If the vehicle has excessive play in the suspension - if the vehicle bounces easily up and down - the suspension shocks or struts are likely worn. Many times, a strut is diagnosed when a technician is replacing other related parts. A damaged strut may also be discovered during a four wheel alignment. In doubt, a technician will use body weight to bounce the vehicle up and down on each corner, and if the amount of residual movement up and down is excessive, the shocks or struts are worn. Extremely worn shocks and struts are more than obvious while driving, as the vehicle will float up and down after bumps, often bottom out, and lean excessively through turns.
To change a suspension strut, a technician first needs to lift and support the vehicle with a hoist (or a jack and jack stands) and remove the front wheel. The brake caliper and rotor are removed and the sway bar link is disconnected. The technician then disconnects the strut from the steering knuckle and from the strut tower to remove it from the vehicle. If the entire strut assembly is being replaced, installation is relatively simple. On the other hand, it is common to reuse the coil spring from the old assembly. In this case, the worn strut will need to be compressed and disassembled, and the new strut will need to be put together before it is installed. On the other hand, shocks are much easier to change. Most often, removal of the wheel is sufficient to allow the upper and lower mounting bolts to be removed. Once removed, the new shock mount and shock are installed. Once the wheel is torqued, the process is repeated on at least one more shock.
RepairPal recommends replacing the suspension struts or shocks in pairs, left and right. The ride quality and performance of the vehicle will be significantly altered if the struts and shocks do not match in type and quality. Prior to replacement of shocks or struts, a full inspection of the steering and suspension should be performed to identify any other needed repairs. This will cut down the labor costs when compared to replacing the worn parts separately. Also, we recommend a four-wheel alignment when struts are replaced. New struts can change the vehicle's ride height, which will change the wheel alignment.
If the suspension shocks or struts are damaged, the wheel alignment of the vehicle will be impaired. During replacement, it may be necessary to compress a strut and spring assembly, unlike a shock absorber. This involves compressing the coil spring so that the strut assembly can be disassembled. From the time that the old strut is disassembled to the time the new strut is assembled, the compressed coil spring is extremely dangerous. If the spring slips from the spring compressor (used to apply tension to the spring), it could cause serious injury. Also, the vehicle needs to be safely lifted and supported off the ground to complete this repair.
Replacing an entire suspension strut assembly as a unit could be considered an intermediate DIY repair. On the other hand, if the coil spring is to be transferred from the old strut to the new strut, or if the old spring is broken and in need of replacement, this repair should only be attempted by an advanced DIYer, or left to a professional technician. However, since shock absorbers are typically easier and safer to replace, most DIY mechanics will have an easy time replacing these. That is if proper lifting and supporting of the vehicle is understood.
Your vehicle’s suspension relies on a few key components. The springs, sometimes called coils, act like, well springs. They hold the car’s main body up from the wheels so that the wheels don't transmit the road imperfections directly to your seat. A car suspended with just springs acting alone would bounce around like crazy as it rolled along over bumps.
The shock absorbers and struts act as what are called dampers. They slow the up-and-down motion of the car and stop the undulations caused by the body bouncing on the springs. They dampen out the oscillations, is how an engineer might say it.
Shocks and struts are not complicated machines. They are basically a pair of tubes with a valve or simply holes inside that allow oil to flow up and down. The flow of the oil through the holes is what slows down the bouncing. Air, gas, and other fluids can be used in place of the liquid in some shocks and struts. Hence the term “gas struts.”
A shock is not a structural member of your suspension, nor is it part of the front steering assembly. It has one job to do, and shocks work great at what they are designed for. A strut is a bit different. A strut is structural, and in some cars, they do act in a role related to steering. They also do their job as a damper. On some struts, the spring is also incorporated.
You may have heard of the term “MacPherson” strut. Earle S. MacPherson was a design engineer employed by General Motors and most often associated with Chevrolet in the 1970s. His career began in the early part of the 1900s, and he was also involved in wartime efforts as an engineer and designer. Mr. MacPherson was a pioneer in strut design. Hence, we now often call struts of a certain design by his name. His goal in designing the MacPherson strut was to make cars more affordable.
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