How do you replace front struts on a 1999 Dodge Intrepid?

Answer 1

I found this link below that is how to replace strut mounts in general. I'm not sure if you have a situation specific to a 99 Intrepid. My 98 Intrepid is in the shop right now getting the front right done. I wouldn't mess with it if I were you - if those springs pop off you just might be dead. For me, new strut $100 and labor is $120. If you do it, you'll need to compress that spring, likely you'll have to cut the mount off with a torch, take the compressed spring and put it on the new strut, there will be other parts you need to salvage from your old strut, hopefully you can save the mount. http://www.tutorom.com/courses/767/Replacing-the-Strut-Mounts-on-Your-Car-Free-Auto-Repair-Instructions.htm I found this link below that is how to replace strut mounts in general. I'm not sure if you have a situation specific to a 99 Intrepid. My 98 Intrepid is in the shop right now getting the front right done. I wouldn't mess with it if I were you - if those springs pop off you just might be dead. For me, new strut $100 and labor is $120. If you do it, you'll need to compress that spring, likely you'll have to cut the mount off with a torch, take the compressed spring and put it on the new strut, there will be other parts you need to salvage from your old strut, hopefully you can save the mount. http://www.tutorom.com/courses/767/Replacing-the-Strut-Mounts-on-Your-Car-Free-Auto-Repair-Instructions.htm Macpherson struts can be dangerous to work on, so if you don't know what you're doing ask, or get someone that does. That being said there should be no torching involved, in fact torching on a strut is even more dangerous as the gas or oil in the strut insert(the shock part of a strut) can get over heated and explode. It is a rather simple yet labour intensive process. First put the car on Jackstands. Next you want to remove the wheel, and brake parts, using a ziptie or small rope to hold the caliper up to it doesn't hang on the break line damaging it. The brake line may be held into a tab with a clip, and the tab sometimes has to be cut and bent partially to get the brake line out without disconnecting the 2 ends and the having to bleed the brakes later. Next you want to loosen but not remove the top strut mount bolts, there usually are three, they are small usually between 12 and 15 millimeters, do not loosen the big nut in the middle just yet. Next is to remove the 2 bolts holding the strut assembly to the lower control arm. You then remove the top nuts, and work the strut assembly off of the CV Axle, some cars may require that you remove the CV Axle first, and that requires draining the transmission first to avoid making a very big mess. Once the strut assembly is off the CV Axle it should come out with a little twisting. Now comes the part to be very careful with. You can usually rent this tool from your local autoparts store. You need the correct spring compressor, they should be able to tell you which one you need at the same store you rent it from. You want to get the tool as close to the ends of the spring as you can to get better and safer compression. Compress the spring until the tension is off of the strut assembly. Next you will remove the large top nut. There should be a flat spot on the top of the insert close to the upper mount that you can get a wrench on to hold it in place while loosening the upper nut. Once the nut is removed you can slide the top mount off and the spring keeping an eye out for spacers and washers, and taking note as to where and what order they came off in. be very careful with the spring as it is still under tension and can cause severe injury. My recommendation is to either place the spring some where safe and out of the way, or slowly decompress it and leave it until you are ready for re assembly. There should be a ring nut on the top of what you have left, these can be very tricky to get off, and require a very large wrench or pair of pliers. Once it is removed the strut insert can be removed and replaced. Look out for oil that has leaked down inside the strut tube, and clean it out if necessary. Re assembly is just backwards once again being extremely careful with the spring, and replacing any spacers and washers in the correct locations and order.