Shock and strut replacement might be risky if you don’t know what you’re doing. Before attempting to disassemble your car, please read these guidelines to ensure the project’s efficiency and safety.
In This Article...
Spring Compressor
Many automobiles have integrated springs inside the shocks and struts, which, if removed improperly, could cause you harm or damage your car. In these situations, you’ll need a spring compressor to safely disassemble everything.
Your neighborhood auto parts store may rent out spring compressors, but it’s crucial to know how to operate them. You must exercise caution because this step is crucial to changing shocks and struts. If you’re unsure about removing the springs, you might want to think about taking your car to a repair.
Raise the Vehicle
When all of your components and tools are prepared, you should use a car jack to raise your vehicle one side at a time. To maintain stability once it is upright, put a jackstand behind the front wheel. Otherwise, a lift is available.
Prior to trying to loosen anything or climbing beneath the vehicle, just make sure it is secured.
Remove Old Shocks and Struts
You must first remove the wheels. Next, using your spring compressor, search for the three bolts holding the shock or strut in place at the bottom. These bolts should be loosened, but not yet totally taken out.
Another bolt inside the engine compartment secures the top of the shock or strut. To loosen it, use an impact wrench with a socket extension. Your shock or strut should come free once you’ve managed to get this loose and finished removing the other bolts.
Installing New Shocks and Struts
You can just swap in the new shocks and struts after removing the old ones. Make certain that all of the bolts are tightly tightened. To perform this, you most likely need a torque wrench.
Can struts be changed without a lift?
Strut replacement is not difficult. To raise and support the car and take the wheel, shock absorber, and strut assembly off, you’ll need some simple tools. Invest in or rent a spring compressor if you simply intend to replace the strut cartridge.
How long does it take to replace a rear strut?
It will take about three hours per strut to replace if you know what you’re doing. For all four, that equals 12 hours. It will take far less time to complete the task if you are only changing the springs on your struts.
How much does it cost to rebuild the rear struts?
Depending on the make and model, struts typically cost $150 to $450. Usually, it is necessary to replace both struts at once. A pair of struts will cost you between $300 and $900 to replace.
What equipment is required to replace struts?
Driving on old struts actually results in higher costs since the unregulated bouncing quickly wears out expensive suspension parts like ball joints, control arm bushings, stabilizer bar end links, and tie rod ends. It also swiftly damages your tires. In addition, worn struts increase your stopping distance from 60 mph by roughly 10 feet and cause steering instability, which is dangerous, especially on curves at higher speeds.
It used to be dangerous for a do-it-yourselfer to replace struts. While hoping the spring wouldn’t let go and rip out an eye or a limb, you had to compress it and remove the strut. Furthermore, if the internal hex pulled out, removing the rusty nut at the top of the strut might become a nightmare. However, you can now purchase a full strut assembly that does away with the need to disassemble the strut, spring, and mount. With these assemblies, you may quickly and easily replace both of your front struts. Even though you’ll need to have an alignment afterwards (costs roughly $100), doing the work yourself will still result in a $300 save. You’ll also need a thin piece of plywood, pin punches, large screwdrivers, wrenches, and rust penetrant. You might need to purchase a breaker bar and a couple large sockets. These are the procedures.
What else has to be done when struts are replaced?
It’s crucial for driving safety to replace your shocks and struts when they become worn out in order to avoid harming other parts of your car, such as the tires and suspension.
Various safety features are included in today’s cars to help with control, stability, and accident prevention. You are kept safe by a combination of systems including automated braking, anti-lock brakes, stability control, and traction control. In an emergency situation, your shocks and struts may not function effectively if they are in bad condition.
Getting Your Shocks & Struts Replaced
Whether you observe any of the aforementioned symptoms, get your alignment checked, or put on new tires, the best way to know when to repair your shocks and struts is to have a skilled technician check your suspension. Get your car’s suspension inspected at the very least once a year.
Replace front or rear axle shocks and struts in pairs at all times. It is even better to replace the shocks and struts on all four wheels at once. This keeps the vehicle’s handling and responsiveness on both sides uniform and dependable.
