Dealer Aligment Failed - Seized Camber/Caster Bolts - DIY Fix

Front and rear bushings have different inside diameters; that'll be your first indication as to what goes where. Mock it up on the bench. Be sure to index the existing eccentrics before attempting to take them off the truck so you can get them close enough with the new stuff for your drive to the alignment shop. And please don't take it back to the dealer for your alignment. Please.

 

Great Pic! Thanks.

I probably have to take it back to the dealer, as he said he’d redo it in spec once I got the LCAs fixed... So it’s worth it for the money I already spent.

I noticed this in another thread about this issue: “Some people have had problems with the cam plates being rounded out by the cam bolts, so just be very careful when adjusting them and make sure you (or the alignment tech) are cranking on the correct side of the nut/bolt.”

Can you elaborate on specifically what to what out for?

 

Believe that is a reference to . Not applicable.

 

Copy. Will report back next week some time.

Thanks man. Real huge help. Tacomaworld again FTMFW!!

 

Ok, one more question (I swear!).

One of the frame tabs on side of the cambolt is really bent. Big deal or no?

 

Yes. Bend that back straight and weld in behind all 16 of them to reinforce. Because if one is bent now, you'll find a way to bend the rest.

 

You could also get total chaos cam tabs if you're so inclined. It replaces the thin factory ones with beefy ones. No way in hell those are getting bent.

 

OP, sorry but unfortunately you have been caught in the alignment/alignment cam hell. Been in your exact situation... Hopefully some of this will help.

1. Truck pulling/steering wheel off center. You said that it was pulling to the right. However the alignment numbers would suggest that it should actually be pulling to the left, and possibly with a relatively strong pull. Because it is not doing that you either have a tire issue or have found yet another incompetent alignment tech and/or machine out of calibration. Or you have a tire issue.

Steering wheel off center. This is the #1 complaint of drivers everywhere who have received bad alignments and is also the #1 sign the tech did not know what they were doing. It simply does not have to be off center. It is caused from attempting to adjust the toe and doing a bad job, or one of the jam nuts on tie rod ends was frozen and they tried to adjust toe using only one side. This a common and inexcusable shortcut.

If this were mine:

a. Check to make sure that both jam nuts adjacent to the tie rods ends can be moved. If not, fix that problem first.

b. Find another alignment place because the current one has absolutely no idea what they are doing.

c. If it still pulls after a new alignment, look closely at the tires as tire conicity will cause a mystery pull every time. This topic is best addressed in another post if you are still having issues.

2. I suspect that so many of the tabs adjacent to the cams fail because all sides of the cams have wrench flats and inexperienced techs are unaware of proper adjustment. They just cannot be turning stuff willy-nilly and may actually be causing the damage. The wrench flats on both sides are there to be used together during adjustments and as counter-holds for tightening the bolts.

For example, using the front cams for the purposes of this discussion, the proper way to adjust that cam is to sufficiently loosen the 19mm bolt on the front side and then use two wrenches -- one being on the opposite eccentric -- to turn the cams together.

However, what happens way too often is the alignment guy encounters a frozen or just hard-to-turn cam that was not loosened sufficiently and/or tries to turn the cams using one side only, and then resorts to the big wrenches or going gorilla. The result is too much force is placed on just one of the eccentrics against one the tabs which slightly binds the eccentric relative to the other side. So they use even more force that then bends the very thin tab.

On my truck they bent flat 6 of the total 8 tabs.

The tabs adjacent to the cams are important because they serve as a backstop to the eccentrics so that when turned the whole arm i moved in or out to obtain camber/caster. The tabs also seem to assist in keeping the arms in place once everything it tightened up. Can it be aligned with flat tabs? I have seen it tried by using crow bars between the eyes of the LCA and frame mounting points to move the arms but this is not the correct method and IMHO may allow it to get knocked out easier. And I suspect many places will refuse to attempt an alignment with that way.

3. As mentioned, I faced your exact problem. What I decided to do was first address the poor factory design of the tabs next to the eccentrics. I purchased the TC kit and had it welded to the alignment mounts.

