[Brera_Matt]

Hi guys,

Took my Brera for a 4 wheel alignment today and the toe and camber was pretty much unadjustable on 3 wheels due to it being seized. The guys tried with some lube and heat, but to no avail.

I want to get the necessary parts replaced so it can be adjusted properly, but unfortunately I'm no mechanic. Can anyone tell me what parts I'll need replacing to make the toe/camber adjustable again? I'm just after names of parts so I can ring around for a few quotes and ask for the right thing, without being quoted for parts I won't need...

Cheers!
Matt

 

[Brera_Matt]

bump! :thumbu p:

 

[JON156VELOCE]

Unless you have the powerflex adjustable bushes on the front then the camber isnt adjustable and the toe in or out is only adjusted via the track control arms which can be very tight to crack off but once the lock nut is loosened they rarely sieze.
With the back its just a case of loosening and working the adjusters loose with a good squirt of plus gas or wd40 but try not to get too much on the bushes.
As long as you dont have far to travel to where your getting tne alignment done you could do that at home and once its all free tighten it back up and drive to the garage to be set up.

 

[Old Engineer]

If you unseize them you don't need new parts. And you won't get them off without unseizing them.

 

[Brera_Matt]

Cheers guys for the replies guys, but now I'm confused! The guy who showed me the toe adjuster on my rears said he'd loosened the nut but "the bolt inside" wasn't moving so it wasn't adjusting the toe. I'd seen him squirt some lube on as well as the heat gun so I was inclined to believe him...or was he feeding me a load of bull? I did say I'm no mechanic!

 

[kandlbarrett]

Yes they can seize and yes it is the bolt that must turn to adjust rear toe.
The thing with releasing spray is that most people don't give it time to work. For really seized bolts 30mins is a minimum and much better if you ca repeat apply over a few days.
Also you are paying for an alignment not freeing off seized bolts and they will, no doubt, have a queue if customers on booked appointment times. Much more money to be made doing alignments than freeing seized bolts.
You also need to consider that they don't want to damage your car and make it undriveable. If you take it to a garage it isn't such a shock if it isn't fixed the same day but take it for an alignment and end up with an undriveable car and I suspect you, me and almost everyone else would be pretty angry.
If you can't release the bolts with DIY then a trustworthy mate or garage is your only option.

 

[Brera_Matt]

Yes they can seize and yes it is the bolt that must turn to adjust rear toe.
The thing with releasing spray is that most people don't give it time to work. For really seized bolts 30mins is a minimum and much better if you ca repeat apply over a few days.
Also you are paying for an alignment not freeing off seized bolts and they will, no doubt, have a queue if customers on booked appointment times. Much more money to be made doing alignments than freeing seized bolts.
You also need to consider that they don't want to damage your car and make it undriveable. If you take it to a garage it isn't such a shock if it isn't fixed the same day but take it for an alignment and end up with an undriveable car and I suspect you, me and almost everyone else would be pretty angry.
If you can't release the bolts with DIY then a trustworthy mate or garage is your only option.

Cheers kandlbarrett. I'd rather give it a go myself but if (like the garage) I can loosen the nut but the bolt isn't turning, is there any way to tell the bolt's freed up without the kit on the wheel tracking the change in toe adjustment?

And if not, is this part replaceable? There'll be a point where I'll have wasted enough cash on alignment jobs that can't free it that it'll have been cheaper to replace the part.

 

[swq4]

Replacing can get expensive - my adjusters totally seized and to replace them (on the 4WD system) involved a lot of other parts. I would be very tempted to completely clean the area and try one of the better anti-seize fluids over a number of applications and try moving them yourself after a week of treatment before going for what may turn out to be a big expense.

 

[kandlbarrett]

You can mark the position of the bolt (tipex or similar) and just reset it to that point once you get it moving. It's a long time since i have looked at it closely and I don't think it is bolt position but the washer on the bolt that is eccentric. Either way mark the position and just reset it it there once you have it moving.

swq4 +1. use a good quality penetrating fluid (not Wd40 which is far from best) applied over a week. Remove the nut and give it a spray both sides.

There is still the risk that you will destroy the bush before the bolt turns so be prepared for that and cost of new arms.

 

[swq4]

This is what I had to have taken off when mine seized completely:

Somewhere in the garage waiting on refurb.....

 

[Brera_Matt]

Many thanks for all the replies gents. I've bought myself a can of penetrating spray so I'm going to keep putting it on every night this week and take it back for an alignment on Friday. Unfortunately I don't have a decent jack or ramps to get under my car and try freeing the bolts myself (just the flimsy jack with the spare wheel), so I'm hoping a week of penetrating spray and some elbow grease once it's up in the garage will do the trick.

 

[Alfa.Romeo]

I've just been outside freeing up the rear camber adjusters this afternoon. Took about 2 hours (with loads of tea..) and now they are free as a bird. A very easy satisfying job

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

 

[kandlbarrett]

Did Brera_Matt ever get his freed up?

 

[Alfa.Romeo]

Did Brera_Matt ever get his freed up?

Maybe he's still out there! aranoid:

 

[Brera_Matt]

Sorry for the late reply but yes, finally managed to get it sorted!

After applying penetrant for a week I took it back for alignment and still, it was all seized up.
So then I took it to my local indie and they freed it all up, clean up the bolts and applied a bit of copper slip all round. So far so good.
I then took it back for a 4 wheel alignment only to be told my off side rear toe adjuster was just spinning and not adjusting - making me think they'd knackered the bush at my indie when they put the heat on to free it up.
It turns out the lads doing the alignment needed to adjust the suspension arm as it was at max adjustment, possibly as a result of having the prodrive springs/dampers put in. Once that was in all the readings came back into the green and it's happy days....finally!