old ones. Definitely need the rc control arms or any other good brand control arms for lift. But I can't afford just yet so removing lift aka leveling kit for now safety and comfort comes first.
Ugh...I only see this a year later. Luckily I didn't have this issue when I have a 2.25 level. I'm now using RC Vertex (six-inch lift) with stock UCA and the ride is smooth. I had to adjust, but so far all good. I will test out some articulation and let you know.
ahh same control arms. Thanks, Ive been debating on doing uca with my bilstien 6112's. Seems like I better go ahead and spend the money on the Icon UCA
Appreciate your vids as I have a 2021 Rebel, planning Bilsteins with mopar UCLs. Something that wasn't mentioned (maybe I missed it?), preloading the UCLs. Snug the UCL bolts, then install tire and torque the UCL bolts with truck sitting normally on suspension. Second method is to simulate truck sitting normally by raising LCA with jack until frame just clears jackstand/lift support, then torque UCL bolts. Second method typically facilitates access to UCL fasteners.
Torquing with a load is the best way but it’s a really tight fit to get a torque wrench in there while the wheel is on so it may not be possible. I would be careful with those Mopar UCAs. The only difference is more ball joint mobility and I believe they were originally designed to work with the 2” kit on a non-ORP Ram. I’m not sure they were designed to accommodate the angle a Rebel (that has the ORP kit) will be at with a level (so around 3”h
@@WaterFowler41 Excellent point and one that I considered. Went round and round on lift vs stock UCA vs mopar UCA vs aftermarket UCA. Some argue that the Bilstein even on an ORP/Rebel can be used with OE UCA. The mopar UCA provides more ball joint mobility (as you state) and retains a stock appearance for those visits to the dealer. Also I plan to use circlip pos#4 which leaves a slight rake for towing, approx 2.5" overall.
@@waynet6643 pk good deal just wanted to make sure that was out there. Also, I've seen tons of folks run the factory UCAs without issue so with the Mopar ones you're in better shape than factory. at $70-80 a side they are a more palatable cost than aftermarket UCAs.
Thank you for the video! I also make plenty of runs to Costco and hockey practice here in Minnesota. Swapping out my uppers with the RC's this weekend and this video was a big help. Thank you!
I’m mad my RC control arms are on the wrong way because of the markings were unclear can’t remember if it was marked R L but I called to clarify because it didn’t seem right and the RC support had me install them on the wrong sides
Great video. Question? I put Zone UCA on and mine didn't align well. I called Zone only for them to tell me their UCA are for their lift ONLY. So I am s* out of luck. When you did your alignment, what was your caster left & right? Trying to see before I waste my money again. Really appreciate it.
2020 Ram 1500 Lonestar 4x4 Will this help? Im planning on buying the 3in front and 2in rear leveling kit. And seen and read that changing the control arm helps and smoothes the drive .
So just to get some sort of confirmation of your opinion. I just did my Bighorn (that you helped virtually with). I shouldn't really expect an issue? I haven't heard any odd noises, however I don't really do any off road anyway. Level kit was for looks and eventually tires.
If you do not have the ORP springs then you should be in good shape. And even if you do it seems the issue is 50/50. Easy way to tell is jack your truck up by the frame and see if the UCA is hitting the spring. You can also check the spring for wear.
Great Install video... I Did the same thing to my 2019 Ram with North Edition package, and they work great! On the Rough Country control arms the black caps will pop off and there is a zerk grease point under the cap... Don't forget to grease em up!
So I can’t remember the video I watched. But I know I saw it on the tube. A guy with a 5th gen was installing level/lift pucks. And I’m his instructions it said to rotate his strut 180*
Feb 7, 2019 #3 Yes, installed the Readylift UCAs. According to Motofab, they suggest the strut hat may need to be rotated 180 degrees due to the slight hat angle on some off-road models. I am not looking forward to pulling the struts to accomplish this. I would really rather have some decent aftermarket coilovers to go back in.
@@WaterFowler41 yes.I was mistaken. By the whole strut. You may have to rotate the top hat only. Cause the angle of your strut is getting too close to your UCA. So by rotating the top hat only you may take away the severity of that angle.
Maybe. I didn’t look too close at the top of the strut. Followed Motofabs instructions to a t. That wouldn’t resolve the excessive travel though. Ultimately I think bilstein 5100’s are in the near future.
Sort of yes, by adding the spacers I offset the travel of the strut so it has the capability of moving more which required more movement from the UCA to accommodate this excessive travel.
Haha Rough Country sent me two passenger side upper control arms, no ball joint nuts. Someone was sleeping on the job. What’s the two thick washer/spacers for? Didn’t receive any install instructions. Thanks
Well Rough Country sent me a new drivers side control arm. I told them the kit didn’t come with nuts either. I figured since they didn’t ship any with the replacement control arm, I must need to reuse the factory nuts. Long story short I ended up stripping the threads on the new Rough country control arms and the nuts are damaged haha. I can’t win here. Now I need to buy a whole new set. FML 🤦♂️
I don't know if you fixed the noise yet but I had the exact same noise issue and replaced the factory sway bar end links and the noise completely went away.
