Most of the time, but not always. It depends on the application. When a
MacPherson strut is replaced on a vehicle where the strut is an
integral part of the suspension and it has provisions for camber
and/or caster adjustments, the original wheel alignment settings are
lost when the strut is removed.
Even if the position of camber bolts and/or upper camber/caster
plate is carefully marked prior to removal, variations in
manufacturing tolerances between the original strut and its
replacement will probably alter suspension geometry enough to
require realigning the wheels.
On vehicles with "wishbone" strut suspensions, the strut doesn't
play a role in wheel alignment. On these vehicles, realignment of
the wheels after replacing the strut is not necessary.
On vehicles with rebuildable struts, it is not necessary to realign
the wheels if only the strut cartridge is being changed. It is
necessary to mark the original positions of the upper strut plate
and/or lower camber prior to unbolting anything to preserve the
original alignment settings.
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