LCA?

Is it possible to over tighten the LCA cam bolts and tear the bushings?

I went to belle tire to get an alignment. They said the LCA ball joints were bad, which they showed me and were bad. So they replaced them and did the alignment. But when they were either tightening or loosening the driverside rear cam nut, it stripped the nut, so the placed a different nit and a washer on it and said "they tightened it to 150ftlbs". And it should be fine. So I drove it 1000 miles and went back to have them check the alignment and the bolt because it doesn't feel right and pulls to the driverside a bit. They pulled it in and said they can't check the alignment because the driverside rear LCA bushing is bad. Strange that it happens to be the same bushing they stripped the nut on. So I'm a little pissed, and feel that they messed up the bolt tension or something that lead to the bushing failing. Of corse for $160 they will replace the bushing and re-align it, but once they tear it apart and try to put it back together I'm afraid the cam bolt, disc's, and nut will also need replaced on that side of the LCA, of corse for another $140.

And if they have it all apart, would it make sense to just have both bushings replaced?

So I believe they over tightened the bolt, and maybe the colt was rusted to the bushing sleeve, and maybe caused the bushing to tear. Of corse I can't really prove that, just wondering if anyone has had a similar problem, and venting a little bit.

Thanks for the insight, and the ear.

Also, it's on a 2012 Baja, 95k miles.

 

LCA bolt torque is 100ft lbs, not 150.

 

Yep, I know. I checked the FSM. Thanks