Is wheel alignment required after lower control arm change?

[AmirGSXR]

Hi All,

Our garage replaced drivers side lower control arm as ball joint has worn. Is it normal practice to get 4 wheel alignment after an arm change?

Note: I should have asked the garage this question, but I forgot to ask at the time of picking it up.

[Evoluzione]

No.

[E-bmw]

Not necessarily, but personally I always get a check done after changing any suspension part, as work/broken joints can move things out of alignment, so new ones can move things equally & if the alignment was right with it worn, it CAN be wrong with in renewed.

[AmirGSXR]

Thanks both.

I live in N.Wales, and the nearest garage from where we live that has the hunter wheel alignment is about 25 miles away. Thus, I really need to consider whether a 50 mile round trip is required or not.

The car is a Suzuki Swift 1.5, and my wife said the steering was straight and there was no pulling to one side when she drove home from the garage last night. This suggests that there is unlikely to be alignment issues, though I appreciate that there may be some small differences due to changing from a worn to new arm.

[E-bmw]

As you say, unlikely to be any significant change then, just keep a long term eye on tyre wear.

Doesn't have to be Hunter, by the way.

Any 4-wheel alignment set up will do it, Hunter is just a brand name & as with any tool, it is only as good as the tool using it.

[stevemcs]

E-bmw said:

As you say, unlikely to be any significant change then, just keep a long term eye on tyre wear.

Doesn't have to be Hunter, by the way.

Any 4-wheel alignment set up will do it, Hunter is just a brand name & as with any tool, it is only as good as the tool using it.

What he said, for 1 lower arm I wouldn’t quote, for both then I would include it in the cost for fitting them (£30)

[imagineifyeswill]

If you want to be really pernickity then you should have wheel alignment checked after any suspension work but in practice it rarely happens.