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Alignment needed after control arm replacement? 200 1989

posted by  lrisius on  Tue Dec 22 10:44 CST 2009
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last visit: Sun Aug 17 05:59 CST 2014
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Hi,
Just replaced a control arm on my 89 240 sedan after a family member skidded into a curb. Sway bar link had slight bend, no other apparent damage. Tried to get an alignment today but shop was too busy. Car seems to be driving well- no pulling. Based on this, do I really need an alignment? It seems like there could be a little play in the bolts that attach the ball joint to the control arm and also in the bolts that attach the shell for the rear control arm mount to the body so that I might not have something back exactly the same. Also, I'm assuming the damaged control arm was original Volvo and the replacement was FCP's Scantech so there could be a slight difference there also.
Any thoughts about how necessary this is if it is driving well?
Thanks!
Lyle








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    Alignment needed after control arm replacement? 200 1989

    uid 29404's pic
    posted by  punk240 on  Tue Dec 22 11:12 CST 2009
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    last visit: Mon Jul 14 15:23 CST 2014
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    Not 100% sure but you can try some things:

    Get to a parking lot and drive a straight line and slam on the brake and let your grip on the wheel loosen up and see what happens.

    Drive in some harmless donuts and figure eights then do it in reverse and try the straight line... then try the brake hard.

    Drive over some crummy and grooved pavement and see if the front wheels hunt and follow the ruts in relationship to the direction the car is travelling.

    The bent sway bar end link is a cause for alarm... typically if one suspension part is noticeably bent, as you get closer to the axis of each moving part, you'll find another slight bend. Also, when those links bend it's a clear sign that you've gone over a curb HARD and you've pulverized your upper strut mount. You'll see this when you open the hood and check for irregularities compared to the other side.

    I've been in your shoes.

    --
    '92 244 NOW w/ M47 (Hydra, turbo bars, bilstein, urethane bushings)








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      Alignment needed after control arm replacement? 200 1989

      posted by  lrisius on  Tue Dec 22 11:31 CST 2009
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      last visit: Sun Aug 17 05:59 CST 2014
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      Thanks! Those sound like some good suggestions to test it. I'll check the upper strut mount for sure. I don't think she actually went over the curb, just kind of skidded into it obliquely. Slight damage to the rim. A small gouge in the tire. Wheel pushed back till it was rubbing slightly. Control arm crumpled but was 20 years old with some rust. Sway bar link had a slight bend in the long part, maybe 5-10 degrees?
      Thanks again!
      Lyle








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        Alignment needed after control arm replacement? 200 1989

        uid 27's pic
        posted by  Art Benstein on  Tue Dec 22 13:44 CST 2009
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        last visit: Fri Oct 17 20:10 CST 2014
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        Hi Lyle,

        My daughter bounced off a curb with her '83 about 10 years ago. I replaced the control arm, obviously bent, the sway bar end link, also obvious, and probably unnecessarily, the sway bar itself. Pick'n'pull prices.

        I've done a lot of eyeball toe-in settings on 240's, and it seems if I can see the toe-in, the steering is stable and straight. On the other hand, I've replaced a lot of tires worn before their time, and on the whole I can't be sure I haven't actually wasted money by not getting a professional alignment. At least several times I avoided the sting of shelling out for a "4-wheel thrust alignment" in which one or maybe both tie rods get tweaked and that's the end of it.

        Surely if it doesn't drive straight after the repair, you'll be doing something about it, but it probably does, and so I'm beginning to think there is indeed enough slop in those bolts to possibly shorten the life of a set of tires. Advice I see here in the forum seems to be find a shop with Hunter equipment. I like the printout that comes with the tie rod adjustment for $70.
        --
        Art Benstein near Baltimore

        If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.








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          Alignment needed after control arm replacement? 200 1989

          posted by  lrisius on  Tue Dec 22 23:11 CST 2009
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          last visit: Sun Aug 17 05:59 CST 2014
          [RELATED]

          Thanks, Art. That's good advice. Back to the alignment shop when they're open and I can get off work. I've messed up my share of tires, too.







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