Seized LCA and alignment issue

Yesterday I finally finished installing my new suspension and got my 6112s put on up front. I am stock UCAs and LCAs, and have my 6112s set to the 5/4 notch to yield 1.5" of lift after settling. During the install, the last step before removing the stock coilover is to remove the lower shock bolt, and the LCA is supposed to swing down (since I loosened both bolts on the LCA). However, the LCA didn't drop, and no matter the time spent with the BFH would do the trick. Ultimately I realized that if I turned the 30mm head on the alignment cam, I could swing the LCA down. I did that on both sides (which were both unable to move any other way) and finished the install. Put everything back together and went for a test drive. Everything looked and felt perfect, but I knew I needed an alignment regardless.

Today, I had an appointment for an alignment, hoping that things could be brought into spec with what I believe is the seized LCA bushings (because the front cam sleeve never did move independently, only moved with the LCA). After 45 minutes on the rack, the tech comes in, hands me my keys and says everything is good to go. All numbers are in spec and the job is done. Great I thought. I drive off. 100 yards down the road, I realize that things are not okay, because as the truck is going straight, I need to hold the wheel turned to the right in the 10/4 o'clock position (see specs in picture 1). Another four hours go by, as numerous techs and the boss all work on the truck, occasionally taking it for rides. Finally the come back, say the job is done, everything is good, and have a nice day (picture 3 is the final adjustment numbers). Well before I even leave the lot it's the same issue with the steering wheel not being centered.

Long story short I am obviously going to find another shop. I hope the new shop can get things into spec, even though on paper I technically am, the steering wheel is off center. I don't see why it's such an issue because that is solved with the tie rod adjustment which is functioning fine.

If I do have to cut out the adjustment sleeves and bushings, I can either buy a whole new LCA with installed bushings for a whopping $430 per side, or I can just buy new sleeves and bushings and install them myself which I have heard is a major major pain to press them into the old LCA.

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

And just so I'm better informed at the next shop, the numbers I ideally want to see are 0* for camber and toe and as close to equal as possible, and 2.5*+ for caster, correct? My third picture is how I drove it off and it looks almost acceptable to me on paper, minus the steering wheel being so off center.

 

Sounds like they didn't correct the steering wheel, or test drive it after the alignment at all. seized cams on a 2016 is kind of hard to believe, I live in the rust capital of the world and even on my 05 they didn't have issues doing the alignment. Ide change shops.

 

Yeah it doesn't make sense to me either, but it is 3 years old with 60K on it. What else would explain the LCA not dropping away after removing the lower shock mount when I already removed the two bolts on the ball joint and loosened the cam bolts?

 

Check your rack and pinion and tie rods, see if they are even or one side is stretched further than the other.

 

Ok I'll do that. Thats where the steering wheel being centered is adjusted correct?

 

That's one place

 

It does sound like your shit is seized, but it also sounds like that has nothing to do with your steering wheel being crooked. That's just the sign of a lazy tech.

 

These 3rd gens seem to have a low tolerance to bad alignments. I got a couple of them a d with the extra weight of the front bumper I had destroyed the rack.

 

Exactly. What numbers should I be looking for so that the alignment is "within spec"? Honestly if they get my numbers good and the wheel straight I"ll be happy. If I don't have to remove the LCA, I'd be none the wiser compared to where I was before I did the job. Honestly half the time I wish I was just some dumb person off the street who didn't know any better and paid someone to do the work for them and didn't care about anything but the word of the person handing them back their keys.

 

i had a somewhat similar issue with 'moving' final alignment specs. over about 10 weeks my truck went to 4 shops and incurred over $2,000 in failed diagnostic and work fees. and every shop before the winner (Tandem Auto in Ft. Worth) claimed to have it fixed. and they were flat wrong, not even close to fixed.

it would align on the rack perfectly. it would drive around the block ok. then i give it gas and it was back out of alignment with compromised articulation at the RF and a sound that was coming and going (of course the first 3 shops were expressionless when i asked them about that). after shop #3 failed and i towed it to Tandem, i told Pablo at Tandem that if you have to take apart the whole front end to find the problem then do it, and don't call me until you absolutely find it.

that happened... the front end came apart and the problem was a stripped LCA cam bolt, which explains why it was never found. seems a junior tech overdid it on that bolt during an early alignment with the truck, but i let it go.

with that failed bolt the LCA would move forward or back at the bolt depending on how the truck was weight-shifting. that doesn't happen on the rack which explains that part of it. so it essentially had two alignment settings: the rack alignment, and the weight-shifted alignment on road. it would go back and forth during driving. it was a nightmare on about 8 levels. and it cost me over $3,000 to find & fully fix. the messed up part is that i was pushing on every shop to look further and go deeper since i knew there's got to be a failed part in there, but none of them believed me and just kept talking contrived reasons that made no sense. a very expensive lesson. a $5 part.

 

Most shoot for 0 toe, 0 camber and as close to 3 on caster

 

Honestly if it drives fine and the camber is within spec (like it is above), just have them center the steering wheel and be done with it. The tech should be going for a test drive when they're done to ensure it's all done correctly.

 

Ok exactly my thoughts too. And they did take it for "drives" and by that one lap around the shop in the parking lot. I do all my own work and told my wife tonight this is exactly the reason why. I might spend some days out in the garage and not make progress, but at least I learned something. Today I wasted 5 hours and got nothing to show for it lol

 

Toyota says this is normal.

 

Do you know if it was the front or rear bolt? I know on one (I think the rear) there is a spline that the cam slides into. Was it those splines that stripped or the actual threads?

 

driver side rear bolt. re: second part, it was the bolt threads that failed.

 

Might be too late for you. But others be warned

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cam-bolt-question-now-with-answers-and-writeup.502084/

 

Out of topic but grease that cam bolt whenever it's out. No grease from factory. That's how it seizes with rust.

 

Saw that today, while I was on my phone for 5 hours in the shop waiting. If only I knew 20K miles ago... If I do have to replace these things, I'll be using gobs of anti-seize.

 

When i got my 2017 brand new with 5 miles on the tach I pulled the LCA apart and greased all the cam bolts after learning lessons on my old 2nd gen. And yes there was already significant rust on the sleeves and bolts. So with 60k miles i believe in a heartbeat that they might be seized already.