@@WaterFowler41 I was looking on the website and those are recommending for the 3 inch and up and i was just wondering how they did on your truck, dis you do the 180 on the struts ?
Between my factory 1” lift and the 2” level I added I’m at 3”. Yes with the Motofab kit I had to rotate the struts 180 but with my new Bilstein 5100’s they were installed in the factory orientation.
Extremely informant video; thanks. I’m running into the same issue after installing a leveling kit with the ORP. While I have most torque specs, I’m finding so many different specs online for the torque for the UBJ. Do you recall what you tightened to. I’m seeing anywhere from 37-80ftlbs. Thanks again.
This is getting more and more common, the reinforced plastic composite, been seeing them on transmission pans and German crankcases and suspension parts. So annoying haha. Thanks again for this informative video.
Glock, S&W, and Springfield armory have been doing it with firearms for a while for the lowers on their handguns. There is certainly a place for polymers, its not terrible but concerning with suspension.
@@WaterFowler41 Oh yes I agree, easier to manufacture, lighter etc.. IIRC I guy 3D printed a AR15 lower receiver can't remember if it was PLA or ABS plastic. It worked for couple of shots xD This is a very crucial part of the suspension. I'm abit worried that total chaos UCA does have that issue with the 2.5 fox I'm getting :(
Unlikely because most 6" lifts allow you to use factory UCAs (i.e. they come with larger knuckles). Check with your lift kit manufacturer about compatibility.
did u use the sleeves that came with it for the alum knuckles? I just had mine installed, and I don’t think the guy installed the sleeves because I already have a tear in the boot.
@@WaterFowler41 ok. different application sorry. i have a silverado. for my application, they included optional sleeves that go in the knuckles if u had factory aluminum control arms. how is yours holding up?
Ahh yeah because of the differ t control arms the gms came with. I remember that being a thing with my sierra. The UCAs held up great. I sold them when I installed the Fabtech kit.
@Waterfowler 41 2021 RAM Big Horn and picked up Motofab 3" - 2" leveling kit with RC UCA's and 5100's. Can I use the 5100's with the tophat pucks or in place of them? What would you advise?
hey bud i know im late to your channel but im curious why you didnt put the core 4x4 upper control arms on the front to match the ca's you put on the rear? were they not offered at the time of this install or is there a quality issue?
They weren’t available at the time. They are slick and would love to rock them for a bit. I have Fabtech UCAs currently because they came with my 3” lift
@@WaterFowler41 I gotcha I just got the core 4x4 in for my rear..got a 2011 ram 1500. My whole suspension needs an upgrade lolol so I'm looking into front end components now. Hows the fabtech working? Is their warranty as good as the core?
The stock air suspension has one benefit atleast lol. Since no spring to hit. It doesn’t come close to hitting the air shock atleast with using the leveling/lifting links. Air suspension is a lot of money though. If you truck has air the. Your good to go though.
I was thinking of put a 2” leaving kit on my Rebel, but after looking at the video I think I’m going to keep it stock ! It’s not worth the time and money for a 2” lift. Thanks for the video buddy !
@@WaterFowler41 especially with those Hybrid controls arms. They could’ve just made them out of aluminum like the lower CA’s. All for weight saving for fuel efficiency lol !
I'm doing the same UCA swap out, but having a very hard time finding the torq specs. I've watched several videos and everyone has a different number... Can anyone point me to documentation that shows the torq specs? For UCA frame nuts, upper ball joint nut, sway bar nuts, sway bar end link nuts.
what’s the best lift kit and configurar that you recommend with only spacer in the front? I only need the same altitud in front and rear with the same pieces included in my new RAM Rebel. And, ¿The best economic and reliable brand? The last question, is the price of both, MOPAR vs. other Brands. Greetings my friend!
@@WaterFowler41 I just left a mechanic shop and they told me my brake caliper on right side was loose the other shop that put the leveling kit on left the caliper loose I’m assuming but it’s fix now thanks
@@Angelo2005white those caliper bolts need to be torqued correctly, and you need a thin open end wrench to hold it from spinning while torquing the bolt. Put some high temp loctite on the bolts as well, they tend to back out from vibration. Have lost a couple that way, and always keep a spare in the truck just in case.
So I’m thinking of installing a Rough Country 2” leveling kit on my 5th gen Ram Rebel, would that make the front a 3” lift? Should I install the Rough country upper control arms with the 2” struts?
Which kit are you installing, the spacers or the 2” leveling struts? If just spacers yes you will be adding 2” to the factory 1” and I would definitely swap out UCAs. If you’re using the leveling struts, you will loose you’re factory 1” lift (from the spring) and only net 1” of lift which isn’t really worth the work in my opinion.
No these are made specifically for 3-3.5” of lift compared to stock. The ball joint is angled quite a bit on these arms and you may have issues without enough lift.
It would but it would also be reducing my overall lift by 1”. My Rebel springs are 1” taller from the factory. Switching to the rc struts would change springs. The 2” they say on their website is for non-Rebel/ORP trucks.
