Ball joint spacers

[poor-mans-720]

 

 

 

this is Poopys UCA, mine bolts up the same way... I think that yours are shorter, and bolt the other direction. Or is yours an 81-83 too?? I think that 84+ has shorter UCA, or 83+... Something like that... But I know there are two different UCA out there for the 720

[poor-mans-720]

do you have pics of your UCA? also what year?

here is mine. 82 KC 720

[poopypants720]

So I finally had the time today before going in to get a spot removed from my back(reason Im not workin like always now) to get my tie rods done.

 

Got some nice new assemblies for both sides (figured Id replace em both while Im at it) from rock auto on a wholesale closeout deal CHEAP... but they are def good Raybestos/beck arnley parts.

 

I was getting good and tired of having zero turning radius and with my work I drive a lot, in neighborhoods a lot and have to make U-turns A LOT.... this sucked right now cause with my make shift alignment/adjustment I did to make my truck driveable Id run outta turns REAL quick to the left cause I would run outta gear in my steering gear box, and to the right almost as fast cause the bent tie rod would smack into the frame(sometimes rubbing by a lil and almost getting stuck on the other side)... SOOOO its nice to finally be able to turn again as I nearly forgot that my truck could actually turn around pretty good for a manual steered truck with oversized tires.

 

Heres some pics of the old removed tie rods... both are pretty hashed at the joints and needed to be replaced regardless of other damage...

 

Heres one showing the damage to the drivers side inner tie.... they are supposed to be identical in shape.

 

 

and heres the difference in length I had to create in order to pull the drivers rod away from the frame to freely move and how much I had to stretch the passenger side to make up for it, keeping it aligned.... normally they were both almost the exact same length...

 

 

Only thing left now is replacing my passenger side lower ball joint and I'll have a like new steering system... the drivers one looks almost new and has no play... passenger one when lifted by a jack from the lower control arm then sticking a long bar under the tire can have a half inch of play at the ball joint when lifting the tire.... terrible wear, gotta change it quick.

[poor-mans-720]

Man, that thing looks nasty.... I just replaced my uppers today. They were expensive. Thinking about taking them back and ordering off RockAuto.

[poopypants720]

Dude.. Like the same price for an entire tie rod assembly from rock auto as only one end at most stores... Is def go to rock auto for any and all parts except those I need RIGHT NOW...

[poor-mans-720]

yea, I already ordered all sorts of new stuff from RockAuto tonight... And am in the process of designing a Heim joint steering conversion. Something solid, and ball-joint less...

I have tons of play in my front end. Like, a hella lot. But the price to rebuild it?? holy crap... Center link, then tie rods, and all the other things to get rid of it. Whoa... Talk about paying as much for my truck. So, heim joints and DOM tubing. going to do a custom steering set up.

[poor-mans-720]

Still have a pair of 1" spacers forsale!!! any buyers??? Need money for fuel to go to Canby....

[Mr.Dean_Yates]

I still gotta get mine in. Fuggin checker gave me the wrong ball joints. Shit didn't even fit in the spindle. So I ordered some from jc whitney...I hope these are correct...I miss driving my truck :(

[poopypants720]

Its tough enough finding parts for our trucks, I wonder why so many places have the wrong parts listed a being for our trucks.

 

The value craft ones from autozone are what I got and they look to be very high quality for a not so bad price...best of all they actually fit and have the same size hardware as stock.

[Mr.Dean_Yates]

sweet! well i get my jcw stuff tomorrow...lets see what happens with that...if it fits cool, if not then autozone!

[Skulptr]

i just bought new uppers at napa for 20 bucks each with lifetime warranties and upright grease zerks. i dont have the time to wait on rockauto, not to mention there's almost no information for them to differentiate between 2wd and 4wd uppers. found out last night my drivers side upper is completely broken. i can push the tire in and out by hand with the truck on the ground almost 4"

[poopypants720]

i just bought new uppers at napa for 20 bucks each with lifetime warranties and upright grease zerks. i dont have the time to wait on rockauto, not to mention there's almost no information for them to differentiate between 2wd and 4wd uppers. found out last night my drivers side upper is completely broken. i can push the tire in and out by hand with the truck on the ground almost 4"

yup... The ones I got were upright fittings as well, important with the spacers. Also only paid only 18 bucks each for mine.

