Replacing Shocks - Is an Alignment Needed? (3 Viewers)
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CharlieS
GOLD Star
In order to remove a front "shock" (really a strut, but that's just semantics), you need to remove the entire assembly from the vehicle. To replace the "shock" portion, you need to remove assembly from the vehicle, remove the top bearing/mount, move the old spring to the new "shock", replace the top mount, and then reinstall in the vehicle. In order to do this operation, you have a few choices, but all of them result in needing an alignment. As @bloc said above, it is a good practice to loosen the main lower control arm mounting bolts to the frame so the lower control arm can move enough to remove the "shock", and those bolts also happen to be the eccentrics that are used to adjust alignment, and are virtually impossible to get back into the exact position (I mark with a paint pen and try my best, but inevitably still need minor alignment adjustment).
If you are at the point where shocks are leaking, you've probably gotten enough wear, hit potholes, etc., that an alignment wouldn't be a bad idea anyway.
If you have a good Firestone location, you can get a lifetime alignment for not much more than the cost of one alignment. Unfortunately they don't offer the lifetime option when you have a lift.
If you have a good Firestone location, you can get a lifetime alignment for not much more than the cost of one alignment. Unfortunately they don't offer the lifetime option when you have a lift.
I’d do a quick search around the inter webs to see if you can get a fresh OEM suspension someone took off a new rig. I did that through Eric in Indy.
bloc
SILVER Star
This is a great suggestion.
By definition we do have struts in the front because the damper and spring are together in an assembly, though they aren’t “McPherson” struts that most people think of being on many fronts wheel drive vehicles.
According to the automotive definition they're not struts. They're actually coilovers. There's one main difference between struts and shocks and that has to do with structure. A strut is an integral part of the structure of the suspension system, a shock isn't. Theoretically, you can drive a car without coilovers installed but can't drive a car without struts.
CharlieS
GOLD Star
A working description I like is "A strut assembly consists of two primary elements: the coil spring, which supports the height, weight and stability of the vehicle; and the shock absorber, which swallows bumps and dampens vibrations caused by irregularities on the roadway."
www.jdpower.com
What Are Struts on a Car?
Different types of cars have different types of suspensions. Most car owners have heard the term “strut,” but may not be clear as to what exactly the struts on a vehicle are or what they do.
www.jdpower.com
turbo8
Supporting Vendor
Toyota calls it a shock absorber set for the Land Cruiser and a suspension strut for a Corolla.
Anyway you might get away with flexing your lower arm down enough to remove the shock out of the lower arm without loosening your LCA bolts.
I do this all the time, but my LCAs are secured higher in the travel range, so less flexing is required.
Anyway you might get away with flexing your lower arm down enough to remove the shock out of the lower arm without loosening your LCA bolts.
I do this all the time, but my LCAs are secured higher in the travel range, so less flexing is required.
I go by this definition. There's a clear distinction between a coilover/shock and a strut. There are suspension designs where the spring is separate from the strut.
help.summitracing.com
What’s the difference between shocks, struts, and coilovers?
help.summitracing.com
The parts that compose a shock vs a strut can actually be the same.
The main distinction is about their function in the structure as @NYC570 alluded to.
Shocks bear only the weight of a car.
Struts bear weight, but are also bear lateral loads. Struts are integral as the upper link of the suspension, i.e. there is no separate UCA as we have in our suspension.
The main distinction is about their function in the structure as @NYC570 alluded to.
Shocks bear only the weight of a car.
Struts bear weight, but are also bear lateral loads. Struts are integral as the upper link of the suspension, i.e. there is no separate UCA as we have in our suspension.
They're calling it correctly. The corolla has struts as opposed to coilover/shocks.
