Just off the phone from arguing with my mechanic.
Front alignment was off he told me I needed 4 new Camber /castor bolts at $38 a piece. Asked him if I could source the parts and he said no problem, would just charge me the alignment and an 1 hour labor to install the bolts. Cool, got on the phone with AutohausAZ and ordered the $9 Febi replacement x4. Took it in, gave them the bolts, waited paid for align+1 hour and was gone. Got home and looked a alignment sheet and castor was still red at -4.3, hadnt changed at all after bolt install, camber and toe was now green. Driver's side was same and still green at -1.4 and 5.0 and .14,

I got under the car and bolts on pass. side were replaced and drivers side were not changed.When I left I wasnt given any parts back or told only 2 were installed. Didnt know till I looked. Went back and get my extra bolts back, owner/mech was gone.

After going around and around on the phone it and agreeing that there was some real shitty communications going on, comes down to a couple of mechanic statements:

1. That even after replacing the pass. side bolts that he was unable to change the caster at all old bolt 4.3 new bolt 4.3

2. That the driver side was in spec and didnt need it, I explained that the car was going to my daughter out of state and didnt want her to have to deal with the whole 'No Ms, you need to replace the bolts' at the next alignment. Mechanic says:

a) that the new bolts could not be set to the same adjustment as the factory bolts, so he couldnt replace the drivers side because he wouldnt be able align the drivers side because the new bolts wouldnt go to factory spec, that I should wait till that side needs alignment and then use the new bolts.

b) so I asked 'if you replaced all 4 bolts you would not have been able to align the car because the drivers side would not go to original spec' He says, yes now I understand'

No I dont really!! A replacement bolt cannot be set to factory baseline REALLY?
So you cant replace the castor and camber bolts UNTIL the alignment is off?

Has anyone here Not been able to adjust caster to spec after bolt replacement?

Has anyone been proactive and replaced all 4 bolts and then been unable to align the front end?

Overall alignment specs with one side replacement bolts
FL FR Range
-1.4 camber -1.5 camber -1.5 -.09
5.0 caster 4.3 castor 4.7 5.7
0.14 toe .21 toe .08 .25

Cross camber .01 range -.03 .03
cross toe .36 range .17 .50

At this point because of not being told he only did 2, and not receiving the unused parts and having to crawl under the car to find out he only replaced 2, I really can't believe his statements about the bolts.

Help me once again Folks
Thanks

 

you need the adjustment bolts they have a grove in them, and a washer with a arrow
did mine over a year ago, two things make sure you install the bolt the right direction you only need one adj bolt on per control arm,you can use two but not needed
below is some on ebay, you see the grove in the bolt , install the bolt in the elongated hole pry the control arm either toward pass side or driver's side set grove so grove goes into washer (turn washer so bolt grove is pried into pointer. jim

SPC FRONT CAMBER BOLTS SET CHRYSLER MERCEDES 28815 (BOTH SIDES)

 

A good 'mechanic' would have called you and discussed everything when he ran into this problem. Your BAD mechanic just left you hanging without telling you everything up front as a minimum, you finding this all out much later should tell you everything. You need a different mechanic.


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You are new to the forum, and you may not know we all help each other, what city are you in, i'm sure there are other members close to you that know some answers,, and soon someone will need your help that is what crossfireforum.org is all about. jim

 

Well AMX, been a member since 2010. I use the search function to find most answers and would not have been able to keep and enjoy our Xfire without this forum. I always Thank the forum members the times I've had too ask for help.

I already had the bolts from autohausAZ, nice folks, the mechanic said it was not possible to replace till DSside was out of alignment and the replacement bolts could not be used on that side because they could not be set to factory specs till it was out of alignment which made no sense to me.

Thanks for the Welcome, but have been here awhle

 

Agree on the Mechanic I see you bought yours with 23 miles and now have 26k, we bought ours with 14k and now have 150k never could have done it without the forum. The car is an absolute blast in the hills of the Ozarks

 

LOL didn't see the 2010 just the low post number. any way get the alignment bolts with the grove in them and you will be all set. jim
oh if you have a firestone store near you, they have lifetime alignment ,,which i have my crossfire and 5 other cars , i get my crossfire reassignment every time i make a suspension change , and that is two or three times each year. jim

 

That's funny (not), in my town, there are 2 Firestone's. Both said they could not touch a crossfire. Both my other two (01 ranger and 02 Camaro) have their lifetime with Firestone. One of them had (at the time) a brand new alignment machine (but I have no recollection the brand). If they could do the XF, I would buy it for sure.

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I added the adj. bolts to my xfire and Firestone has the lifetime alignment on it . do this go
this ,the next time u r out of town stop by a firestone ,,get it done the take it to your FS ,they have to align it .. maybe add the adjustable bolts now.
come down this way we can get it done. jim .

 

I have the lifetime alignment on my 07 from a local Firestone.