Bryans951

I just took the car o have an alignment done. After a while the guy calls me and says that they can't do an alignment because the struts are bad. The struts have been bad for a long time and I've had alignments done before.

Can someone explain what the strut has to do with the alignment? Is what he's telling me even true?

Macfreak007

I took mine to get aligned and they figured out that my tierods were broken, so they had to fix that to align it, that could be the problem, but I don't see why just shot struts would cause them not to be able to align it, my dads car has had shot struts for years and it has been aligned perfectcally, find out more specifics, or its just bs

Matt H

If ride height in not correct, that will effect alignment. No one actually measures ride height though (well almost no one). Probably a CYA, more than anything else.
__________________
Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote

SidViscous

Get it fixed. I had my alignment done with bad struts and had the ride height issues. But then had to go back a month later and get the struts done because they were so bad, and had to pay for an alignement again. On these cars the ride height can move drastically. And ride heigth of course toes your wheels out as well.

Your basically just wasting your money if you get an alignement now.

But yes they can do the best alignment possible.

Bryans951

What would be the cause of a ride height probem. I just got through rebuilding therack and pump. While in there I replaced the tierod ends, went to poly control arm bushings, upgraded to the 26.8mm swaybar, new 968 casterblocks and rebuilt the ball joints. I did notice that the front looked to be somewhat higher than before.

What controls the ride height? Is it somethingthat I didn't do right?

SidViscous

The struts do the ride height.

Do this. Go out to your car and sit on one fender. If your a big fat *** like me that will push your ride height down. Then grab the fender and yank up. Bet you will see it go up and stay. When your driving around each side keeps shifting up and down.

I had it replaced with KYB's and with labor (I was to tired to do it) it was about 300 (Incluiding alignement)

Bryans951

ok. I did that. At first I couldn't make the car move. Only after I rolled the car down the drive, opened the hood and pressed directly on the strut mount did the car ever move. After pushing down it would come back up and when I oulled up it would go backdown. I could only get it to move an inch or two in any direction. Last night after I got it all back together, I pressed on the fender it moved alot more and sprang right back. I don't understand why its differnet now.




This is how the car is now.


This is a link to the way it was.

click here

SidViscous

If it's going back into position then I wouldn't say the struts are too bad. You could easily see mine move and stay.

They do go bad quickly though.

Another way to check for bad is to jack the car up. Struts should extend smoothly. If they jerk open then they are going bad.

Bryans951

Would the caster blocks have anything to do with it? What do they do?