Did Big O screw up my truck???

Thursday I took my truck into Big O to get an alignment after installing 5100's last weekend. They were unable to complete the alignment telling me that the front drivers side LCA/alignment bolt was rused into the bushing and they could not move it. So yesterday while leaving to work I noticed a new and quite pronounced clunk when turning sharply out of my driveway. Was planning on making a 150 mile drive last night, but luckily I crawled under it and noticed this before I left.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mE4tr6nhhg







That is the passenger side rear alignment bolt loose. Opposite corner from the one they had trouble with. To me it looks like they didn't tighten it at all. Look at the marring on the tabs from nut spinning around.


So a few questions:
-With the tabs in that condition, will my truck even be able to keep a solid alignment?

-Any suggestions for dealing with Big O?

-What would be the correct way to get this fixed?


Thanks in advance, hoping I can get this figured out realatively quickly as I don't feel safe driving the truck in its current condition. I know tighting it will mess up the alignment even more, and being they can't do an alignment in the first place I'm really lost as to a place to start.

 

not safe to drive with the bolts loose like that. and the clunk you heard was probably the control on moving all over the place. you can tighten the bolts and drive it somewhere and get an alignment. if they are rusted together the parts from toyota are about 65 bucks. i had to replace mine little bit of a pain but not to bad. do not drive it with those bolts loose

 

Yeah your alignment won't stay the same with that.

My opinion is that you should contact Big 0 corporate directly. They likely will have the store manager contact you from there. At least corporate will be aware of the situation and might pressure the individual store/owner. I'd either have them pay toyota to repair or see what they propose, possibly pay to have the t/c gussets welded on.

I'd say if you can get reinforcing tabs like TC makes for 2nd gens I'd do that. If the cams are seized that needs to be addressed separately.

I had a terrible experience with my local Big 0 and suffice it to say I will NEVER return, and it wasn't even to the level that they screwed up here with you.

 

Sounds like your local Big O lacks experience and ability.

Find an alignment shop that works on a lot of 4x4s and get parts replaced if needed.

If you have to drive it to a shop - go sloooooow.

Unfortunately too many shops out there don't know what they doing.

 

Just wondering about what would have happened if that would have popped out going down the road at 65....

 

Because you can hire any dick off the street..most new alignment machines show you step by step how to do it, most even tell you the tools you need to do it

 

Bad things all of which would involve you wrecking your vehicle and possibaly not walking away or others that you hit when it let loose.

Cypher

 

I wouldn't be too concerned about it shearing the bolt personally but it's definitely not good nor would I continue to drive on it knowing now. Just my opinion.

 

Nearest Toyota dealer is 70 miles away. I have an appointment at the local Big O 8AM monday morning to show them their screw up. I really don't want the people that caused this trying to fix it. Looks like I'll be in for some towing and some time without my truck.

 

I've had a similar problem at Firestone working on my truck in Florida. And they did half the work right and half of it wrong. They didn't even swap a part like they wrest suppose to. But long story short I got a full refund after moving back to California . Even for the stuff they got right was refunded.

But they also wanted to fix the problem and I said if they couldn't do it right the first time. Why would the get it right the second.

GL with solving your issue. I blows when a corporation f's up like that. You have to be on the phone awhile (at least I did)

 

They didn't charge me anything because they were unable to accomplish anything, but I still want my truck in the condition it was in before I took it in.

What would be the correct way to fix those tabs? Want to know as much as I can before I go in ther tomorrow.

 

PMd ya back

 

I could be wrong but it looks to me like they were trying to loosen the wrong side of that bolt. If I'm not mistaken you loosen it from the other side(the actual bolt side not the nut side) then rotate the nut side in the pics to adjust allignment. Somebody chime in on this one. I dont think all the scarring on those tabs could happen driving it looks like they were spinning that side around.

 

you either have to bend the tabs back and run a bead of welds down the back or the better fix http://www.chaosfab.com/toyaccess_taco.php

its a common problem I would not bother with big O they will just fuck it up more

 

oh and the alignment cam is siezed in the bushing too, some have had luck getting them out but some including myself have cut and replaced them, right now your alignment changes as your suspension cycles

 

Ok,

So today they replaced both the bushing and the bolt on that bad one. Kind of surprised they did that much. Everything seems pretty solid, but I still question those tabs. I will be taking it to my mechanic next week to check on those tabs and do whatever is needed to get it properly aligned.

Thanks everyone for the help. Its was nice to know exactly what was going on when I went in there.

Brett