Break welds to do alignment after installing Eibach springs?

[showedup]

I noticed on the shotimes internet site in the modifications - struts and springs section the following comment in reference to installation of Eibach springs: "you will need to find a shop that is willing to break a couple of spot welds in order to align the car properly after installation, since the springs lower the car by 1 inch in front and 3/4 inch in the rear". This sounds much more invasive than I initially thought - I plan to have Eibach/Tokico combination installed this spring, and I expected that the parts simply swap in for original equipment.

Quite a few of you have probably done this modification so I wonder if you could inform me:
- is this "breaking of spot welds" necessary and is it difficult to perform?
- this implies that some fairly precise welding needs to be done after installation - is that right?
- Is this procedure simple enough that most alignment shops can do it or is there much more to the process?

Thanks in advance for responses and any pointers! Below is the shotimes link:

http://www.shotimes.com/php-bin/mod...e=article&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0&sid=180

 

[Shoaz]

By now most of these cars are old enough that the spot welds have likely already been broken to facilitate previous alignments. If not, they're not hard to break. Many people drill them out, some just chisel them.

 

[Rockledge]

I just installed Eibachs and Tokicos and was wondering that myself. It seems to be something that's pretty common. The process of breaking the spot welds for alignment purposes is even set forth in the Ford Manual. Once the welds are broken, the "alignment plate" that the mounts bolt to can be moved to where they are needed during the alignment process, and then they are pop riveted back in place. They can be spot-welded as well, of course, and maybe some shops do it that way.

 

[tracy_s_1993_atx]

I added the adjustable camber/caster plates so that the welds would not have to be cut/broken. Just thought that I would give you an alternative.

Later,
Michael

 

[shojuan]

There's no need to rivet or re-spot-weld the plates after drilling 'em and aligning the car.

The robo-welds served a purpose on the factory assembly line that doesn't exist "out in the wild".

 

[SHOtimer]

I got the specific tool used to drill out Taurus/Sable spot welds and did mine when I swapped in my new suspension. It took me an extra 45 min to do both towers, they look like and clean and I was able to sand them down smooth and paint the bare metal. I have seen some pretty bad hackjobs by shops just getting them to move. It is easy, and nice to have the adjustment available to you. I would do it.

Doug

 

[mwt]

I broke mine with a regular bit and a chisel.

I then removed the factory plates and use the FSTB to bolt the struts to.

 

[Rockledge]

So it sounds like it might be a good idea to break the welds myself before taking my SHO in for an alignment...

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

By now most of these cars are old enough that the spot welds have likely already been broken to facilitate previous alignments. If not, they're not hard to break. Many people drill them out, some just chisel them.

Yea, chisel em. Its so easy, any lug with a 12 lb slege can do it, right Eric?




BTW...I dinged the rear fender with my crutch, so now it matches the front.

 

[shoebilly]

The tokico/eibach combo in most cases will still leave you in the ballpark on alignment specs. Any slight camber differeces would be an advantage turning. I ended up with 1.2 in the front & 1.3 degrees of camber in the rear. The Intrax spring is more problematic from what others have told me.

 

[n8rsk8r]

Here you go

 

[showedup]

Thanks for the responses - very helpful!

 

[MelectroK]

Smaking them with a hammer breaks them? Thought you had to drill?

 

[etc1006]

I think that is showing the spot to center punch so the drill doesnt walk on ya.

 

[godspunk32]

The drill is definitely the easiest. There is a spot weld drill bit that you can get. They're relatively cheap, but we went through like 4 when we drilled my spot welds. It looks like a hole saw, but the teeth are replaceable. Took us a little while, but we got them. You just need to make sure you grind everything smooth so that when they're aligning the car, the plate doesn't get caught up on any protruding metal from the old welds. I ended up slipping with an angle grinder and grinding down to the muscle on my hand...still have a nice scar from that one.

JR

 

[cmichaelo]

I added the adjustable camber/caster plates so that the welds would not have to be cut/broken. Just thought that I would give you an alternative.

I never understood this argument.

The fact that basically all of us with lowered suspension have to break the welds is that the WELDED alignment plate limits the travel of the strut mount.

Putting adjustable plates on top of the WELDED alignment plates doesn't solve the travel restriction, or does it?

Don't you in fact have to remove the factory alignment plate BEFORE installing the adjustable plates? Obviously, the welds have to be broken for this purpose.

What am I missing?


Michael

 

[SHO Continental]

you can also throw on adjustable strut mount inserts.. but those only give 1 degree of adjustment.

 

[whiteman_01]

i am having to get an alignment done as well. If i have the welds broken and the car aligned, do i have to have the plates re-welded when complete?