McPherson strut bearing replacement

I think my strut mount bearings may have taken a poop. I've noticed my front right suspension makes a noise when making slow sharp turns. I've also noticed a slight shaking at low speed. Lastly, the cap (I think that's what it is) for the strut mount bearing popped off sometime last week. I can see the actual bearings and grease.

How much of a pain is to replace these? I've never removed a strut, but I have replaced a half axle.

You will need a spring compressor for struts. It sounds like you better compress the spring while it is in the car. You might need a camber level to reset the camber or a front end alignment. On some cars everything goes at once ( spring, strut and bearing) so they sell it all together. In that case you need to do both.

Awd! Doing this on my alltrac.

Jack car up, remove wheel. Undo lower strut bolts, undo strut tower bolts, compress spring, undo top nut on the strut mount, and replace. Installation is the reverse of removal. Probably 45-60 minutes for a first timer. I wouldn't bother trying to compress the spring on the car like the other guy says, since it is all going to come apart anyway.

I'd just replace the whole mount to be honest. Makes it faster and if the bearings are shot, the mounts probably aren't great anyways.

Pull assembly off car, remove mount, slap on new mount, re-install assembly.

^+1

Yep take the whole thing out before trying to compress springs. just be sure to leave the large top nut installed when you remove the strut assembly. you can probably loosen it some with it on the car but leave it threaded a good bit. Because the bolt popping off from the pressure of the springs is more fun than you can handle.

I mentioned compressing the spring in the car because I had one that broke top plate too, and the only thing holding the spring in was the weight of the car.

The spring needs to be compressed somewhat to remove the top mount...it is under compression, and a 2-3 oz nut could be a lethal projectile. Keep it pointed away from anything you don't want destroyed.

An impact is your friend, because the whole strut shaft will want to turn with your nut. As mentioned, you should try to break it loose while it is still on the car.

This is one of those jobs where a really sturdy shop vise would be nice...or at least that's what I think to myself while I'm wrestling strut assemblies in the driveway.

I'd never even heard of replacing the bearing separately from the mount on regular (non-camber plate) top mounts.

Thanks for the tips and info. I'm going to be replacing the entire mount/ bearing assembly.

The top mount nut is giving me hell. I'm guessing Mose people use air tools to remove them?

Depends on the car. A lot of struts have an Allen indent on the top of the rod that lets you hold the rod with an allen key while you turn the but with a wrench. Some have a flat thingy you can grab. Sometimes you can hold the shaft with something like a strap wrench. An old serpentine belt held with vice grips makes a dandy strap wrench too.
In the end, even though I've never had a functioning impact around when it was strut changing time, they do make it easier.

Why are you removing the strut nut if you are replace the whole thing as a unit?

Got it off with the mighty impact. I took the entire strut out as a whole, compressed the springs and then removed the nut in order to remove the top bearing mount.

pjbgravely wrote: Why are you removing the strut nut if you are replace the whole thing as a unit?

Not replacing the whole unit. Jut the top mount.

Then as you saw an air impact gun is king.