samyom

Hi,

I read understand I need to take my car for alignment after replacing struts.
I surely need Front Struts asap and rear needs to be done as well but can wait for a while.

My questions:

1: If I get Front done right now I will have to take for alignment. Then when I get the Rear done after couple months, do I need alignment again?

2: Is there a difference in cost for alignment when I get Front only v/s all both Front and rear.

The reason I am asking is if I need to pay say $50-60 for alignment after Front and then again after Rear, I would opt for doing Front and Rear replacement together.

Thanks.

vgq2

iTrader: (1)

umm... to my understanding no rear alignment is necessary on the 4th gen.

asand1

iTrader: (1)

Considering the front struts are not slotted, there is less than .5* of adjustment. There is no reason to adjust the fronts unless lowering, and no means in stock form anyhow.
The rears are not struts, just coil over shocks.
There is no alignment necessary unless lowering or replacing tie rods.

samyom

Thank you guys.
I don't know about slotted or not. Rear will be just shock replacement.

Basically these KYB Parts:
Front Strut Assembly: 334151 /334150
Strut Mounting Kit w/Bearing(2): SM5122
Shock Absorber(2): 341202
Shock Mounting Kit(2): SM5123

iDuty

I agree with the responses above.

I'd like to add that I put KYB GR-2 all around with the stock springs on my 1997 i30 about two and a half years ago. They are harsh riding, I would choose differently if I had to do it again. In my opinion, they resist compression too much. Rebound damping is fine. What I expect a good damper to do is resist rebound more than compression. The valving in the KYB isn't quite right for this application.

samyom

iDuty,
Those parts are already on it's way. All my search and even the shops suggested to go with KYB-GR2.

Thanks.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Have the front aligned after you put the new struts in. It's measured in mm and even though the struts bolt right in, there's no way your going to be perfectly aligned, unless your very lucky. Toe in is only 2mm, think about that. The play in the bolt holes and manufacturing tolerances on parts all effect the 2mm toe.

Thrust angle alignment is what you want. Sensors on all 4 wheels, it sets the front up to track with the fixed rear which assures a perfectly centered steering wheel.

asand1

iTrader: (1)

njmax, I have to disagree with you.
Changing the struts will not affect the thrust angle. The rear axle sets the thrust angle, and the front wheels are unconsciously turned by the driver to compensate. On the 4th gen, thrust angle, camber, and caster are not adjustable. I'll be happy to post the page from the FSM when I get home from work.
As long as the inner and outer tie rods are not changed in relation to each other, the toe will not change.
If there was that much variance between parts, your camber would be off, and there is not enough adjustment to correct it.

steezmuffin686

if im correct, thrust angle is simply wether ur car is "dog tracking" or not..if its anything other than spec the frame's outa wack. front end alignment is all thats necessary on these baddies.

asand1

iTrader: (1)

Yes, and some vehicles with IRS can have this adjusted via the "toe" of each rear tire.

samyom

Thank you guys for sharing valuable information. Though I am hardly able to grasp most of the part.

Finally I am getting both front and rear parts replaced. So now when I take the car for alignment what should I ask them or be careful about. And what's the regular cost?

I have seen people talking lot about Firestone's alignment. Any recommendations or I can go to anyone.

Rods03Max619

iTrader: (5)

ACE Tires got like 3 locations, and you can do lifetime alignment for 80 bucks if you want so whenever you need to go back its just 10 bucks, especially if you are going to replace more suspension parts down the road.....

Markusfisher

I agree with the above post. Also allignments are crucial. For 80$the its well worth the gas mileage and tire performance.

samyom

Great...Thanks. I will check them out.

samyom

How long should I wait for alignment after installing struts? 50 miles??

Trini Boom

iTrader: (5)

Right away. No need for wait unless you need to replace tires first before alignment.

M in KC

^^^What he said. And while it's mostly true there isn't anything to align in the rear a good shop can shim the rear struts to make them dead on. Lifetime alignment is where it's at.

asand1

iTrader: (1)

The rear doesn't have struts. They are shocks.

samyom

Guys,
Got the alignment done and here's the report.
The guy said for Front everything is in the Specifications range. The rear Left Toe is out of specification but he can't do anything on that, though the Total Toe for rear is within specifications.

Also I do feel the car does more little left even after keeping the steering straight.

Does anyone see any issue in the numbers?

Thanks...

Max139617

iTrader: (9)

Check if your front tires are good. Im willing to bet thats the problem

samyom

All tires replaced about a month ago. Struts/shocks two weeks...

Max139617

iTrader: (9)

are they directional tires ? if so make sure they are mounted correctly

samyom

Directional?? I don't know.... It's Micheline Primacy MXV4

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Tires with a certain tread pattern are only meant to spin one direction so is you have them on the wrong side they wont tread water like they are designed to. Look on the side of the tire and if it is directional, it will have an arrow letting you know. I dont think it will throw you out of alignment though and it would have to be a pretty bad tire shop to put them on wrong. Likely not the problem. Outer tie rods would be my guess but I didnt read the whole thread