Alignment required when replacing front Shocks?
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Tuned
Joined: Sep 2023
Posts: 340
Likes: 24
From: Eastern Central VA
Alignment required when replacing front Shocks?
Just curious. Every vehicle I have ever owned has had front struts. I think that is not the case here right? No need for an alignment when replacing front and rear shocks then?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 892
Likes: 160
From: Gainesville
Let your tires tell you.
Take a short trip on the nearest highway for about 20 minutes, to get the tire’s operating temps up. Pull off the road and quickly take temp readings on the inside/outside and center of the tires tread pattern (where the rubber meets the road, literally). If the readings on each section of tire are different you need an alignment regardless of any shock installation.
If the outsides are hotter than the center, your pressures are too low. If the outsides are cooler than the center, you have too much pressure.
This is a an old racing trick we use to optimally set up suspension and tire pressure so that the tires are as flat as possible in a turn or braking.
If you don’t have a tire pyrometer, a meat thermometer will do in a pinch, but they do not give instantaneous recovery/display of the data.
Who knows. You might need an alignment, anyway.
Take a short trip on the nearest highway for about 20 minutes, to get the tire’s operating temps up. Pull off the road and quickly take temp readings on the inside/outside and center of the tires tread pattern (where the rubber meets the road, literally). If the readings on each section of tire are different you need an alignment regardless of any shock installation.
If the outsides are hotter than the center, your pressures are too low. If the outsides are cooler than the center, you have too much pressure.
This is a an old racing trick we use to optimally set up suspension and tire pressure so that the tires are as flat as possible in a turn or braking.
If you don’t have a tire pyrometer, a meat thermometer will do in a pinch, but they do not give instantaneous recovery/display of the data.
Who knows. You might need an alignment, anyway.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Sep 2023
Posts: 340
Likes: 24
From: Eastern Central VA
So the fronts are shocks or struts?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 836
Likes: 126
From: CSRA, SC
Since its not a strut replacing the damper doesn't affect the alignment. I replaced mine 20k miles ago without an alignment with no adverse tire wear or change in driving characteristics. YMMV. As mentioned if you do the job and think you need an alignment due to tires wearing poorly or it drives funny, then of course you should have it aligned.
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Brakes, Steering, Suspension, Tires, & Wheels
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