Next Level Performance
November 9, 2026 β’ 9 min read
Our Verdict
For most leveled or mildly lifted 2007β2013 Silverado and Sierra 1500 trucks, the Superlift Cast-Aluminum Upper Control Arms are the best value.
They restore ball-joint angle and caster for a 2β3.5 in. lift at around $250, clear the factory coilover, and bolt in with the stock hardware. Step up to the ICON Delta Joint arms if you off-road hard, or SuperPro if you want built-in alignment correction on a street truck.
Shop Our Top Pick βThe best upper control arms for a 2007β2013 Silverado or Sierra 1500 are the ones that give the ball joint back its working angle after you level or lift the truck. Drop a 2 in. leveling kit or a small lift into a GMT900 half-ton and the factory stamped-steel upper arm runs out of travel: the ball joint binds at full droop, you cannot dial caster back to spec, and the coilover can contact the arm. An aftermarket upper control arm (UCA) fixes all three. Below are the three arms we actually sell and install at NLP Performance in Tampa, FL, from a roughly $250 bolt-in to an $880 off-road piece.
Why do leveled 2007-2013 Silverado 1500 trucks need upper control arms?
A leveled or lifted GMT900 half-ton needs upper control arms because the factory upper arm only has enough ball-joint travel for stock ride height. The 2007β2013 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 use an independent short/long-arm (SLA) coilover front end. When you raise the front 2β3 in. with a leveling kit, spacer, or taller coilover, the lower control arm drops and the stock upper arm's ball joint is forced near the end of its angular range. Three problems follow:
- Ball-joint bind and wear. At full droop the joint maxes out, which accelerates wear and can tear the boot.
- Alignment out of spec. Leveling pulls caster and camber out; without a correction arm you often cannot reach the factory target of roughly +3.5 to +4.5 degrees caster.
- Coilover contact. The raised coilover body can rub the stock upper arm. Aftermarket arms are shaped to clear it.
A purpose-built upper control arm relocates or re-angles the ball joint (or swaps to a uniball), adds caster, and clears the coilover β so a leveled 2007β2013 1500 drives straight, wears tires evenly, and can run a taller 33 in.-class tire.
Cast-aluminum upper control arms relocate the ball joint for lift clearance on GMT900 half-tons.
Signs your 2007-2013 Silverado 1500 needs new upper control arms
The clearest sign you need upper control arms is an alignment shop telling you the truck is out of caster spec after a level or lift and cannot be corrected. A few other symptoms point the same way on a GMT900 half-ton:
- A clunk over bumps from the front end, often a worn or binding upper ball joint.
- Inside-edge tire wear after a leveling kit, caused by camber and caster that will not return to spec.
- A steering wheel that will not stay centered or a truck that wanders, from lost caster.
- Visible play when you rock the tire at 12 and 6 o'clock with the wheel off the ground.
- Coilover-to-arm contact β a rub mark or tick near full droop on a lifted truck.
If you see any of these on a leveled or lifted 2007β2013 Silverado or Sierra 1500, a correction-style upper control arm is the fix β it restores the geometry and replaces the worn joint in one part.
The 3 best upper control arms for the 2007-2013 Silverado & Sierra 1500
Our picks cover three budgets and three use cases: a value bolt-in for a leveled daily, a street-tuned set with built-in correction, and a sealed-joint arm for hard off-road use. Every one fits the 2007β2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500.
The Superlift arms are the value play and our top pick for most trucks. They are cast aluminum with pressed-in ball joints, shaped to clear a raised coilover, and designed to recover alignment with a 2β3.5 in. lift. At around $250 for the pair they cost less than half of a premium uniball arm, bolt to the factory mounts, and carry Superlift's limited lifetime warranty. For a daily-driven, leveled GMT900 on 275/65R18 or 285/65R18 tires, they are all most owners need.
What We Like
- + Best price of the group β around $250 per pair
- + Pressed ball joints, no separate joint to buy
- + Lightweight cast aluminum resists corrosion and salt
Things to Consider
- β Sealed ball joint is not rebuildable like a uniball
- β Tuned for 2β3.5 in.; not for tall 6 in.+ lifts
The Superlift arms bolt to the factory mounts with pressed-in ball joints for a leveled daily.
The SuperPro set is the pick when alignment and bushing feel matter most. It pairs a steel arm with SuperPro's polyurethane pivot bushings and a built-in offset that adds caster, which helps a leveled street truck pull straight and track true. Poly bushings shrug off the road salt and grit a daily-driven 1500 lives in and resist the deflection that wears a soft rubber OE bushing. At roughly $481 (marked down from about $572) it sits between the budget Superlift and the premium ICON, and it is the easiest of the three to dial to spec on an alignment rack.
The ICON arm is the no-compromise choice for trucks that see washboard, trails, and big tires. It replaces the stock arm with welded tubular steel and ICON's patented Delta Joint β a sealed ball-joint-style pivot that takes misalignment loads like a uniball but stays greased and quiet like a ball joint, so there is no squeak or constant rebuild. It adds caster for a leveled or lifted stance and carries a lifetime warranty on the Delta Joint. At about $880 it is the priciest option here, and that buys durability a daily driver may never need β but a wheeled GMT900 absolutely will.
