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Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts are important parts of a vehicle’s suspension. Shocks are designed to absorb the impact, while struts support the load of an object such as the chassis of a car. These components are designed to soften the ride.
886 Questions
What is the difference between a strut and a shock absorber and can they be used interchangeably?
The suspension spring absorbs energy and reduces vertical acceleration of wheel.
The damper stops the motion of the mass-spring system which would otherwise keep oscillating.
A bump stopper or jounce bumper or... there are hundred other names to this rubber / PU piece, prevents metal-to-metal contact and thereby the 'clang' produced when spring becomes solid.
A ball joint is a spherical headed screw. The head is inserted into a dome and the screw can articulate in a conical envelope when the dome is fixed.
A control arm or wishbone is schematically a triangular suspension link where one vertex is a ball joint (upper or lower) and the opposite side is a hinge joint. These link controls the wheel path when it articulates. There is usually an upper control arm and a lower control arm.
A shock absorber or coil-over-shox is a unit in which spring & bump stopper are arranged concentric (rather coaxial) with the damper to save space required for separate installation of each.
A strut is a coil-over-shox with additional degrees of freedom for steering the wheel (provided by a bearing which partially replaces a ball joint) and articulation of the wheel (provided by the top mount which doubles in as the upper wishbone / control arm).
A strut is thus, a combination of a number of suspension components viz. spring, damper, bump stopper, upper control arm and probably one ball joint.
A strut and a coil-over-shox are not interchangable. If you put a simple coil-over-shox in place of strut, you won't be able to steer the vehicle and if you do otherwise, the directional stability will be lost. A strut is usually used in front suspension and a coil-over-shox is generally a part of rear suspension.
Does a 1991 Lincoln Continental have both struts and shocks?
It may very well have shocks in the rear or it may have the Air Ride system. Crawl under the car and look see.
How much does it cost to replace struts and shocks on a ford focus?
If its a 2003 focus then I know they had a recall on them or something. Mine were free. But I do think I remember I think it had to be below 100k miles. Mine broke and luckly I went to the dealer and the told me about how they were free. If I would have went anywhere else they would have been about 120 something a piece. So I would call your local dealer and ask them!! Wouldnt hurt
How do you remove and replace front struts on a 2001 Toyota Sienna?
This is a job that requires a special tool and various hand and power tools. If you have access to a spring compressor as well as normal automotive tools it isn't all that hard.
start by raising the hood, removing the wiper arms, plastic cowl, wiper motor plug, and wiper motor/ cowl assembly.
next raise and support the front of the van, remove the wheels, caliper hose/abs wire mounts (where they attach to the struts), and the 22mm lower strut mount bolts.
remove 2 of the 3 upper strut mount nuts and while supporting the strut from the bottom, remove the last nut. this will allow you to pull the strut out from the wheel well.
if you're reusing the spring, strutcap, bearing etc., remove them from the old strut and reinstall on the new strut according to the instructions for the spring compressor that you're using.
installation is reverse of removal. a professional alignment would be recommended after completion.
How do you change rear struts - shocks - and coil springs on a Taurus - Sable?
"rears" 3 mount nuts in trunk for each strut - loosen
remove sway bar link from strut
pinch bolt on spindle housing loosen (careful likes to break) use heat "or" penetrating oil if necessary
Special tool is nice but a big pry bar and hammer will work to separate strut from spindle housing
"becareful of brake lines and abs sensors" will have to loosen support points
"fronts" same thing but mount nuts under hood
reverse procedure and have alignment done
Jaybird1980
Answer to revised question
Just by quick struts. It saves time and well worth the money.
Quick strut: NEW Strut, Spring, Strut mount, Spring pads already assembled and ready to put in. jaybird1980
Answerthere are three bolts on each side there in the trunk of the car centre of the wheel and there are to at the bottiom of the strut jack up the car and brace it good ( on stands )
drive safe
On the sable, you have springs/struts, not shocks. Pretty much the only reason you should replace is if a spring is cracked or the strut is leaking (or something in the mounting is broken). A lot of shops will tell you they are even if they aren't. Get a second opinion. But this is a huge issue on sables...
If you do need to replace them, do not attempt them yourself... unless you have a hydraulic lift and a torch. They're buggers to get off, really, and you don't want to be banging that car while on jack stands. It's hard work and if you get stuck in the job at home w/o the right equipment, you're pretty much up a creek.
The cheapest route by far is to order a "quick strut" from monroe. Half the money you get charged is for mechanic's time disassembling and re- the whole mess (again, don't do yourself unless you are very handy and have the right equipment. A stray spring could kill you). Quick struts come as one assembled unit, spring and strut, and just need to be installed. Make sure to replace them in pairs. With parts and labor you should be paying around $500. If higher, you're getting scammed. Cheers.
There are three nuts on the top of the strut that are barely accessible from inside the trunk, one small bolt that holds a brake line bracket, one very long swaybar link bolt, and one large bolt at the bottom that tightens a clamp onto the strut tube.
Remove the small bolt, the long bolt, and the big bolt, and you should be able to slide the clamp down the strut tube far enough to clear the end. Then remove the three nuts from the top and pull out the old strut. Installation is the reverse.
