Dealership Service Question

[mrtifftiff]

I just got service at 60,000 miles: brakes, brake/steering fluid, filters, nothing out of the ordinary. I asked for an alignment because my wheel pulled a little bit to the left but got a call from the dealership that they didn't have the tools required to properly align my aftermarket suspension(Icon St.2/ TC LCA). I thought that was strange considering the very same service department did an alignment on the same suspension minus the LCAs 6 months prior but figured they just didn't want to deal with an aftermarket suspension. Inconvenient, but if their tech wasn't comfortable doing it, fine with me. I pick my car up and my slip indicator is burning and my steering wheel is a solid 40 degrees off center. So obviously they were doing something to the suspension. Immediately turned around, reading that I need a zero point and was told that a bolt was loose on my UCAs and that was the reason for my steering wheel being off center. They apologized, saying that the tech should have driven it around(oh really?) but that they could fix it tomorrow(end of day, offered a loner, took my truck the hell out of there).

Can tightening up a bolt (caster/camber not sure on the terms or what exactly was tightened up) cause the steering wheel to be so far off center? I'm not going back regardless, but it seems suspicious that they couldn't do an alignment and my truck is returned with two new problems.

 

[wfo9]

I just got service at 60,000 miles: brakes, brake/steering fluid, filters, nothing out of the ordinary. I asked for an alignment because my wheel pulled a little bit to the left but got a call from the dealership that they didn't have the tools required to properly align my aftermarket suspension(Icon St.2/ TC LCA). I thought that was strange considering the very same service department did an alignment on the same suspension minus the LCAs 6 months prior but figured they just didn't want to deal with an aftermarket suspension. Inconvenient, but if their tech wasn't comfortable doing it, fine with me. I pick my car up and my slip indicator is burning and my steering wheel is a solid 40 degrees off center. So obviously they were doing something to the suspension. Immediately turned around, reading that I need a zero point and was told that a bolt was loose on my UCAs and that was the reason for my steering wheel being off center. They apologized, saying that the tech should have driven it around(oh really?) but that they could fix it tomorrow(end of day, offered a loner, took my truck the hell out of there).

Can tightening up a bolt (caster/camber not sure on the terms or what exactly was tightened up) cause the steering wheel to be so far off center? I'm not going back regardless, but it seems suspicious that they couldn't do an alignment and my truck is returned with two new problems.

I could not follow most of that. I would not recommend driving it if the LCA bolt is loose.... You need an alignment ASAP.

 

[ST1FLER]

I feel like I just ran 5 miles after reading that.... as stated get it aligned asap and at a minimum tighten the damn LCA bolt before driving it

 

[wfo9]

I read this again and follow now.

It just sounds like they were being stupid and lazy. Par for the course with dealers.

Any adjustment to alignment will throw off toe (which impacts steering wheel alignment...). You can't start an alignment and not finish it....

Take it somewhere and get it properly aligned ASAP. There is really nothing that special about your suspension that makes the alignment process any different. The lift simply requires more caster and the UCAs you have already attempt to compensate for that.

They just need to max out caster while keeping camber near 0, then get the toe right. You want the max caster possible.

I would take it back and make them do it for free. Raise all kinds of hell until a qualified tech is put on it. Remember, these places are filled with incompetent people. But there are usually a few good ones in the mix.