How Long Does It Take To Replace Front Struts (And Why)?

Exact Answer: Less than 2 hours or even 2 to 3 hours

Car struts are an essential part of the vehicle’s suspension system. For most front-wheel-drive cars, they are located above the chassis which is at the front-end. When they get worn out after a certain period of time, they are needed to be replaced.

The stopping distance gets increased by 10 feet when driving with the worn-out struts.

Replacing the struts also depends upon the skill level of the person and to how much extent the bolts are rusted.

How Long Does It Take To Replace The Front Struts?

Some classifications regarding the cars, their struts lifespan, and the number of miles that they can cover are given below-

Why Does It Take So Long To Replace The Front Struts?

There are certain steps through which the front struts of a car can be replaced. According to these, the time is estimated. They are-

1. Locating the struts – First, before changing, we need to know what we are supposed to change. Identification is necessary. The struts of a car or a truck are of metallic cone-shaped parts that will have a spring around them. The bolts for the struts can be found inside the hood.
2. Removal of the wheel – Loosen the bolts by using a lug wrench then lift the car with a jack. After the car is lifted, place a jack stand under the car. Then completely loosen and remove the wheel bolts and remove the wheel.
3. Removing the bolts from the steering knuckle – On holding the struts to the steering knuckle, two or three bolts can be found. If the bolts are hard to remove then a spray called WD-40 can be used in order to loosen them.
4. Removing the bolts in the strut towers – The strut towers can be found after opening the hood. They are cylindrical in shape, are held by three bolts. Remove them and leave off the center nut or else the strut will fall since the strut is under high spring tension and the springs should be compressed first.
5. Old struts – Removing the old struts and installing new struts. When the struts are being changed, the springs of the old struts should not be compressed.
6. Spring compression – Before compressing the springs, one should make sure that the compressor is pointed away from things also persons that it might damage.
7. Installation of the new struts – Putting back the bolts and screwing them not too tight as well so that the assembly can still move freely. After that, the strut assembly is installed into the strut tower. The strut tower bolts are put back in place.
8. Replacing of the wheel – The lug bolts are supposed to be put back then the car has to be lowered- Jack up the car a little so that the load on the jack stands is eased a little.
9. Final check – By test driving the vehicle. In low-traffic areas, one should drive at low speed. It will be best to have an alignment in case if the car does not run normally or even if the car runs normally.

Conclusion

Bad struts are not at all convenient. A car when it drives on rough or unpaved roads or a truck that carries heavy loads can reduce its functioning life. If the user becomes around 40,000 or 50,000 miles it needs to be replaced. Best if replaced as soon as possible. If the struts are having loose or worn mounting hardware it can make a metallic clunking noise. Therefore, while replacing them, the installation of new mounts and mounting hardware is always suggested. If the front struts get failed, the front tires absorb more heat on the inner or outer portion of the tire.

References

1. https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rY2ujnNrhf0C&oi=fnd&pg=PP8&dq=info:GYSeCe5eYqgJ:scholar.google.com/&ots=HiLDffAN9z&sig=axx4mnWKkBBj4zOP8lvKxrpIAl8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
2. https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=fuXf3wmahM8C&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=info:f7wtPI5LCeEJ:scholar.google.com/&ots=pdBuK6r2QM&sig=3WYs0gr4N_oNaVUQ_QsSxV8Bjpg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false