Things to watch out for?
Rust. Both of the big clamp bolts on this car were so rusty, the heads snapped off when I was trying to turn them out, even with PB Blaster and torch heat liberally applied. I spent an hour working the second one back and forth, trying to keep it from breaking. I got it to come out about 3/4 of an inch, and then it snapped. I ended up just blowing the bolts out with the cutting torch and putting in a similarly-sized grade 8 bolt and locking nut. The swaybar link bolts also snapped off, but those are much easier to remove.
Corroded brake lines. One of the brake lines was rotted enough to start leaking as soon as I flexed it a little, that still needs replacing. I have the leak stopped at the proportioning valve on the rear axle, but for the moment there's no RR brake.
Proceed with caution, or save yourself the trouble and push it into a lake.
The rear seat bottom and back need to be removed then lift the package tray up to expose the nuts that hold the strut on the top. The bottom is held with the pinch bolt.
How do you get the bolt out of bottom arm on strut?
You need to say type, or make and model, we are not mind readers.
How do you know if it is your CV joints going bad or a bad ball joint?
A worn CV joint usually makes a click-click-click sound, especially when turning. A worn ball joint is more likely to clunk in a turn. Also, in the case of a worn ball joint, if you jack up the suspect wheel and grasp the tire at the top and the bottom, you should be able to move it back and forth with a bit of a clunky feel.
How much would it cost to replace shocks and struts for a 1998 Toyota Camry?
I have a 97 Toyota Camry and was told it would be anywhere from $1000 to $1600 depending on whether I wanted top of the line struts or not.
Will 1993 Lexus LS 400 front air suspension shocks fit a 1991 LS 400?
well if you change air shocks from car to car we find that you chance of the shocks going bad is very high , you can convert the car to a coil over strut system we back with a lifetime warrenty, give me a call if you have any questions,chris ext:248@1-866-597-2397 or cbowes@strutmasters.com
If the front end bounces while breaking does that mean the shocks are bad?
yes you need new front shocks.
How do you replace the rear shocks on a 1994 Nissan Pathfiner 4WD?
Go under the truck and on the top facing toward the front or the car are two blots one on each shock. they come off first then move to the lower nuts and take those off,(use plenty of WD40) then pull the top off and then the bottom off, it sems to come off much easier when you do this, now SAVE ALL HARDWARE DO NOT THROW ANYHTING OUT and if you have the right model you will have to work around brake lines so be careful good luck
2002 Grand Caravan clunking noise front end when going over bumps?
If there is no play in the steering its the sway bar rubber mount as these guys say below:
http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73109
I had the same problem and it was the struts up front. The retaining nut had a little bit of play between it and the top plate. I just took the strut out tightened it down and reinstalled. Its about a 1.5 hour job for the moderately experienced.
What warranty comes with Bilstein shocks?
The warranty you get with Bilstein shocks depends on where and how you purchased them. If they were fitted to a vehicle at the point of purchase then your warranty lies with the vehicle manufacturer and they would be your first port of call if you have a problem. If you have purchased your shocks separately then the terms will depend on the country in which you purchased them, but generally, if Bilstein determines that there is a defect with any of their shocks, they will replace or repair them.
its in your car. it controls the steering. well its connected to your wheel and yea.
are you sure your not crzy
listen i have the same thing. i relate it to chakra because my crown chakra point is over reactive. look up chakra but at the same time go to a doc. if you feel like its not that.
How do you replace the oil pump for a 5.7 Chevy suburban engine?
Drop the pan. That usually requires that you lift the engine off the motor mounts a few inches. However, low oil pressure usually doesn't mean a bad oil pump. Typically, low oil pressure means that the engine main and rod bearings are worn. Engine rod and main bearings do not ever touch the crankshaft; they ride on a film of pressurized oil. When the bearings wear, the oil pump is no longer able to generate enough oil volume to keep the pressure up. One way to determine if it's oil pump or bearings, change to a heavier grade oil (higher viscosity number) and see if the oil pressure stays up after the engine warms up.
What is the sales tax rate for beachwood ohio?
The current sales tax rate in Beachwood, Ohio is 8 percent. Most other places in Ohio are at 5. 7 percent.
There are 2 pull tabs underneath the bottom of the seat where ur legs are at. if u pull one at a time the bottome part will pop up. Same thing with the other side, pull tab out and seat should pop up. Now for the upper half there are some bolts that need to be removed and then pull the back of the seat up because it is on hooks and it will come off should be pretty easy.
How do you know if you need new shocks?
Because when you hit a bump, instead of bouncing over it you will hear a bang as the shock bottoms out. They aren't too difficult to replace really. Big bolt top and bottom you'll need a half inch socket drive and not much else.
Do you need to use the strut mount with certain struts?
Mazda Miatas do not have struts (they use shocks), so the braces that go across the engine bay are not absolutely necessary or beneficial as they would be with vehicles that have a strut setup. Shock tower bars on Miatas do tend to add rigidity, but there is a very mixed consensus by Miata enthusiasts on whether they offer a lot of value on Miatas.
Will a bad bearing cause your tire to shake?
a bad bearing will cause it to shake, also a rotar or shocks will do the same.
