This can't be right. Some please check cam bolts for me

I just had a questionable alignment done at a dealer here in central Maryland. I'm not satisficed that the job was done properly, after observing a female tech struggling to get the cam bolts loose and then starting to use a torch. I interceded and am not sure if I saved the cam bolts from being torched, she definitely did the tie rod bars with it because she couldn't break the adjusting nut on it. I saw evidence of heat on those

I had no issues breaking my cam bolts myself when I put in my TRD OEM lift kit this last weekend. I was checking under my truck just now and I don't remember seeing all of this clearance of the cam plate and bushing and frame.

Can someone check their rear cams and tell me if you have the same exhibited space that I am seeing with mine? The cam bolts seem tight but I don't remember seeing this much space, or even the lesser amount of thread on the bolt where it's sticking out of the cam.

Is this normal?

Driver side rear cam:


Passenger side rear cam:

 

Gap looks a little big but the bolt length looks about right. Here is a 2021 rear cam.

 

Does your engine have a decent oil leak?

 

That's Fluid Film

I am concerned about the gaps though. Trying to compare with others here. I'm really concerned she fucked up my front end.

 

They can't be overtightened. There is a bushing that is between the ears.

Odd thing about cam bolts is the bolts tighten, but the nut is used for adjustment.

Torches on tie rod ends and lock nuts is normal. Torches don't work on cam bolts.

 

Why bring it back to the dealer to do an alignment? Does the truck drift or what makes you think the alignment was done wrong? Any play in it?

 

I installed the TRD OEM lift kit with the shocks set on the third groove. That gave me 2" of lift. According to Toyota I needed to have an alignment done afterwards.

I had previously marked my cams before I had loosened them to drop the LCA's during the lift install, so today I could see where she adjusted them. Currently cams opposed (left vs right) to each other do not have the same movements indexed on the cam plates; I would think they would need to be the same. There is variance. This is the alignment sheet from the dealer.

 

There will be some adjustment made after a lift it wont be the same as a stock ride height Tacoma I get that part I just meant why bring it back there vs a shop that deals more with lifts rather than stock vehicles? There could be a range of things that would cause one side to be adjust different from the other. I'm not expert on the subject and maybe someone else can chime in but if there's no play and it doesn't drift I'm not sure what would be wrong with it outside of uneven wear of the tires over time

 

They are fine, you are over thinking it. This is why I hate when customers watch me.

The alignment is good for stock arms as well. Not ideal, aftermarket arms will improve this

It wouldn't hurt to retorque all the cam bolts after a week.

 

As others are indicating, the numbers are good. Camber and toe are in range and positive caster is good. The gap you see is due to positive caster.

Anything over about a 1/4” of vertical suspension change requires an alignment as evident by your first sheet being out of spec. In the future, you can avoid loosening the LCA bolts when installing a lift, just make sure the spindle is free and use a pry bar on the LCA if you need additional room for the shock.

 

Thank you all for your responses so far.

I need to grease those cams and bolts. I found a good guide here on how to do it, even after I installed my lift. I had the golden opportunity to grease them this last Sunday when I had everything taken apart. But I didn't because I wanted to get the lift done. I don't know why I hurried. I have all the time in the world these days.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/...riteup.502084/

Those gaps in the rear cams just are unnerving me. I can imagine all of the crap that's going to get into the bushings now from road debris/winter road treatments.

The toe concerns me also. I know that it was -0.03 in total prior to the alignment, but now it's +0.12 in total? That's seems to be excessive to me for toe out. Is the +0.12 overall toe common for Tacoma's?

If not, I'd like to see it dialed down some for better tire wear.

 

Also don’t torch the cam bolts. It’ll melt the bushings