Top mount replacement
Discussion
I have to do these soon. On my car, there's two ways of doing it. I can either compress the springs in situ & undo the mounts or take the strut out altogether. If I do the latter, I have to remove the strut from the hub knuckle & remove the droplinks. The springs don't require much compressing on the car - Mini Cooper S but the question is will I need an alignment post job? Logically, I don't see the need if I'm not disturbing the track rods & the top mounts themselves are not adjustable but I have seen a couple of guides suggest it's required.
Slightly irritating if so as I had an alignment in January!
Slightly irritating if so as I had an alignment in January!
I said alignment should be checked, depending on the results of the check it then may or may not need adjustment.
'Alignment' is more than just toe.
Alter the position of a strut's top mounting in space and you potentially alter camber and/or castor, alter camber and/or castor and you alter toe. Top mounts typically have a fair bit of wiggle room where they bolt to the inner wing, they are not usually dowelled in position, add-in manufacturing vagaries, plus changing from a worn one to a new one... I always check alignment after work where misalignment is a possibility.
'Alignment' is more than just toe.
Alter the position of a strut's top mounting in space and you potentially alter camber and/or castor, alter camber and/or castor and you alter toe. Top mounts typically have a fair bit of wiggle room where they bolt to the inner wing, they are not usually dowelled in position, add-in manufacturing vagaries, plus changing from a worn one to a new one... I always check alignment after work where misalignment is a possibility.
OK so I just looked up the specs for the car. There's no camber or caster adjustment on the front wheels, so providing I don't disturb the toe & the mounts aren't excessively worn, I think I should be ok, especially as I'm running half worn tyres n the front which I may just roll with until they need replacing. Cheers everyone.
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