LCA's worn out??

Jim, I tried again and could hear the audio today. A couple things make me suspect that slop in the LCA adjuster doesn't matter. I haven't seen where a factory manual gives any instructions on measuring slop or lists a specification. With weight on the wheels, the forces are very high on the adjusting bolt and rotating adjuster, given the small lever arm compared to total LCA length, maybe 10x the wheel's vertical load (~700 lb) so ~7000 lbf. The friction force is so high that it can't slide unless you hit a curb or lift the front wheels off the ground. Skidding the tires isn't enough.

I know that many people consider adding a stiffening plate to the bottom of the LCA essential. I don't see why one is needed. The strut rod takes out fwd-aft forces from the wheel so there is no bending load on the LCA in the horizontal plane. The strut bushings allow the rod to spring a bit, so it might be good for the LCA to bend a bit in sympathy rather than put all the turning on the LCA bushing. A stiffening plate probably doesn't hurt, other than adding a little weight and allowing gunk to build up and cause corrosion