[timhatimay]

You will definitely need a professional alignment up front after the M3 wishbone install...no question. Plus a good alignment can help realize the potential of the parts and improve the performance of the car. Looks like this is in your plans however, so I think your idea is great.

If you only have to go a few miles to the alignment shop then, maybe it is not necessary. I would just drive cautiously and have a friend follow you. If you have to drive more than that or on a highway or something, I think your idea is good. It will be severely out of alignment following the install. So if you think you can get the toe in better shape with this method, it should help you arrive at the shop safely. Only problem I see, is that being you are changing the length of the arm, the original mark on the board may not necessarily be the right toe setting with the new arms.

I've never heard of the SZL sensor calibration before, and it seemingly wasn't necessary on my car. In most DIY's this is not included as well. In the thread posted it doesn't sound like the OP had any changes to his control arms? I guess doing it is not difficult, and maybe my alignment shop knew to do this to the car. Anyways, good luck.

Tim

As an aside, installing the parts yourself is fun and informative. It feels like you've earned every modification on the car, and you know how it works. This is a fairly easy one also, so don't worry about doing it at home (especially since you have the lift). OP good luck with the install, just get that pro alignment done asap!