btf spacer lift ball joint issues

[ghatzi3]

hey guys im planning on buying a spacer kit for my ex from btf and i know btf makes extended upper control arms but i dont feel like spending the money on them right away. how many of you are running the stock ones? any issues with ball joint life?

 

[Mr Dubya]

Depends on how big the spacers are. If you're running fronts under 2" then you should be okay. 2" and above and I would hesitate to put that much stress on them. That's my humble opinion. Without the UCAs, prepare for coil contact with the knuckle if you're in that over-2" range.

I had this issue just over the fall when I did my lift.

 

[Ronin8002]

Agree with Dubya. Taller is not necessarily better with these spacers. Sure you get more ground clearance with a tall spacer, but at the expense of reduced suspension downtravel and a harsher ride, not to mention a ton of stress on the ball joints. Compromise is key. Stay with something like 1.5-1.75" max spacer in the front and your stock ball joints will live longer. You'll still have spindle to coil contact with this setup, but you'll have more suspension droop available before it happens (as opposed to a taller spacer) and a better ride.

FWIW I ran a 1.75" front/1.5" rear set of spacers on the stock upper control arms for a bit and it was OK. Once I started offroading though, I went with the BTF arms and an even smaller spacers (1.25/1).

 

[Dirt Destroyer]

Are limit straps still recommended if going with a more conservative spacer like 1 inch.

 

[Ronin8002]

depends. You'll have to flex out the suspension and see. When I was running 1.25" front spacers with BTF arms, the uniball cup would hit the springs at full droop on ones side, and the spindle would hit on the other side. Had to do with the positioning of the coils. I wasn't too crazy about that, so that's why I did the limit straps.