Why can't I tighten the front strut on my car?
Because tightening it is a pain in the arse to begin with. An offset wrench for the nut and a hex key to hold the strut still. A helper might be needed. Adding a torque wrench means you'll need a special torque adapter. Most people will have to go buy or rent tools for this. The strut mounts may have failed.
What happens if you tighten the center nut on a strut?
If the coil is placed before this and the assembly is tightened up, the strut may be loose and can shake and cause a misalignment. Tightening the center nut with a ½ inch air gun can raise the chances of damaging the bearing located underneath the top of the cap.
How do you tighten a strut on a Ford Mustang?
Replace the bolts, leaving them finger tight, allowing the assembly to move freely. Place the strut assembly back into the strut tower and replace the strut tower bolts. Now you can tighten the bolts with your wrench, securing the strut assembly to the steering knuckle and torquing to the manufacturer's specifications.
How do you replace a front strut on a car?
You’ll just need to remove the old strut and install the new one. Put the strut into the vehicle and secure it by tightening the upper bolts by hand. Make sure the upper strut bolts are on and snug with the wheel on the ground and the weight of the body on the ground. This will settle the strut into position and place the studs fully up.
What happens if a strut is loose?
You May Struggle to Steer Your Car Around Curves Worn-out shocks and struts will hamper your car's ability to grip the road to the point where they cause understeering or oversteering. If you are forced to understeer or oversteer your car, you can cause an accident.
How tight should struts be?
0:041:11How to Torque Top Strut Mount Nuts - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo. All right the torque specification for these is going to be approximately. A half turn to a fullMoreSo. All right the torque specification for these is going to be approximately. A half turn to a full turn past contact right there we're going to reinstall our weather boot.
How do I know if my struts are loose?
The Warning Signs Of Worn Shocks And StrutsInstability at highway speeds. ... Vehicle “tips” to one side in turns. ... The front end dives more than expected during hard braking. ... Rear-end squat during acceleration. ... Tires bouncing excessively. ... Unusual tire wear. ... Leaking fluid on the exterior of shocks or struts.
Do you tighten struts on ground?
Correct: Only tighten struts and shock absorbers in rubber suspensions once the vehicle is back on the ground (K0 position). Other fixings (e.g. clamps) have to be tightened before lowering the vehicle.
Can you over tighten strut mounts?
Do not use an air or electric impact wrench to tighten the upper mounting nut on the piston rod. This can make the torque higher than recommended and cause damage.
What happens if you over torque a strut?
Yes, the strut mounts will break if they are overtightened. The bolts will snap if they are overtightened. One member used 85 ft lbs and snapped almost all of them. Yes, the strut mounts will break if they are overtightened.
Can I drive with a loose strut?
Can I drive with a damaged strut? No. It needs to be repaired as soon as possible. A strut works by absorbing the bounce of your car driving over bumps in the road.
What does a loose strut sound like?
Strut noise Bad strut sounds are usually described as a hollow clunking or banging type of sound. You'll typically hear the noise when the vehicle is traveling over irregularities in the road.
What does a loose shock sound like?
Unusual noises – When shocks and struts are worn out you may hear a clunking or knocking sound. This sound is caused by metal-to-metal contact when the shock or strut bottoms out when hitting a bump. In addition, these noises could be a result in worn shock or strut mounting components.
Why do struts make noise?
When inspecting strut mounting hardware, many of these types of components can stretch or deform if over-torqued or if they have been loosened and retightened multiple times, resulting in a noise. If mounting hardware no longer holds their original torque, or if they are excessively worn, they should be replaced.
Should I be able to compress a shock by hand?
You cannot judge the strength or condition of a shock/strut by hand movement alone. The force and speed generated by a vehicle in operation exceeds what you can accomplish by hand. The fluid valves are calibrated to operate differently depending on the degree of movement inertia which cannot be duplicated by hand.
How tight should suspension bolts be?
How Tight Should Leaf Spring Shackle and Spring Eye Bolts Be If the bolts for the shackle link and the leaf spring eye are too tight, the suspension won't articulate as it should. You want to run the bolt down tight, then back it off by a 1/4 turn, as you'd mentioned.
How do you adjust struts on a car?
