Chevy truck was so old, mechanics refused to do an alignment. Once you hear why, it’s hard to blame them

Word to the wise: if you have an old car that’s been modified over the years, you will have a hard time getting issues fixed by a proper mechanic. A Chevy owner learned that the hard way when he took his car to get an alignment and was denied because he had slightly modified it. He posted his complaints on Facebook, and surprisingly, nobody took his side.

A trip to the mechanic is probably one of the most unpredictable experiences you can ever have as a car owner. There have been car owners who got turned back because the technician didn’t like the smell of the car. There have been others who only got to understand how financing works after their car was fixed (pro tip: financing is secured before the fixing, not after). But one thing remains constant — make sure you do consultations before you commit to anything.

For Matt McKinzie, a vintage Chevrolet truck owner — or as he proudly calls it, his “sh**box Chevy truck” — his trip to the mechanic was a futile one. Regardless of how you personally would refer to the Chevy, when he took the car to the mechanic for alignment, he was told that he had his bolts facing backward on the control arm, and unless he was willing to switch them around, the mechanic was not willing to touch his car.

Mechanics aren’t usually able to garner public support. There are way too many examples of technicians using their expertise in a negative way. Some car owners have even accused specific mechanics of holding their cars hostage. So it was quite a surprise seeing people in the comments of McKinzie’s post actually taking the side of the mechanics.

One commenter said, “No, they want the camber bolt facing the correct way — nothing to do with an impact.” Another said, “Until you try to make adjustments with them backwards you won’t understand.” Another gave more context for what it would take for the mechanics to do the whole thing by saying, “If you had to do alignments for a living you would understand. Bolts are in backwards, so trying to adjust and tighten down at the same time would be an absolute nightmare.”

According to Motor1, control arms are the components of the suspension that keep the wheels on — so they’re pretty important. The bolts they were having a back and forth about are held together by a component called the control arm bushing. Sometimes when the bolts are placed backward, it might cause further damage and end up requiring the car to get a full control arm replacement. Chances are, if a mechanic is avoiding this entire ordeal, they’re just trying to avoid unnecessary liabilities.

When it comes to old cars, your best bet is sticking with the same mechanic throughout the lifespan of the car. There’s nothing wrong with having a car for a long time — it’s actually encouraged in this rather wasteful point in human history. Chevy trucks, especially, are designed to go the long hauls. You just have to take good care of them.