We always advise obtaining an alignment as well, following any suspension work. Wheel alignment of your car could also vary if your suspension is altered. Additionally, even little adjustments to wheel alignment can have expensive long-term effects (accelerated tire wear, more suspension problems, difficult handling).
How can I tell if my struts need replacement?
Although several factors (hello, potholes) affect the lifespan of your shocks or struts, Reina claims that if you experience any of these seven signs, it’s time for replacements.
- erratic behavior at motorway speeds. On the highway, your car never feels entirely solid and is always going up and down. Despite how little the movement may be, you may feel it.
- Your car leans or “tips to the outside of the turn and feels shaky as you make a tight turn or exit a highway.
- During forceful braking, the front end drops more than is normal. You might not realize this until you have to use the brakes quickly.
- When accelerating, stoop from the rear. You’ll observe that the front of your car is rising while the back “during rapid acceleration, squats.
- After striking a bump, you can feel a tire (or tires) responding or bouncing around excessively “bouncing briefly. There can also be a clunking sound.
- uncommon tire wear The tread wears unevenly instead of wavy because the tire isn’t being held tightly to the road.
- leakage of fluid from shocks or struts’ outside surfaces. This indicates that the internal fluids necessary for proper operation are escaping because the seals have cracked.
If you replaced your rear struts, do you still need alignment?
In conclusion, the answers to the query “do you need an alignment after changing shocks and struts?” are provided below. Yes, if the automaker advises an alignment following a replacement. Yes, if you made any modifications to your suspension that did not adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions.
What occurs if struts are not replaced?
Ball joints, wheel hubs, and several other suspension parts can be damaged if they are not replaced because they are not doing their function of absorbing the stress. If there is nothing in your car to absorb the shock and energy from striking a bump, it will spread throughout it and cause damage.
Shocks and struts—are they interchangeable?
You’ll frequently hear individuals use the terms “shocks” and “struts” interchangeably. Shocks and struts, however, are two separate components with different purposes. Both of these components aim to improve the ride and handling of your car, but they do so in different ways. While struts are a significant structural element of the chassis and suspension system, shocks are discrete parts of the suspension system.
Do struts need to be replaced?
Struts don’t need to be replaced until your car bottoms out in potholes and over railroad tracks, bounces like it’s on a pogo stick, or if a mechanic discovers that they are leaking fluid or have been broken. They may also rot in certain environments.
The struts are “shock absorbers mounted inside coil springs, replacing other types of shock absorbers, and they are commonly used because they make suspension systems more affordable. They control the amount of bouncing created by bumps, dips, and peaks in the road as well as making a hard or sudden stop. “Shock absorber is a misleading term because the springs actually absorb the road shocks. The consequent bouncing brought on by the springs compressing and releasing is minimized by the struts. Instead of “shock absorbers,” they should be named “dampers.”
Their initial thought may be that they need to have new struts installed on their car when they see a decline in ride quality or handling abilities. Manufacturers’ advertisements urging customers to replace their struts after 50,000 miles or so have contributed to the acceptance of that idea. Be mindful that any troubles with your vehicle’s ride, handling, or steering (or odd noises) could be caused by other suspension parts unless your car is leaning or bouncing significantly, as indicated above. It is advantageous to have a competent mechanic inspect under your automobile for this reason.
If your vehicle is no longer providing a smooth ride, or you are experiencing issues with handling or steering, struts may be to blame. It’s possible that the struts are leaking or that the rubber bushings that serve as the joint’s cartilage have worn out, enabling metal-to-metal contact. Rust or aging could have also contributed to the strut assembly’s damage. However, the issue might exist elsewhere. Bushings and other suspension components, including tie rods, control arms, and sway-bar links, can also deteriorate over time, leading to loose steering, road noise, and increased body lean during turns. Some of these issues could also be brought on by improper wheel alignment and uneven tire wear.
The struts will wear down more quickly if you frequently tow big loads or travel on really bad roads, but if you don’t abuse them, they can last the entire life of your automobile. When you notice a problem, don’t just ask your mechanic for new struts right away; instead, describe it to them and let them determine whether the issue is due to worn struts or something else with your vehicle. You might have a different suspension issue, or your car might be experiencing an altogether different issue.