NHTSA Complaint #754642 — 2000 DODGE RAM 2500

THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE DANA AXLES IN WHICH CROSS CASTER ADJUSTMENTS CANNOT BE MADE. I HAVE FOUND THAT ALL ALIGNMENT SHOPS TRY TO ADJUST THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ECCENTRICS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, THEREBY TWISTING THE AXLE TO FORCE THE CROSS CASTER ANGLE. FROM WHAT I HAVE FOUND OUT (SEE HTTP://DODGERAM.ORG/TECH/SPECS/00_STEER_SPECS.HTML) THIS FORCEING OF THE LOWER ECCENTRICS IS NOT THE WAY TO ACHIEVE CROSS CASTER ADJUSTMENTS. THE LOWER ECCENTRICS ARE FOR CASTER ONLY AFTER THE CROSS CASTER IS SET. I RECENTLY FOUND RECALL #861ON THESE AXLES. MINE MISSED IT BY 6 DAYS. I COULD NOT HELP BUT WONDER IF A RUSH TO CORRECT THE SITUATION AND STILL MEET DEMAND MAY HAVE LED TO SOME BEING BUILT OUT OF SPECS. NEVER THE LESS, THIS TWISTING AND FORCEING CANNOT BE GOOD ON THE VERY AREA THAT THE RECALL WAS ABOUT, THE RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKET. MY PRIVATE ALIGNMENT SHOP COULD NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WILL GET IT BACK NEXT WEEK FOR THE THIRD TIME. I HAVE DISCUSSED IT WITH THEM AND I AM ORDERING AN AFTERMARKET PART TO REPLACE THE UPPER BALL JOINT THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO ADJUST THE CROSS CASTER. THIS WILL NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. OUT OF MY POCKET, A GAMBLE WITH THE WARRANTY, BUT I HAVE TO HAVE A VEHICLE I CAN HOLD ON THE ROAD. NOTE: THEY ARE ALSO ORDERING A NEW STEERING BOX. I AM NOT SURE IF IT WAS REALLY BAD, OR AFTER DAYS OF TRYING TO FORCE AN ALIGNMENT THEY FIGURED TRY THIS. WHEN READING ABOUT THE STEERING BOX, KEEP IN MIND THAT THE PREVIOUS SHOP COULD NOT ALIGN THE VEHICLE CROSS CASTER. THIS COULD NOT BE RESOLVED. I REALLY WANT TO STRESS THE TWISTING THAT IS BEING DONE TO POTENTIALLY ALL THESE AXLES. PLEASE CHECK THE WEB SITE I SITED.