Frozen alignment cams...

I am in the process of installing new shocks, I have the driver side installed but I used the method that does not involve a spring compressor(meaning I loosened the alignment cams). I have everything back together, but one of the alignment cams is frozen in place, I have it fairly close to its original position, but I am concerned that the dealership won't be able to do an alignment with the cam being seized. If anyone else has had this problem, What did the dealer/alignment shop say when you took it in? I am still covered by the platinum extended warranty, any clue if it would cover this or not?

 

Bump

 

I do my own DIY thrust angle alignments on my Taco. A couple of my alignment cams were frozen like yours within nine months after the truck was manufactured.

Be careful about using a lot of force in trying to move these it as you can (will) bend the alignment tabs next to the cams and ruin your day.

I made up a 50:50 mixture of acetone (Home Depot) and automatic transmission fluid and mixed it thoroughly (shake, shake, shake, shake and shake some more). Then removed the skid plates and loaded my mixture into a large syringe with a rather large needle. And for about a month, every other day I dripped the mix on the steel cam plates on both sides of the cams and allowed it to seep in. Do not allow the mix to run on to the rubber bushings themselves as the ATF will swell the rubber. Not sure what the acetone will do to the rubber and I don't want to find out the hard way.

However, if you are very, very careful, you can angle the tip of the needle to just allow drops to run down the frame mounting brackets on to the metal-metal pieces of the cams and and not touch the rubber parts. As a bonus, the rear-most cam bolts (only the rear ones), have two slots machined into and along side the bolts themselves. Take a toothpick and probe the rear ones where the threads stick out to find these slots. I stuck the syringe needle into these slots and injected them as well. One day the solution came out the other side of the cams too. Finally all four broke free with minimal effort.

Good luck.

 

Seized alignment cams on the 2nd Gens is a common problem

 

Thanks Taco'09, I'm taking it in for an alignment as soon as the dealer can get it in, hopefully they just replace the bushing or the LCA under warranty, but if not i will definitely give that a try. The front alignment cams are seized on the driver and passenger sides, but the rears moved effortlessly. This is kinda aggravating, but i cant complain,the taco hasn't missed a beat in nearly six years!

 

I'm not sure if this was bad, but I just soaked mine in PB blaster when I was putting in my new shocks and springs.

 

I doubt they will replace the LCA's outside of the 3 year bumper to bumper

 

Eh, I'm just gonna play dumb when I take it in for an alignment and just see what they say. The platinum is supposed to cover everything except wear items and rubber components(like windshield wipers, trim, tires, etc.)

 

Hopefully it works out for you

 

Fingers crossed! I'll update after I see what the dealership says.

 

Just for fun I looked at the chemical compatibility charts that Cole-Parmer has at the top of this site: http://www.coleparmer.com/Chemical-Resistance

My home brew in post #3 above uses acetone. I don't know what type of rubber the cam bushings are made of so the Cole-Parmer chart does not help here. To be on the safe side I would assume the worse case that acetone has a severe effect on the type of rubber used in the bushings. That is why I warned not to get the acetone-ATF home brew any of the bushing's rubber part, or an other rubber parts in the general neighborhood for that matter.

This chart might also be useful to others using their favorite type of rust penetration products. Look at the ingredients on the can and reference the Cole-Parmer chart above. The main ingredient might be what you are after, but look out for the carrier solvents that may be present in the ingredients as well such as hexane, heptane, etc. Might have to reference the MSDS sheet too. For example, silicone sprays, usually good for rubber, have been known to ruin many rubber pieces because of the solvents used along with the formulation.

 

I got my alignment done today, they had some trouble, but did get it within specs. Also I had the spiral cable recall done.

 

Not bad numbers

 

It definitely drives a whole lot better and only cost $65, but a new leaf pack is next on the agenda. The original packs are about dead, any recommendations? I have looked at the wheelersoffroad leaf pack, but haven't heard about many people running them.

 

Just picked up my truck today from the dealer. Brought it in a week ago for an alignment after new tires and the lower adj. bolts were frozen. Mine is a 2010 with 30k on it. They replaced the lower control arms and cam bolts. Hopefully they anti seized it when they put it together.

 

Not if they assembled it the same as the factory , lol