Last night I replaced the upper spring seat on the front passenger side strut. So, I pulled the strut/spring assembly, disassembled only enough to replace the broken spring seat, and then put it back together and back on the car.

If the car drives well and doesn't pull or anything, do I still need to do an alignment? Why?

I really can't figure what could have gotten out of align since there is really only one way to reinstall each piece and no ability to move each one relative to where the bolt holes are. So, what can get out of adjustment?

By the way, replacing the spring seat got rid of the awful crunching and thunking sound that I had posted about earlier. The metal sleeve through the middle of the spring seat had completely separated from the rubber body of the seat.

My Indy, who is Volvo trained and has been in business for himself for many years agrees with you. When he did my spring seats, he said as long as you put things back where you found them the alignment shouldn't change. He did not recommend I get it aligned.

On my car if the 2 large bolts holding lower end of strut to the steering knuckle are loosened, there are a couple of degrees of play. That's evidently how you adjust the camber on these cars. Alignment wouldn't change if you got them back the same, but it could have been incorrect before.

That makes sense. I didn't notice that there was any play there - but that would certainly explain how R&R the strut could change the alignment. But if the camber were off then wouldn't the steering pull one way or the other?

IF you put the strut back in exactly the spot where it came off of, probably not. BUT, the steering adjustment is also there, so getting an alignment is always called for.
I expect to be doing the same thing in a couple of days. I will spend $100 to make sure my alighment is spot on.

Klaus
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The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)