I knew before I got my truck that I was going to modify the suspension. Lift, wheels, and tires are the fundamentals of any truck build. I didn’t jump right into a full premium lift kit. Mainly because I wanted to see what else would be released this year, but also to see the hype myself for kits like the Peak 2-Piece Trail Kit. This kit has a preload collar that goes between the spring perch and bottom of the spring, alongside a top hat spacer. But if you’ve ever lifted a Toyota, you know that UCAs are essential if you’re doing anything more than a small leveling kit.
At 2.25″, I knew the front suspension could benefit from upgraded upper control arms. So, in order to make everything stronger, alignment easier, and to get ready for a full 2.5 coilover/shock kit in the future – I grabbed a set of these tubular arms.
After 15,000 miles, I feel confident writing up a review. You need to put at least 10,000 miles on any control arm before you can comment on any kind of longevity and maintenance. I daily drive my truck, but we’ve also been out to wheel in Colorado and Wyoming when it was warmer out. Let’s take a closer look.
Table Of Contents
Product Breakdown & Details
-
- made from 4130 chromoly steel
- super strong material, resilient
- gusseted by inner pivots
- built with increased caster and better pivot angles
- helps with easily getting alignment into spec
- makes for better handling, stability, increases longevity
- uses 1″ stainless steel uniball from Probearing
- even and smooth suspension travel
- improves articulation, especially with aftermarket suspension
- inner pivots are Probearing SilentSpins
- self-centering, quiet operation
- maintenance and grease-free
- preassembled, ready to install
- signature metallic gray powder coat
- install instructions available
- limited lifetime warranty (on non-wearable parts)
- made from 4130 chromoly steel
Why & When You’d Install These
Why…
- because your front end is lifted more than ~1.5-2 inches
- to complement lift after adding larger tires
- you know you will subject your truck to more stress off-road
- to correct and making alignment easier after a lift
- for improving articulation
When…
- after or alongside a new suspension install (components will already be disassembled)
- after noticing factory components are worn (noise, play, etc.)
- proactive upgrade for durability
Install Overview & Initial Impressions
Installing UCAs is not terribly difficult, but if it’s your first time, you’ll want to make sure you have the right tools and take all the right precautions.
The basic install overview includes disconnecting the ball joint from the spindle/knuckle, removing the main pivot bolt, taking off the splash guards, and moving some small components out of the way to clear removal.
If you want to see more, check out my YouTube video – First 4 Mods To My Tacoma. I touch on the whole install for the entire kit and a few other parts.
After install, the alignment shop didn’t have any problems getting everything into spec.
Right off the bat, everything felt super tight and controlled. With the uniballs, you may encounter some extra tightness (felt through the steering wheel) but this goes away once the joints are broken in. I had zero noises or issues after everything was finished.
Long Term Performance
On-Road Use
I, like many owners, have spent the majority of my time on pavement. As I said, this is not just my adventure rig, but my daily driver. Compared to stock, the steering and front end feel tighter and more responsive, even after thousands of miles.
I have zero noise and both the SilentSpin inner joints and the uniballs have remained quiet. All my alignment specs have remained well within tolerances. Any alignment issues I attribute to hard hits off-road that move the cams around. Without the added stress there, I would have had perfect alignment, even after all this time. I haven’t seen any premature wear either.
Off-Road Use
Much like on-road, the arms have done well off pavement as well. Whether we’re talking the tires/wheels taking hits from rocks, dropping off ledges, or being exposed to dirt and water, they are operating effectively the same as when they were new. Arms like these do support better and more articulation, but that’s tough to measure without precise processes. I also haven’t taken full advantage of this, running a relatively simple lift kit that mainly uses the factory suspension components.
Just like on-road, the arms have been quiet and joints have remained in good, quiet, condition. No clunks or squeaks. No pitting in the uniball. When you wheel, you usually run into fitment issues the most. These arms have more than enough clearance, even with my 37″ (tall) and 12.5″ (wide) Arroyo Tamarock RTs.
I haven’t done any maintenance yet, or really needed to, but it’s probably time to give the uniballs a good cleaning and throw some dry lube on there to maintain the metal and Teflon lining. Powder coat looking like new as well. No sign of rust or corrosion.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- strong materials and solid construction
- improved geometry and alignment
- quiet operation
- low maintenance
- good for lifted trucks
Cons (considerations)
- premium arm means premium price
- installation may not be DIY for all
- cost of install and alignment to consider
- may have lead time depending on stock
Maintenance
Aftermarket parts usually mean more maintenance. However, with recent advancements, we’ve seen increased longevity and the parts require less attention.
The inner pivots don’t need anything. I’ve seen several arms running the Probearing SilentSpin bushings, and they have easily lasted 50K miles with no issues.
Exposed uniballs do require more attention, but the main thing is that you keep them clean, especially after wet, dusty, and muddy conditions. If you live in an area where they salt heavily in the winter, you’ll have to take extra precautions (like more frequent undercarriage washes) to ensure you get the most out of your setup. With routine cleaning and lubrication (dry lubricants like Triflow), you’ll get plenty of life out of the uniballs. You’ll know your uniballs need replacing when steering gets loose and you hear bad squeaking along with play in the joint.
Final Thoughts
To not repeat myself too much, I like to keep these final thoughts short and sweet.
Peak Suspension has been growing in popularity. They offer everything from basic lift kits, to full 2.0 and 2.5 packages, to upper control arms. Overall, I see good feedback from the community and my experiences mirror the positive reviews out there.
If you’re looking for a solid set of uppers to complement your new lift kit, make sure you check these out. Let me know if you have any questions!