Key Specifications β Superlift Top Pick
2007-2013 Silverado 1500 upper control arms compared
Here is how the four upper control arms we stock for the GMT900 half-ton stack up. The Superlift is the best all-around value for a leveled 4x4; the Ridetech StrongArm is a 2WD street-handling arm rather than a lift arm, so pick it only for a lowered or stock-height 2WD.
| Kit | Joint | Material | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superlift Cast-Aluminum UCAsTop Pick | Pressed ball joint | Cast aluminum | Leveled 4x4 daily (2β3.5 in.) | $251.99 |
| SuperPro UCA Set | Ball joint + poly bushings | Steel | Street alignment & tracking | $480.66 |
| Ridetech StrongArm (2WD) | Rod-end pivot | Tubular steel (2WD only) | Lowered / stock 2WD street | $575.00 |
| ICON Delta Joint UCAs | Sealed Delta Joint | Tubular steel | Off-road & big tires | $879.95 |
The ICON Delta Joint takes misalignment loads like a uniball but stays sealed and greased.
How to choose upper control arms for your GMT900 1500
Choose your upper control arm by how the truck is set up and how hard it is driven. Three questions settle it for almost every 2007β2013 Silverado or Sierra 1500:
How much lift are you running?
A 2β3 in. level or small lift is the sweet spot for all of these arms. The Superlift is purpose-built for a 2β3.5 in. front lift. If you are stacking a taller 4β6 in. kit, follow the lift manufacturer's arm recommendation instead β a half-ton leveling UCA is not a tall-lift arm.
Daily driver or trail truck?
A pavement-biased, leveled truck is happiest on the Superlift or the SuperPro: quiet, sealed, and easy to align. A truck that sees dirt, washboard, and big tires wants the ICON Delta Joint, which handles the shock loads and misalignment of articulation without wearing out.
SuperPro ships as a matched pair with a built-in caster offset for street alignment.
2WD or 4WD?
The Superlift, SuperPro, and ICON arms suit the 4x4 trucks most owners build for winter and towing. The Ridetech StrongArm is a 2WD-only street-handling arm β the right call for a lowered or stock-height single-cab 2WD, the wrong one for a lifted 4x4.
SuperPro's poly bushings add caster and resist salt-belt wear on a street-driven 1500.
Installation and alignment notes
Upper control arms on a 2007β2013 Silverado 1500 are a bolt-in job that takes a competent DIYer roughly 2β3 hours per side's worth of work with hand tools, and they must be followed by an alignment. The coilover has to be unloaded to free the upper ball joint, so a spring compressor or supporting the lower arm safely is required β the coil is under heavy load. Once the new arms are torqued, set the truck's ride height, then put it on an alignment rack and target roughly +3.5 to +4.5 degrees caster and near-zero camber so a leveled truck tracks straight and wears tires evenly. At NLP Performance we recommend budgeting for a four-wheel alignment with any control-arm install.
ICON's welded tubular steel arm is built for washboard, trails, and 33 in. tires.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need upper control arms to level my 2007-2013 Silverado 1500?
Not for a mild 1β2 in. level, but they are strongly recommended at 2 in. and up. A small spacer level can usually still be aligned on the factory arms, but as lift increases the stock upper arm runs out of ball-joint travel and you cannot reach the caster target. Aftermarket upper control arms restore that range, so the truck aligns to spec and wears tires evenly.
Will 2007-2013 Silverado upper control arms fit a GMC Sierra 1500?
Yes. The 2007β2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 share the same GMT900 front suspension, so every arm in this guide fits both trucks. The ICON kit also lists the half-ton Tahoe, Suburban 1500, and Yukon XL 1500, which use the same front end.
What size tires can I run with leveling plus upper control arms?
A leveled GMT900 1500 with upper control arms commonly clears a 275/65R18 or 285/65R18 β roughly a 32β33 in. tire β with minor trimming depending on wheel offset. The upper control arm itself does not add tire clearance, but it makes the lift that creates the clearance drivable and alignable.
Ball joint or uniball upper control arm: which is better for a daily driver?
For a daily-driven, pavement-biased truck a sealed ball joint (Superlift) or ICON's sealed Delta Joint is better than an open uniball. A traditional uniball offers maximum articulation but is exposed to water and salt and needs periodic service, which makes it noisy over time on a street truck. The Delta Joint gives uniball-like misalignment capacity while staying sealed and greased.
How much do upper control arms for a 2007-2013 Silverado 1500 cost?
Expect roughly $250 to $880 per pair. Value cast-aluminum arms like the Superlift start around $250, street-tuned sets with poly bushings like the SuperPro run near $480, and premium sealed-joint off-road arms like the ICON Delta Joint are about $880. Budget for a four-wheel alignment on top of the parts cost.
Are these upper control arms good for winter driving in the salt belt?
Yes. Cast-aluminum arms like the Superlift resist corrosion well, and sealed joints (Superlift's pressed ball joint and ICON's Delta Joint) keep salt and slush out of the pivot, which is exactly what a four-season or snow-belt truck needs. Poly-bushed arms like the SuperPro also resist the grit that chews up soft OE rubber bushings.
Level Your GMT900 the Right Way
Shop upper control arms, leveling kits, and suspension for your 2007β2013 Silverado or Sierra 1500 at NLP Performance.
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