auzivision

Is this a show stopper?



Guy at the alignment shop took a look at this and stated I need to go to a frame show to get this repaired.

So far all I have is this one photo of the front bolt. The rear bolts are also "Offset" a similar amount. And this condition is true on both side, just slightly less on the left.

Trying to get to a highly recommended alignment shop across town to get a second opinion. Am I wasting my time?

Turc928S4

Is the other side of the control arm properly set in the pinch bracket?

Turc928S4

It's also impossible to bend that section. It might just need to be loosen and pushed back. Tighten the front in position then the back.

davek9

Its not a show stopper, but you could loosen the rear two at the cross member then push that assembly (lower control arm) back a bit, hold it and tighten it all down.
Remember don't torque until it settles on the ground.
You will need an alignment either way.

I just went through this after replacing MM's and pan gasket on the one I'm supercharging, lots of on your back fun right there

auzivision

Would it be a reasonable expectation that a good shop that does frame and alignment could fix this?

https://www.yelp.com/biz/northwest-f...t-zionsville-2

I wish I had another day or weekend to work on this, but game plan is to leave for SITM afterwork tomorrow. I't would be worth a couple c notes not to have to get dirty on my back.

Adamant1971

I would say yes, it's not hard at all. Just give them clear instructions and some $$$.

davek9

Right, they will just do the alignment "as is", loosing that assembly is not part of a Typical Alignment..

auzivision

The most recommended shop in town is booked till next Wednesday. So I'll monkey wrench on the control arms over the weekend instead of all SITM Shenanigans

Hoping there is some wiggle room and I get them lined up better. Also, I'll have time to check my bearing and ***** and possibly the dog bones and grease the sway bar bushings.

What else should I check while I'm down and dirty?

worf928

This-^

skpyle

Damn...going to miss seeing you, Curt!

dr bob

IIRC there are "guide sleeves" where those collars anchor that are supposed to keep the collars in the correct fore-and-aft position.

Pull one bolt in the front and look up inside to see where the collar and the threaded boss in the frame are relative to the hole in the collar. If the collars are in fact forward of the holes, loosen but don't remove the rest of the bolts, so one is removed from each collar. Then use a tapered bar in the threaded boss to move the collars back. Do this with the weight on the car if you can if you don't want to have to re-settle the suspension. Put a jack under the adjacent lift pad JIC, and just a turn loose on the bolts.

I'll speculate that the car may have been pulled/towed/tied down by the LCA at some point and the arm is forward because of that. I don't thing you could hit the brakes hard enough to get that displacement with the bolts tightened. This also points to the recommended procedure that includes leaving those bolts a little loose until the weight is back on the wheel. If left loose and you actually drive the car, you risk that displacement on braking.

Speedtoys

What not aligned?

The holes cant move, the sleeve cant move, the threads in the holes below the sleeves cant move.

Its just not a centered hole.

The lower LCA cap to the chassis is aligned perfectly...where it should be.

Mrmerlin

stay away from the frame rack their is nothing wrong,

just make sure to drive the car a few miles with the rear pinch bolts loose then once it settled torque to spec 88 ft/lb for the rear,
65 ft/lb for the front LCA bolts

hacker-pschorr

No, driving around with control arm bolts loose is NOT a good idea.

The proper way to set ride height is spelled out very clearly in the WSM - sorry for being a royal PIA on this topic, just follow the WSM.

On the rack, loosen the bolts, follow the procedure, then torque the bolts.

Mrmerlin

Dont panic, no harm driving with the bolts 1 turn loose,
I do it all the time, the bushing settle nicely after a few applications of brake.
drive it around the block