Camber and castor limits reached !

Hi all, new guy here so any opinions and advice are welcome.

My ride is a one owner, me, stock 2011 Ram 1500, 5.7 Hemi, 4X4, 275/60R20 tires, 130,000 mi. Always maintained by Chrysler dealer, never in an accident. Last week it was in the shop due to a problem with the TIPM module. While there I asked them to align the truck.

When I picked the truck up, I was told that my limits were at the end of the adjustable range. Camber and Castor adjustment bolts, were at the extreme limited range determined by a welded bracket on the front frame cross member with a bolt in an off center washer within the bracket that adjusts the Camber and Castor.

This is the first year gen 4 build, 7 years old and 130,000 mi. Something has worn but the dealer only wants to cut the brackets off and move them so that adjustments can be regained. My thought is, that is not the route problem. Bushings, ball joints, front strut and coil spring are some of my thoughts. Taking a knife to the frame sounds extreme. They did not check any bushings, they don't think ball joints are worn and they feel the springs aren't sagging. The frame is sagging?? Their opinion!

I am open to ideas, I've even read about offset upper ball joints or lift spacers at the top of the struts to regain range of alignment adjustment..

Thank you all, drive safe.

Have you gotten a second opinion at a different shop?.....that’s the first thing I would do

A dealer cutting something off and moving it sounds fishy. Bet they charge for it and do normal alignment. And bam you’re all good

JB1, yes I've spoke to several people and that's where I've gotten some of the ideas I mentioned.

22hemi13, the dealer mentioned a $3000 number which doesn't seem right. They talk about a bent , sagging frame. I don't off road, just the normal city streets we all drive on.

William Gedeon said:

JB1, yes I've spoke to several people and that's where I've gotten some of the ideas I mentioned.

22hemi13, the dealer mentioned a $3000 number which doesn't seem right. They talk about a bent , sagging frame. I don't off road, just the normal city streets we all drive on.

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Holy hell. I’d be after second opinions

First of all why did you think your truck needed an alignment? If your tires aren't wearing and the truck isn't pulling to one side you shouldn't need an alignment. Usually if the adjustment is out of range it is because the front springs have sagged. Not uncommon at that mileage. If you want to try to check yourself put a level vertically on the front tires and take a reading. Then jack up the truck a couple of inches only and take another reading. If the reading improves then you need either new springs or spring spacers. There should be no reason to cut your frame. If you think you have a frame problem go to a frame shop not an alignment shop or tire store.

William Gedeon said:

JB1, yes I've spoke to several people and that's where I've gotten some of the ideas I mentioned.

22hemi13, the dealer mentioned a $3000 number which doesn't seem right. They talk about a bent , sagging frame. I don't off road, just the normal city streets we all drive on.

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I hope this isn’t the shop your at, does he look familiar?

JB1, no actually he was younger, and his shirt was clean and pressed. I figured he didn't have near the experience.

Thank you all, I did take the truck to a very experienced shop, and the tech was the kind of guy that didn't mind getting his hands dirty. As was suggested, we did jack the cross beam up about 2 inches with the alignment device attached. The values did in fact change to the positive. The implication is either worn ball joints, bushings or sagging springs. He had some concerns that the stock shocks are gone. And he fixed the toe in as it was way out of specks. At least for a while it will get me down the road until my next move. I've done some further research and have looked at Monroe, MOOG and Bilstein. I've read Rancho is a bit rougher ride that I may not like. Your continuing input has been invaluable.

Thank you all, I did take the truck to a very experienced shop, and the tech was the kind of guy that didn't mind getting his hands dirty. As was suggested, we did jack the cross beam up about 2 inches with the alignment device attached. The values did in fact change to the positive. The implication is either worn ball joints, bushings or sagging springs. He had some concerns that the stock shocks are gone. And he fixed the toe in as it was way out of specks. At least for a while it will get me down the road until my next move. I've done some further research and have looked at Monroe, MOOG and Bilstein. I've read Rancho is a bit rougher ride that I may not like. Your continuing input has been invaluable.

OLDGUY2, the problem was it was wandering on the flat. Relatively new tires which are expensive and I am rather particular about balance and rotation, pressures etc. I also enroled in a program at the dealer for 2 alignments a year for the life of my relationship with my truck. So after 6 or 8 alignments since I've owned the truck, I've tried to keep the way it was when I bought it. Don't think I can afford another new one. So things do ware out and OEM's sometimes aren't as good as they could be.

Checking the ball joints and bushings should not be much of an issue for the guy you took it to. Getting a set of Quick Struts would be economical if the springs and shocks are not up to par...

Agreed, but the springs, part and parcel with the strut, if it has settled beyond spec's would affect it. One individual I talked with last week mentioned stock OEM shocks have a problem beyond 75K mi. So as a package, I would replace the complete unit.

The tight tolerances of this series makes me lean to a cumulative ware of struts, bushings and ball joints. Although the fellow that looked over the issue last week says he couldn't see anything specific. Which makes me think the problem is a accumulative. The shocks will be replaced regardless. And will probably include doing the back end as well. But the biggest concern is of course the front end alignment limits being reached.

For those who read my question I posted about a year ago, thanks for your input. Over many months and a dozen shops looking at the problem, it was finally decided the problem was the springs on the front struts were sagging along with the shocks being worn out. I replaced the rear shocks with Bilstein's and the front with Monroe Strut assemblies. 70% of the wobble disappeared when I replaced the rear shocks. The rest was resolved when I replaced the front struts. My alignment has returned to a normal, adjustable position, since the sagging springs had dropped the front by about an inch and a half. I've rear the 2500 community has replaced the torsion bars to fix the wobble problem and read of good results, but in the lighter 1500 like mine I think that's over the top.

So, the frame wasn't worn and needing to be bent as the dealer told me. My opinion is the springs on the front struts are under-engineered, and the stock are to light duty. The ride after 3 months and several thousand mile has returned to being a great quiet, wobble free trip.