0:082:06How do I change my damping or rebound on my struts ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe smaller the hole the firmer the ride the larger the hole that will allow the oil to travel fromMoreThe smaller the hole the firmer the ride the larger the hole that will allow the oil to travel from the top to the bottom much more quickly. And will allow for a softer ride.
How do you tighten coilover top nuts?
1:182:58ISC How To: Adjusting the 19mm Top Nut - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThere you need the five millimeter allen key because if you don't this is what will happen. RightMoreThere you need the five millimeter allen key because if you don't this is what will happen. Right now it appears like i'm tightening. It all that's really happening is the shaft is spinning.
How do you tighten a top mount nut?
0:141:22How to Torque Upper Strut Nuts - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we're going to want to make sure that we have them in relation to the strut. And the body. WhatMoreSo we're going to want to make sure that we have them in relation to the strut. And the body. What you want to do is take a look at the way the holes are oriented inside the suspension tower.
What is a strut nut?
Strut channel nuts are used to place and secure fittings, electrical panels, junction boxes, or piping clamps within channels or conduits. They consist of a nut with grooves on the side that fit over side of the channel edge and a screw hole.
Where is the flat spot on a Koni strut?
With the stock struts there is that flat spot on the top of the strut rod. I don't remember if it was there on my Koni inserts or not. If they are that flat spot locks into a flat spot in the upper strut hat.
Can you use an impact wrench on a Koni?
humm, yeah right. koni says specifically NOT to use impact wrench as the top is hollow and it might break.
What is a notch on a car strut?
Most cars I have owned had a notch that the strut only fit one way into the mount. This notch holds the tube still after the strut is on the car and has always allowed me to tighten them.
What to do if you don't have an impact on a shaft?
If you don't have an impact the top of the shaft should have a way to stick a box wrench on it or a small socket so you can turn the nut without spinning the shaft. But if you do have an impact do like rooflessVW said and zap it real quick.
Can you go full Harambe on a nut?
Well you're not supposed to go full Harambe on it, just give it a good rap and make sure the nut is run down.
Why do you need to change struts?
Changing old struts is an important way to keep your car stabilized at high speeds, ensuring a smooth, comfortable, and safe ride. Struts are basically a spring-mounted shock absorber that's been a basic part of car manufacturing since the 1950s.
How to remove struts from steering knuckle?
Remove these by removing the nuts from the assembly and loosening the strut.
Why does my steering knuckle strut fall off?
Since you've removed the bolts from the steering knuckle, the strut might fall loose after you remove these bolts. It might help to have a partner holding onto the strut assembly while you loosen these bolts.
How to change a tire on a car with a jack?
First, loosen the bolts securing the wheel with a lug wrench and lift the car with a jack, positioning the jack according to the Owner's Manual instructions for changing a tire. Once the car is raised, position a jack stand under the car for stability. Remove the bolts that secure the wheel and remove the wheel.
How to stabilize a car during bumps?
4. Drop the sway bar if necessary. Also called the stabilizer or the anti-roll bar, the sway bar works along with the strut assembly to stabilize the car during bumps and irregular road conditions. To do this, you need to remove the mounting bracket with a socket wrench and rotate the sway bar out of the way.
Where are the strut bolts on a car?
Open the hood and locate the strut bolts, usually a circle of three bolts on a pan in the engine compartment, to each side of the car, near the windshield. In the center of the ring of bolts will be the bolt for the strut pan itself.
Where is the nut on a strut?
At the very top of the strut is a large nut on top of what looks like a disc, but is actually the strut bearing. Remove the large nut on top of the strut with ratchet and socket combination, and hold the strut rod with a wrench just below the strut bearing.
Why do gas struts need to be upright?
Gas strut must be upright with the valve at the top and the rod pointing down during adjustment to avoid excessive loss of oil.
Where is the gas strut adjustment valve located?
Fit the gas strut with the cylinder uppermost. The adjustment valve located at the uppermost end of the cylinder.
Can gas struts be opened?
Gas struts are filled with high pressure Nitrogen and under no circumstances should they be opened or subject to excessive heat. The internal pressure of a gas strut is very high and should be treated with caution. Using the Allen key provided undo the grub screw until gas can be heard escaping. Then re-tighten the grub screw.
Why replace shocks and struts?
