I need to change my front control arm bushings and i've heard that i need an alignment. Is this true? i would rather try and bundle it at a shop and maybe save a couple of bucks if i have to.

 

How are we suppose to know if you actually need an alignment or if you actually need to change your bushings?

Do your bushings look bad? have you lowered your car or have put on bigger rims w/ bigger tires? Then yes you need an alignment. If your bushings look like crap and are falling apart or have NEVER been changed then yes you probably need some new ones too.

 

If in doubt, get an alignment. Actually, if one hasn't been done in quite a while, it's best to have one done anyway; bumps and potholes take a toll on things like toe. Alignments aren't too expensive anyway.

Personally I'm of the school of thought where if you disassemble any part of the suspension you should get an alignment; it might be a little paranoid, but I'd rather shell out $40 for an alignment than $70/tire for new tires. Better safe than sorry, right?

 

hehe, i do my own, lol

as for the op,

if you have been driving on destroyed control arm bushings for a while, that will affect your toe as well as camber. And when you drive that way for a long time, then everyday stress of bumps and turns is amplified, accelerating the times you need an alignment, so if I were you, yes, I would get an alignment after the replacement, especially if you're running expensive michelins or equivalent.

 

Guess i'll do the alignment then. I called a local good year and there gonna give me Falken ZE-912 Tires and an Alignment for $312 with tax and everything incuded along with Lifetime Balance and Rotation.