@@WaterFowler41 Thanks for the reply! I hope you figure out a solution; I really enjoy your content. I am thinking of getting a ready lift but i read people are having the same issues with them as well, I would Hate to spend over a 1000 dollars for a damn leveling kit and have the same issues.
@@WaterFowler41I know this was 2yrs ago but rough country now has 3.5 inch full strut assembly's now. I'm about to throw those on the front with these rc uca's. This video really gave me some confidence since I've never been much of a mechanic. But seems easy enough. I'm typically a diyer on everything else so this should be a good job to get my feet wet.
Instale un kit AKM motors de elevación de nivelación delantera y trasera de 3 pulgadas y 2 pulgadas, siento en carretera brinca un poco de adelante , no suave, tengo que cambiar brazos de control? Ram 1500 bighorn 4WD crewcab 2022
@@WaterFowler41 I installed a 3 inch and 2 inch AKM motors front and rear leveling lift kit, I feel it bounces a little on the road in front, not smooth, do I have to change control arms? Ram 1500 bighorn 4WD crewcab 2023, 35x12.50r20 tires
The control arm nuts both have long tabs welded to them so when you loosen or tighten the control arm bolts, the tab hits the frame making it easier to remove them.
I’m not sure we are talking about the same things. Can you shoot me an email with a picture or screenshot of what you are talking about? waterfowler4one@gmail.com
Did you ever swap sides on the front struts and coils? If so, did it resolve the issue? I saw that you switched to coilovers up front. Was that in addition to the leveling kit or in place of? I am doing a Motofab 3in leveling kit on my 2021 Bighorn with Bilstein 5100's. Excellent video btw...subscribed now
I didnt try swapping them side to side. I switch to the Fabtech 3" lift kit. With the coilovers I was able to dial things in nicely. Side to side the truck sits dead even. Front to back I have a 1/2" of rake.
If someone could help me. I installed rc 2in level on ram 1500 4th gen. it was the coil-strut kit not spacer. A-arm is at a decent angle. Kit gave me like 3inches of lift. What is the max angle they should be at for safe operation. To not blow ball joints??
I posted a new video where I installed the 5100’s and those fixed my issue. The strut now bottoms out before the UCA hits the spring! Before I bought the 5100’s I was definitely looking at limiting straps.
10:33 Plastic!? What da sh!t. Damn, car manufacturers are getting really cheap. So are the Mopar upgrades plastic with steel as well? Wow! This is good to know!
Wish I knew how much of a pain in the @ss it was to knock that upper control arm free from the knuckle. Informative video over all tho, just wish you had been recording that part instead of skipping over. For some reason mine would not separate easily.
@@chadhulsizer hitting the aluminum knuckle with a hammer isn't the smartest thing. Get a pickle fork and do it the proper way. If that knuckle fails while your driving, well good luck...
@@WaterFowler41what spacer lift? i ordered a motofab 1/2in to go on top of my 5100s im installing soon to make my lift 3.5. also ordered the RC ucas that are for 3.5 in..
They should stop selling the leveling pucks for these trucks! The problem is the top of the strut doesn’t rest in the center of the puck. The strut pushes to the outside, this is why they rotate the hat 180. They will eventually start to squeak from the metal to metal contact. Also if you hit deep holes you’ll get the bang. Coilovers is the only way to go!
Now I know why my ram squeaks.
Well I recently got the 3.5 inch lift rough country on my 2015 Ram bigler and let me tell you it's amazing preloaded struts upper control arms rear shocks and 1 inch rear spacer for the rear best thing I ever did
Clunk could of been also caster bolts on lower control arm not torqued tight enough...
Great video and explanation. I'm looking to do a 2in leveling kit on a Big Horn and with the help of this video, I will purchase a set of upper control arms. Just to keep from running into the same issue shown here in this video.
Im driving Ram 1500 with 2.5 motofob leveling, factory control arm and no issues at all in 3yrs. Now Im going to upgrades my tires to a bigger one and with my tires going to upgrades control arm and some suspension parts, just like a rutine maintenance.
I was originally going this route to be able to fit 35x12.5r20 and because I like the look of a 3 inch lift but seems like there’s still issues present even with the bilsteins and new UCAs. I’m just going to bite the bullet and go with a BDS 4 inch lift and not have to worry.
There you go! Never heard any issues with that kit.
I have the RC 3in spacer lift with the new RC arms on 5th Gen Ram, not rebel.. My truck makes a solid clunk in the front going over speedbumps and the back makes a similar noise going over bumps in the road or speedbumps. I'm not sure what it could be. Seems like everything is tight too.
What shocks are you using up front?
@@stevepm6351 stock front shocks and the rear has the v2 monotube. The front has always done it over speedbumps. The rear is now worse over even changes in the road.
@@craigfura758 Gotcha, I am installing the Moto fab 3 inch front leveling and 2 inch rear on my 21 Bighorn. I also picked up the rough country front upper control arms and Bilstein 5100s. Have you noticed any wear marks on your springs? Do you think that it’s the upper control arm contacting the springs?
