Bad misalignment issues....

Hi all,
I need a little help.
The short story is that I bought new tires and had the shop install Light Racing UCA's at the same time.
They had the truck for two days, now there's trouble.
The numbers they showed me were roughly in spec (I left the printout there which was a mistake), but when you look at the truck I can't believe the camber is right.


Not only that, there's a weird and scary problem. As I drive there's a always a time where the truck kind of dives to the right or left. It's like there's a buildup of stress in a bushing or something and then the truck front end drifts and dives left or right. Then I drive for a bit and it happens again. I cannot believe they didn't notice it on the test drive. It's scary and the truck must move six inches or a foot to the right or left. It's not tire tracking...but I have no idea what it is.

They had to add these too for the alignment, looks like they're maxed out on both sides.


Long story:
This started with my Duratracs being cupped. The shop told me the bushings on the UCA and ball joints were bad. I thought it would be a good time to get Light Racing UCA's to go with my Icon coilovers and AAL.
I spent $450 or so on the UCA's, then $1500 at the shop to install them and add Firestone Destinations. It took two days and when I get the truck the camber is so bad it looks Disneyesque.

Before I left the shop Friday night they tried to explain the camber by saying the coilovers sag over time and that might be why the tires need to be canted out so far.
I'm bringing it in tomorrow morning to see what they can do. I'm so out of my league though any advice would be helpful.

I gotta say, I'm not a rich man and this cost is crushing.
I thought it would cure my wobble woes which had gotten really, really bad, and now I'd happily go back to the wobble to give up the scary dive.

In the plus column the new tires have no cupping and are nice and comfy....

 

This is definitely an issue you need to get handled, it is going to eat up your new set of tires and be a PITA to drive.

I took my truck to 2 difference local alignment shops after I install my icon kit, both times the truck left the shop worse than when I took it in. I finally decided to call the dealership I bought the truck from spoke to the service manager he understood the situation, $80.00 and I was out the door with a perfectly aligned truck.

I know it sucks but at this point the shop has shown they are not competent enough to do the alignment. You might be able to get them to pay for the alignment when you can show them it was possible but that one is going to be a long shot.

 

What did they set the UCA's at?

 

Good question...
I don't see a value, but the ball joint is tucked all the way back to the engine bay.



Is that what you mean?

 

Wait a minute, shouldn't I see the end of the adjusting washer here??



....and it looks like the ball joint is 180 degrees from where it wants to be.
Holy smokes. It must be the ball joint swiveling 180 in my UCA's that I feel when the truck does it's shuck and jive...right? Or am I way off?

 

On mine the flat side is out that says SPC on it. Mine is also adjusted all the way out towards the tire opposite of yours. Hold on and I'll try to get a pic.

 

Here you go.

 

I'm not sure what I'm looking at with pic, but your shop that did it is full of shit, I've done several LR UCA's with no issues at all, & they def. come with the best,easiest to understand install/info guide its almost impossible to fuck up....

 

Another angle.



I think they may have yours in backwards.

Did you give them the instructions when you took it in?

 

Backwards

 

That's why the camber is off so much and it's adjusted all the way in. They put the ball joint in the wrong direction.

 

Thanks a bunch Murph.

Could I trouble you to look in the groove just below the UCA and above the SPC label? There's a kind of washer in there that can be used to adjust the caster. At least there should be. Can you see yours in the UCA groove? I can't see mine and assume it's missing. I assume that's the weird motion I get when driving. I assume that without it the ball joint is spinning around so the flat side is front, then the round side and back again.

Thanks again Murph, I'm in your debt.

Edit* Whoops, got a few replies while I was typing that...looks like the consensus is backwards. Not only that, but the damn thing must be spinning around in there. FFS how does that happen?

 

I know it's in there. I assembled and installed them myself.

 

Yeah, I wish I had done the same.
I'm convinced mine aren't in there based on how my truck will pull right, or left randomly.

Holy smokes...
Hope I can order more of those things. If they really aren't in there, they must have been tossed.

Thanks again Murph.
Very much appreciated....

 

Did you give them this sheet when you took them in?




It's not hard to figure out how they assemble and it locks in place.

I remember it saying that the SPC went out in the instructions somewhere in the +2 position.

 

I guess what I meant was, is it visible?
Should I be able to see it poking out a little?

 

That's where I set mine and the alignment was perfect. They were also a SPC dealer and had seen them before. They went on and on about how they wish those were on every lifted truck cause they align perfect.

 

I'll try to get a pic if I can of it.

 

I got the box shipped directly from the manufacturer. I bought it from Wheelers and it was back ordered so Wheelers was kind enough to get the manufacturer to ship it to me direct. Which was awesome. That way I could get it faster.
I gave the shop the whole box. No idea if the instructions were in with the box, or if the instructions get added by Wheelers after...

So.
No idea if it made it in there.
Probably not only because the shop has always seemed competent in the past.

 

If you look close right above the part that says SPC there is a flat washer in the pic. That is what locks the ball joint in place.



I'll get you a link to the instructions you can print off.