Yes. Anytime you disassemble and reassemble any parts of the suspension or connected components, you will need an alignment afterwards.

 

Yes. Anytime you disassemble and reassemble any parts of the suspension or connected components, you will need an alignment afterwards.

I disagree completely, not if the tie rod ends aren't messed with.

 

You don't need an alignment for an axle replacement

 

If you have to ask then you should probably get it.
May not be neccesary (I would think it is though), but it'll give you piece of mind either way. Don't want to be driving and have a 'what if?' moment.

Yes. Anytime you disassemble and reassemble any parts of the suspension or connected components, you will need an alignment afterwards.

x2

 

Can anyone explain why an alignment is necessary after unbolting the shock and lower ball joint only? I do not comprehend...

 

Same reason you need an alignment after you get new tires (where it's not "NEEDED") or the same reason you may need an alignment after driving 20,000 miles. Your alignment can just go slightly one way or the other just went hitting large bumps. While you're under there messing around you can hit things, move things, even if you don't know it. Some places offer lifetime alignment or free-re-alignment within a certain number of days (30, 60 or 90) if you think it's fallen out. You aren't going to be changing toe, camber or caster, but something could change very slightly.

Also, why not? What could it possibly hurt? And when was the last time you got an alignment?

 

Personally for just replacing an axle, I wouldn't recommend getting one. To remove an axle, you're simply yanking the spindle out of the LCA, replacing teh axle and reattaching it. There is no adjustment in the lower ball joint and the suspension geometry to warrant it.

There are 2 reasons that you need an alignment...when you do something to alter the suspension geometry on purpose...ie swapping springs etc. or B: when you hit a large pothole or have an accident resulting in the suspension being moved...IE periodic maintanence.

So, no, you don't need an alignment.

 

And on top of all this the only thing that is adjustable on the stock Integra suspension is toe, and you haven't touched the tie rods (which adjust the toe) so nothing will change. Nothing at all.

 

Nothing will have changed after replacing an axle. You can't change the caster or camber period and as long as you didnt touch the tie-rods you didn't adjust toe either.

 

no need unless you disonnect the tie rod.

unless you notice uneven tyre wear.

 

I would not get an alignment, even disconnecting the tie rod is ok, it is only if you loosened it up.

 

Oh well personally any time I touch anything that deals with suspension I get my alignment done. I also rotate my tires and have the car aligned often just to get max life out of my tires. Is it a requirement? Probably not. Is it a good idea? I guess that all depends on how anal you are about maintenance and when the last time you had an alignment was.

 

No need. As Mal said, the only thing adjustable on our cars STOCK is the toe. Since you aren't touching the tie rods, (or shouldn't be) there is no need for an alignment.

HOWEVER!!!! An alignment can eventually "go bad" for lack of a better term. After hitting bumps, driving for tens of thousands of miles, etc.... your alignment may shift. An alignment should be looked at as a periodic maintenance. If it has been a while and you notice unnecessary wear of your tires or anything abnormal, go get an alignment.

 

Like Malhon said, you dont need an alignment if you just unbolted the LCA and lifted the spindle up and out of the way. We never did alignments when we did axles at Les Schwab Tires since its not needed/required. Unless youre actually replacing a part of the suspension, you dont need to get an alignment.

 

If the car drove straight (no pull) prior to the axle replacement, and the axle components were all you touched, I agree with Mal/others in that you should not need an alignment.

 

Hey guys. Good input. Thanks a million.

 

I had mine done and dealership said it does not effect the alignment. I have been driving the car with 180,000 miles on it and it tracks perfectly straight even with no hands on the wheel