Dealership can't do alignment, bolts on LCA's are seized

A

Arc.

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Need some advice. Dropped off my vehicle for alignment at a dealership here in Colorado and just got a call saying they can't do the alignment because the bolts on the LCAs that allow for alignment are seized/rusted too badly. $2k for parts and labor. I said no thanks, will go for second opinion elsewhere.

I have a 2011 Trail Edition bought brand new and now has 47k miles. I've had an alignment done once when I had my Toytec lift put on.

I don't exactly live in the rust belt here in Colorado, how can this be? I called my Toyota dealership that I've been going to for decades and he said he has never heard of this happening on this new of truck. He said maybe trucks that are 3 times older. Why didn't I just go to my dealership that I've always gone to? Because the 4x4 shop that put on the lift has a deal with the other dealership to do alignments and I thought they did a good job the first time, thought I would go back there again.

I'm waiting to get picked up to go get my truck so I don't have pictures.
 
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Great to know they rust out like that. Do you know if the only way to repair this is to cut the bolts and replace the entire LCA?

It was $2k for labor and parts.
 
What's up with colorado shops saying that? I've had a couple different Firestone auto care places tell me the cam bolts on my 3rd gen are seized, or steering rack bushings are bad, etc etc. Granted that is a 16 year old vehicle with 120K on it. I think a lot of places are just turned off by the site of a lift kit and just use that as an excuse. And they hate me because I actually get my monies worth for their lifetime alignment. I highly doubt your 2011 has seized cam bolts. I'd definitely get a second opinion too. Not sure where you're located, but B&A auto on broadway does a great job. When I was working at HCP4x4 that is who we outsourced all of our alignments to. HCP4x4 now has their own alignment rack and could do it themselves, but they are pretty proud of their work... Or check out RSG offroad. All are very familiar with alignments on vehicles with Toytec's kit.

Englewood Auto Repair | B & A Automotive Services
High Country Performance 4x4 - Off Road Truck Parts
RSG Off Road | Denver's elite 4×4 off road performance center.

EDIT: What dealership? I have a couple buddies who are tech's at Stevinson West
 
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sn0wrunner said:
What's up with colorado shops saying that? I've had a couple different Firestone auto care places tell me the cam bolts on my 3rd gen are seized, or steering rack bushings are bad, etc etc. Granted that is a 16 year old vehicle with 120K on it. I think a lot of places are just turned off by the site of a lift kit and just use that as an excuse. And they hate me because I actually get my monies worth for their lifetime alignment. I highly doubt your 2011 has seized cam bolts. I'd definitely get a second opinion too. Not sure where you're located, but B&A auto on broadway does a great job. When I was working at HCP4x4 that is who we outsourced all of our alignments to. HCP4x4 now has their own alignment rack and could do it themselves, but they are pretty proud of their work... Or check out RSG offroad. All are very familiar with alignments on vehicles with Toytec's kit.

Englewood Auto Repair | B & A Automotive Services
High Country Performance 4x4 - Off Road Truck Parts
RSG Off Road | Denver's elite 4×4 off road performance center.

EDIT: What dealership? I have a couple buddies who are tech's at Stevinson West
Click to expand...

I used to take my 2002 4Runner to HCP all the time :) Thanks for the feedback, gonna call B&A and see what they think. I'll pm you the other info.
 
sn0wrunner said:
I highly doubt your 2011 has seized cam bolts. I'd definitely get a second opinion too.
Click to expand...

Not that I disagree with you. Just sharing an experience. I pulled mine when my truck was 9 months old to add some aftermarket CO's, simply because I was going to need an alignment anyway. They were already starting to rust. I cleaned and coated them with marine grade anti-seize.

Fast forward, 3 Utah winters later, I added new springs on the rear. When I removed the rear KDSS stabilizer link, the inner race was rusted to f'k, the pitting was so bad, the bushing had rust embedded into to it (they're replacing it next week) While the piston side not a mark, beautiful and clean.

Just saying, not sure how consistent QC is from year to year from their component manufacturers... I would not doubt issues in some cases.
 
I live in Vermont most of my life so I am used to rust....

I have never found a bolt that the blue wrench would not work on.....
 
Hi OP. I had the same issue as you. Shop could not do alignment, a fellow T4R.org member told me to try PB something PB 15 anti rust I think, spray the bolts wait a day spray again and go to your Toyota dealer and have them try again.

It worked for me but I was told that the alignmrnt bolts on Toyotas rust fast as fruck. Maybe I got lucky or maybe yours are too rusted but that would suck...

Good luck man.
 
jrandom said:
Not that I disagree with you. Just sharing an experience. I pulled mine when my truck was 9 months old to add some aftermarket CO's, simply because I was going to need an alignment anyway. They were already starting to rust. I cleaned and coated them with marine grade anti-seize.

Fast forward, 3 Utah winters later, I added new springs on the rear. When I removed the rear KDSS stabilizer link, the inner race was rusted to f'k, the pitting was so bad, the bushing had rust embedded into to it (they're replacing it next week) While the piston side not a mark, beautiful and clean.

Just saying, not sure how consistent QC is from year to year from their component manufacturers... I would not doubt issues in some cases.
Click to expand...
Bummer. That's discouraging!
 
Well, called B&A here in Denver and they said its more common than I thought. With all the magchloride they use here, it will cause them seize up. B&A does about 2 of them a month and have perfected of just cutting the bolt and saving the LCA's and using OEM parts to rebuild. They also said they use anti-seize to help prevent it from happening. Not cheap, but I don't have the tools or know how to do this :(
 
If they are not completely seized, a can of PB Blaster will do wonders. I have run into this on other vehicles (driveshafts, front end parts etc). I usually coat with PB Blaster and drive it a few days, coat again and repeat.
 
If you have access to some Kano Aerokroil Penetrating Oil ---->
41ho5pUl7iL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

http://www.kanolabs.com/msn/
it works excellent to penetrate rusted fixtures as well. Spray, respray 24 hours later and remove rusted bolts/fixtures....
It is flammable, so be careful around :flamethrwoer2:
 
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Saker said:
If you have access to some Kano Aerokroil Penetrating Oil ---->
41ho5pUl7iL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

MSN Deal
it works excellent to penetrate rusted fixtures as well. Spray, respray 24 hours later and remove rusted bolts/fixtures....
It is flammable, so be careful around :flamethrwoer2:
Click to expand...

I agree this product works in an hour or so . if really tough a few days of penetrating it will work.
 
Thanks fellas for the follow up. Truck is driveable so I'll go pick up what you guys suggested and start spraying. It won't get fixed for a week so maybe by then it will loosen up :)
 
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