# strut replacement



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Finally put the new strut in my 1995 Villager. A few thoughts….

One, you need a spring compressor to get out a broken strut. I used a cheapo from HF I got for $10. It worked ok for my application (compressing the spring enough to get the assembly out of the wheel well.) Be advised the HF wasn’t a perfect fit, since the coil radius was too big for the lower hooks to both go over the coil. Buy something better if you are compressing springs on a bench.)

Two, a BFH is required. I used a 3-pound driving hammer to align the steering knuckle with the lower strut bolt holes. Without the Maximum Force Adjusting tool, this would have been impossible.

With the new strut and tie rod I put in, the van is horribly out of alignment. I am going to adjust the tie rod to straighten it out as close as I can, then take it in for an alignment next month. The Villager ain’t dead yet!


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

On my Taurus, they had to drill out strut bearing bolts at the fender well, and re-drill new holes for them, to get it alignable.


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## originalhandy (Nov 26, 2012)

My maxima ones where borked but 5 bolts loosened(sp) and it came right out.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2


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## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

Bigplanz said:


> With the new strut and tie rod I put in, the van is horribly out of alignment. I am going to adjust the tie rod to straighten it out as close as I can, then take it in for an alignment next month. The Villager ain’t dead yet!


http://www.allpar.com/fix/alignment.html

This may give some ideas until you can get an actual alignment done.


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## mikegp (Jul 17, 2011)

You don't actually need a spring compressor on all cars. You just put a hydraulic jack under the knuckle assembly. Then unbolt the strut from the top mount and slowly lower the jack. All of the pressure is released slowly from the spring. You can also do it backwards to reinstall. The only time this is an issue is if you can't fit the proper tools to tighten the strut to the top mount. I usually just get coilovers, but did do this once when my strut snapped on an SUV and it worked fine.


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## mikegp (Jul 17, 2011)

Also, depending on how the car gets its alignment, you can just mark the bolts with grease paint or whatever before disassembly so that you can get everything back to how it was.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

The alignment issue is more related to the tie rod than the strut, I think. As I understand it, caster and camber are pretty much non-adjustable on this particular mini-van. Toe is adjustable by varying the length of the tie rod. Loosen the jamb nut, turn the tie rod to straighten the steering knuckle and then retighten the jamb nut. Pretty simple.

The two parts I replaced are the strut assembly and the tie rod. The strut piston had sheared off at the top of the strut plate. Nothing was connected to the car but the spring. The strut piston was just banging around in there. The tie rod end was shot, and could be easily moved up and down, side to side by hand. When I replaced the tie rod end I left the tie rod itself too short, thus splaying the driver side tire out from the center line. Way, way splayed out. When I set the steering wheel straight, the passenger side tire points straight but the driver’s side tire is at a noticeable angle ‘toe out.’ If I drive it in this condition, the steering wheel is 90 degrees off-set from center.

I will adjust it back to sort of straight when I get home and then have it aligned later.


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## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

mikegp said:


> You don't actually need a spring compressor on all cars. You just put a hydraulic jack under the knuckle assembly. Then unbolt the strut from the top mount and slowly lower the jack. All of the pressure is released slowly from the spring. *You can also do it backwards to reinstall.* The only time this is an issue is if you can't fit the proper tools to tighten the strut to the top mount. I usually just get coilovers, but did do this once when my strut snapped on an SUV and it worked fine.


I've done it this way. It's only not worked once. On my 1966 Riviera. I was lifting the car by the LCA with the spring and could not get it close enough to get the ball joint in place on the spindle.


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