C'mon, someone has to run these and have some things to say about them............

 

Can't comment on droop. No complaints except they squeak alot, as the joint is open, be prepared to lube them very often. Teflon spray seems to work the best

 

What was your motivation for buying them if you did not expect improved articulation? People comment that the ride is better, but I just can't imagine that difference alone is worth buying them for.

 

I have the TC versions which basically All Pro copied. They do squeak a bit and helped with alignment of my lift but I believe (dont quote me on this) your wheel droop will only be more if your shock can travel further (longer than stock). I cant imagine spending $500 on an item for the stock suspension when the stock UCA's work fine.

The price does sound good though:bigthumb:

just my .02:cheers:

 

As with any aftermarket control arm they just get the upper ball joint into a more neutral position. When I had my RC lift my ball joints became the limiting factor in down travel, or "droop". If you don't want to deal with a squeaky uniball, Camburg makes some that utilizes the stock ball joint. That's what I chose to do, as I hate squeaks. Any UCA with an open uniball will require a fair amount of lubing to keep them quiet.:cheers:

 

Well no, I would not add these to a stock suspension. I have the Toytec adjustable coilovers with the Bilstein 5100s. I am guessing that this setup, with the All Pro A-arms would give a little extra articulation.

Any ideas on how much extra wheel droop I could hope to achieve with the All Pro A-arms??

BTW, thanks for the feedback guys!

 

its not necessarily for improving your wheel droop, the lift stresses the stock upper control arm ball joint because it wasnt designed to be at the angle, so as the boot stretches, it rips, and causes the ball joint to become contaminated. My stock uca ball joint boots were ripped about a year after my lift, and drove on it for half a year until i upgraded to total chaos ucas. I wouldn't go back to stock ball joint after having uniballs, they do squeak but its a small price to pay for better performance.

 

OK, so I totally get the stress thing and that this is a better setup, but I get a little foggy with "performance" being better. Everybody says the performance is better, but I am not getting through my thick skull exactly what "performance" would consist of.

 

Whenever you lift a vehicle, you lose caster. With a proper aftermarket UCA, you can correct the geometry and regain the lost caster. That lost of caster can make the FJ feel a little jittery. I have AP UCA with the 1.25" uniballs. It has held up nicely after a year of use. Anyone with aftermarket UCA will tell you their UCAs squeak-open or closed. You just have to keep an eye about lubrication. Really, if you think about it, it's not high tech. Get the geometry right, have quality joints and welds, and you'll have a good product.

 

Yeah, it makes sense that this is the thing to do. I guess I am just looking for that tangible benefit to be gained and it is tough for me since my vehicle rides fine the way it is.

 

Sounds like you've ultimately answered your own question. It doesn't seem like they'd be worth it to you given your usage.

 

Here are some pictures comparing the stock and AP arms.

 

Yes, I do contact the coil. That is why I would think that I would get some extra droop after going to the All Pros. However, most here are saying that you really shouldn't expect much more travel. This makes me think that my contact at the coil is only at the end of my current travel, anyway.

Here is what I DO know. I am not happy with the articulation of my current system. I also know that I have no alignment issues or "feeling squirrely" on the road. If I thought that adding the UCAs were taking me along the path of a better articulating system, then I would probably do it. However, if I thought that I were adding the UCAs and hardly any extra droop were going to be gained AND I would end up replacing them again when I found a front suspension that I was willing to commit to.....well then it is a waste of time and money to me.

I guess I will keep sitting on this project and researching and deciding what to do with my suspension next.

 

I have the stock suspension with the daystar spacer loft. The fj is in the shop right now the ball joint on the stock uca is busted. They said about 600 just to replace one side. I'm thinking about buying the all pros since I'm planning on getting new shocks soon. Are they hard to install yourself?

 

It's not too bad. It will take significant force to get them to tighten, but that's to be expected. It'll be handy to have some help. Extensions are also needed to get into some of the tighter spots.

 

I've never measured differences in front end suspension "droop" as there is so little in any case that it is hardly worth measuring. IMO, the main reason to go with the aftermarket UCA is to allow you to bring your FJ back within factory specs after installing a lift. I made my first Summit trip back in '08, I70 across the country. Driving reminded my a little of my old 1964 Ford Falcon with narrow bias ply tires. It wanted to wander and pull from side to side especially when in highway "ruts" made by heavy truck usage. The next trip out west in '09 with my Total Choas UCAs and all was well again. Big difference.