Your stock shocks could be stretched out to the max with the leveling kit for example if they are made for stick height imagine stretching them 2-3 more inches. So in my mind I see them being stretched to the max so when you hit a bump the absorb your hit and slam back to the stretched back out stock shocks which causes the clunk if that makes sense. I leveled my gmc back in the day without changing the stocks and when I did I notice they couldn’t extend out any more but would compress tell me they had no my give in the retraction of them hope it helps and makes sense !
Those exact RC UCA was put on my truck about four months ago and already blew out that cheapie ball joint they come with (on passenger side). I'm going with Pro Comp pros now. Twice the cost but look beefier and hoping for the best.
Never had an issue with them on my truck. Running Fabtech uniballs now
Two sets of UCA boots leaking just 3× hand pump each cheap product only one year warranty.
I'm running a 3" front and 2" back. I did buy the RC Arms to fix this problem because they're cheap and planning to do a 6" lift. Although there are way better Arms out there, these arms work fine. Just expect to loose that RC black cover in about a week! Lol
To use factory uppers you have to use actual leveling struts or preload spacer. No spacer on top of strut. Your only asking for trouble doing it the cheap way
Having this same issue on NY navigator. Did a 3.5 in front 3 in rear. Brand new struts all the way around and feels worse than the old ones. Definitely need the rc control arms or any other good brand control arms for lift. But I can't afford just yet so removing lift aka leveling kit for now safety and comfort comes first.
Ugh...I only see this a year later. Luckily I didn't have this issue when I have a 2.25 level. I'm now using RC Vertex (six-inch lift) with stock UCA and the ride is smooth. I had to adjust, but so far all good. I will test out some articulation and let you know.
ahh same control arms. Thanks, Ive been debating on doing uca with my bilstien 6112's. Seems like I better go ahead and spend the money on the Icon UCA
Appreciate your vids as I have a 2021 Rebel, planning Bilsteins with mopar UCLs. Something that wasn't mentioned (maybe I missed it?), preloading the UCLs. Snug the UCL bolts, then install tire and torque the UCL bolts with truck sitting normally on suspension. Second method is to simulate truck sitting normally by raising LCA with jack until frame just clears jackstand/lift support, then torque UCL bolts. Second method typically facilitates access to UCL fasteners.
Torquing with a load is the best way but it’s a really tight fit to get a torque wrench in there while the wheel is on so it may not be possible.
I would be careful with those Mopar UCAs. The only difference is more ball joint mobility and I believe they were originally designed to work with the 2” kit on a non-ORP Ram. I’m not sure they were designed to accommodate the angle a Rebel (that has the ORP kit) will be at with a level (so around 3”h
UCL=UCA (oops)
@@WaterFowler41 Excellent point and one that I considered. Went round and round on lift vs stock UCA vs mopar UCA vs aftermarket UCA. Some argue that the Bilstein even on an ORP/Rebel can be used with OE UCA. The mopar UCA provides more ball joint mobility (as you state) and retains a stock appearance for those visits to the dealer. Also I plan to use circlip pos#4 which leaves a slight rake for towing, approx 2.5" overall.
@@waynet6643 pk good deal just wanted to make sure that was out there. Also, I've seen tons of folks run the factory UCAs without issue so with the Mopar ones you're in better shape than factory. at $70-80 a side they are a more palatable cost than aftermarket UCAs.
Thank you for the video! I also make plenty of runs to Costco and hockey practice here in Minnesota. Swapping out my uppers with the RC's this weekend and this video was a big help. Thank you!
Oh man Minnesota hockey is good stuff. When I was younger we spent the weekend playing the Shattuck varsity team. Fun times!
I’m mad my RC control arms are on the wrong way because of the markings were unclear can’t remember if it was marked R L but I called to clarify because it didn’t seem right and the RC support had me install them on the wrong sides
Bastards!
How was the alignment done ? You know you needed to do an alignment right ?
I ordered these control arms mine came with ball joint spacers but didn’t notice them on your setup my truck is 23 ram classic
My 2020 did not require spacers.
Great video. Question? I put Zone UCA on and mine didn't align well. I called Zone only for them to tell me their UCA are for their lift ONLY. So I am s* out of luck. When you did your alignment, what was your caster left & right? Trying to see before I waste my money again. Really appreciate it.
2020 Ram 1500 Lonestar 4x4
Will this help?
Im planning on buying the 3in front and 2in rear leveling kit.
And seen and read that changing the control arm helps and smoothes the drive .
New UCAs helps maintain a better ball joint angle.
Awesome Video! Do you know if the from suspension on the 25 Rebels in any different than your set up here?
I would assume its the same but cannot confirm that.
Great video had mine UCA from rough country leaking grease replaced two sets so far poor quality.
So I have an 11 Silverado with the Rough Country 2 inch leveling struts, will I need to swap out my stock control arms?
I put those control arms on my truck and they hit the coil over all the time just driving down the road
Yeah you need to ditch the level spacers and go with leveling struts like 5100’s
So just to get some sort of confirmation of your opinion. I just did my Bighorn (that you helped virtually with). I shouldn't really expect an issue? I haven't heard any odd noises, however I don't really do any off road anyway. Level kit was for looks and eventually tires.
