Alignment necessary or not?

Hi All,
Golf V Plus 1.9TDi 2008
I am about to replace the rear bump stops and sleeves, as one side has just perished in my hand.
From watching a few videos, I prefer the idea of dropping the control arm, to the other of manipulating the spring. If it turns out that no further parts need replacing - other than new bolts which I already have - will there be any need to have the alignment checked?
It doesn't seem to me that the geometry will be affected at all.
All thoughts welcome, including any in favour of or against the method I intend to use.
To save wasting anybody's time, I am aware that the stops can be changed by just loosening/removing the shock absorber bolts, but I have dismissed that idea as impractical. This car has been with us for a couple of years now, and I'd like to have a proper look at the components.
One other query - should the hex nut on top of the shock be replaced as well?
Thanks for your time.

I will start out by saying I am pro alignment, ride height changes align specs mostly camber. Over time as the springs sag, changes ride height, changes align spec. If I change something and it warrants alignment I get it done. Highway vehicle steering pull is 90% alignment/tires. If you haven't had an alignment done lately, I would invest. Now if we are talking beater car, out the window this goes.

I have a great alignment shop that will align to my specs if I want, I run a bit more camber on the front to help with cornering.

A number of people run it as it sits, not concerned with the specs, some people will dial in their suspension with strings and levels, this will get you in the neighborhood to get it to the alignment shop. This static condition does not take in account alignment between front and rear tires. Slip angle and ackermen angle cannot be checked this method. The lasers are just to precise.

The latest high tech machines will dial in and even find problems not seen with the front toe setting only used by some fly-by-night shops.

I have been told camber is not adjustable on these cars, I have found ways around that as well. I have seen the future of alignment machines at SEMA, which has a drive over system, that every car drives into service department, VIN gets scanned, specs pulled up and checked and compared to the actual vehicle settings. Then customer can be notified of the alignment issues.

I usually run the 'best' Michelin tires and get some great life out of them, I got a 107000m out of a set of Goodyear OEM tires on a 150. I rotate and balance @5000m.
I pay good money for performance and ride quality, so I keep all vehicles in alignment.

Most people say pu pu to alignment and balance/rotation.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for replying - I wasn't informed that you had done so. Maybe there's a forum notification preference that I need to activate.
I appreciate your considered input, but I am really after an answer to my specific question. There must be a definitive yes/no as to whether the alignment is affected by dropping/replacing the control arm, surely? Anybody?

Mach1 answered your question in his first paragraph, "I will start out by saying I am pro alignment, ride height changes align specs mostly camber."

If a control arm is replaced or even removed to install bushings? It would be very difficult to get it exactly positioned where it was, then comes the question was the alignment ok to begin with. Then the CA is exactly dimensionally the same after replacement is highly unlikely. Here again, when I disturb the suspension quite deeply(including a CA replacement) I get an alignment.

Hope this helps.

Tdiatlast thx.