Front End work / alignment question
 

I am replacing my LCA bushings, LBJ's, ITRE's and OTRE's today but I do not have the steering rack guide bushing yet. Couldn't find the part quick enough and today is the day I have to do the work. I already did the steering rack bushings as well.

My question is this: Do you need to get an alignment after you replace the rack guide? I was planning on getting an alignment first thing tomorrow, but I won't be able to do the rack guide for a week or so and I am wondering if that means I should wait to do the alignment...

Any thoughts?

If the guide bushing is bad it will act just like a bad inner tie rod. I have gotten by in the past by tightening up the guide bushing to take the slop out of the rack. Of course that may not work with the early roller version of the guide bushing. (not sure what year you have)

I would also recommend looking into a lifetime alignment deal. I won't normally recommend firestone for much, but for the $100 I paid its been a great deal. They have never mentioned shinny new parts mixed in w/ the mud stained old ones or the truck getting taller each time it comes back. They just throw a new alignment on it and call it a day.

You could also do your own alignment at home to get you by until get the remaining parts in and can take it in for a "professional" one. There are a few write ups floating around on that and its really not that hard to get it pretty damn close. Of course if you are on new tires and leaving for a long trip I would recommend having it checked out before leaving, but I have gotten it good enough to get me by for a week or two of daily driving.

So does replacing the Guide require an alignment?

I guess to put it simply, should I wait to get an alignment until I replace the guide?

I am not sure if I will need a new guide, everything might be nice and tight after I replace all the other stuff today. But I am trying to plan for the next few days/week and see if I should get the alignment and do the guide later (if needed) or do the guide and wait to get the alignment....

Thanks for the help.

I have a 97 by the way

Can anyone help me with this?

Just curious if you need to get an alignment after you replace a rack guide or not..... anyone?

To be safe I'd do the guide bushings first...

If it's just the steering rack guide, then definitely not, you aren't changing anything about the steering.

If you are changing the rack bushings, then just be careful not to tighten down the new bushings with the rack shifted from where it was. Even if you do though, it won't really screw up your alignment, it will just make the steering wheel a little bit off center.

Your best bet would be to replace it before the alignment, but if you can tighten it up and have no movement in the rack you could probably be just fine with doing the alignment before its replaced.