If you do not have the ORP springs then you should be in good shape. And even if you do it seems the issue is 50/50. Easy way to tell is jack your truck up by the frame and see if the UCA is hitting the spring. You can also check the spring for wear.
Great Install video... I Did the same thing to my 2019 Ram with North Edition package, and they work great! On the Rough Country control arms the black caps will pop off and there is a zerk grease point under the cap... Don't forget to grease em up!
Yup! Love these things!
Do you find any issues greasing these?
No I did not.
How did you go about greasing the ball joints with no grease fitting?
The rough country ball joint have zerk fittings
How are these UCA’s holding up? Thinking of going with the bilstein 5100s on position 5 with these UCA’s on my 2021 Laramie ORP.
Still going strong, I’m hoping to update to Bilsteins any day now
Check out my newest video, 5100’s on setting 5!
Alright, it's been a year. What are your thoughts on these now? I'm in need of UCAs for my ram and I like the price of these.
Running Fabtech uniballs now but for the time I did run these, they were great
Mine issue was the ball joint was at max articulation at full droop.
Bummer
Did you ever install the metal spacers that comes with these?
I just bought the UCAs not the whole leveling kit. Already had spacers on at this point
I had the same problem did the same thing to fix
What made you choose the rough country upper control are ? So many out there you dont know what flavor to choose lol
Price point and I know aluminum would withstand the Midwest conditions (salt)
@@WaterFowler41 thank you very much
It looks thick, more sturdier and it's forged aluminum rather than fucking plastic.
Also...when I install the 5100's up front, should set them at 0" lift because I have the Motofab kit or set them at 2 inches ?
Set them at 2" and ditch the motofab spacers. The whole point of the 5100's is to lift your truck and retain better ride quality.
Do you know if you can use the factory ball joint and on the RC cause my RC control arms are shot
I doubt it, factory ball joints are not replaceable.
So I can’t remember the video I watched. But I know I saw it on the tube. A guy with a 5th gen was installing level/lift pucks. And I’m his instructions it said to rotate his strut 180*
Feb 7, 2019
#3
Yes, installed the Readylift UCAs. According to Motofab, they suggest the strut hat may need to be rotated 180 degrees due to the slight hat angle on some off-road models. I am not looking forward to pulling the struts to accomplish this. I would really rather have some decent aftermarket coilovers to go back in.
I had to rotate mine in order for the strut mount studs to line up with the holes. This is the same deal across most puck leveling kits.
@@WaterFowler41 yes.I was mistaken. By the whole strut. You may have to rotate the top hat only. Cause the angle of your strut is getting too close to your UCA. So by rotating the top hat only you may take away the severity of that angle.
@@WaterFowler41 just copy and paste from a thread on 5th gen rams forums
Maybe. I didn’t look too close at the top of the strut. Followed Motofabs instructions to a t. That wouldn’t resolve the excessive travel though. Ultimately I think bilstein 5100’s are in the near future.
The reason for the issue with the UCA is because you have changed the geometry of the strut.
Sort of yes, by adding the spacers I offset the travel of the strut so it has the capability of moving more which required more movement from the UCA to accommodate this excessive travel.
Haha Rough Country sent me two passenger side upper control arms, no ball joint nuts. Someone was sleeping on the job. What’s the two thick washer/spacers for? Didn’t receive any install instructions. Thanks
The washes I believe are fit the ball joints. Sucks they sent you two left, maybe a “Friday” kit lol
@@WaterFowler41 lol guaranteed Friday or Monday kit lol 😂
Well Rough Country sent me a new drivers side control arm. I told them the kit didn’t come with nuts either. I figured since they didn’t ship any with the replacement control arm, I must need to reuse the factory nuts. Long story short I ended up stripping the threads on the new Rough country control arms and the nuts are damaged haha. I can’t win here. Now I need to buy a whole new set. FML 🤦♂️
Do you think this will help with bump steer and lane wander
I don't know if you fixed the noise yet but I had the exact same noise issue and replaced the factory sway bar end links and the noise completely went away.
Yup, I ended up installed SuspensionMaxx end links that resolved the issue.
So after changing the uca you still had the noise? You had to change the endlinks to stop it?
@@chrissmothers3636 yes
So has the truck driving with the new control arms and level kit ?
So far so good!
@@WaterFowler41 I was looking on the website and those are recommending for the 3 inch and up and i was just wondering how they did on your truck, dis you do the 180 on the struts ?
Between my factory 1” lift and the 2” level I added I’m at 3”. Yes with the Motofab kit I had to rotate the struts 180 but with my new Bilstein 5100’s they were installed in the factory orientation.
Do you carry upper ball joints for this type of control arms
Or you have to throw the whole upper control arm away when the ball joint goes bad?
You can buy replacements from rough country
So if you get the RC 2.5" coilover lift kit do you get the corresponding UCA ?
The 2.5" coilover may only lift your Rebel 1.5", at which point you may not need the UCAs.
