JBA Cradle Drop Lift Kit Upper Control Arms for Ford F150 2004 - 2020, 4 to 12 inch lift

How easy are the JBA arms to maintain?
The JBA upper control arms have 3 grease fittings on each arm. These grease fittings should be greased every 3000 to 5000 miles or when you change your engine oil. If you play in mud pits and streams we recommend greasing the ball joint when you are done.

What is an EZ lube bushing?
JBA has a patent on our control arm bushings. The EZ lube bushings have grease ports with a check valve. When you pump grease in the grease ports it builds up pressure and flows all around the ports in the bushing. When the ports are full the excess grease flows out over the check valves on the flange of the bushings. With the JBA EZ Lube bushing, there is no need to loosen the mounting bolts to release the grease pressure. These bushings will save you about 30 minutes of maintenance! The bushings are Synthetic Elastomer.

What is Synthetic Elastomer?
Synthetic Elastomer is a long-chained polymer with many urethane constituents. Over the years the formulation has evolved to yield stronger, yet softer compounds ideal for on and off-road applications. As the compound advanced to yield higher tensile strength, elasticity, and dynamic load capacity, JBA uses the bushing to help aid and tune suspension geometry and they will not squeak like polyurethane bushings.

What grease should I use in the JBA UCAs?
We recommend MOLY EP LITHIUM GREASE. Mobilgrease XHP™ 222 Special grease is an extended-service lithium complex grease intended for a wide variety of applications and severe operating conditions. This grease is designed to outperform conventional products by applying cutting-edge, proprietary, lithium complex manufacturing technology. It is formulated to provide excellent high-temperature performance with superb adhesion, structural stability, and resistance to water contamination. This grease has a high level of chemical stability and offers excellent protection against rust and corrosion. This grease features high dropping points and a maximum recommended operating temperature of 140º C (284°F). Mobilgrease XHP 222 Special grease is available in NLGI grades 2 or 3 with an ISO VG 220 base oil viscosity.
Mobilgrease XHP 222 Special grease is designed for a wide range of applications including the industrial, automotive, construction, and marine sectors. Their performance features make them ideal for operating conditions including high temperature, water contamination, shock loading, and extended re-lubrication operations. Mobilgrease XHP 222 Special is an extreme pressure grease fortified with 0.75% molybdenum disulfide that protects from wear under conditions of pivoting and other conditions that lead to loss of oil film.

What ball joint do we use in our control arms?
We have CNC machines to make ball joints out of 4140 steel. The ball joints have 90 degrees range of motion. The ball and socket are protected from the elements with a 100% sealed boot. We Cerakote the outside of the housing to protect it from the elements. There is a grease fitting on the top center of the ball joint where we recommend using a grease gun and adding 3 pumps of grease every time you change your oil and once you are done playing in mud pits and streams.

Reasons we do not use the uni-ball joint...
The Uni-Ball is designed for offroad racing applications, these vehicles are disassembled and they replace worn parts on the vehicle after every race. In other words, the Uni-Ball is not designed for the everyday weekend warrior who uses their vehicle for regular transportation more than they go off-road. The open design of the Uni-Ball allows dust, dirt, salt, and other debris to enter the component and wear it out prematurely. The JBA Ball Joint, on the other hand, has a sealed construction that keeps debris and the elements out, extending the life of the joint and allowing you to use it in your daily vehicle. The uni-ball only has 33 degrees range of motion vs the JBA ball joint with 90 degrees.