[Skulptr]

well i finally changed the drivers side upper, too bad its not the cause of my wheel slack, which is starting to piss me off. i can still push my entire tire in and out making the whole truck move, and i cant do it with the passenger side tire.

 

 

oh, here's the 84+ upper ball joints, and why my spacers dont fit (without ALOT of motivation)

 

 

and i broke one of your cheapie bolts...

 

 

 

and a picture for those curious of the 84+ 4x4 uca bolts. you can see the single shim that i freakin missed...

 

[Mr.Dean_Yates]

My ucas look so different. Lol ill tru to get some pics later on when I'm puttin shit back together in my driveway if need be ill just take the spacers to my machine shop and get it widended by a butt hair

[poor-mans-720]

yea, your UCA are short... hahaha... There are other options for ball joints for ya. I think that all 2wd and 4wd are the same, also all the years are the same. I am pretty sure you could take my 82's and put them on your 84... Same bolt hole, should work?

 

i can do that push in thing too. I will have to try and track down the problem... Check your bumpstops. Make sure that both tires are torsioned to the same height. On mine, my drivers side is higher then my passenger.

[poopypants720]

Could be lower ball joints, pitman or idler arm (most likely pitman being drivers side), drivers tie rod, or even the center link connection points...

 

You can't see where its moving from the front and where that movement stops?

[poor-mans-720]

hard when your the one pushing and pulling on the tire... I'll have to get the GF out there and get her to pushing and pulling, while I take a look at it... I dont plan on fixing it, just good to know where it is. I looked on rock auto and what ever nots, and to rebuild the front end, I'd rather spend the money on a D44 and SAS... I'll just drive it till the wheels fall off!!!! :)

[Mr.Dean_Yates]

huge problem...uno, spacer does not allow my uca to clear the counter weights on my wheels...#2, idk how to fix my posi camber issue...first thought was to buy some angle iron and move my lower ball joint out about .5"...second thought was to ask what i should do lol other than that im pretty satisfied with the spacers so far

 

heres some pics

 

little or no camber issue

 

lots of camber issue

 

 

spacer in and check out my tiny ucas lol

 

[poor-mans-720]

cranking down on your torsion bars fixes the problems that most of us above did to fix the problem. As for the backspacing, I dunno. We run bigger tires. So I am not for sure on that one...

You can put a plate, of steel between your UCA and frame to help with the camber issue, kinda like a shim. pulls your upper control arm in, bringing in the top of the tire.

[nissanprerunnerdavid]

Got so brand new ball joints from rockauto for sale. Yhey dont fit the spacers but therereally good quality but im cutting the price so they are pretty cheap. 40$ shipped to your door.

[Mr.Dean_Yates]

cranking down on your torsion bars fixes the problems that most of us above did to fix the problem. As for the backspacing, I dunno. We run bigger tires. So I am not for sure on that one...

You can put a plate, of steel between your UCA and frame to help with the camber issue, kinda like a shim. pulls your upper control arm in, bringing in the top of the tire.

 

when you say crank down on the t bars...goin up or down? and the plate of steel...what exactly do you mean?and the clearance issue is easy...wheel spacers lol

[poor-mans-720]

oh yea, forgot... That would be perfect for your pre-runner look.. Lettme mess around with one of your photos really quick, and show ya what i mean...

[Mr.Dean_Yates]

lol okay cool man :) preciate it

[poor-mans-720]

Okay, so here we go... if you had a plate, say 3/16" thick, drilled two holes, where the red dots are, and slid it between your bolts, where the UCA bolts too, you make a camber adjustment.

So it will go towards the yellow lines, and the next pic, if your upper control gets moved back, then your top of the tire gets moved in

 

 

 

 

 

Tighten you torsion bars to raise them, if you are maxed out, there is a thread in the how to section that a bunch of us did to on how to re-index. it gets you more room to lift.

[Mr.Dean_Yates]

Okay, so here we go... if you had a plate, say 3/16" thick, drilled two holes, where the red dots are, and slid it between your bolts, where the UCA bolts too, you make a camber adjustment.

So it will go towards the yellow lines, and the next pic, if your upper control gets moved back, then your top of the tire gets moved in

 

 

 

 

 

Tighten you torsion bars to raise them, if you are maxed out, there is a thread in the how to section that a bunch of us did to on how to re-index. it gets you more room to lift.

 

okay so basically makeing a plate to move the uca up right? and as far as reindexing ive got that down gotta do that later after bleeding the breaks lol