Question:Do my wheels need to be realigned after the
struts have been replaced?
Answer:On most vehicles they do. Here's why:
MacPherson struts are more than overgrown shock absorbers.
They're an integral part of your vehicle's suspension. They
replace the upper control arms and ball joints and serve as the
steering pivots for the front wheels. When the strut assembly
is unbolted and removed from the vehicle, the original alignment
of the suspension is lost -- unless the position of the camber
bolts and upper strut plate are first marked so they can be reinstalled
in exactly the same position as before. But this only works if
the same original strut is being put back into the car. If the
strut is being replaced because it is leaking, damaged or worn
out, the dimensions of the new strut will usually vary enough
to cause a change in wheel alignment. So wheel alignment should
at least be checked to see if adjustment is necessary (which it
usually is).
On some import cars, the struts are "rebuildable."
The housing has a removable nut that allows the old guts inside
to be dumped out and a new cartridge installed. On these vehicles,
it should not be necessary to realign the wheels after rebuilding
the strut.
