How to: Change shocks and struts!

[schlepperock]

Well I got the bearing shower. I didnot take the three bolts off top.
I chose not to put them back in. Stupid. Now my springs turn when I turn the wheel.
Gonna tear it all out including the three top bolts, put those races back and see what I get.

 

[miket]

just did my yesterday its very easy took 2h and 15min in the driveway.

 

[Travis9935]

Isn't there some kind of puller tool that would make separating the strut from the arm easier? Vs beating everything up trying to get it out.

 

[tho323]

Thanks for posting this how-to, following it I replaced both front struts yesterday. The job took me like 4-5 hours, but most of the time was in releasing the strut from the spindle. I learned a few things, so let me add my lessons learned.

Strut Nut
Definitely loosen the (center) strut nut, before you remove the strut. Just a turn to take the torque off is fine. This will make the dissassembly of the coil (pictured on right), much easier once it is all out.

Strut removal from spindle
On removing the strut from the spindle. Hammering is required, but I think it can be minimized.

I also used PB Blaster along the perimeter of the strut, and I hammered away on a 2x4, but once the strut's flange cleared the spindle slot, repeated hammering made little difference - even though I could see that the strut was essentially loose but still inside the spindle, moving the spindle/rotor assembly you could see the strut slight pivot inside it's mount. What I later found was that repeated hammering, is that there was a point where on each pound, the spindle would just bounce back into the strut.

Realizing that, I finally released it, with either of these two methods:
1) Leveraging a small crowbar or long screwdriver on the spindle, and pushing up on strut, or
2) Using body weight to push/bounce the spindle assembly until the strut popped out.
Again this only works when you can see the strut is loose inside the spindle.
I imagine that in a shop, on lift, this is what they do, they pull/bounce down on the spindle to remove the strut.



Thanks again, hope that assists other as well.

 

[rret]

undo the 3 bolts, not the center one

a word to the wise-
if you undo the center nut on the top of the front strut you are releasing the spring. don't do that! instead remove the 3 outer bolts on the top of the strut - that way the strut assembly comes out as a unit.

 

[jcbtv]

Thanks for the great write up. I'm using it and the one hereL http://krystmsgarage.com/?p=148 today to replace both front struts on my 2005 Mazda 3.

Two problems so far:

The nut on the left tie rod *will not* come off. It turned all the way to the end and is seized up flush with the end of the bolt. Would a heat gun help? Or is there any way to use an electric impact wrench or something? I've been PB Blasting the hell out of it.

The right strut all came out and now is going back in, but I can't get it to seat all the way into the arm. There's about 1/4" to go and it just won't budge. And the bolt in the arm won't go in, because that tab on the strut is blocking the hole.

Oh, and I had the ball bearing shower too. Found all but one and rebuilt the whole race. +1 hour there.

Any ideas about that tie rod nut and the seating of the strut?

Thanks!

 

[m4rty08]

Did you had the alignment done for all 4 wheel?