JBA Upper Control Arms Installed!

[telenerd]

My JBA control arms just showed up! So far very impressed with the quality. The ball joint moves a full 90degrees and everything seems very stout on the control arms and very well packaged. These control arms are popular in the Toyota world and excited to give them a try. Balljoint is also easily replaceable without press on the vehicle. JBA even sent me a text and saying they would be sending me additional emails on maintenance and aligning.

Excited to get them installed! I’m running Bilstein 6112s on my 2 door badlands Sasquatch and my alignment shop couldn’t get it aligned to spec after lift on the stock UCAs. Can’t wait to see how they perform on trail especially with the added 1 inch of down travel they claim. I plan on running them with Mickey Thompson MT 35s.

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[SierraBronco]

Slick setup!

 

[BAUS67]

Ball joints look alot like an older GM joint.

 

[telenerd]

Ball joints look alot like an older GM joint.

I believe you can use those in a pinch. The JBA balljoints are also fairly cheap, unlike some brands that are around $300 bucks like Icon.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

Just read up on them, that sure looks like one heck of a value (and they're purty, too!).

 

[telenerd]

Just read up on them, that sure looks like one heck of a value (and they're purty, too!).

Yep! Great customer support too. I like how JBA only specializes in control arms and ball joints manufacturing. They have a small niche market and very reasonable prices for made in the USA.

 

[RoLyMa27]

My JBA control arms just showed up! So far very impressed with the quality. The ball joint moves a full 90degrees and everything seems very stout on the control arms and very well packaged. These control arms are popular in the Toyota world and excited to give them a try. Balljoint is also easily replaceable without press on the vehicle. JBA even sent me a text and saying they would be sending me additional emails on maintenance and aligning.

Excited to get them installed! I’m running Bilstein 6112s on my 2 door badlands Sasquatch and my alignment shop couldn’t get it aligned to spec after lift on the stock UCAs. Can’t wait to see how they perform on trail especially with the added 1 inch of down travel they claim. I plan on running them with Mickey Thompson MT 35s.

I just got an email From Marlin reminding me it's time to grease my UCA's. If you are installing them yourself, be aware that not all Bronco Shock Towers are the same. According to Marlin they have found that some are wider than others. Mine are wide and the UCA did not even seem to fit. When you watch the installation video the installer just puts the UCA on there with no force at all. Mine required a considerable amount.

 

[RoLyMa27]

Yep! Great customer support too. I like how JBA only specializes in control arms and ball joints manufacturing. They have a small niche market and very reasonable prices for made in the USA.

We'll be passing through your neck of the woods next weekend on our way to Billings to see our daughter.

 

[Destination Bigfoot Bronc]

Jesus, those are pretty

 

[telenerd]

I just got an email From Marlin reminding me it's time to grease my UCA's. If you are installing them yourself, be aware that not all Bronco Shock Towers are the same. According to Marlin they have found that some are wider than others. Mine are wide and the UCA did not even seem to fit. When you watch the installation video the installer just puts the UCA on there with no force at all. Mine required a considerable amount.

I will post back on how my install goes. I’m waiting on a Synergy track bar to arrive before I do the work with a friend.

 

[telenerd]

Synergy track bar should be here Monday. Then hopefully I can get my JBA control arms installed!!!

Synergy makes great stuff and one of the only manufacturers that has high clearance control arms for Bronco and zero maintenance bushings. Wonder why Synergy aren’t more popular for Bronco yet.

 

[Fordified1]

Yep! Great customer support too. I like how JBA only specializes in control arms and ball joints manufacturing. They have a small niche market and very reasonable prices for made in the USA.

JBA started out building headers and other parts for Foxbody Mustangs, I believe JBA off-road is just a small subset of what they do.

Edit: Apparently there’s more than one JBA company and don’t appear to be affiliated.

 

[telenerd]

Finally installed the control arms with the help of a friend. Install was a complete nightmare. The control arms would not fit on the shock tower. We had to use a pry bar to get them on. Then the driver side we figured out an easier way. You have to go in from the top and punch the control arms down. Way easier but I shouldn’t have to do this or JBA should have something in the instructions or install video. I can’t imagine if we couldn’t get to to the control arms they would be impossible to install. JBA needs to change the tolerance on the bushings so they slide in easier.

Otherwise Bronco tracked straight on highway going 80mph and feel torsionally stiffer cornering on fast highway exits. Should feel even more different once it’s aligned and brought into spec. There is plenty of space on the control arm for multiple different shocks and a ton of clearance for big tires at full lock.

Need to get them off-road for articulation test. So far I am impressed minus the install. Took about 3 hours of cussing and yelling at my friend.

 

[RoLyMa27]

Finally installed the control arms with the help of a friend. Install was a complete nightmare. The control arms would not fit on the shock tower. We had to use a pry bar to get them on. Then the driver side we figured out an easier way. You have to go in from the top and punch the control arms down. Way easier but I shouldn’t have to do this or JBA should have something in the instructions or install video. I can’t imagine if we couldn’t get to to the control arms they would be impossible to install. JBA needs to change the tolerance on the bushings so they slide in easier.

Otherwise Bronco tracked straight on highway going 80mph and feel torsionally stiffer cornering on fast highway exits. Should feel even more different once it’s aligned and brought into spec. There is plenty of space on the control arm for multiple different shocks and a ton of clearance for big tires at full lock.

Need to get them off-road for articulation test. So far I am impressed minus the install. Took about 3 hours of cussing and yelling at my friend.

I told you so. I said there's no way these things fit. I called JBA and that's when they told me there's variances in the shock tower widths. If you watch the install video they go on with zero force.

 

[telenerd]

I told you so. I said there's no way these things fit. I called JBA and that's when they told me there's variances in the shock tower widths. If you watch the install video they go on with zero force.

Yeah I agree my friend is a seasoned weekend mechanic and won King of the Hammers a few years ago. He knows how to spin a wrench and it was very difficult job for him. We all had some colorful words to say.

I sent JBA a nice feedback email. Hopefully they make changes for the tolerance. After pulling the stock arms off they are so flimsy.

Super excited to see how it drives once it’s aligned and taken it off-road.

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