Technical Alignment after Aerostar spring swap on shoebox

So I've read probably 50 threads between here and Ford Barn about swapping coils on a Ford shoebox. Not one person has mentioned if they've needed an alignment afterwards. I bought the camber brackets from Shoebox Central to put on when I do my spring swap. Then I got to thinking, if I put them on and they're not needed it'll tilt the wheel out at the top throwing my alignment out. Are they needed for just a spring swap or no?

 

Always when you have the front end apart.

 

I'll 2nd that. I did a complete suspension and steering rebuild on my 55 Tbird. I installed Aerostar springs and Drop 'em Stop 'em 1 1/2-inch drop spindles, Bilstein shocks, and Hotchkis tubular sway bar. I won't even drive the car to the alignment shop; it will go on a trailer.

 

There’s two questions here, one about the “camber adjustment kit” and the other about alignment. Shoebox Central says “a must for lowered cars”. If they’re right, then put them in. I don’t know enough about the front suspension on those to know.

If your existing springs are stock and good, everyone I’ve read says they’ll lower the car. They didn’t lower my bird much, but my front springs were already cut. I did it for the rate change. It was enough to cause a small alignment change, but I’d already aligned it after I cut the springs.

I’d verify they do as claimed, if so I’d use them. But I’d have the car aligned after it was back together. I might sneak it to the shop if it was close before and just springs, but with the camber blocks (or the whole front end like 55 did) I’d at least do a check (there’s threads here on doing your own alignment) or just use a trailer. But it wouldn’t go far till a real alignment shop with an old timer set it properly.

 

I put the driver side on and I'll do the passenger side tomorrow. The nuts for the bolts are up inside the spring pocket so you can barely get a wrench on them. I tried to bend one of my old wrenches to fit in there and it snapped in half. I welded it up and made my own tool which worked perfectly but without it I dont see how it would've worked. I marked the camber before I started so we'll see if she goes back to the same place. Now another question Pertaining to those full metal lock nuts. The kit came with those But I was always under the assumption that they dug themselves into the thread of the bolt and that's how they locked. If that's the case how would you loosen them up to add shims if needed since the threads would be be destroyed at that point?

 

Swapping the springs will definitely mess with your camber and I assume the camber kit from Chris gets it back close. I have done the swap on a shoebox but never got to the point of taking it to get it aligned. However, as mentioned, any time I mess with the height of a car, first thing is an alignment. That’s right where we are now once we swap a few worn out parts on my kids Edsel after a spring swap. Alignment is always needed.

 

I'm going to say that 99.9% of the guys who install that kit do so when they have the springs out.

Not knowing what the caster, camber or toe in was before you took it apart it would be beyond wise to either align the front end or have someone align it. I the years that I aligned front ends there were very few that didn't need some adjustment after I changed parts on them.

The camber kit turns that model of Ford from something that no one wants to deal with to and easy to adjust with shims if you have to front end.

 

Hey man!

I know this was a while ago... but, I am about to do the exact install on my 51'. Just curious if you ended up needing an alignment and how it all turned out?

Thanks

 

When you change parts or the ride height.... Yes it will have to be aligned.

 

Sorry, @Dan1982 , @StefanS has not been here since December 2022.

 

I put Aerostar springs on my '51. When I took it up for alinement. The first thing the guy said is "we don't align rusty old stuff". I told him "just put it on you lift and take a look". His attitude changed immediately.

 

As stated, have it aligned.

2 reasons, 1- changing parts always changes alignment. 2- an alignment is cheaper than a new set of tires in most cases and it's cheaper to error on the side of an alignment.

I've done numerous alignments on customs and hot rods over the yrs to have customers come back months later complaining about tire wear only to find out they changed the height (stance) of the car after I aligned it because some friend or youtube video said it wouldn't change the alignment.

My favorite was 3 days after I aligned their car they decided it wasn't low enough so a quick spring heating and and 2" drop then upset because within 2 weeks it was cutting the inside the tires badly. They tried to say I mis aligned it but I still remembered the car and after taking readings I immediately knew what happened. They tried to play it off by saying they had done it numerous times thru the yrs and it never affected alignment on their other cars. I told them sure if it were a straight axle.

..

 

You need to make a you tube video in order to certify your expertise.

 

I had a customer come in with a '65 Chrysler that got new tires and the adjusters on the lower arms had the nose up in the air, so I dropped it back to the factory height, aligned it and called it done. A few weeks the customer is back, the tires were wiped out. It seems that he went under it and jacked it up again.