Strut replacement expensive?

[efseiler]

Hi,

I have a 96 Legacy Outback and I was recently notified by a GMC mechanic that I need to have my rear struts replaced.

 

What is involved in replacing struts? I thought that all of those components save for the shock absorbers are basically solid steel....

 

Ball joints?

 

--Damien

[SubiDemon]

The only part you need to buy is the struts, the rest of the parts can be re-used (springs, boots, rubber parts). You'll need to rent/buy/borrow a spring compressor to swap the springs from one strut to the other. It's a pretty straight forward job but the 2 large bolts on the bottom of the strut can be a bear.

 

Good luck.

[davebugs]

Rear's don't go near as often as fronts.

 

I'd pick up the hardware kit for the top (rubber piece, etc) called a strut mount kit while at the auto parts. Cheap, I'd replace them while you have access, and if you don't want to replace them I'd have them onhand anyways - you can always return them. This way if one is dried out, cracked, whatever you already have the new one in hand.

 

Sometimes you gotta "finesse" them a bit to get the new ones in.

[bstone]

I replaced all 4 struts, coils, boots and mounts on my 97 Legacy Outback. I did the coils as one of the old ones was cracked and broken, and the others were just not springy any longer. Half of the job is the coils.

 

I work at a garage so I got one of the guys to help me when installing. That is a 2man job. We normally charge $250 for replacing all 4 struts. We also have rock bottom prices, so expect to find higher.

[SubiDemon]

I also just changed all 4. I did it by myself though, it's not that bad. the only part that was tricky was keeping the strut up while securing the top 3 bolts but it was easy enough to use a jack to keep the strut up.

[bstone]

I also just changed all 4. I did it by myself though, it's not that bad. the only part that was tricky was keeping the strut up while securing the top 3 bolts but it was easy enough to use a jack to keep the strut up.

 

Yeah using the jack works. It's a pain tho.

[idosubaru]

if you're talking about installing the assemblies, i would call that a one man job that's quicker with two.

 

even when installing lift kits, pushing the limits and spacing and the strut has less room to fit with the extensions in place, i've always done it alone.

 

i totally understand why having an extra hand would help and not trying to debate, just saying i wouldn't let that scare anyone from tackling this

themselves.

 

buying used strut assemblies is a nice way to make this job simple and cheap. but of course no way of knowing how long a used one will last.

[bstone]

if you're talking about installing the assemblies, i would call that a one man job that's quicker with two.

 

even when installing lift kits, pushing the limits and spacing and the strut has less room to fit with the extensions in place, i've always done it alone.

 

i totally understand why having an extra hand would help and not trying to debate, just saying i wouldn't let that scare anyone from tackling this

themselves.

 

buying used strut assemblies is a nice way to make this job simple and cheap. but of course no way of knowing how long a used one will last.

 

My rule for used parts- if it moves then don't buy used. I say this as the moving parts wear down and eventually fail. When I redid my struts and coils I got the KYB struts and OE coils, OE strut mounts and OE boots. I got the best I could get. It was expensive!

 

I know KYB doesn't offer a complete coil and strut kit. I wish they did.

[davebugs]

I'm not a big fan of used struts either.

 

Could be a lot of work, that possibly could need done again soon.

 

Part of why I replace the mounts if they aren't perfect for a car I'm gonna sell. Most of the time I repalce them. Not very expensive.

[eppoh]

You can check Monroe for "Quick Struts" Well worth the money. Just did my wife's Avalon.

 

The kit includes everything, top hats, bearings, bumpers, spring...etc. You just bolt them on . No messing with a spring compressor.

 

I paid about 125 each from an Amazon seller. Can't get close to that if you have to buy new top hats or bearings as well as struts.

 

If you replace the struts only, there is a good chance the bearings or bumpers/top hats will wear out before the cartridge and you will be doing the job again.

[zyewdall]

You can check Monroe for "Quick Struts" Well worth the money. Just did my wife's Avalon.

 

The kit includes everything, top hats, bearings, bumpers, spring...etc. You just bolt them on . No messing with a spring compressor.

 

I paid about 125 each from an Amazon seller. Can't get close to that if you have to buy new top hats or bearings as well as struts.

 

If you replace the struts only, there is a good chance the bearings or bumpers/top hats will wear out before the cartridge and you will be doing the job again.

 

The idea of getting a complete assembled kit sounds great.... that would turn it into about an hour per wheel, or less -- maybe 20 minutes per wheel if you had your shop together, compared to a bit longer fooling around with the spring compressor and all.

 

That being said, I replaced a set of front struts that was completely failed -- zero resistance going in or out at all. And, the rest of the assembly seemed to be fine. It also needed one new ball joint, but other than that, the beating did not seem to have affected most of the suspension other than the struts themselves.

[bstone]

You can check Monroe for "Quick Struts" Well worth the money. Just did my wife's Avalon.

 

The kit includes everything, top hats, bearings, bumpers, spring...etc. You just bolt them on . No messing with a spring compressor.

 

I paid about 125 each from an Amazon seller. Can't get close to that if you have to buy new top hats or bearings as well as struts.

 

If you replace the struts only, there is a good chance the bearings or bumpers/top hats will wear out before the cartridge and you will be doing the job again.

 

By "tophat" he means the strut mount.

[johnceggleston]

You can check Monroe for "Quick Struts" Well worth the money. Just did my wife's Avalon.

 

i don't think these are available for my 97 outback.

 

i found them for my 97 avalon though.

[bstone]

i don't think these are available for my 97 outback.

 

i found them for my 97 avalon though.

 

I searched long and hard for a complete set when I was going to do my struts and coils. I could not find it anywhere. Maybe you will have better luck than I did, but this is why I ended up ordering the OE coils, OE boots and OE mounts and KYB struts and assembled them at the shop.