At first, I didn’t think I needed new UCAs. The lift kit literally said I didn’t. When I got the 4Runner aligned, everything showed up “green,” so I figured I was in the clear. But after a few too many sketchy highway drives and a deep dive into front-end geometry, it became painfully obvious—I absolutely did need new UCAs.

Let me just say: these things are awesome. The difference was instant. No more white-knuckle moments over highway bumps wondering if I’d end up in the next lane. And huge props to JBA—their customer service was top notch, and the arms themselves are seriously well built.

But… don’t make the same mistake I did and think this is a quick job. I went in thinking “30-minute install.” Five hours later, I was dirty, frustrated, and questioning every decision that led me here. The first red flag? My impact gun broke on the first lug nut.

Passenger Side: I started here, and things went pretty smooth—until I got to the ball joint. My press didn’t fit any of the adapters I had, so out came the hammer. After disconnecting all the brake lines and a few strategic whacks, it finally came loose. I had to bend the inner fender a bit and move the A/C line, but the old arm eventually came out. My daughter helped guide the bolt back in while I wrangled the washers—team effort. Got everything torqued to spec and feeling good.

Driver Side: Armed with experience, I figured this one would be easy. Wrong. When I hit the ball joint, I skipped the press and went straight for the hammer—no luck. So, out came the torch, penetrating oil, and a bigger hammer. That finally did it, although my efforts seriously mangled the old ball joint.

Of course, I wasn’t done. To remove the UCA, I had to disconnect the battery, a wire loom, and even the airbag sensor. Nothing like a bit of “please don’t deploy” anxiety to keep you alert. My daughter came through again to help line up the bolt, and I torqued everything down. Then, in a moment of brilliance (or exhaustion), I managed to turn my wrench into a welding rod reinstalling the battery. Sparks everywhere.

All that was left was to grease the joints and go for a test drive—simple, right? Not exactly. My grease gun decided to disassemble itself mid-walk from the shed to the garage, covering my leg in Mystik. Once that mess was sorted, I finally got everything lubed up and cleaned myself off.

My wife joined me for the test drive, and within seconds of backing out of the driveway, it was clear this was a huge improvement. At highway speed, the steering felt solid, confident, and exactly how it should’ve been all along.

Alignment’s next, but I’m calling this one a win.