micosan Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 1999 Volvo S70 2.4L 2435cc L5 FI (55), Engine type is B5254S DENSO, Automatic – 4speed, Emission J1Factory –Torslanda, Sweden, Location -Dallas, TX, USA , Mileage 80,000My front right/passenger strut has failed and I will be replacing both front struts soon, but I have a question. Why do you need an alignment after replacing the struts? I’ve read a few posts about replacing the struts and it always says to get an alignment afterwards. I’ve read the camber is not really adjustable and the only thing the strut can affect is camber. So if camber is not adjustable why do you need an alignment after replacing the struts? The few cars about which I have read do not have adjustable cambers yet all the posts repeat this motto. Let the debate begin. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmelviØØ7 Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Does it matter, you said in your other post that your car needs an alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micosan Posted May 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Does it matter, you said in your other post that your car needs an alignment.Yes, I think it does matter. If the new struts correct the pulling toward the right then do I really need an alignment? Could it be that the failed strut caused the tire wear, incorrect camber, and the pulling toward the right? If the failed strut is the problem then my alignment is fixed once I replace the struts. Thanks for the comment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2001T5 Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Doesn't the upper strut mount allow for adjustment? If it does, then that's why you'll need an alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikS Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Yes, I think it does matter. If the new struts correct the pulling toward the right then do I really need an alignment? Could it be that the failed strut caused the tire wear, incorrect camber, and the pulling toward the right? If the failed strut is the problem then my alignment is fixed once I replace the struts. Thanks for the commentMaybe post back after the strut replacement? Seem to be "what iffing" w/o doing the repair yet. More likely you need new tires as well, if they now have excessive wear .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Disarray Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 It's really not a bad idea to get it aligned especially with the age of your car, if anything it will give you peace of mind. It's not like it cost a lot of money either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kibim Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 When pulling the suspension appart, and replacing it, even with the same parts, you'll have slightly different seating of the components. my stock volvo stuts left me with a camber of +0.5 to +1.0 on both sides. The konis and intrax setup sits at -2.2. So yes, things change.Not to mention Toe and Castor settings which can be affected by strut replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micosan Posted May 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Maybe post back after the strut replacement? Seem to be "what iffing" w/o doing the repair yet. More likely you need new tires as well, if they now have excessive wear ....Since I don’t know anything I try to get as much information about what to do if this or that, as you say “what iffing.” I thought I had a basic understanding of the alignment parts such as struts control camber and caster, and tie rods affect toe. I was hoping for some help in explaining to me why struts replacement would affect alignment since I thought camber was not adjustable for my vehicle. I’m sorry if this appears to be a stupid question. I have very little automotive experience so I need all the explanations I can get.It's really not a bad idea to get it aligned especially with the age of your car, if anything it will give you peace of mind. It's not like it cost a lot of money either.Sometimes I’m just too cheap for my own good. I guess I can’t believe alignment can really be so precise as to give adjustment that is less than 1 degree. I think toe specification is suppose to be +0.12 for a total of +0.22. With that kind of alignment precision I think I could knock it out of alignment by just slamming one of the doors close. I guess because I don’t know anything about alignment process and equipment I’m suspicious of it. Thanks for your idea.When pulling the suspension appart, and replacing it, even with the same parts, you'll have slightly different seating of the components. my stock volvo stuts left me with a camber of +0.5 to +1.0 on both sides. The konis and intrax setup sits at -2.2. So yes, things change.Not to mention Toe and Castor settings which can be affected by strut replacement.Because I don’t know any better I would have thought replacing the strut you would could not alter the camber unless it was a strut with camber adjustments. I assumed regular strut don’t have camber adjustment so when they’re installed the camber is close enough to OEM specification that it didn’t really matter, same thing for caster. I didn’t know struts affected toe. I’ve tried finding information on how an alignment works but I’ve not found anything which is detailed enough for me to appreciate the alignment procedure. I’ve read how you can make toe adjustments at home and understand the tie rods function but I can’t seem to fully understand how camber is adjusted on a non-adjustable strut. Maybe I’ll see the strut total effect on alignment when I replaced the struts but I find that if you don’t know something when making a repair you can really make a bad situation irreparable because you don’t know how the thing works. Thanks for your insight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikS Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Since I don’t know anything I try to get as much information about what to do if this or that, as you say “what iffing.” I thought I had a basic understanding of the alignment parts such as struts control camber and caster, and tie rods affect toe. I was hoping for some help in explaining to me why struts replacement would affect alignment since I thought camber was not adjustable for my vehicle. I’m sorry if this appears to be a stupid question. I have very little automotive experience so I need all the explanations I can get.Google is always your friend. No one is trying to make you feel stupid.Wheel Alignments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWinkey Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 No one is trying to make you feel stupid.Wheel AlignmentsAgreed...and multiple posts on the same issue do not help either? Honestly if you have a pull problem alignment probably will not correct it. 9 times out of 10 it's in the tiresCamber can be adjusted to a minimum caster cannot. Toe will not create a pull. Hope this helps ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmelviØØ7 Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 My shop aligns every car after a strut removal, get it done. I get my cars done once a year for shits and giggles. It's always out a bit, potholes, component wear..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PyROTech Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 It's really not a bad idea to get it aligned especially with the age of your car, if anything it will give you peace of mind. It's not like it cost a lot of money either.My shop aligns every car after a strut removal, get it done. I get my cars done once a year for shits and giggles. It's always out a bit, potholes, component wear.....i lost two of my winter tires b/c of not getting alignment, and the tires are expensive as hell. Unless you wanna gamble a repeat do the alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokin' T5M Posted May 25, 2008 Report Share Posted May 25, 2008 If a spring seat is broken or a strut is to be replaced you need to do an alignment. You can have dog tracking or a drift not a pull if the rear is out of toe spec. You have a play of -2.0 to +2.0 in the front for camber settings if one side is at 1.5 and the other side is at -.5 guess what you have a pull. Not to mention poor tire wear on the inside tread of the side with -1.5 degrees. If toe is set and facing outwards you are duckwalking or plowing the front tires down the road. If you have too much negative toe you are pigeon toed or plowing with the tires facing inwards to much towards the nose of the car. All can contribute to poor handling and premature tire wear. Get the alignmentMr Winkey is correct as well. There are plenty of cases where tires cause the pull. Rotating the tires from left to right in this case can help you resolve the issue. This is barring the fact there are no compromised suspension parts that are contributing to the problem. Get the alignmentNo matter what get the alignment. The strut is being separated from the adjustment point of camber. When the new strut goes in camber will be off. Might not feel a pull, but the steering wheel could be off or crooked when you get the car back on the ground. Proving the steering and suspension have been altered. Get the alignment.They run from $50-$100. Money that we all could probably use for something else, but in the long run this is preventative work so you don't spend more this year for tires prematurely wearing. I would go someplace you trust or now. If that means the dealer then go. No matter get it done and know that the suspension is set to spec or your liking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.