How do you change the front struts on a 2000 Nissan maxima?

Answer 1

You are going to need a firm, level surface to work on...a good selection of hand tools, and preferable access to air tools to help break the bolts loose, a couple of jack stands, and a facility to compress the springs for you. Ready? Here we go... Raise the front end of the vehicle and support it under it's frame with the jack stands. Make sure the parking brake is on, and put a chock behind the rear wheels to make sure it doesn't roll while you are working on it. DO NOT RELY ON A CHEAP HYDRAULIC JACK, PLEASE! Remove both front wheels. Scribe a line along the steering knuckle, along the mating edge of the lower strut mount. This will help keep the front suspension aligned. Remove the lower strut mounting bolts and any components that are attached to the lower strut, like brake line mounts or stabilizer links. Remove the upper mounting bolts, typically 3 or 4 of them. Remove the strut assembly from the car, paying attention to the orientation of the strut in the car. Now, you are going to need a spring compressor to actually change the cartridge. An air impact helps break the upper cartridge nut loose. You may want to take them down to your local garage and have them change out the cartridges for you. DON'T FUDGE HERE...THE SPRINGS ARE UNDER ALOT OF TENSION AND CAN SEVERELY HURT YOU. Assemble in the reverse of removal, being sure to properly tighten everthing. Have the front end alignment checked, and adjusted if necessary.