Another "finally lowered" thread LOL
01-17-2012, 05:22 PM
#24
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I've decided to stick with the factory front bar because I have the 36mm bar that comes with a suspension package, can't think of what GM calls it but there are two thicknesses. I'll swap out the bushings with poly, have already done the end links.
Need to complain a bit, always do when it comes to alignments. Right after the drop I took it to a shop near my office. They said it came into spec fine, but didn't have a printout (printer was broken was the excuse). Just looking at the truck I could see some extra negative camber that day, I decided to just kept an eye on it for a little while and noticed that the front tires are starting to feather a bit and the steering is heavy and doesn't center well so I took it back in today on the alignment warranty. I got an oil change just to make nice too. They called back to inform me that the lower ball joints are going bad...which is possible but I just had my hands on them a two weeks ago and they were fine. He gave me an estimate even though he knows I do my own work, fine, it's his job. But then he said it would cost to re-align, assuming the ball joints went bad and caused it to come out of spec...I reminded him they didn't provide a print out the first time, nor any warning of bad joints the first time and I noted that the camber has always appeared a couple of degrees negative which was confirmed by the check today, almost 2 degrees out each side. He backed up and said no problem, covered under the alignment warranty.
From past experience they will over-torque the upper arms (destroying the bushings) or under-torque, both of which will quickly wreck an alignment. In this case if they under-tightened and my alignment slipped, I could have wrecked the bj's at that point...now to "fix" the problem they'll torque the **** out of them and the bushings will get destroyed. Wish I had an alignment rack!!!
Need to complain a bit, always do when it comes to alignments. Right after the drop I took it to a shop near my office. They said it came into spec fine, but didn't have a printout (printer was broken was the excuse). Just looking at the truck I could see some extra negative camber that day, I decided to just kept an eye on it for a little while and noticed that the front tires are starting to feather a bit and the steering is heavy and doesn't center well so I took it back in today on the alignment warranty. I got an oil change just to make nice too. They called back to inform me that the lower ball joints are going bad...which is possible but I just had my hands on them a two weeks ago and they were fine. He gave me an estimate even though he knows I do my own work, fine, it's his job. But then he said it would cost to re-align, assuming the ball joints went bad and caused it to come out of spec...I reminded him they didn't provide a print out the first time, nor any warning of bad joints the first time and I noted that the camber has always appeared a couple of degrees negative which was confirmed by the check today, almost 2 degrees out each side. He backed up and said no problem, covered under the alignment warranty.
From past experience they will over-torque the upper arms (destroying the bushings) or under-torque, both of which will quickly wreck an alignment. In this case if they under-tightened and my alignment slipped, I could have wrecked the bj's at that point...now to "fix" the problem they'll torque the **** out of them and the bushings will get destroyed. Wish I had an alignment rack!!!
Last edited by Leevon; 01-17-2012 at 05:36 PM.
01-18-2012, 02:25 PM
#25
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I hate getting alignments done. I was strongly considering the DJM 3" control arms at one point but can't find a shop competent enough to do the job right 
