Alignment Confusion - TLDR

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TabooAR

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2013
Posts
32
Reaction score
28
Location
Carroll County, Arkansas
Ram Year
2020
Engine
Cummins
My 2013 Power Wagon ate up the stock BFGs in under 14k mi. I rotated them every 3k and the fronts always showed higher wear. I picked up a new set of tires and immediately took the truck to the dealer for an alignment.

Dealer reports the camber is positive 1 degree on the right and negative 1 degree on the left. They want $500 to do further inspection. I tell them that this should be a warranty item as I have the service records to show that there has been excessive wear on the fronts from day 1. They say that I still have to authorize $500 for the inspection. I decline and pick up the truck. - Still had to pay for the alignment...

I took the truck to a family member that works for Mercedes and had them do an inspection on the front end to look for any damage that may be construed as a warranty exception. Of course there is nothing but I have that inspection in my back pocket for when I contact Chrysler.

All of the numbers I found online for the area rep in N. Ca. are not correct any longer so I called Chrysler corporate. They would not give any information and directed me back to the service department at my local dealer. Fine....

I ask the Service Director for the Chrysler Area Rep contact info. He asks why and I explain the situation. He offers to have the truck looked at again and says if there is no damage than any repair will be covered but I have to authorize $160. I want the truck fixed so I say fine and take the truck back in.

After 3 days I get a call stating that the truck is ready but I am out of state. I send my BIL to pick up the truck. He reports that it drives great, etc... He sends me MMS of the paperwork and there is no alignment chart in the package and there is no indication of any repairs but just a simple 'completed alignment'. There is also a note saying that they covered the alignment under warranty and also included wiper blades. :wtf2:

I contact the service writer and he says I will have to talk to the service director. I call the service director and he says I have to talk to the service writer. I call the service writer back and also email him. I get a call back saying that no repair was necessary and that the camber was within spec as tested. Again... :wtf2:

I ask him how this is possible when I have the papers from the first alignment attempt that show camber as being out on both sides. All he can say is that he assumes that there was an error by the technician or machine on the first try. I ask for service director again and am told that he is out until Monday.

The truck is going back to Mercedes so that they can verify the alignment is good.

I am very concerned that there is something wrong with the infamous AAM 9.25 and bigger troubles are in my future.

If all checks out I am thinking of trussing tubes and Cs. I am relocating to Southern Utah from Northern California. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
 
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TabooAR

TabooAR

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2013
Posts
32
Reaction score
28
Location
Carroll County, Arkansas
Ram Year
2020
Engine
Cummins
So the truck has passed the check and inspection at Mercedes. There are no signs that any of the bolts of the front end have had a wrench on them.

I know the truck didn't fix itself so there are only a few possibilities remaining and none are good.

Nobody has suggestions for a custom offroad shop in Southern Utah?
 
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