Went to get my 04 2wd 1500 front end alignment and was told they could not do it because it did not have a ( Camber Kit ) He showed me where He set tow but not camber. What, I've never heard of this before. He said Dodge and Ford trucks came like this and with out the camber kit installed all that could be done is tow and if the dealer or any one else said they did alignment they were lying.

So I called my dealer and ask about this and he said he had never heard of this for rwd trucks. He said fwd sometimes will need a camber kit but not the trucks.

Has anyone else heard of this before ?

Dan

 

Yea, check the lowered sticky thread.

 

thanks for the heads up on the lowered truck thread, but my truck is bone stock it is not lowered. I'm being told that they can not Align a STOCK dodge truck ( camber )

 

That is fine. I use drop spindles which makes my front suspension basically stock with just a relocated spindle and the first alignment shop made a mess of it. I got the adjusters and went to another shop and they dialed it in. I've been told to do the job correctly it needs the adjusters. It now drives better than new.

 

wow, I just do not understand how dodge could make a truck that can not be Properly aligned without the use of a after market kit.
I just talked to mechanic friend and he said that the kit just makes the job faster but is not necessary to do the alignment right.

 

whit if you lift your truck do you still need this. cause my machanic said I should look for one if I plan on lifting my truck and I do.

 

Technically I am sure he is right as nothing was done to change the range of the adjustments. But the adjusters allow the mechanic to work easily from one plane (caster) to another (camber). And unfortunately the common alignment shop won't give it what it takes to get it right without making it easier for them with adjusters. I wasted money and time with the first shop. And decided to cut my loses and have it done in the best manner available. I would buy the adjusters again if I changed trucks modified or not.

 

I've been doing alignments for over 20yrs and have NEVER used a "kit" on a 3rd gen. The slots for the control arm bolts are only so long so the "kit" doesn't give you any more adjustment. It just makes it easier for the tech to adjust camber/caster with the turn of a wrench and the shop charges 400% profit on the "kit". Most inexperienced techs will loosen the nuts all the way and the control arm will move all the way in or out depending on if they have the frt jacked up or not and then they have a clusterf##k. Loosen the nut where there is a little tension still on it and you can move it in or out with a hammer and prybar a little at a time. You can grind the slots a little for more camber/caster adj if you need it. I did this on mine after installing a 2" coil spacer on the front, only because I wanted more caster on mine.......Find another shop!!

 

Well just a little update, I took wrenchin4alivin advice and found a shop that does just front end suspension and alignments. all good now, the owner of the shop said that the kit just makes it easier but you do not have to have it to get proper alignment.

 

Excellent, glad it worked out for you.