Alignment after stock shock/strut replacement required?

[Popeye]

Greetings all...

 

First post for myself, although I have been finding this site to be awesome in terms of the information found within it over the past couple months.

 

I changed my shocks/struts to stock replacements 2 months ago, but have since upgraded to new 31 BFG AT's. (No rubbing at all on the stock 15x7 steelies BTW)

 

I'm wondering if an alignments as required after replacing the shocks/struts?

 

I'm planning on going with a lift in the near future, and realize I need the camber kit/bolts are required when I do...but is an alignment required after stock replacements and no lift yet?

 

I'd like to get the warn hubs & AC springs done after Christmas, time permitting, but it might take me a couple months. I dont want to mess up the new tires in the meantime.

 

 

 

Thanks

[Howie]

I don't think you'll mess up your tires if you put off the alignment for a few weeks (especially if you don't feel it pulling to the side), but it's definitely a good idea after doing suspension work. Some other guys have mentioned the lifetime alignment deal that Firestone has, where you pay once and can get free alignments for the life of the car or something like that. Unfortunately, I don't have a Firestone near me. I'd totally do that if I did.

 

--Howie

[pathfounder]

Most MacPherson struts do not need any kind of alignment work after being replaced with identical units. On R50s, you can't adjust camber or caster without aftermarket parts anyways. The only thing that can be changed is toe, which if you only changed the struts, won't be out of whack anyways.

 

Save some money and get the alignment done after the lift or other mods.

[nunya]

Most MacPherson struts do not need any kind of alignment work after being replaced with identical units. On R50s, you can't adjust camber or caster without aftermarket parts anyways. The only thing that can be changed is toe, which if you only changed the struts, won't be out of whack anyways.

 

Save some money and get the alignment done after the lift or other mods.

 

Wasnt there just recently a debate over this? I belive the outcome was that there IS some adjustment in stock stuff anytime suspension stuff is messed with theres a chance of knocking your allignment off some. The severity of it depending on a fiew factors (part design/quality, person doeing the works care/atention to their work, etc) It is generally recomended you DO get an allignment after messing with suspension or steering components, but me telling yo uto isn't really fair as I (as of last night at least) am currently driving around on toe set by braile...

[Howie]

Wasnt there just recently a debate over this? I belive the outcome was that there IS some adjustment in stock stuff anytime suspension stuff is messed with theres a chance of knocking your allignment off some. The severity of it depending on a fiew factors (part design/quality, person doeing the works care/atention to their work, etc) It is generally recomended you DO get an allignment after messing with suspension or steering components, but me telling yo uto isn't really fair as I (as of last night at least) am currently driving around on toe set by braile...

 

I think the main point here is that the OP said he's replaced his parts with OEM stuff. Since with OEM the only adjustment you can make is toe, then if you don't feel it pulling it's probably not bad enough to ruin your tires (for a few weeks).

 

Once he gets the aftermarket stuff on it's a different story, where you can adjust camber as well (I still don't think you'd be able to adjust caster). Then it would be more critical to align it right away, but in his current situation I think he'll be okay to save some money.

 

--Howie

[nunya]

understood, one of my points (which even I don't think i got out clearly) was the part quality thing. "stock replacement" doesn't = OEM dealer parts... Say a CarQuest redbox item which may not be to exact spec of a dealer part, in turn giving the front end an out of wHack (even if not enough to 'feel') setup. Catch my drift or am I just makign my words more jumbled?

[pathfounder]

If you look on a factory R50, there is nothing adjustable on the suspension. A MacPherson strut is (for better or for worse) basically a peg with a wheel on it, held on the bottom with a control arm. The control arm can't be moved in any way (it bolts to the chassis and that's it), and the top of the strut can't be adjusted either. The _only_ thing that you can change is the toe, by means of changing the tie rod length (obviously).

 

The toe could be off, in theory. If the ride height has changed, then the small amount of bump steer that all suspensions will inevitably have could cause the toe to be wrong at ride height. If Nissan knew what they were doing when they designed the steering, then the bump steer will be so small that replacing a strut with a nearly identical one is going to make just about no difference in toe.

 

Now, it could be argued that resetting the toe should be done by the OP, just because of the small change that might be there, and because it could have been wrong to begin with. But for a few weeks of putting around, I'd say just drive it and don't worry about it.

 

Things are different on a WD21 with double wishbones. That suspension is a complicated 3D setup, and everything affects everything.

Edited December 24, 2010 by pathfounder