My ball joint boots are gettin a little dry rot... so it's going to be time for some LCA's soon.

Shrock, SLR, Calmini, SOMEONE make us some LCA's that don't wuss out at the shock mount and with a replaceable ball joint.

Can I get an AMEN!

no kidding... having exactly the same problem.

I rubbed a little silicone grease on them to hopefully moisturize the rubber a little (is that stupid?).

Would smearing some RTV on them help seal up the holes and make 'em last longer?

The good news is that they aren't THAT expensive... $153 each HERE

Now that, is a good idea.

(Visualize the raising of a frosty cold pint of beer in salute of this idea, which I will be doing in the not so distant future.)

No more interest than this???? aww come on, you guys all know you need LCA's.....

OK OK stop yer bitchin.

I NEED SOME LCAs!!!!! Like PRONTO, no... wait... I just had em welded alll to hell.

SO GET THEM INTO DEVELOPMENT. So I dont have to weld again. :p

I dont need them yet since I have an '04 but i'm sure i will in the future.

I'd like some; preferably by Calmini so they will work with the UCA's I already have!

I would love a lca that is about 1/4" to 1/2" longer then stock, and a lift uca to match it. this would get the 12.5's off the frame, factory lca, fuel line shield, etc.. A larger offset rim would just get me farther into the mudflap, and maybe sheetmetal.

So whats the deal with the LCA's? Do they also wear out with a lift?

LCA's wear out...they're a suspension component.

Ball Joints, etc...wear out...its just the way it is.

I think SLR has done a UCA/LCA set for long travel IFS on an X...and Total Chaos as well had done work on a system (no one I know hs either, but there are those here who have posted)

Yes. SLR does make a LCA as part of the long travel/Stage 5 kit. If you're going to get it done get it ALL done right!

Isn't that kit rediculously expensive, though?

I forget where I saw the price but I thought it was like $4000 or something...

Hey now. I didn't say it was cheap, I just said that they make one.

And the "kit" price does include shocks, shock hoops, bump stops, spindle extention , along with the billet uppers and HUGE boxxed lowers.

To be honest , if you looked at any high end kit like it from companies like Camburg or H&M it is a very competitive price.

I agree it's still expensive though.

Unless they have a different application.. that does nothing for you if you have 4wd. Notice there is no place for the front driveshaft.

They have made the kit for a 4wd.

Yeah, for that kind of money just do the SAS.

Lets see some pics of that. I would be interested to see how they get that done.

I don't have any pics but I know it was done.

I know the only reason why SLR hasn't released it along with pics is because there is a delay with the axle shaft manufacturer.

Oh kay. Got some pics.

It is for those people that are better served by IFS than by a SAS ('cause it costs about the same I think)... high speed desert running, jumping, mud etc.

I think most of us here would benefit more from the SAS - but this kit is pretty cool - and it has its uses.

Am I assuming correctly that the SLR kit still uses the torsion bars??? I know total chaos has a replacment setup that uses coil overs....anyone know if it is a good kit and how much it costs???

Tim

The TC is also a good kit. It still uses the OE pivots as well. There are advantages and preferences to both set-ups. Especially if you are going to still be using stock mounting points. With SLR's available 300M t-bars you can run a larger shock and still have a preferred spring rate.

Back to the topic.

What would you guys want in an OE replacement lower arm?

If you get a OE length hand welded boxed lower with an easily replacable ball joint you are probably looking at something in the area of about $500-600. You have to appreciate that if you really want strength you are looking at a multi piece (cutting hrs. + man hours welding + matterials) arm that is essentially the same as what I posted but OE length instead of being 3 1/2 inches longer.

I know what I paid for mine but is it worth it to you guys to have one that's indestructable if it's going to be pricy?

indestructable with easily replaceable ball joints, yes worth the expense.

Something OE length, a contoured (rounded) front (not square) so it will glide over stuff instead of biting into it, fully boxed bottom so it doesn't create a hang up point, Thru-bolted shock mount (I am thinking 1/4" plates) place to mount a progressive bump stop perhaps a pad for an air bump (if that's your taste)

same ball joint as the top, or a uniball....

Better steering stop stops, Teflon lined?

NO STAMPED METAL!

Oh yea, greasable bushings are a MUST!

I don't even care if it's painted pink

Like said, replaceable lower ball joints are key as well as more strength to resist what we can put our rigs through.

While easily replacement lower ball joints would be awfully nice, it's most definately not cost effective, if the arm would cost +/- $500 or so. Y'all aren't thinking overall cost, you're thinking maintenence cost.

I won't debate the estimate of how much LCA's would cost; SoCal covered it pretty well already, and his numbers seem really reasonable.

So if you're thinking a $500 set of LCA's would be cost effective, just to get a replacement lower ball joint, you're nuts! If you replace LCA's every 50,000 miles or so (which is reasonable if you beat on your LCA's severely; if not, then it'll take a good bit longer before replacing), you'd have to go over 150,000 miles before recouping that initial $500 cost.

And sure, an easily replaceable lower ball joint sure would be nice, the lower ball joints are ALREADY replaceable. You just can't buy them new. You have to buy used ones, then replace 'em. Which is annoying, 'cause you're getting somebody else's garbage.

What we really need, is an aftermarket ball joint. It's a weird design, but somebody's making the things. Either that, or we need a retrofit kit, to retrofit a D21 chasis lower ball joint into the D22 lower control arm. Something like that at around $100 or so a pop would be well worth it.

The strength issues on the LCA are few and far between. So the shock mount tears out... Re-weld it, and be on your way. That's not worth $500! About the only damage I've seen to a LCA, that really is a problem, is the pic I've seen w/ the LCA torn/ripped at the ball joint. So whatever caused that damage, yeah, a strong LCA would be helpful.

But I've only seen 1 LCA do that. Anybody else? 1 in hundreds of thousands X's and Frontiers on the road doesn't sound like that big/widespread of a problem to me.

Y'all aren't thinking about the big picture. It's not cost effective to spend a fortune on a bullet proof LCA, just to get an easily replaceable ball joint. It's just not worth it.

yeah - I'd agree that the ball joints are the REAL issue.

That would have been mine.



There's no telling what caused the damage but I'm pretty sure bouncing it off of all the rocks in the Mojave Desert had something to do with it.

Axle