Extremely informant video; thanks. I’m running into the same issue after installing a leveling kit with the ORP. While I have most torque specs, I’m finding so many different specs online for the torque for the UBJ. Do you recall what you tightened to. I’m seeing anywhere from 37-80ftlbs. Thanks again.
This is getting more and more common, the reinforced plastic composite, been seeing them on transmission pans and German crankcases and suspension parts.
So annoying haha. Thanks again for this informative video.
Glock, S&W, and Springfield armory have been doing it with firearms for a while for the lowers on their handguns. There is certainly a place for polymers, its not terrible but concerning with suspension.
@@WaterFowler41 Oh yes I agree, easier to manufacture, lighter etc.. IIRC I guy 3D printed a AR15 lower receiver can't remember if it was PLA or ABS plastic. It worked for couple of shots xD
This is a very crucial part of the suspension. I'm abit worried that total chaos UCA does have that issue with the 2.5 fox I'm getting :(
Can you use these on a 6 inch lift?
Unlikely because most 6" lifts allow you to use factory UCAs (i.e. they come with larger knuckles). Check with your lift kit manufacturer about compatibility.
Update on these? I'm thinking of getting some for my Tacoma
They were great when I ran them. Ended up replacing them with fabtechs when I installed the lift.
@@WaterFowler41 I keep hearing good things about them. I currently have SPC but they're very faulty
did u use the sleeves that came with it for the alum knuckles? I just had mine installed, and I don’t think the guy installed the sleeves because I already have a tear in the boot.
I installed the UCAS as they came from RC. Not sure what you are referring to.
@@WaterFowler41 ok. different application sorry. i have a silverado. for my application, they included optional sleeves that go in the knuckles if u had factory aluminum control arms.
how is yours holding up?
Ahh yeah because of the differ t control arms the gms came with. I remember that being a thing with my sierra.
The UCAs held up great. I sold them when I installed the Fabtech kit.
Are the rough county arms longer than the stock ones?
No same dimensions but the ball joint angle is more severe to account for the lift
@Waterfowler 41 2021 RAM Big Horn and picked up Motofab 3" - 2" leveling kit with RC UCA's and 5100's. Can I use the 5100's with the tophat pucks or in place of them? What would you advise?
Does this apply to Air ride equipped Rebels?
I can’t advise on an airride equipped truck as mine doesn’t have it.
Quick question. What is the purpose of that grey sleeve around the top coil of the spring? Noticed mine is coming off.
Insulator maybe, mine was popping out a bit as well
@@WaterFowler41 Thanks. 👍
@@WaterFowler41 Did you get yours back on? If so, how?
hey bud i know im late to your channel but im curious why you didnt put the core 4x4 upper control arms on the front to match the ca's you put on the rear? were they not offered at the time of this install or is there a quality issue?
They weren’t available at the time. They are slick and would love to rock them for a bit. I have Fabtech UCAs currently because they came with my 3” lift
@@WaterFowler41 I gotcha I just got the core 4x4 in for my rear..got a 2011 ram 1500. My whole suspension needs an upgrade lolol so I'm looking into front end components now. Hows the fabtech working? Is their warranty as good as the core?
Fabtechs are great so far, haven’t had to use the warranty yet which I think is a good thing
@@WaterFowler41 well hell yeah man! I think I might pull the trigger on the core UCA's and see how it goes. Wish me luck 🤙
Tell them to send a set my way! Lol the colors are awesome!
The stock air suspension has one benefit atleast lol. Since no spring to hit. It doesn’t come close to hitting the air shock atleast with using the leveling/lifting links. Air suspension is a lot of money though. If you truck has air the. Your good to go though.
I'm hanging the issue of the RC UCA hitting the shocks. how did you ultimately solve it? I have the Bilstein 6112 on it now.
I solved it by installing 5100’s so I’m not sure why your 6112’s are causing the issue
Hey man, my lower control arm is rubbing on my steering knuckle. I have the same rough country leveling kit
I think that’s normal, thats the steering knuckle doing its job
Did your control arms come with nuts for the ball joint? I have this same kit and mine didn’t have any now I’m stuck trying to find some.
Yes mine did, sounds like they forgot to include yours. Did you trying ringing RC?
@@WaterFowler41 sent them an email however they are closed Sunday and I have the truck on stands as we speak 😂
Bummer man! Hopefully they respond soon, did you try swinging by a hardware store?
@@WaterFowler41 headed that way in the morning. Your videos are awesome! How are the rear control arms? I’m thinking about adding those next!
They are great!
I was thinking of put a 2” leaving kit on my Rebel, but after looking at the video I think I’m going to keep it stock ! It’s not worth the time and money for a 2” lift. Thanks for the video buddy !
Yup these Rebels present some challenges
@@WaterFowler41 especially with those Hybrid controls arms. They could’ve just made them out of aluminum like the lower CA’s. All for weight saving for fuel efficiency lol !
