How to replace your front struts
#1
11-21-2010, 10:38 AM
How to replace your front struts
OK guys (and gals), we have had several discussions about the front struts on our Camry's so I thought I would show you how to remove and replace them if you would like to give it a try. Please note, it you are mechanically challenged, do not attempt this. If you do normal maintenance on your cars, can replace the plugs and maybe have done a water pump or something similar, this is easily within your skill range. BE SAFE IF YOU DO THIS. I AM NOT YOUR DADDY OR YOUR MOMMY AND YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN FOR SAFE WORKING PRACTICES. DON'T COME CRYING TO ME IF YOU SCREW UP
I was bored this morning and decided to go out and have some fun in the garage and write this up. Bear with me on the bad photos, I play with tools, not cameras and didn't notice that I had it on the wrong setting until I was putting it back together. I might have been a little bored this morning but not bored enough to tear it down again to get better photos....
As for tools, at a minimum you need a set of jack stands, a floor jack, a set of sockets that range from 12mm to 22mm, a ratchet, a couple of extensions and a torque wrench that has a range of 50 to 155 Ft-Lbs. If you have access to air tools, they will help but they are not required by no means.
Start by jacking up the car, putting a jack stand at the jacking point on the frame and remove the front wheel. The wheel lug nuts take a 21mm socket to remove.
Strut_01.jpg
This is what we have at this point.
Strut_02.jpg
You now need to place a block of wood on your floor jack and support the bottom ball joint to keep the suspension in place during the later steps.
Strut_03.jpg
First thing to remove is the stabilizer link nut. It is the silver colored nut on the right side of the strut just below the spring. It takes a 17mm socket to remove. If the link joint spins, use a 6mm hex key in the end of the bolt and then use a 17mm wrench to remove this nut.
Strut_04.jpg
Use the jack to raise/lower the front suspension to allow the link bolt to be push out of the bracket to the rear and thing swing it to the side out of the way.
Strut_05.jpg
At this point, to make removing the strut easier once it is out of the car, loosen the center strut bolt on top. DO NOT REMOVE IT, JUST LOOSEN IT ONE OR TWO TURNS. It will take a 19mm socket for this. You can't see it in this photo but I marked the top of the outside stud with yellow paint to help in re-assembly of the strut. I would suggest you do the same.
Strut_06.jpg
You now need to remove the brake line/sensor wire retaining bolt and then pop the plastic clip for the sensor wire off of the strut. It takes a 12mm to do this
Strut_07.jpg
Sorry for the blurry picture but these are the two bottom strut bolts. they are in there tight so be prepared to put some muscle behind your wrench or breaker bar. If you never thought about having an air compressor and impact wrench before, these might change your mind. They will require a 22mm socket and if required, a 22mm wrench on the bolt head to hold it in place. Remove the nuts from the bolts but LEAVE THE BOLTS IN PLACE FOR NOW.
Strut_08.jpg
With the nuts removed, this is what you should be looking at.
Strut_09.jpg
Back on top again and you will need to remove the 3 retaining nuts that hold the strut in the strut tower. Use a 14mm socket to remove these three nuts.
Strut_10.jpg
Here we are with the nuts removed.
Strut_11.jpg
Lower the floor jack, remove the bottom two strut bolts and remove the strut from the car.
Strut_12.jpg
If you have access to one, use a strut compressor to remove/replace the strut. If you don't, most shops will remove and replace them for $10.00 each. Add that to the $180 or so for two struts and you are at $200.00 to replace them.
Strut_13.jpg
Here is the new hole in your suspension where the strut used to reside....
The next post will be how to put your new struts back in the car.
I was bored this morning and decided to go out and have some fun in the garage and write this up. Bear with me on the bad photos, I play with tools, not cameras and didn't notice that I had it on the wrong setting until I was putting it back together. I might have been a little bored this morning but not bored enough to tear it down again to get better photos....
As for tools, at a minimum you need a set of jack stands, a floor jack, a set of sockets that range from 12mm to 22mm, a ratchet, a couple of extensions and a torque wrench that has a range of 50 to 155 Ft-Lbs. If you have access to air tools, they will help but they are not required by no means.
Start by jacking up the car, putting a jack stand at the jacking point on the frame and remove the front wheel. The wheel lug nuts take a 21mm socket to remove.
Strut_01.jpg
This is what we have at this point.
Strut_02.jpg
You now need to place a block of wood on your floor jack and support the bottom ball joint to keep the suspension in place during the later steps.
