Quick Alignment / Upper Control Arm Question.

[Number4]

So, replaced both upper control arms earlier this year. Whole assemblies from NAPA.
(As well as all four shocks and all four hub bearings, rear upper ball joints and rear parking shoes, it's an Explorer, what haven't I had to replace? hmmmm)

Anyway, after replacing the rear shocks and rear hub bearings, I took it to my local tire shop (Atlanta area) to get a four wheel alignment.

After having it for a bit and driving through some parking garages I noticed a scraping noise. And on hard right turns at some speed a heavy grinding noise from the front right.

Today I put it up on four jack stands and took off the wheels. Absolutely no evidence of metal to metal. Took off the left rear rotor and found a small spot where the rotor was contacting the dust plate. Pounded the spot in a little.

Then, going over the front and pulling on any and everything for non desired movement, I noticed the upper control arm had some play. Put the wheels on and lowered it to the ground and proceeded to re-torque the A-Arm to chassis nuts. Then I noticed the back facing portion of the A Arm was missing the nut and washer. Front side had it. Went to the left wheel and found it to be the same. Didn't look right, so I went to NAPA Online to look at the image of the items I'd bought. According to the NAPA image, both sides of the A Arm should have nuts and washers.

Why would the Tire Shop have removed these nuts? Would it be part of the alignment? Before I say something to them, I want to see if they would have even taken them off. Perhaps they just forgot to put them back on?

There's no way that both sides "came off" on their own and no one has touched it besides me and the tire shop.

 

[Number4]

Well, the short answer is yes. If the caster was out, these nuts would be used to make an adjustment.

Pretty sloppy for a shop to forget to put them back on.

 

[Number4]

So, these nuts don't have anything to do with the alignment. The nuts that secure the unit to the frame do and they're controlled via the shim at that point. After taking off both units, the remaining nuts were only on finger tight. They'd have come off as well over time. Only explanation is that they had a rookie doing the alignment and he/she messed with the wrong nuts and didn't retighten them. There's just no way that all for nylock crush nuts came off.

Aside from setting up the tools and jacking up the vehicle, it only takes me about 15 minutes a side now. Having done three times to two explorers.

Alignment was within speck when I took it back. Due to the alignment shim, there isn't much room for it to be out I suppose.

 

[furnisscr31766]

The shop should have never touched the control arm nuts . Camber and caster are not adjustable on the 3rd and 4th generation Explorers for a reason . Camber or castor out of spec is a result of worn control arm bushings , ball joints ,or rarely hubs . Use a product like Loctite , or better yet replace the old ones with the correct locknuts . Torque them to spec while the vehicle is level and bearing the normal load . These are a pain to get to with the tire on , so I invested in the proper size ratcheting spanner . Many shops are infamous for removing the shims and installing camber adjusters . Or swapping the front and rear shims . I just went through this with a local franchise Firestone . Hope this helps a bit .

 

[TechGuru]

The shop should have never touched the control arm nuts . Camber and caster are not adjustable on the 3rd and 4th generation Explorers for a reason . Camber or castor out of spec is a result of worn control arm bushings , ball joints ,or rarely hubs . Use a product like Loctite , or better yet replace the old ones with the correct locknuts . Torque them to spec while the vehicle is level and bearing the normal load . These are a pain to get to with the tire on , so I invested in the proper size ratcheting spanner . Many shops are infamous for removing the shims and installing camber adjusters . Or swapping the front and rear shims . I just went through this with a local franchise Firestone . Hope this helps a bit .

This is incorrect information.

The front caster/camber and rear camber are fully adjustable on these vehicles.

I am attaching a copy of the Ford Service Manual instructions ( S3N40006.pdf ) on how to adjust it.

However, the Ford way requires a custom Ford tool (which means no one other than a Ford dealer will do a camber/caster alignment), I personally prefer to just install these More Information for ULTRA-POWER K80111 to make adjusting them quick and easy and thus be able to get a alignment done anywhere.

 

[TechGuru]

Well, the short answer is yes. If the caster was out, these nuts would be used to make an adjustment.

Pretty sloppy for a shop to forget to put them back on.

Those are not the nuts needed to adjust any alignment. But those should only be torqued at ride height.