Front strut removal

Sounds like you're right.

Once the sway is off the frame, the links allow it to articulate out of the way easily. My links were a pain to remove when I did my sway delete.

 

Will I be alright using the rented spring vompressor? I e heard people say stay away from them. I have checked around locally and no one will just break down the strut and do what I need done without me purchasing stuuff from them which I think is total bs. I know they are sketchy but are they really that bad to use? I do know to stay clear of the top and to take all safety precautions. I'm just not down to throw away 300 dollars again to do something so simple.

 

I've used the strut spring compressor from O'reiley's 3 times now. It seems sketchy the first time, but they are made to do what you are doing. Just make sure not to go too far on one side without adjusting the other. you don't want one of the sides to come loose and move or fall off. I suggest doing 5 turns with the ratchet before switching sides. You could do more, but for your first time you want to feel safe. When you get the spring as tight as is needed, the shafts of the compressor will be bending. This is okay, it only looks scary. Remove the top plate to work on it and while you're there, slide the spring off and make sure the strut is on the proper setting. If everything was done correctly, you shouldn't be in this situation to begin with.

Knocking the studs out of the top plate should be fairly easy, as well as putting the new ones in. Now go look at the other side of the truck and see how one of the studs on that strut lines up with the lower mounting point on the strut. The new one needs to be reassembled with the same alignment .

 

Thanks for the info. I'm pretty sure the struts were set on the right setting on both but they were put in differently meaning one side you can see the end of the spring and the other side you can't. What I believe happened was just that the spacer just wasn't enough to compensate for the lean. I'm glad you clarified the bending of the compressor. That was the only thing that was sketchy to me. But I will be doing this next week and will let you guys know how it goes and will def take my time. If you don't hear back from me that means it went wrong and I'm in the hospital haha. But I'm pretty sure I got this just never done it before. Thanks guys for all of the input.

 

Might be another stupid question, When you tighten the top three nuts are you supposed to tighten them with the truck in the air or when the truck is on the ground?

 

Tighten everything with it in the air. I usually check it all on the ground again, and then drive it for a week and re-torque it all.

 

Thanks man. Should be doing all this Thursday and hopefully everything goes good and I will try to mark a straight line so I can realign everything up because I know the 5100 bottom bucket can move. Wish me luck and I will let yall know how it goes!

 

I was under the truck today just looking around and noticed that the lower strut bucket on the driver side isn't facing the way it was with the OEM ones. So for instance OEM the lower strut bucket points toward the rear of the truck on both sides. I noticed the passenger side is like that now and the driver side I pointed toward the front. Should I change that when I do the stud replacement or does it matter?

 

Well boys I finally got it f***n done! Took me longer than i hope for. Had to end up separating the uca and spindle but it's in!!! Thanks for the help guys!!

 

Oh, I thought I said that above lol. Separating those makes everything soooo easy, then you can push down on the spindle to make coilovers fit in easy

 

Yea I tried to do it without doing it and waisted an hour. After separated went right in! So if there is a next time should only take me

 

And I didn't know before the cotton pin was not reusable so I made do.

 

It should be reusable if you remove it carefully...

 

I just did the same thing you did last sunday, and did not have to separate the UCA. I did it just like I said above, and it took me 45min to do the whole thing on the driver side. I was curios about how fast I could do it, so I timed myself.

 

Electric impact makes life easier lol. Changing out stock suspension is fun times now lol. Just have to make sure to have all the right tools by your side when you start and just start unbolting everything lol

 

Yea it was my first time doing this and was trying to take off the bare minimal and stay somewhat close to my alignment. I got the damn thing out but couldn't get it back in without separating the uca and spindle. Like I said knowing what I know now about the front I probably won't take it to get worked on anymore so that is a plus and money saver!