Camber bolt issue
- Thread starter CampYerr
- Start date
I'd have them loosen the camber bolt enough to rotate it back into it's home, take a punch or a chisel to the broken portion of the guide to get it back in place, tack weld the guide to hold it there. Then when the vehicle is aligned, take the weight off the front end suspension, max the camber bolts out, then adjust my alignment by coming back in from there to reduce the amount of force being applied on the guides
Also, if this happened during the alignment while the shop had it I'd ask if they'd be willing to split the repair with you, if it's rusty it's entirely possible that this was unavoidable and not their fault but they may say yes in good faith. If they found it like that then they wouldn't have any responsibility to fix it. Can't hurt to ask!
TieMyShoe
Member
Seriously??? Ask them what they do for cars that only have slotted alignment adjusters... tell the owner to scrap it? all they need to do is put a pry bar behind the arm and turn the bolt at the same time... If they need to move it in the may need to lift the car on the center jack and manually push it in. May be an extra charge for the time but you sure as hell don't need a subframe just for that.
bikerjosh
Well-Known Member
I would be curious to know if this was a national vendor, like Les Schwab, Firestone, etc? In my experience, these are very similar to the auto parts stores where if the employee can't look it up in a computer, 'they don't have it'
My pickup truck and wife's modern sedan go to the 'chain' locations, Delica and BMW go to a specialized alignment shop saves a ton of headaches and unnecessary questions.
My pickup truck and wife's modern sedan go to the 'chain' locations, Delica and BMW go to a specialized alignment shop saves a ton of headaches and unnecessary questions.
^^Second this, you absolutely don't need a new subframe. Just someone who knows how to align this style of adjustor without breaking it. They aren't made to take the whole weight of the suspension moving on just that little piece of metal. I'd still like to see a weld on the broken bit personally, it's fixable!
You can totally repair that damage, just weld the guide ring back into place.
However you'll also have to weld up the inner surface of the subframe: the guide ring probably broke because the inner bush was unable to move, likely because the subframe is damaged like in the picture below. Remove the lower arm and weld/grind the subframe back to being smooth.
delicaforum.com
However you'll also have to weld up the inner surface of the subframe: the guide ring probably broke because the inner bush was unable to move, likely because the subframe is damaged like in the picture below. Remove the lower arm and weld/grind the subframe back to being smooth.
What Did You Do for Your Van Today?
This forum is built on diy wrenching, obviously, but some things are better left to others with the heavy equipment. [/QUOTE] I don't mind doing things I'm capable of and have tools for, and did all my own work when I was younger. Mostly cuz I was broke. Now, I'm wrenching again out of...
delicaforum.com
CampYerr
Member
It was the Mitsubishi dealership. I went to just about every shop in Corpus Christi, tx and all turned me away. Giving one excuse or another. The guy at the dealer took it just because he thought it was a cool van.
I went back the other day to show them some advice from the forum to see if they would help out and just check. The Manager said "we can just go off what noncertified Mitsubishi Technicians say on a forum. It would take all day for a mechanic tried everything people put online. This van is 30 years old and parts wear and just need to be replaced." I was so furious!
As a non-certified Mitsubishi technician, the above advice was given by my mentor/shop foreman, a certified Mitsubishi master technician. So take that ya jerks. And tbh it sounds like all those certifications they had didn't get them very far, so take that twice ya double jerks.
For sure, as long as the bolt is tight it's not the worst thing in the world. I don't think the front camber adjustor has enough room to shift to where something is rubbing but if anyone has seen it feel free to weigh in. I doubt the alignment is in spec so your tires are going to wear more quickly than they normally would, may pull, and it may ride differently at "high" speeds (read: 40mph) so just be aware of how it rides. But idk how far you're driving so maybe the tire issue isn't even a concern. When you get back home take it to an alignment/suspension specialist shop who can do fabrication and explain the situation. Anyone worth their salt should be able to get that squared away, just bring the alignment specs with you so they're more likely to do it instead of punting it since they've never seen a Delica before.
active.world
Active Member
when you get back to brooklyn theres a shop on coney island drive called Bobby's Auto Repair just south of prospect park that does alignments. open nearly 24hrs a day. its run by some middle eastern guys, but theres an old russian man who did the alignment on my delica. BRING A PRINT OUT OF THE ALIGNMENT SPECS FROM THE SHOP MANUAL. he might complain and make faces while grunting about our weird old vans, but i'm sure he would be able to help. just dont show up on his lunch break or youll be waiting for like 2 hours like i had to do. the garage is a hot spot for uber drivers, so dont get our of line or they will go right in ahead of you. regular old alignment was $100, so not sure how much more this repair could add.
TieMyShoe
Member
I mean... I was a collision alignment tech for years... and eventually ended up managing the place... but... ya... 
Ah, a technician. There's your problem. You want a mechanic or better, an engineer. Someone who knows how the parts (should) work, not just how to swap them.
Also, worn/seized/damaged parts aren't exactly a Mitsubishi specific problem, and I very much doubt their technicians are Mitsubishi Certified for 4WD Delicas anyway.
Also, worn/seized/damaged parts aren't exactly a Mitsubishi specific problem, and I very much doubt their technicians are Mitsubishi Certified for 4WD Delicas anyway.
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CampYerr
Member
Nice!!!