Limiting straps to prevent load on ball joints?

[Dustin Jackson]

The details of my suspension can be found in my signature


Hey guys. I’m lifted a bit and have cut the factory droop stops. I suspect that my upper ball joint is now acting as a droop stop because to get the upper balljoint installed I have to jack up my lower control arm and compress the strut to get the ball joint in.

This leads to a jarring sensation when the front wheels reach full extension or droop when coming over speed bumps or anytime there is no weight on the front end and the front wheels get to fully extend.

My theory is I need to get some limiting straps installed in the front so that when the front struts fully extend my upper balljoints to take the beating for it.

Thought?

Picture of pretty lady

 

[mb1500]

Probably a good idea. You don’t want your UCA joint to let go at speed.

 

[SmileB44Death]

Any updates on finding some?

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@SmileB44Death I found these online but I haven't bought them yet.

Front Limiting Straps for GM truck, SUV models with 2-3

Cognito Motorsports developed limiting straps to limit droop on GM truck and SUV models that used the factory upper control arms for this purpose rather than the shocks. With the addition of a 2-3

www.rockymountainsusp.com

 

[Trey Hardy]

@SmileB44Death I found these online but I haven't bought them yet.

Front Limiting Straps for GM truck, SUV models with 2-3

Cognito Motorsports developed limiting straps to limit droop on GM truck and SUV models that used the factory upper control arms for this purpose rather than the shocks. With the addition of a 2-3

www.rockymountainsusp.com

Mine was the same way until I swapped to the uniball uca. They took all the uncomfort out of the ride

 

[Dustin Jackson]

Mine was the same way until I swapped to the uniball uca. They took all the uncomfort out of the ride

@Trey Hardy thanks what arms did you go with?

 

[Trey Hardy]

Catch ‘em on sale like I did @Dustin Jackson

Fabtech FTS21128 Control Arm Kit https://a.co/d/8bljqEG

 

[Trey Hardy]

Before when I would go over pot holes or mainly bad train tracks it would feel like the suspension would bottom out and almost dance left to right over the bumps it rode like shit.
Where I would hold the wheel with two hands and slow down to 45 I now cruise over it 75-80 driving with my kneecap coil overs helped allot also but just the arms were night and day over the rough country arms I swapped from.

 

[Trey Hardy]

Note you need a reaming tool to ream your spindle. I diddnt have one I did mine wallowing it out with a drill bit little by little until it fit correctly.
One of the bad reviews where one broke was from not reaming his spindle and blamed fabtech for a faulty part…
I’ve had mine for 3 years now almost on both vehicles and my buddy has had his for 4-5 years neither of us has had to replace the uniball or bushings yet and we put ALOT of highway miles on them.
To clean them I use wd40 and lube I use a dry Teflon spray for uniballs and heim joints

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@Trey Hardy I jacked up my Tahoe and realized that at full droop my CV axles bind up so I think if I went with those control arms I would be overextending my CV axles even more so for now I think the limiting strap is the way to go until I can revise my suspension, suspension is pretty new so no big changes in the works

 

[Dustin Jackson]

This is with a diff drop as well, and not the little puck one from rough country. I am using a larger diff drop I bought off eBay and the CV axles still bind up at full droop along with upper ball joints

 

[Trey Hardy]

This is with a diff drop as well, and not the little puck one from rough country. I am using a larger diff drop I bought off eBay and the CV axles still bind up at full droop along with upper ball joints

I never had a issue on my Silverado when I added the arms later I swapped the bilsteins for the icon coil overs and cv axles has not given me any issues
However she’s got the 7.5” rc lift dropped down to 5.5-6” with the diff drop and cv spacers if that makes any difference.
My Tahoes got the front cv axles pulled out because I’m to cheap to get new ones beings I daily drive it 99% on the highway I have no need for them

 

[Trey Hardy]

This is with a diff drop as well, and not the little puck one from rough country. I am using a larger diff drop I bought off eBay and the CV axles still bind up at full droop along with upper ball joints

Shoot just found a pic I did have it raised up to 8.5” when I had the 37s on still no cv binding

Here’s how she sits now

it’s Squatting because I got the bed loaded down with mulch up to the rails

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@Trey Hardy I believe it, but for some reason when I jack up my front end and try to spin my wheels they don’t want to move but when I lay the front control arms on jack stand I can turn the wheels again

 

[Trey Hardy]

Chevrolet/GMC 1500 Pickup Tahoe Suburban CV Spacers 2007-2016

4x4.fatbobsgarage.com

Ever throught to try the spacers? Or I know this sounds jerry rigged but some 1” pucks on top of the differential drop brackets?
I believe some cv axles off the newer trucks maybe the at4 I’m probably mistaken are longer shaft wise and might would work better with your suspension setup.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@Trey Hardy I did the NorCal mod today and while in there I saw that my upper control arm comes in contact with the spring at full droop, so I have a few t problems going on here. The result of parting my own lift kit together

 

[Trey Hardy]

@Trey Hardy I did the NorCal mod today and while in there I saw that my upper control arm comes in contact with the spring at full droop, so I have a few t problems going on here. The result of parting my own lift kit together

Ahhh I do remember that when I stretched out my lift with my old rc control arms they would hit the stock coil spring on the strut at full droop. More of a reason to justify to the wife of getting a set of fabtech arms!

You can see how close they are to the coil over sadly I can’t find a pic of them with the stock struts installed

here’s the fabtech arms with the stock struts installed though and they cleared just fine!

 

[Dustin Jackson]

Yea I’m running the moog 81069 equivalent in the front which is moog 81244 and they are a bit thicker than the stock front spring hence why it is contacting the control arm.

After all this discovery I’m going back to thinking a limiting strap is the best option and just limit my front travel 0.25” shorter than it’s current full extension to avoid the suspension collision and it should be good.

The way I have it setup makes the Tahoe great for absorbing impact, I have no concerns going through dips or over bumps, the problem comes up when I drive over a crest and the front wheels become unweighted the suspension smacks against itself as it fully extends.

I really like my height and stance. About 3.5 inches lifted and 1.5 inch wheels spacers on factory wheels with 33 inch tires. But I understand this isn’t an ideal height, I would like to get the 4 inch rancho kit that tozan has but it’s been discontinued and I doubt any retailers have it.