overview:
i repalced the front strut tops on my 99 glx today because its got a nasty pull to one side after taking a sharp turn. pull goes away after you take a sharp turn in oposite direction. did everything you would have to to dissamble a strut to repalce springs or install better struts. did not do rears but its pretty much the same. just like doing an oil change on your alero and then doing an oil change on a ford pino. different but the same...
tools needed:
13mm socket
19mm socket
21mm socket
pry-bar
jacks AND stands
hammar
rachet or however you choose to turn them sockets.
dont forget an alignment!
raise the end of the vehicle your going to work on. you dont have to raise both drivers and passengers side but it will make things a lot easier with the sway bars.
remove wheels and tires and this is what you will have. on the alero (front anways) the only thing you have to do here is take the two big nuts and bolts out.
spinn the nuts off and then tap the bolt out with hammar. THISE BOLTS ARE SPLINED AND SHOULD NOT BE SPUN OUT LIKE A REGULAR BOLT! i also advise putting the nut back onto the bolt a few threads and tap on the nut. the nut can be easier to replace then the bolts sometimes.
next i took a pry-bar with little effort and popped the knucle out of the strut. bam your done down here.
more advice... do not pull the knuckle any further outwards then you have to. pull too far and you could end up pulling the cv-shaft appart and thats a pain in the arse.
next make these two nuts and one bolt your bitch and get them off. make sure to be holding your strut assembly when the last fastener comes off otherwise its going to drop damage/hurt something.
advice: if these are rusty soak them in rust penatrent. and be careful using a power tool. it is possible to twist them apart.
heres my strut in the compressor. should ONLY be done by a professional with proper tools. springs under tension make good missles and can do some damage.
no pictures for the next step. to dissasemble i took an impact gun to the nut holding the strut together (spring has been compressed at this point) and removed it. hold the strut otherwise its going to fall on your toe. removed strut top (two peices per side).
heres what my tops looked like:
no wunder my car had memory steer and made all kinds of noises turning durring parking lot turns.
heres the strut top (on the left) that i removed from a customers car. im going to be a cheapass and slap two used tops in my car. that will get me by for a while. i noticed my front shocks are toast. the first two inches of compression (from full extension) there is zero resistance. time for new struts later.
heres the underside of the upper part of the strut top. all chewed to hell. it should be replaced as well but it will make due.
assembly is in reverse order, always use a new locking nut on your struts. slap the strut back under your car with one hand and put the nuts and bolt back into the strut top. realign (you may have to turn the strut to line it up with the knuckle) your strut with the knucle and put the two bolts in it, tap untill seated with a hammar and thread the nuts.
this is the main reason your going to need an alignment. the holes in the strut are larger then the bolts. by pushing in and out at this point you will effect your camber and oculd wear tires. plus the car may not ride right and be twitchy or have a pull.
alignment time:
im not going into detail about how to do an alignment becuase most of you do not have an alignment machine... and if you do... then you should know how to use it.
before: front toes out. it was perfict last year when i did the alignment.
after
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