Strut_03.jpg
First thing to remove is the stabilizer link nut. It is the silver colored nut on the right side of the strut just below the spring. It takes a 17mm socket to remove. If the link joint spins, use a 6mm hex key in the end of the bolt and then use a 17mm wrench to remove this nut.
Strut_04.jpg
Use the jack to raise/lower the front suspension to allow the link bolt to be push out of the bracket to the rear and thing swing it to the side out of the way.
Strut_05.jpg
At this point, to make removing the strut easier once it is out of the car, loosen the center strut bolt on top. DO NOT REMOVE IT, JUST LOOSEN IT ONE OR TWO TURNS. It will take a 19mm socket for this. You can't see it in this photo but I marked the top of the outside stud with yellow paint to help in re-assembly of the strut. I would suggest you do the same.
Strut_06.jpg
You now need to remove the brake line/sensor wire retaining bolt and then pop the plastic clip for the sensor wire off of the strut. It takes a 12mm to do this
Strut_07.jpg
Sorry for the blurry picture but these are the two bottom strut bolts. they are in there tight so be prepared to put some muscle behind your wrench or breaker bar. If you never thought about having an air compressor and impact wrench before, these might change your mind. They will require a 22mm socket and if required, a 22mm wrench on the bolt head to hold it in place. Remove the nuts from the bolts but LEAVE THE BOLTS IN PLACE FOR NOW.
Strut_08.jpg
With the nuts removed, this is what you should be looking at.
Strut_09.jpg
Back on top again and you will need to remove the 3 retaining nuts that hold the strut in the strut tower. Use a 14mm socket to remove these three nuts.
Strut_10.jpg
Here we are with the nuts removed.
Strut_11.jpg
Lower the floor jack, remove the bottom two strut bolts and remove the strut from the car.
Strut_12.jpg
If you have access to one, use a strut compressor to remove/replace the strut. If you don't, most shops will remove and replace them for $10.00 each. Add that to the $180 or so for two struts and you are at $200.00 to replace them.
Strut_13.jpg
Here is the new hole in your suspension where the strut used to reside....
The next post will be how to put your new struts back in the car.
Last edited by GeorgiaHybrid; 11-22-2010 at 05:55 AM.
#2
11-21-2010, 10:40 AM
How to replace your front struts Part 2
Well, you now have your shiny new struts in the springs and are ready to put your car back together. Follow along and we will get you back on the road in a hurry.
Strut_14.jpg
Start by hanging the strut into the rough position it belongs in.
Strut_15.jpg
Put the two lower strut bolts into the bracket. Make sure the bolts are put in from the front of the car to the rear of the car. Put the nuts on FINGER TIGHT ONLY at this stage.
Strut_16.jpg
Start jacking the front suspension up with the floor jack and guide the strut top studs into the holes in the strut tower. I usually hold the strut with a hand in the fender well and use my foot to raise and lower the jack handle. When started correctly, they should look like this when they are ready to jack into position.
Strut_17.jpg
Use the floor jack to raise the strut to the top, and put the nuts on the three studs. Using a torque wrench with a 14mm socket, torque these bolts to 65 Ft-Lbs. Get them fairly tight and then go in a circular pattern for the final torque.
Strut_18.jpg
You will now need to get a 22mm socket and torque the lower strut bolts to 155 Ft-Lbs. Note the 22mm wrench on the bolt side to prevent it from turning. Hopefully you either have a nice long torque wrench for leverage or you are very stout. Torque these bolts to 155 Ft-Lbs.
Strut_19.jpg
Replace the brake line/sensor wire retainer with a 12mm socket. This bolt should torque to 14 Ft-Lbs but I just snug them up good and tight. Make sure you put the plastic clip on the bottom of the strut that retains the sensor wire near the wheel.
Strut_21.jpg
Torque the center top bolt in the strut to 52 Ft-Lbs with a 19mm socket. The shop that replaced them for you might not have done that. It's your life, check it to make sure it is done correctly
Strut_20.jpg
Use your floor jack to raise/lower the suspension to align the stabilizer link bar stud with the hole in the bracket and then put the link stud in the hole from the back side of the bracket.
Strut_22.jpg
Torque the stabilizer link bar using a 17mm socket to 55 Ft-Lbs.
Put the wheel back on the car, snug up the lug nuts, jack it up enough to remove the jack stands, lower to the ground and torque the wheel studs to 76 Ft-Lbs with a 21mm socket.