Struts are an integral component of your vehicle’s suspension system, and kind of important if things like handling, stopping, and riding in comfort matter to you. A way to visualize struts is simply to picture a shock absorber and coil spring combination, working together to smooth out bumps in the road. Improved handling, shorter stopping distances, and a smoother ride are the benefits you realize from changing struts. Air shock absorbers improve ride quality by limiting suspension movement. They also have a direct effect on handling and braking. Worn shocks can make for an uncomfortable ride, but, more importantly, they can compromise your ability to control the vehicle. So, it's important to keep shocks ship-shape.
How to get a strut out of a wheel?
There should be three bolts holding the bottom of the strut in place, which you can loosen with a socket wrench. Up top, the strut extends inside a strut tower with a serious bolt inside the engine compartment. You may need to use an impact wrench with a socket extension to get it loose.
Why are air shocks important?
Air shock absorbers improve ride quality by limiting suspension movement. They also have a direct effect on handling and braking. Worn shocks can make for an uncomfortable ride, but, more importantly, they can compromise your ability to control the vehicle. So, it's important to keep shocks ship-shape.
How many bolts should be on a strut?
There should be three bolts holding the bottom of the strut in place, which you can loosen with a socket wrench. Up top, the strut extends inside a strut tower with a serious bolt inside the engine compartment. You may need to use an impact wrench with a socket extension to get it loose.
When you do work on a vital suspension system, do you take the car for a diagnostic drive?
When you do work on a vital suspension system, you’ll definitely want to take the car for a slow diagnostic drive afterward. Don’t go careening along a winding road just yet. Take a nice slow spin through the neighborhood, perhaps wiggling the steering wheel now and then to test transient response. If everything seems good to go, consider the procedure a success! Remember that this article is intended as a very broad project overview. Our how-tos on replacing shocks and replacing struts go into more detail.
How to visualize struts?
A way to visualize struts is simply to picture a shock absorber and coil spring combination, working together to smooth out bumps in the road. Improved handling, shorter stopping distances, and a smoother ride are the benefits you realize from changing struts.
What to know before replacing shocks?
What to Know Before Replacing Your Own Shocks or Struts. It can be intimidating to think about taking your vehicle's suspension apart. When you get right down to it, however, it’s probably less complicated than assembling an Ikea bookcase. Doing your own suspension work can also save you many hundreds of dollars.
How to secure struts?
Put the strut into the vehicle and secure it by tightening the upper bolts by hand. Make sure the upper strut bolts are on and snug with the wheel on the ground and the weight of the body on the ground. This will settle the strut into position and place the studs fully up. If the top bolts are tightened before lowering, you wont know if the strut is sitting in the correct position and will hear banging and clunking sounds over bumps
Why is it important to install struts correctly?
It’s important to install struts the right way so you don’t damage other parts or hurt yourself. Whether disassembling or reassembling a strut with a coil spring or installing a preassembled one, this article and video has some tips for how to install struts correctly.
How to tighten lug nuts?
Tighten the lug nuts in a criss-cross or star pattern. Then lower to the ground and torque to spec in a criss-cross or star pattern. If not torqued correctly, the wheel can unkilter, loosen over bumps, and possibly fall off. It can also damage other parts like the rim, control arm, and wheel hub, so don’t hammer them on with an impact wrench/air gun
What to do if playback doesn't begin?
If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
Can you put a cam bolt back in the same direction?
Remember the direction the bolts came out and put them back in in the same direction. You may have an alignment adjustment bolt, also known as a cam bolt, which is not round looking but oblong like an egg and it’s so the alignment professional can turn it to angle the steering and suspension. Not installing the bolt back in same direction, especially with this bolt can cause an alignment problem on your car and one for the professional.
Can you jack up a control arm?
If jacking up the control arm to simulate ride height and align all the parts during reinstallation, you want to be careful so you don’t, for example, jam the axle against the strut
Is it dangerous to remove the axle nut?
It’s dangerous the remove and tighten the axle nut with an impact wrench—especially for the wheel bearing. The axle travels through the hub and behind the hub sits the wheel bearings. The air gun will apply pressure and overheat the bearings by compressing them, which will create friction, heat, and then damage them. Torque the axle nut to the manufacturer’s specifications
