Change Shock = Alignment too ?????

[Joe & Soosie]

Yeah, he was trying to rob you. Unless the car was already outta whack,
there's no need to do an alignment when changing shocks.

I'd stay away from that place.

Sofjan wrote in message <19981129215359...@ng-cb1.aol.com>...
>
>
> Hi all
> Two days ago while acompanying my friend to a local oil change and tune
up
>place. My friend is having his oil change . One of the mechanic comes up
and
>said that the shock absorber is worn out and need to be change . just out
of
>curiosity i asked what is the estimate. The mechanic comes up with the list
of
>changing the shock and 4 whell alignment. I told the mechanic that i have
>change shock absorber by my self (not this particular car ) on 3 toyota
Camry
>(one belong to me ) and one Oldsmobile and never have to have the wheel
>aligned. and none of the car get any problem. The mechanic retort "You
probably
>didn't know what you are doing . But you need 4 wheel alignment otherwise
we
>won't guarantee our job and you might lose your tire early !!!!!) I
didn't
>argue with him or nothing.
>
> But here is my question. I'm just a weekend home mechanic who will do
>stuff around car like changing oil,tranny fluid., brake
pads,rotor,drums,shock
>absorber,Fix the automatic seat belt. change the timing belt.Change the
front
>fender and hood. etc. All i know i learn from Haynes or Chilton. Maybe i
might
>not know all or i'm just lucky. BUT do i really have to align the wheel
after
>changing the shock absorber. All the car that i change the shock does not
>have alignment problem afterward. Please confirm to my suspicision that
that
>mechanic just want to make extra money off my friend .
>
>
>Sof...@aol.com
>Lexington ,Kentucky

[Mark]

If the car has struts in the front (inside a coil spring), you have to
remove the whole strut tower from the car which generally means removing it
from the steering knuckle (hub assembly), which completely screws up
alignment. When he says you need a four wheel alignment, chances are that's
the type of alignment the car would need no matter what (like my 85 Tercel
wagon), so that's what you'd get after you did the struts. A strut is a
shock with a different name because of the difference in how it is used.
For instance, you have adjusting struts in your drum brakes to keep the
shoes firm against the drum as they wear...

Hope this helps.

PS -- If the car doesn't have struts, then I'm not sure what the guy means.
What kind of car was it anyway?

[David J Robinson]

First, Most shops will recommend a 4 wheel alignment with and strut change.
A lot of cars have a camber ecentric that is lossened to change the strut.
This will change the alignment settings of the car and it will require a
alignment to make sure the tires wear properly. If the car does not have
this adjustment, One example is many BMWs, some shops have actaully bent
the strut tube slightly to get proper camber settings. So he was correct in
recommending an alignment, and on most front wheel drive cars a 4 wheel
alignment is always recommended. In effect he was making sure the customer
was not going to be back complaining due to the tires of their car wearing
out due to the alignment be out.

Dave

[Sofjan]

[Sofjan]

>
>If the car has struts in the front (inside a coil spring), you have to
>remove the whole strut tower from the car which generally means removing it
>from the steering knuckle (hub assembly), which completely screws up
>alignment.

See i changed Two(one my friend one mine) Toyota Camry Front strut . I just
take off the disc brack calliper. hang it . take off the flexible brake line
of the struts. and loosen the two big bolt on the bottom of the strut to the
Disc brake assembly (or whatever i dunno the term) COme up to the under hood
loosen the three nuts that attached the strut to the body.

Compress the spring loosen some nut and take out the struts . change new strut
uncompress the sprint into it. tighten everything up. and install in reverse
way. Making sure if there is a shim or such that is installed on the lower big
bolt to the strut get installed.
Both cars have been driven at leat two years now without any unusual tire
wear usually coupled with misalignment. two other cars that i changed the
struts i did it the same way without whell alignment. so please tell me am i
just getting lucky or i really should do the whell alignment. or i should go
back to that place and lambasted that mechanic for implying that i'm a no good
weekend grease monkey 8^) ???????

BTW i didn't go to that place to have my car service . it was my friend car. i
ususally do all the thing myself. except it is major or the weather is too cold
8^) . ( No heated garage. )

Merry Christmas..
Sof...@aol.com
Lexington ,Kentucky

[Martin Smith]

Sounds like you got lucky. Those two big bolts at the bottom of the strut
usually provide adjustment for camber.

[Swillieboy]

Struts and shock absorbers as you know are two different animals in themselves.
Replacing shocks do not require an alignment, but in replacing struts,
especially on the front end, I would always recommend at least a front end
align. , preferrably a 4 wheel align. T he adjustment that posibly could be
affected on a strut replacement ( like on a camry) would be the camber angle,
which is a tire wearing angle if not set to specifications.

[Blewth1674]

well to tell u the truth. I used to work at a dealership and we call that up
sell.. but hey it might really need one it depends on the tire wear that it
has