2009-2023 RAM 1500 UPPER CONTROL ARM / UCA

Fitment:

• Fits 2009-2023 Ram 1500 trucks. 4th and 5th Gen.
• Does NOT fit/function OEM Factory Front Air-Ride suspension.
• Functions with up to 3" of lift.
• Compact ball joint area, to clear High Offset wheels and wide tires.

Details:

• Fully greaseable for smooth operation
• Custom High-Angle EMF adjustable ball joint equipped.
• Gusseted 1/4" wall DOM tube.
• Cold-Rolled Steel Machined Ball joint housing.
• Equipped with our 17-4 Stainless rebuildable main pivot joints.

This UCA project was a fun one! Significant amount of time dedicated to creating the best product we can. In line with our other products, our approach involves thinking creatively and pushing boundaries to deliver the highest quality product possible.

This often elevates the price a bit, but the best product is often not the most cost effective. This UCA might look somewhat standard, but it is far from ordinary. Read about all of the advantages, and work invested into this project, below:

Compact ball Joint - A central objective of this project, was the ability to keep the wheels tucked in similar to factory offset(+18mm), while being able to fit 12.5" wide tires. Most Uniball UCA's necessitate 0.00mm Offset wheels, so that the tires do not rub the much larger Uniball housing. Our arms do not have that issue.

To help achieve this, we employed a proven compact EMF ball joint housing, and internally developed a few different pins to ensure maximum suspension travel without binding. The steel that houses the ball joint is precision-machined in-house, from a solid 4-inch bar of steel.

EMF Ball Joint Advantage - The Ball Joint we designed these arms around started as a Lower Ball Joint for the 2003-2009 Ram 2500/3500 trucks. Excessive? We think not! Notably, EMF Ball Joints are fully greaseable, and you can adjust the tension inside of them on the vehicle, so when they wear a bit, you can easily add some to the preload collar and tighten them back up. We estimate 100,000 miles before a simple rebuild.

Upon determining the optimal pin design to facilitate maximum wheel travel, we collaborated with EMF to engineer a custom ball joint tailored specifically for this project. Suspension travel wise, these arms can swing all the way up to OEM bump position, and down past the OEM CV joints optimal range. Plenty of travel available! If you are doing a custom build, you can easily check and make sure you are getting no binding.

If you are not familiar with most standard ball joints, or Uniballs, they have drawbacks. Most standard Ball Joints just get replaced when worn out, same with Uniballs. On top of that, Uniballs often are very very tight when new, and can take many miles before they break in and spin freely. This can lead to sticky steering, and they can be noisy if not covered in a greaseable cap.

Geometry - Our UCA's for the Ram 1500 are modeled around the OEM geometry. This decision is rooted in several reasons. The Ram 1500 front end geometry does not mandate an upper ball joint location change, up to 3" of lift, and we don't suggest over 3" of lift, or your CV's are going to be put under too much load just going down the highway.

If you push the Upper Ball joint away from the frame even 1/8", you will have an almost impossible time not removing all Positive Camber when under 3" of lift. Contrary to the notion that UCA geometry alterations are mandatory, we find the existing OEM geometry to be optimal. In essence, if it's not broken, there's no need to fix it.

Main Frame Pivot Joints - These joints are based on our in-house designed and manufactured Orbital Control Arm joints, which are utilized in our Ram 2500/3500 products. Unlike rubber torsion bushings, these joints do not store energy, allowing for unrestricted suspension movement.

Crafted from 17-4 stainless steel, the Pivot Ball features a substantial surface area, resulting in minimal deflection for optimal handling and performance. However, it retains just enough flexibility to absorb road vibrations, providing a more comfortable ride compared to a rigid joint, like a Heim Joint for example.

Tubular vs Boxed Arms - We could have easily made a more cool looking boxed arm from plate steel, but in the end, the compact nature of tubing ultimately proves superior for this component. Boxed and welded parts take up more space, and packaging regarding a UCA is very important, especially when you are swinging a larger range with more travel. This tube is 1.25"x.25" wall DOM. It is very strong, and very compact.