Just buy the Bilstein B8 5100 Series Height Adj 0-2.6" Front (24-232203)
With the Rebel you can’t go over circling position 5 which only delivers 2”
Rebel. Stock for sure. This guy didn't use the full kit. His springs were never gonna work. Wide and deep. RC has em loaded and thin after the calves
I'm doing the same UCA swap out, but having a very hard time finding the torq specs. I've watched several videos and everyone has a different number... Can anyone point me to documentation that shows the torq specs? For UCA frame nuts, upper ball joint nut, sway bar nuts, sway bar end link nuts.
I cover all the torque specs in my core4x4 video
th-cam.com/video/Hu9GO7wiye8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_byd2R5ihpCPzRYR
what’s the best lift kit and configurar that you recommend with only spacer in the front? I only need the same altitud in front and rear with the same pieces included in my new RAM Rebel. And, ¿The best economic and reliable brand? The last question, is the price of both, MOPAR vs. other Brands. Greetings my friend!
setting
I’d go with bilstein 5100’s and reuse your factory Rebel springs.
It's a kit that you left out the issue. The rough country has the legs for the job.
I have a 19 classic and want to put a level kit in. Am I gonna run into this issue?
I’m not sure man, I haven’t worked on a classic
They have the same suspension, so if using the same parts you will have the same issues.
2004 ram mine doing the same thing now I put rc 2 inch leveling kit on and having noise on right side and can’t figure where noise coming from
End links maybe?
@@WaterFowler41 I just left a mechanic shop and they told me my brake caliper on right side was loose the other shop that put the leveling kit on left the caliper loose I’m assuming but it’s fix now thanks
@@Angelo2005white those caliper bolts need to be torqued correctly, and you need a thin open end wrench to hold it from spinning while torquing the bolt. Put some high temp loctite on the bolts as well, they tend to back out from vibration. Have lost a couple that way, and always keep a spare in the truck just in case.
@@DL101ca thanks a lot it was the caliber bolt
Hey! How are the upper ball joints holding up now since you installed it?
I’m running Fabtech UCAs now
@@WaterFowler41 why ? What happened to the RC ?
Upgraded to adjustable coil overs from Fabtech
So I’m thinking of installing a Rough Country 2” leveling kit on my 5th gen Ram Rebel, would that make the front a 3” lift? Should I install the Rough country upper control arms with the 2” struts?
Which kit are you installing, the spacers or the 2” leveling struts? If just spacers yes you will be adding 2” to the factory 1” and I would definitely swap out UCAs.
If you’re using the leveling struts, you will loose you’re factory 1” lift (from the spring) and only net 1” of lift which isn’t really worth the work in my opinion.
Would there be any benefit installing these control arms with stock suspension?
No these are made specifically for 3-3.5” of lift compared to stock. The ball joint is angled quite a bit on these arms and you may have issues without enough lift.
Mine is arms are hitting my control arms stoppers and crunching them to pieces it's ridiculous. I didn't do the lift.
Control arm stoppers?
Can you use the 3.5’ on a 6 inch lift ?
3.5 feet ?
Did you ever figure out who makes an upper control arm that does not hit the spring etc?
The issue was resolved by repelling the spacers with bilstein 5100’s
@@WaterFowler41 set at 2.5”?
Negative set at 2” which ultimate landed me at 1.8”. With the offroad springs Bilsteins suggests not going over position 5
I just want to level my front lol but have my stock shocks at 140k miles so I’m looking to replace them. What’s the best route?
Bilstein 5100's and some new UCAs!
Do you think the rough country 2 in strut assembly would prevent that? If you were to replace the “puck” style lift?
It would but it would also be reducing my overall lift by 1”. My Rebel springs are 1” taller from the factory. Switching to the rc struts would change springs. The 2” they say on their website is for non-Rebel/ORP trucks.
@@WaterFowler41 Thanks for the reply! I hope you figure out a solution; I really enjoy your content. I am thinking of getting a ready lift but i read people are having the same issues with them as well, I would Hate to spend over a 1000 dollars for a damn leveling kit and have the same issues.
Yup I’ve been trying to figure the best solution for these trucks. I’ll report back when I find it!
@@WaterFowler41I know this was 2yrs ago but rough country now has 3.5 inch full strut assembly's now. I'm about to throw those on the front with these rc uca's. This video really gave me some confidence since I've never been much of a mechanic. But seems easy enough. I'm typically a diyer on everything else so this should be a good job to get my feet wet.
@danyancey you got it bud! Take your time and you’ll be about to knock it out easily!
Do you have to add grease to these
I did after I installed them, I don’t believe they come greased
Any issues with the new upper control arms?
Nope! Counting down the days until bilsteins are in stock though!
Instale un kit AKM motors de elevación de nivelación delantera y trasera de 3 pulgadas y 2 pulgadas, siento en carretera brinca un poco de adelante , no suave, tengo que cambiar brazos de control? Ram 1500 bighorn 4WD crewcab 2022
Le puse llantas 35×12.50 r20
No habla espanol, lo siento
@@WaterFowler41 I installed a 3 inch and 2 inch AKM motors front and rear leveling lift kit, I feel it bounces a little on the road in front, not smooth, do I have to change control arms? Ram 1500 bighorn 4WD crewcab 2023, 35x12.50r20 tires
What is that metal tab inside of the upper control arm towards the front of the vehicle?
