cam type bolt in upper strut bolt location

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mtmtntop
Member
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:41 am
My tercel:: 85 4wd wagon, 83 4wd wagon
Location: montana

cam type bolt in upper strut bolt location

Post by mtmtntop »

i came across this cam type bolt , i guess an alignment tool, in an 83 today. I have not seen this type of bolt in the other side of this 83, or in my 84 or 86. is this the result of trying to fix something that could have happened in a wreck? like a bent strut tower or something like that? what concerns me is the cam bolt is a much smaller diameter than the original bolt, the strut itself has an elongated hole to accommodate a special tabbed washer that holds the adjustment in place. has anyone else come across this type of bolt in the strut mount to the hub?
mtmtntop
Member
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:41 am
My tercel:: 85 4wd wagon, 83 4wd wagon
Location: montana

Re: cam type bolt in upper strut bolt location

Post by mtmtntop »

looking at other posts i found this picture of what i have on my 83
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-Camber-K ... Sw1Fdch0br

apparently the strut, or at least the camber adjusting bolt, is out of an 86-89.

what is strange is there is also that camber adjusting spacer in the hub assembly too. (like the one shown in this picture.)
https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/showAs ... evel=18421
so there are two different camber adjustments on the same bolt. and the bolt is a much smaller diameter than the hole. i'm leaning toward putting in the correct diameter bolt and getting it aligned. they should be able to get the camber correct using
mtmtntop
Member
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:41 am
My tercel:: 85 4wd wagon, 83 4wd wagon
Location: montana

Re: cam type bolt in upper strut bolt location

Post by mtmtntop »

they should be able to align using the camber adjustment spacer shown in that last link
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dlb
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My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: cam type bolt in upper strut bolt location

Post by dlb »

Weird. Look and sounds like a home job fix. I would get the correct stock parts from a wrecker, parts car, etc personally.
mtmtntop
Member
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2008 10:41 am
My tercel:: 85 4wd wagon, 83 4wd wagon
Location: montana

Re: cam type bolt in upper strut bolt location

Post by mtmtntop »

i was able to find that original bolt and the original eccentric sleeve in my own boneyard. what i found when i went to put those in was the eccentric adjuster on the car was frozen in place. it took awhile with solvent and a punch but i got it out, cleaned everything up, added some grease into the hole and put it back together. it moves smoothly now. it is kind of unnerving to come across such a dangerous fix as I had been driving this car for quite a while.
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dlb
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Posts: 7339
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:03 pm
My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: cam type bolt in upper strut bolt location

Post by dlb »

Nice, good work! I know what you mean, I hate finding those kinds of shitty "repairs" on vehicles. On my current Tercel, virtually everything was like that and it drove me nuts to think of them doing one sloppy, slapdash job after another, thinking they're improving the car when they're really just making it worse and creating work that someone else will have to undo later. Very glad to be past all that now though (knock on wood).
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