You have now replaced the front struts on your Camry and saved several hundred dollars doing so. As noted at the start of this thread however, if you don't feel comfortable doing something like this, stay away. The springs are under immense pressure and are VERY DANGEROUS if you do not respect them. I would avoid the "hook and bar" spring compressors and pay a shop to replace the strut in the spring before I would use them.
Happy wrenching,
David
Strut_14.jpg
Start by hanging the strut into the rough position it belongs in.
Strut_15.jpg
Put the two lower strut bolts into the bracket. Make sure the bolts are put in from the front of the car to the rear of the car. Put the nuts on FINGER TIGHT ONLY at this stage.
Strut_16.jpg
Start jacking the front suspension up with the floor jack and guide the strut top studs into the holes in the strut tower. I usually hold the strut with a hand in the fender well and use my foot to raise and lower the jack handle. When started correctly, they should look like this when they are ready to jack into position.
Strut_17.jpg
Use the floor jack to raise the strut to the top, and put the nuts on the three studs. Using a torque wrench with a 14mm socket, torque these bolts to 65 Ft-Lbs. Get them fairly tight and then go in a circular pattern for the final torque.
Strut_18.jpg
You will now need to get a 22mm socket and torque the lower strut bolts to 155 Ft-Lbs. Note the 22mm wrench on the bolt side to prevent it from turning. Hopefully you either have a nice long torque wrench for leverage or you are very stout. Torque these bolts to 155 Ft-Lbs.
Strut_19.jpg
Replace the brake line/sensor wire retainer with a 12mm socket. This bolt should torque to 14 Ft-Lbs but I just snug them up good and tight. Make sure you put the plastic clip on the bottom of the strut that retains the sensor wire near the wheel.
Strut_21.jpg
Torque the center top bolt in the strut to 52 Ft-Lbs with a 19mm socket. The shop that replaced them for you might not have done that. It's your life, check it to make sure it is done correctly
Strut_20.jpg
Use your floor jack to raise/lower the suspension to align the stabilizer link bar stud with the hole in the bracket and then put the link stud in the hole from the back side of the bracket.
Strut_22.jpg
Torque the stabilizer link bar using a 17mm socket to 55 Ft-Lbs.
Put the wheel back on the car, snug up the lug nuts, jack it up enough to remove the jack stands, lower to the ground and torque the wheel studs to 76 Ft-Lbs with a 21mm socket.
You have now replaced the front struts on your Camry and saved several hundred dollars doing so. As noted at the start of this thread however, if you don't feel comfortable doing something like this, stay away. The springs are under immense pressure and are VERY DANGEROUS if you do not respect them. I would avoid the "hook and bar" spring compressors and pay a shop to replace the strut in the spring before I would use them.
Happy wrenching,
David
Last edited by GeorgiaHybrid; 11-21-2010 at 10:42 AM.
#3
11-21-2010, 11:22 AM
Re: How to replace your front struts Part 2
David,
First of all Thank You! I've done this on other cars, but now the Camry needs it. Still trying to find a hole in my schedule to coordinate this work, with new tires and an alignment.
You've got some truly bad *** tools! But it looks like you put the same struts back in the car. Were you doing something else that required R&R the struts?
Also, what did the mount cushions and bearings look like? And at what mileage? I think that's where most of my problems are.
First of all Thank You! I've done this on other cars, but now the Camry needs it. Still trying to find a hole in my schedule to coordinate this work, with new tires and an alignment.
You've got some truly bad *** tools! But it looks like you put the same struts back in the car. Were you doing something else that required R&R the struts?
Also, what did the mount cushions and bearings look like? And at what mileage? I think that's where most of my problems are.
#4
11-21-2010, 11:54 AM
Re: How to replace your front struts Part 2
Tom,
I replaced mine with new Monroe struts about 6 months ago at around the 55,000 mile mark. Like I said, we have had several guys wondering about the cost of the struts to replace tham and I was bored this morning.
I just took the drivers side apart and put it back together in order to take some pictures about how is is done. I was going to clear some land next to mine today (I'm buying it for a new garage for the cars) but the current owner put a monkey wrench into those plans. It might be another month before we sign for it now...So.....I tore the car apart and put it back together to do this "how to".
I am getting ready to go out and put some tools in a new cart that I picked up this week. I sold the KRSC31 to a guy that wanted it a lot more than I needed it...
It was replaced with one of the new KRSC326 carts. It has a few more drawers and you know what that means.....More room for new tools....