4. You can cut out the old cam bolts using a sawsall and the correct blade. Where most go wrong is trying to cheap out on the blades and then spend all day or more and their entire pay check throwing blades at it. Don't do that. Go get a pack of the Leonox gold (6", 14tpi,

$17 LENOX Tools Reciprocating Saw Blades, Metal Cutting, 6", 14 TPI, 5-Pack (21067614GR)

https://www.amazon.com/21067614GR-Reciprocating-Medium-Cutting-6-inch/dp/B0009MZJ6O
I have done this job several times and this seems to work best for me.

5. Lube new hardware: Yes, absolutely. Some use water proof grease some use anti-seize. I started using a marine grade anti-seize made by Permatex but use it only on the bolt that goes through the bushing and in the center metal sleeve of the bushings.

In any event, remember the sleeves of the OEM bushings where they are pressed in the eyes of the control arms are not suppose to move because all articulation of the control arms comes from the rubber in the bushing itself. There is an orientation to the bushings in the eyes of the LCA, and it is different front and back, so pay attention to that.

 

Thank you for this! Going to get some good metal blades tomorrow and cut these out. Got new LCAs and cambolts today.

 

Hey @EDDO quick question for when I got at these tomorrow:

When I try and break the 2 cambolts on each LCA, is there a certain side to go from that is better than the other. In my research I’ve seen some reference to watch out for this, but it wasn’t clear.

 

19mm socket and your breaker bar on the bolt heads will take you as far as you can go before you bust out the sawzall.

 

On the most forward bolt, you loosen the side facing the front. On the other bolt, you loosen the rearward side

 

That was not as bad as I thought but certainly no fun as all that I gain from this is the ability to align my truck!

Took about 3.5hrs. Jack front, remove tires, skid plates. Remove lower shock bolt, break lower ball joint castle nut, remove two bottom knuckle/spindle bolts. Then the LCA will drop down. Mark alignment with paint pen. Try and remove the cambolts (from the outside nut/bolt ends of the LCA, not the inside bolt ends). My two rear bolts came out fine. The front two bolts came out, but the sleeves were seized. Get sawzall and 8-10 metal blades (14-18TPI). Slide the blade in the front most crack between the bushing and bushing washer (not against the frame LCA mount). Go at it with even pressure working the blade in evenly. Every couple minutes change the blade (let saw cool down) and eventually the sucker will drop out. You’ll then need to pry the LCA out of the frame mount (being careful not to bend the frame mount!). At this point, pop the knuckle off the old LCA, and screw it on to the new LCA (a BFH and a few pops, will knock it free). Then carefully lay out the new camber/caster bolts (it’s a little puzzle on how they are oriented) slather in Anti-Seize and button it all back up in reverse to torque specifications (shock bolt 61lbs, spindle/knuckle 118lbs, LBJ nut 103lbs) Set alignment, and lightly torque down the cambolts. Once car is back on ground torque down the cambolts at ride height to spec (100ft/lbs). Go get an alignment (for me that will be Wednesday, but that’s why you mark it out, so you can still drive!).

Thanks for all the guidance along the way.

 

Bravo man!! Don't you just love how simple things turn into major tasks? Frankly I'm surprised that not all 4 of the bolts were seized.

Since your factory tabs look to be in good shape, you may want to consider having a bead run along the outside of all the tabs to strengthen them prior to doing an alignment. You could simply drop the arms and have someone do the welds, paint, set the cams to midway, and head for the alignment.

BTW, only toe is set at the factory. ToMoCo does not set camber or caster at all on the trucks but merely installs the cams so they point midway. Really. They then leave it up you once purchased to get a real alignment if to drives funky or wears tires.

 

I had to bend back one or two of the tabs slightly with hammer. I guess the dealer bent them when trying to break the seized bolts, but I really don’t see how that’s possible..

Thought about reinforcing them by having someone weld a bead, but I don’t off-road very roughly, so I don’t really think I’ll bend them that way.

Once I go in for the alignment, which the dealer agreed to do for free, I will never be going back to a Toyota Dealership again for any service.

 

Congrats on getting this done op!

 

If torching out & replacing the LCA bushings, does anyone have an idea what size of press is needed to fit the

$153 Whiteline W53312 Front Control Arm Bushing, Black

Whiteline W53312 into place? I know they're a tight squeeze. Wondering if a 12 ton press would do it but thought I read somewhere that a 20 ton might be required.

 

Well it’s all said and done and I finally was able to get an alignment!

How are these alignment numbers?

 

Don't you have aftermarket UCA's?

 

No stock.