Hi I have 2015 Camry that has a severe alignment issue on the rear as it was hit perpendicularly.
I had replaced most parts that had the most severe damage such as a badly bent rear subframe and a few suspension components.
The issue I’m having is the rear adjustable control arms. I honestly don’t know if its broken because the part where they are connected together by a long bolt is split in two(is that how it is stock?). Also when I’m messing with the adjustment screws, I have no clue how to work it. Finding exact specs is also difficult.
The alignment is so bad that its eating the further outermost side of the tires down to the wire meshing.
I can drive it as is and just continue to use cheap tires but I also want to get new tires and fix it once and for all. Just looking for some general guidelines on how those control arms on the rear works.
I’m also wanting to know how to do an accurate and low cost alignment at home. I’ve seen many diy alignment videos but wanted to hear Keaith’s take on it. Thanks.
My take is that you probably don’t have the appropriate equipment to do a proper alignment. If i’m correct, just take it to a qualified shop and have a pro do it.
You can do home alignments with 2 tape measures, 4 jackstands, some string, a 30 inch straightedge and a level on a flat surface. If you understand what toe, camber, caster and thrust angle, it is not that hard. Tedious, but not that hard. Might be best used for a rough setting and then pay for an alignment.
As for the lower rear control arms… that is a 3 link strut rear suspension. The rear of the two lateral arms is adjusted only to set toe.
Rear camber (and front camber) is set from the factory but can be adjusted by replacing the upper strut to knuckle bolt with an eccentric bolt kit designed for that.
The trailing links just locate the wheel center fore and aft with no adjustment.
Did the person who hit your vehicle not have insurance ? Or did you buy it back from the insurance which if you did that does not look like a wise move now.
I do want to get an alignment but I feel like if they find a broken rear arm, its going to drive the cost up out of my budget. Unless they can do it where if they put on the rack and find the bent piece and then let my fix it on my own without charging me for the alignment.
Do you guys have any alignment shop recommendations like Firestone?
Your best bet is to fix any and all ‘Worn-Bent-or-Broken’s before having the car aligned.
Attempting an alignment with the rear end in that shape, just to try to save tires, is a bandaid solution. Get the underlying problems fixed, then do the other things (tires, alignment)
I’m not Kieth but I have performed wheel alignments on hundreds of similar vehicles.
This is one of the easiest vehicles to adjust rear toe on, using a tape measure and two 7/8” or 23 mm wrenches you can all but eliminate that rear tire wear.
sweet! I’ll give it a go. I didn’t know what I was doing so I took the entire arm off and keep on screwing it back and forth until it popped into two parts.
Chris/Kieth; The OP replaced the rear subframe and “a few suspension parts”. The rear toe setting is way out of spec. He requested your advice because of your at-home alignment experience.
I think the OP would like to get the rear alignment set roughly close to where it should be in order to confirm alignment is possible. This preparation would be to avoid a $200 fee only to be told the car needs more repairs.
This is the first I’ve seen this post. Not replacing broken or bent parts is NOT good economy, you are putting yourself and any passengers in danger, along with drivers/passengers and bystanders when it all comes apart.
As for alignment, I use a 2’ level, a 2x4 and a pencil. First hold the level against the tire vertically to see if there is any camber that needs to be addressed. Each tires should not be more than about a quarter bubble off plumb. Check that the ground you are on is level first.
Then slide the 2x4 behind and in contact with the rear tires. On older cars and on trucks, I use a 2x6 but you can’t stand a 2x6 on its side under a Camry or most cars these days. Use the level flush against the side of the tire and mark across the 2x4, go to the other side and repeat. Move the 2x4 to the front of and in contact with the rear tires. With the level flat against the side of one tire, adjust the 2x4 so the line on it lines up with edge of the level. Go to the other side and lay the level flush with the side of the tire and mark the 2x4 along the edge of the level. The marks should be very close together. I do the back of the tires first as the fronts are generally a little closer and I can see both marks when doing the front side.
Side story this week, I was putting in a new idler arm on my 2007 Silverado. When I went to check the alignment after install, I had two full inches of toe in. As I was realigning it, I noticed that the idler arm was hitting the frame as it moved. Turned out to be the wrong idler arm. My truck is an LT but I got one for an HD model. It located that end of the cross link about three inches higher than it should have, thus pulling in the tie rod ends.
I disabled one of the control arms and it if you unscrew it all the way it splits into two pieces. So I’m not sure if thats stock or if its broken like that. But its not bent or anything.
Sounds like the OP is referring to the rear rearward adjustable control arm (pic below), the rear forward control arm is not adjustable…
The adjustable control arm is basically a turn buckle, loosen the jam nuts and rotate the turn buckle part one way and it makes the control arm longer, turn it the other way and it makes it shorter.. One way to far and it bottoms out, turn the other way and it unscrews itself and falls apart… not hard to understand if you know how to do alignments…
