so whats the deal with this? I searched and got mixed answers...I thought once you remove the strut, its not gonna be the same alignment anymore?

so whats the real deal with this?

 

Most shops don't do an alignment, as they don't remove the strut. If you have not had one done in a while or the strut was removed it couldn't hurt to have one done.

 

I cant speak for others but I HAD to get mine aligned after my axles broke. It drove for crap unitl I did it. I have coilovers and got a lifetime alignment for like $100. Not a bad deal seeings how I changed the height 2 times that first week.

 

i dont' think its a must, but for $65 its a good peace of mind. i did not notice any difference after my axle swap, but the tire store i had it done at originally had a 6 moths warranty for alignment, so i brought the car back after the swap, and they re-aligned for free.

 

I think it's worth it. After you reinstall the 32mm bolt, there is no way you could have exactly positioned the new axle the same. This will cause the rotor/hub to be in the same position. That happened to me when I replaced my transmission.

 

The mounting points in the suspension parts are designed so that assembly/reassembly is the same, and the caster/camber will fall in to the factory allowed tolerances.

There are absolutely no provisions to change the caster/camber on a Maxima suspension with stock struts and springs. Period. Only the toe is adjustable. If the tie rods are not moved, this will not change either. 36mm axle nut in the center has nothing to do with it.

 

I had an alignment before the transmission replacement. After the axle was removed, there was a positive toe. During the swap, the tie rods were not altered. From my experience, touching suspension/drivetrain components will alter the alignment. It may not be much, but it will not be exactly the same.