Front Strut/Shock Replacment help needed.....

[twisted89le]

Hey guys...i'm new to the board....i got a 1989 Bonneville LE.......my front struts are on their last leg....and need of replacing.....i know you need a spring compressor for the application....but how hard is it to replace?.....i do my own mechanics...i built all new suspension on my 71 camaro soo i know alittle about it but never done struts before.....anybody got a guide on how to replace front struts?...any help is appreciated

Thanks,
Matt

[lash]

I can't give you a guide, since I've only done mine once, with Don, but I can give you a few pointers.

You will obviously need to remove the wheels and disconnect any brake lines and ABS connectors. Use a paint pen or (like Don does) white-out to mark the locations of the struts on the mounts, this is important, as it will help you get to a shop for alignment without ripping your tires to shreds afterwards. Also mark the bolt/nut locations up top on your shock tower.

Then remove the bolts on the bottom of the strut, work the strut assembly loose from the bottom and clear. Remove the bolts up top from the strut tower and pull the strut assembly clear.

Use a spring compressor to compress the spring enough untill both the top and bottom of the strut cartridge are loose. I recommend using safety glasses and make sure you keep your hands out from between the coils as much as possible! Use a hex key to hold the strut piston while wrenching the nut from the old strut cartridge. You can also use vise-grips with a cloth on the piston shaft on this one since it is old and you don't have to worry about marring the shaft.

I suggest you buy new strut bumpers and gaskets also as these likely need replacing and do not cost much extra.

Reverse the process, making sure you align the new struts up to the marks you made as best as possible.

Good luck and good wrenching!

EDIT: Oh, yeah, and don't forget to get it aligned afterwards!

[twisted89le]

sooo the struts come out separately from the spring?......

[lash]

No, the strut is part of a strut and spring assembly. That comes out as one item, then you change the strut out in the assembly.

It would help you if you picked up a Haynes manual, as that covers this procedure and can give you some visual clues too.

Another option is to purchase the new "quick struts" that include a new spring and all. More expensive but somewhat easier.

[Asymetric]

I just did mine with a bunch of other stuff a few weeks ago. A few things to note.

A good impact wrench is manditory. There is a hex in the top of the strut for getting the mount off, but the way the strut mount is, you cant get a wrench on it because the nut is recesed in the mount. I held the strut piston with both hands while my dad impacted the nut off.

A cheap set of Harbor Freight spring compessors did the job flawlessly and only set me back around $20.

I did not disconnect my brake lines or ABS sensor, but this is risky. If you are careful, you can get around them, but it wont take much at all to ruin the ABS sensor.

Mine were really old and the strut to steering knuckle bolts were siezed to the knuckle in a real bad way. A 28" breaker bar with another 2 feet of pipe on it wouldnt budge. I had to use liberal amounts of heat. If you think the car will outlast the new struts, use ati-sieze on those bolts puttng it back together.

I did not mark any bolt positions or anyting because my aignment shop is less then a mile away. I used a tape measure to set the total tow and a big framing square to set the camber as close to zero as i could. If you drive even a couple miles with the alignment way out of wack, you will be in awe at what it can do to a pair of tires.