I replaced mine with new Monroe struts about 6 months ago at around the 55,000 mile mark. Like I said, we have had several guys wondering about the cost of the struts to replace tham and I was bored this morning.
I just took the drivers side apart and put it back together in order to take some pictures about how is is done. I was going to clear some land next to mine today (I'm buying it for a new garage for the cars) but the current owner put a monkey wrench into those plans. It might be another month before we sign for it now...So.....I tore the car apart and put it back together to do this "how to".
I am getting ready to go out and put some tools in a new cart that I picked up this week. I sold the KRSC31 to a guy that wanted it a lot more than I needed it...
It was replaced with one of the new KRSC326 carts. It has a few more drawers and you know what that means.....More room for new tools....
#5
11-21-2010, 11:58 AM
re: How to replace your front struts
<<<<<Decided to go back and put the part 2 post into this one. That way they will not get split up over time.>>>>>
Last edited by GeorgiaHybrid; 11-22-2010 at 03:31 AM.
#6
11-22-2010, 04:38 AM
re: How to replace your front struts
Tom,
The mount cushions looked fine and I did not replace them. If yours are worn, I would probably replace the strut assembly as that would be cheaper. That way you get a new strut, spring, cushions and other hardware and you can be finished in about 20 minutes a side.
Did I scare everyone away posting this? I've had one response and one PM on this one with a LOT of views. If these are too involved, let me know.
I was planning on doing a water pump replacement (when mine goes out) as well as a brake pads front and rear (if they ever wear out). I hate pulling front axles but if the CV joints start clicking away, I will put one of these up for that also.
The mount cushions looked fine and I did not replace them. If yours are worn, I would probably replace the strut assembly as that would be cheaper. That way you get a new strut, spring, cushions and other hardware and you can be finished in about 20 minutes a side.
Did I scare everyone away posting this? I've had one response and one PM on this one with a LOT of views. If these are too involved, let me know.
I was planning on doing a water pump replacement (when mine goes out) as well as a brake pads front and rear (if they ever wear out). I hate pulling front axles but if the CV joints start clicking away, I will put one of these up for that also.
#8
03-31-2013, 04:55 PM
Re: How to replace your front struts
I assume this would work to change the springs on my struts? It is not too expensive. If you are paying $20 a piece to take them and get the springs changed over you could pay for it if you changed 8 struts. Got a price to change all 4 struts at Car-x for $1000...ouch!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/370665818289...84.m1438.l2649
2.5 Ton Auto Super Power Strut Coil Spring Compressor Hydraulic Tool HD Heavy Duty Automotive:
Features:
Condition: Brand new
Capacity:2.5 tons
Cast steel shoes fits 4" to 15" springs
Jack lift: 12-3/4"
Working height: 14"
1 year Warranty(12 Months)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/370665818289...84.m1438.l2649
2.5 Ton Auto Super Power Strut Coil Spring Compressor Hydraulic Tool HD Heavy Duty Automotive:
Features:
Condition: Brand new
Capacity:2.5 tons
Cast steel shoes fits 4" to 15" springs
Jack lift: 12-3/4"
Working height: 14"
1 year Warranty(12 Months)
#9
03-31-2013, 05:59 PM
Re: How to replace your front struts
Or here is a manual coil spring compressor...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/390430922004...84.m1438.l2649
Looking for suggestions or comments on these spring compressors. Thanks all.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/390430922004...84.m1438.l2649
Looking for suggestions or comments on these spring compressors. Thanks all.
#10
03-31-2013, 08:32 PM
Re: How to replace your front struts
Ronald,
You could also go to rockauto.com and buy loaded strut assemblies for $95.79 (rear) or $103.89 (front) that will have the strut, new spring and mount assembly that you just need to unbolt the old and bolt in the new.
Look under the suspension category for your car and go to the strut/coil spring/mount assembly tab.
I would rather use a spring compressor with a guard instead of one that leaves the strut in the open like those you noted on you post but I know a bunch of guys that have used them. If you go that route, make sure the spring is seated VERY well and everything is lined up right before you start compressing the spring.
You could also go to rockauto.com and buy loaded strut assemblies for $95.79 (rear) or $103.89 (front) that will have the strut, new spring and mount assembly that you just need to unbolt the old and bolt in the new.
Look under the suspension category for your car and go to the strut/coil spring/mount assembly tab.
I would rather use a spring compressor with a guard instead of one that leaves the strut in the open like those you noted on you post but I know a bunch of guys that have used them. If you go that route, make sure the spring is seated VERY well and everything is lined up right before you start compressing the spring.
