SPC upper control arm bushings. (2 Viewers)

[brando1]

The front end of the truck is all over the place. It very quickly went from good to unsafe over the course of two months. Now, I am an admittedly hard driver, but I’ve never seen this on a car before.

Look close.

Real close......

Somehow there is absolutely nothing left of the rear bushing. It’s like it was chewed off. I mean clean.

Obviously I need new ones. They have two sets. One for about $60 and the other for close to 300, but it is an updated style and includes a press tool.
Any reviews out there?

Second question?
What could cause this and how to prevent it? The passenger side looks fine.

 

[Kofoed]

Bush went dry and tore itself to pieces.....maybe it was assembled without grease? (just saying) If the wheel alignment is way off, the way to get the upper into alignment cause the bush to deform quite a bit


There is a greasable UCA out there that would eliminate the problem. I had a pair of SPC that had the bad ball joint. It was going out on a long trip, luckily I made it home. I got the new joint. Plus the way they fasten the ball joint to the arm is prone to slippage. I would not buy a SPC product again. The only thing I like about the SPC is adjustable to 4 degrees caster.

 

[brando1]

These things are expensive, not looking to replace the entire arm again. I was hoping somebody had some experience with the two bushing kits they offer for this.
Upper Control Arms should not be replaced in 3 years regardless of how you drive.

Alignment was fine, before the bushing blew out.

 

[gungriffin]

Are those greasable like the Nitro UCAs? It looks like they are not after looking into it.

I just looked up the two SKUs that you mention. That is quite the difference in price... Wow. Do you think it might be worth contacting SPC to see if the would offer you a prorated price on either of the replacement parts?

 

[mmm635]

The front end of the truck is all over the place. It very quickly went from good to unsafe over the course of two months. Now, I am an admittedly hard driver, but I’ve never seen this on a car before. View attachment 1957414Look close.

Real close......

Somehow there is absolutely nothing left of the rear bushing. It’s like it was chewed off. I mean clean.

Obviously I need new ones. They have two sets. One for about $60 and the other for close to 300, but it is an updated style and includes a press tool.
Any reviews out there?

Second question?
What could cause this and how to prevent it? The passenger side looks fine.

Are you sure they were installed correctly? From the photo you posted, it looks like there is no space between the bushing washer/plate and the side of the control arm bracket /frame. There should be some space between there if the Axxis spacers were used. Apparently, they are very important for the function.

I just installed a set on my LX and it seems like you are missing the washers...

 

[brando1]

Those look like the newer, updated bushings. Those look like new control arms, apparently SPC upated the design of the bushings, and offer both kits.

 

[hoser]

Second question?
What could cause this and how to prevent it? The passenger side looks fine.

When aligning the front end, I imagine, if you distort the bushings the least amount, they will last the longest and present the least amount of binding. In other words, all the caster should be adjusted via the ball joint and all the camber, via the poly bushings... keeping the bushings sleeves as square as possible to the arm.

For those interested, here is the XAXIS upgrade kit.

 

[a_traut_man]

My SPC UCA bushing are going the same way. From what I've read and heard they have since realized the bushing wear is a big, aggravating issue.

@hoser do you have the upgrade kit installed on an older set?

 

[hoser]

No, I don’t have the upgrade kit.

 

[Kofoed]

No, I don’t have the upgrade kit.

They SPC had to upgrade s***ty, weak ball joint, and now they upgraded bushings. What's left? This is why I won't buy SPC stuff anymore, see post #2.

 

[brownfox]

Are you sure they were installed correctly? From the photo you posted, it looks like there is no space between the bushing washer/plate and the side of the control arm bracket /frame. There should be some space between there if the Axxis spacers were used. Apparently, they are very important for the function.

I just installed a set on my LX and it seems like you are missing the washers...

View attachment 1957550View attachment 1957551

Yours looks like it bent the outer housing when the adjustment nut was torqued. I say this because I just installed these and it appeared as though there was a hair of a gap on the outer edges when I put them in.

 

[2001LC]

@mmm635 may have hit the nail on the head. I've not done the UCA mod. But if this bend done during install. Then improper install. It would indicate a spacer was needed!

 

[gatormark91]

@mmm635 may have hit the nail on the head. I've not done the UCA mod. But if this bend done during install. Then improper install. It would indicate a spacer was needed!
View attachment 1958218

^this. It looks like the spacers were left off with the install, and the rubber bushing actually walked it's way out to one side.

 

[abuck99]

They SPC had to upgrade s***ty, weak ball joint, and now they upgraded bushings. What's left? This is why I won't buy SPC stuff anymore, see post #2.

Tend to agree with you. Product refinements are great, but at the expense of early adopters really sucks. Ive got about 20k on mine and the bushes still look ok but I’ll be watching closely now. $258 for replacement bushes is F’ng ridiculous. Thats halfway to a new set of UCA’s.

These new bushings look similar to nitro and Trail Tailors new UCA (minus the little washers). Good to know there are several other good or better options available.

 

[gatormark91]

Tend to agree with you. Product refinements are great, but at the expense of early adopters really sucks. Ive got about 20k on mine and the bushes still look ok but I’ll be watching closely now. $258 for replacement bushes is F’ng ridiculous. Thats halfway to a new set of UCA’s.

These new bushings look similar to nitro and Trail Tailors new UCA (minus the little washers). Good to know there are several other good or better options available.

I don't see a design problem, I see a bad install. That said, I wouldn't ever buy SPC again, because their stupid distribution model left me in the lurch, cost me hundreds more money for no reason, to fix an order mistake (which should be noted was my own fault). Other vendors would have been able to help me correct the problem, SPC actually can't because of business choices they made that prevents any flexibility. They drop ship everything for almost all their vendors, so if you order from anyone that isn't a stocking dealer, it comes direct from SPC. So your vendor is helpless to assist.

 

[mmm635]

Yours looks like it bent the outer housing when the adjustment nut was torqued. I say this because I just installed these and it appeared as though there was a hair of a gap on the outer edges when I put them in.

In reference to my pic, there is some truth to that. I had to use a pry bar just to get the inner mount of each connection into the frame, and also while slipping in the Axxis spacer. So, this left more room on the outer mount side to move in when torqued down to factory spec.

Here is the same mount taken another angle...

 

[gatormark91]

In reference to my pic, there is some truth to that. I had to use a pry bar just to get the inner mount of each connection into the frame, and also while slipping in the Axxis spacer. So, this left more room on the outer mount side to move in when torqued down to factory spec.

Here is the same mount taken another angle...

View attachment 1958358

View attachment 1958361

You didn't use two spacers?

 

[brownfox]

They only gave me 8 total, one for end end. Multiple spacers wouldn’t center on the adjustment bolt. The spacers are recessed on one side to sit over the flex joint.

 

[gatormark91]

They only gave me 8 total, one for end end. Multiple spacers wouldn’t center on the adjustment bolt. The spacers are recessed on one side to sit over the flex joint.

Sorry, that's what I meant... two, one for each side, eight total would be right

 

[mmm635]

You didn't use two spacers?

I used a spacer on each side - total of eight. I was talking about the installation of the inner one...the outer washer on each connection slipped right in with no issues. Basically, the arms should have probably been about 2-3 mm wider to eliminate this issue.