Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [struts]

78 questions
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How Important Are the Rear Shocks / Struts

When people talk about changing the shocks or struts, it's usually the front ones due to comfort, handling and safety reasons. But what about the rear ones? How much of a problem are worn out rear struts / shocks and what are the implications to…
Robert S. Barnes
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Do I Need to Compress the Springs to Install Strut Tower Braces?

I have a '99 Maxima. I am considering installing strut tower braces. In order to do so, would I need to get spring compression tools to hold the springs on the struts, or will the weight of the car be sufficient to hold it in place when I remove…
eidylon
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How Fast Should a Depressed Strut Piston Return?

I just changed the struts on my car, and was curious how fast a strut piston should return after being depressed. In my case the old ones didn't have any return at all almost ( after a few minutes they had returned maybe 4 inches ). The new ones…
Robert S. Barnes
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Alignment is out of spec a tad - should I worry?

So I bought new tires recently for my 2002 Nissan Sentra and wanted to make sure that my alignment would not eat them up. Even though effectively my entire suspension/axle system was overhauled recently, some of the specs are still off. Three…
Anton Pugachevsky
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Can wheels become unaligned after replacing struts?

I took my car (Mk1 Golf/Rabbit Cabriolet) to get new front struts and new strut mounts kits installed. When I got it back, the steering and suspension certainly felt better, but the steering wheel is now on an angle. I can't imagine any reason why…
MeltingDog
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How bad is this strut mount damage?

I noticed a crack in the strut mount rubber of my 1999 Volvo v40. The suspension often creaks when going over speed bumps (and sometimes it doesn't) though I'm not sure it's the fault of this mount. Everything else looks good. I realize that a…
I have no idea what I'm doing
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Identifying Suspension Parts on my Mazda 626

This is a continuation of my question regarding What to Check When Replacing Struts, but specific to my 98 Mazda 626 2L. I want to make sure: I've correctly identified the parts What is their effect on performance / safety Do I really need to…
Robert S. Barnes
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2001 Honda Civic: rough ride, even after new struts

My 2001 Honda Civic has what I can only describe as a "rough ride" in the front wheels. When I put my foot on the brake pedal (not pressing on it), there's a roughness there I can feel. It's less at lower speeds and increases at higher speeds. I…
pthesis
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Rough ride on LL Bean Subaru, are the struts the cause?

I have a 2004 LLBean with 88,000 miles on it. It rides worse than my old 2001 limited. The ride is hard. I was told that as long as the struts are not leaking oil, they are fine. Is this true? I thought it was the cheap Capitol tires on it. I put a…
Peter
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When to replace struts?

I recently replaced my struts because the shop said the front driver side is leaking when I took it in to replace brake pads/rotors. But now that I am looking closely, I am not sure the struts need replacing. Yea, the boot is all torn and everything…
findwindow
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How should I find a mechanic?

I am a new student in the US. I bought a used car and it seems it needs a strut change. But I don't know how things work here or how to find a good (and affordable) mechanic near me. Should I buy the part before going there? How much should I pay a…
GoodMan
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What does, "Tighten with specifed torque at curb position of vehicle" mean?

Hyundai service manual for strut assembly reverse installation states: "Tighten with specifed torque at curb position of vehicle" What is curb position? Is this the same as curb weight? I was looking into changing out the struts on a 2015 Hyundai…
eaglei22
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Torquing Strut Nut with Tire on Ground

I will be changing my wife's shocks and struts next week on her 2012 Outback. The service manual says not to tighten strut mounting nut until the car is on the ground. Do I really leave the nut that locks the cylinder to the mounting plate loose…
salisboss
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Cost of replacing struts on a 99 camry - and is it doable on our own?

My girlfriend is having a heck of a vexing time with navigating her options for getting the rear struts on her 99 camry replaced. One major chain auto repair store quoted $580-$600 for the job. Another chain (attached to a larger chain department…
dubhousing
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My Ride is Still Very Bouncy after Changing the Struts and Strut Mounts

I just changed the front struts and strut mounts on my 98 Mazda 626. The old ones were completely shot. While I noticed an improvement in the ride, it wasn't nearly as much as I expected, and quite frankly the ride is still quite bouncy. While I…
Robert S. Barnes
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