The control arm nuts both have long tabs welded to them so when you loosen or tighten the control arm bolts, the tab hits the frame making it easier to remove them.
@@WaterFowler41 okay so they dont actually limit the travel at all?
No they are just there to make the bolt easier to install, they serve no other ourpose
@@WaterFowler41 awesome thanks i was wondering since they travelled up and down as my suspension compressed and decompressed.
I’m not sure we are talking about the same things. Can you shoot me an email with a picture or screenshot of what you are talking about?
waterfowler4one@gmail.com
How are the axle angles (cv)?
Not excessive. Within a range I’m comfortable with
Will this work for rwd big horn?
I would confirm with rough country but I don’t see why it wouldn’t.
Did you ever swap sides on the front struts and coils? If so, did it resolve the issue? I saw that you switched to coilovers up front. Was that in addition to the leveling kit or in place of? I am doing a Motofab 3in leveling kit on my 2021 Bighorn with Bilstein 5100's. Excellent video btw...subscribed now
I didnt try swapping them side to side. I switch to the Fabtech 3" lift kit. With the coilovers I was able to dial things in nicely. Side to side the truck sits dead even. Front to back I have a 1/2" of rake.
Did you ever try switching the struts or did you just drive as it was until you switched to 5100s?
Nope, went right to Bilsteins and now dirtlogic coilovers
@@WaterFowler41 No issues now with rubbing since you switched the coils out to dirtlogic?
Spec for the torque for the upper control arm?
125 ft lbs
So did this solve your problem?
Nope, installing bilstein 5100’s fixed the issue
If someone could help me. I installed rc 2in level on ram 1500 4th gen. it was the coil-strut kit not spacer. A-arm is at a decent angle. Kit gave me like 3inches of lift. What is the max angle they should be at for safe operation. To not blow ball joints??
2” or more is when I recommend replacing the UCA so at 3” your should probably upgrade.
@@WaterFowler41 ty!
Should worry more about your CV joints self destructing with the higher angle. Lift kits come with new knuckles that realign them properly.
Why not just install some limit straps? Sounds like the way to go would be no spacers, 5100’s, and limit straps?
I posted a new video where I installed the 5100’s and those fixed my issue. The strut now bottoms out before the UCA hits the spring!
Before I bought the 5100’s I was definitely looking at limiting straps.
@@WaterFowler41 Aw nice I’ll check it out. Great video btw!
@@hellbilly_fpv6692 thanks! In hindsight I should’ve just done the 5100’s from day 1 but you live and you learn.
To bad we don’t have bump stops on our trucks.
I know it would really make this a non issue. We have to rely on the strut bottoming out as out “bump stop.”
I replaced my suspension for the falcons they came with bumb stops right on the shaft of the shock ... probably I’m gonna replace the uca soon
You do. Something will go bump and then it will stop...😂
Dif you rver gix your problem. With the u upper control arms
Fixed it by removing the spacer level and using bilstein 5100’s
@WaterFowler41 ok so now your upper control arms is not resting on the struck spring
@WaterFowler41 ok so now your upper control arms is not resting on the struck spring
$350 for the pair ?
Correct
Plastic upper control arms... Holy shit.
Yup, pretty cool...plastic wheels are next!
@@WaterFowler41 🤣👎🏻👎🏻
Looks like they are on the wrong sides.
They are not
@@WaterFowler41 yep I said “looks”.
10:33 Plastic!? What da sh!t. Damn, car manufacturers are getting really cheap. So are the Mopar upgrades plastic with steel as well? Wow! This is good to know!
Should have bought BDS.
I have a Fabtech lift now
Wish I knew how much of a pain in the @ss it was to knock that upper control arm free from the knuckle. Informative video over all tho, just wish you had been recording that part instead of skipping over. For some reason mine would not separate easily.
Mine was a bitch as well no special secret to removing them, just keep hitting with a hammer until they pop free!
@@WaterFowler41 jack up under lower control arm 3 or 4 inches, and then hit on the knuckle near top ball joint and it pops easier.
@@chadhulsizer hitting the aluminum knuckle with a hammer isn't the smartest thing. Get a pickle fork and do it the proper way. If that knuckle fails while your driving, well good luck...
Remove the body lift and put a real suspension lift on it and avoid some nonsense
Keep watching my suspension videos, it gets better!
Get bigger knuckles.
Removing the spacer lift for Bilstein 5100's solved the issue.
@@WaterFowler41what spacer lift? i ordered a motofab 1/2in to go on top of my 5100s im installing soon to make my lift 3.5.
also ordered the RC ucas that are for 3.5 in..
plastic... hollow aluminium... looks like the weight saving MPG police got their way. :-D
Not sure where you got the "hollow aluminum" from, these are solid cast aluminum .
@@DL101ca i'm talking about design spec of the stock item which we replaced with these. clearly there is no plastic on the forged aluminum :-)
Biggest mistake was buying a ram
Cool…