Hey Guys,
I have a 2012 4 door Rubicon. I have 5600 miles on it and it has been pulling to the right slightly from the beginning. I did the Northridge bolt kit, torqued everything down to 125, and then took it in for an alignment. I picked up the jeep, drove about 30 miles and heard a clunking sound from below; I pulled over to find that the passenger side lower control arm was loose. So later that day under closer inspection, it appears that they removed the passenger side bolt completely, ground/ovaled out the frame bolt pocket, then put the bolt back in with no washers, and was super loose! At this point, it looks like my only option is to use cam bolts now? I don’t know much about how this affects alignment, or how this should be configured, but I would like to have as much ammunition/information as I can, before I go back to the alignment shop tomorrow. Any help advice is greatly appreciated. Pics Below
Thanks

 

From my experience with cam bolts, I don't think that will solve your problem.

I had the passenger side front lower control arm mount oval a bit and I welded grade 8 washers on both sides and rebolted it back up. I have no had any issues with that since.

 

Dude... it looks like they messed your Jeep up bad. I'm no alignment expert, but did those guys even know what they were doing? Making that hole bigger, as I see it, would make your control arm move back and forth, messing up that bracket, the arm and possibly the axle in the process. I would take it to the dealer, and make the people who did the alignment pay for the repairs.

 

Were these the holes that were square from the factory? Why the heck would an alighnment shop unbolt that and round it out?

Edit now that I Think about it... If you have a lift but are using oem control arms maybe they thought they could fix the caster by moving that bolt hole down... You might be okay just putting the washers back in and torquing it down to spec again else you might want to weld a plate on both sides and drill a new hole

 

Yes, they were square holes To begin with.

 

I think they might have been trying to adjust your caster... Bit overzealous about it though :(

 

With a stock setup the caster shouldnt need to be adjusted right? as there are no factory provisions to adjust caster?

 

I am no expert but I was told you can't adjust your caster without adjustable control arms... So they should only adjust camber and toe... Moving where the control arm connects to the axle might adjust the caster a little...

I think you might be okay putting the washers back in... From the factory that bolt is already in a hole that's bigger than the bolt so it might not be a problem if you just torque it down with the washers

 

Camber is what it is (solid axle). If your camber is out of spec, something has bent (either a C or axle housing). The only way to correct this is by using offset ball joints. The best way to correct castor is to get adjustable control arms. The only option you have with stock control arms is to notch out the existing control arm mounts and use cam bolts. I would have washers welded over that mess the allignment shop made and purchace me a set of adjustable LCA's.

 

Don't use cam bolts, make them fix it. And you're gonna have to weld washers on the outside of the bracket to remedy it for now.