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Alignment Problem

6K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  xtacular 
#1 ·
So who knew that the alignment afterward would be the hardest part of my PML?

My problem is that both the camber adjustment bolts on the driver's side (and very well could be passenger side too, they didn't get that far) are frozen. They broke the nuts loose, but the impact wrench on full blast, cheater bar, or a BFH couldn't get the bolts loose. Now they're saying that they need to torch the bolts (in which case I'd be out a set of bushings I understand) or hacksaw them. WELL, Nissan doesn't sell the damn bolts without the entire control arm (close to $400 each). So I figure my options are just have them do it and spend my money trying to match the bolt, try to find them at a junkyard, take it to a real mechanic and have them replace them, OR my first choice would be for one of you out there to tell me what size those bolts are so I can go pick some up cheap :D

I'm looking at the service manual and it looks like the bolts have a... I don't remember the name, looks like a washer underneath the head... and it has a hole in it

Any help is appreciated, I gots to get this thing aligned so I don't have to ditch the PML! And I know what you're thinking, I'll need an alignment anyway because I messed with the tbars, well it was in alignment before I did it and they said wen I got it aligned before it prolly just needed a toe-in adjustment... Thanks all! :)
 
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#3 ·
I didn't have any trouble with mine when I did my lift. But some folks suggested picking up the camber bolts from a local Nissan dealer. You should be able to buy just the bolts. I believe Nissan calls them Transverse Link Pins or something like that.
 
#4 ·
They Blasted it while they were trying but I've been spraying them... that's the best case scenario, Blast em enough that they come out when I bring it back! I'm gonna go spray again...

Another option I thought of is, maybe someone on here has their old ones lying around from a control arm swap they want to make a few bucks on? Or are those reused?

Thanks! :D
 
#5 ·
I didn't have any trouble with mine when I did my lift. But some folks suggested picking up the camber bolts from a local Nissan dealer. You should be able to buy just the bolts. I believe Nissan calls them Transverse Link Pins or something like that.
I called Nissan and they said they only come with the control arm... but he didn't call them that. Is is that actual name?
 
#8 ·
Thanks Misky! And everyone else! I called my dealership (Vancouver) to see if I could get it quicker/cheaper than online and they said they have one side in stock (not one side of the car, but one side of the control arm), but the other would have to come from Sacramento. The Courtesy Part website makes no differentiation between the two; are they the same or different? Thanks :D

I'd prefer just to order from Courtesy, eat the fast shipping, and have it to me in a day or two for the cost of just one hour of the mechanic's time. Then I can turn him loose with the hacksaw!
 
#9 · (Edited)
lol, alan webb? I just called there too cause i wanted to find some before getting my alignment done. Who messed yours up (so i don't go there)? I was going to go to the firestone right by alan webb cause they do lifetime alignments for $139

called rustom too, that one at alan webb is the only one in the metro area (i know the guy so he looked for me)
 
#10 ·
Are you going to order from Alan Webb? Are the bolts on each control arm the same?

What are the conditions of the lifetime alignment? As often as you want? lol that sounds like a good idea

Sorry for all the questions... I am trying to learn :)
 
#12 ·
So I called my alignment place and told them that I found the bolts that they were going to have to spend a bunch of time matching, and the guy was like "Oh we can probably get those, we'd prefer to so we can warranty them..." So I'm waiting to hear back after he does some research on getting the bolts.
 
#13 ·
Email or message Scott at fontana, he is a site sponsor and always kicks courtesy prices.
 
#14 ·
Just got off the phone with the mechanic... they are going to get the parts... I'm going to have to eat their profit cause they won't do it unless they order the parts and can warranty them. Oh well. But the price tag is growing... $90 in parts (they're replacing the nuts too), $60 alignment, at least a couple hours of labor ($120) is $270... good thing I have some student loan money. :(
 
#15 · (Edited)
you'd be talkin close to $70 otherwise for bolts, washer, and nuts- so not paying too much extra for parts. if they can't get them out have them recip.saw the bolts through/out.

sounds like you got the right parts though. can't replace the bolts with something cheaper/not designed for this, but don't need to replace the UCA.
 
#16 ·
Cool, I'm glad I'm on the right track. I'm trying to do everything right with the X... not used to having a car that I care about lol :D
 
#18 ·
Nope, didn't get them from Webb. I feel ok about giving my mechanic the profit (not like a had a choice unless I want to do it all myself).

For me, since I know at least 2 of my bolts are frozen, I think it was worth it to order them and not worry about paying the mechanic to baby the bolts out. I'd rather pay for a known sum of mechanic hours hacksawing the bolts and the bolts themselves rather than pay for an unknown (larger) amount of hours, and possibly the cost of the bolts on top.

For you, it may be (I don't know though) wiser to try and get it aligned first (especially since my mechanic didn't even charge me for attempting to align it). I can't remember, are you just getting a routine alignment, or did you just mess with the tbars? If it isn't too far out of whack, i.e. just a routine alignment, those camber adjustment bolts may not even need adjustment if you just need a toe-in adjustment.
 
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