How to install new springs and struts
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:18 pm
I noticed several people asking for pictures and instructions on how to replace struts and springs, so I figured I would post what I know.
These pictures were taken when I installed KYB GR2s and Impreza 2.5RS springs on my friend's 1992 Legacy Sport Sedan.
Right into the install:
1. Obtain Legacy Sport Sedan
2. Obtain necessary parts and tools
-KYB GR2 struts
-Impreza front shocks from junkyard (used for upper spring perches)
-Impreza 2.5RS springs
-Jack
-Jackstands
-Harbor Freight Electric Impact Wrench
-Harbor Freight Spring Compressors
-Vise Grips (I accidentally left them in the photo)
3. Break loose lugnuts on front wheels
4. Raise hood and place jack under car
5. Place jack under front crossmember plate
6. Lift car
7. Place car on jackstands
8. Remove wheel
9. Notice the strut to knuckle bolt nuts and the ABS bracket on the front of the strut
10. Notice the strut to knuckle bolts and brake line bracket on the rear of the strut
11. Use a screwdriver and a hammer to lightly tap off the brake line retainer (or use pliers to pull it off)
12. Remove brake line retainer and keep it in a safe place
13. Push brake line back through bracket in preparation for next step
14. I know people might moan and complain about this step, but I've done it on several suspension installs...Cut a piece out of the brake bracket to slide out the brake line (you will repeat this on the new strut to get the brake line in). This way you can avoid cracking the line on the caliper and having to bleed the brakes afterward. DO NOT CUT THE RUBBER BRAKE LINE
15. Make a mark on the top of the top strut to knuckle bolt. This step is necessary because the top bolt sets the camber of the wheel, and so, assuming your wheels are aligned the way you want before you replace your struts, this step will help the wheels remain aligned correctly AFTER you install the new struts
16. Here's a view of the mark I made on the top strut to knuckle bolt
17. Strut to knuckle bolts and nuts are 19mm
18. You might have to use a cheater pipe if you don't have air tools, electric tools, or ridiculous strength
19. Go ahead and loosen the strut to knuckle bolts
20. Remove the washer and nuts from the strut to knuckle bolts. Remember that the washer goes on the top bolt
21. Remove the ABS bracket from the top bolt
22. Tap out strut to knuckle bolts
23. Remove the top strut to knuckle bolt and notice how it is actually a cam bolt. This is what sets the camber on each of the front wheels, so hopefully you made a mark earlier so you can reinstall this bolt the same way
24. Remove the bottom strut to knuckle bolt
25. Go under the hood to find the three strut mount nuts on the shock tower and remove them (they should all be 12mm)
26. Put the top strut mount nuts in a safe place (I generally use the front fender mounting rail)
27. Loosen the strut from the knuckle. Usually you can do this by pushing down on the wheel studs and the rotor while pushing the strut back towards the body of the car. The knuckle will also tilt outwards a bit if that helps
28. Now lower the strut down far enough until you can tilt the top of the strut out of the wheel well, then remove the entire assembly
29. Now take a look at your handy work, you're halfway to having a new strut! Although you're only a quarter of the way to having new front struts and an eighth of the way to having all new struts
30. For this particular install, nearly everything is getting replaced EXCEPT for the top strut mounts, so we still have to disassemble the strut, spring, etc. However, I chose to swap springs, so I need to get those Impreza spring perches off the Impreza struts first. So the first step is to compress the spring with those Harbor Freight spring compressors and the electric impact wrench (my choice on the impact wrench, but it makes a huge difference in time and frustration)
31. With the spring SAFELY compressed (you can tell if it has been compressed enough by whether or not the spring is still firmly seated on the strut spring perch and the upper spring perch), loosen the top strut nut (should be a 17mm). I have always done this with an impact wrench, whether air or electric, and I would recommend the same for anyone else
32. Take a look at all the pieces that make up your strut assembly, from top to bottom you have:
-shock
-bump stop (still on shock shaft)
-dust boot
-spring (still compressed)
-top spring perch
-washer
-top strut mount (with bearing)
-top strut nut
-strut nut dust cap
33. Now take the top spring perch and put it aside to be used in the new setup. Compress the spring on the Legacy strut and then take off the top strut nut
34. Here's a side by side comparison of the old components (right) and the new(er) components (left)
35. Compress the RS spring, place it on the new strut and place the bump stop on the new strut
36. Now put on the Impreza spring perch, washer, legacy strut mount, and new strut nut on top and tighten
37. Loosen the spring compressors and VOILA, you've got a fully assembled strut
38. Remember to cut a slot in the brake line bracket on the new struts so that you can slide the brake line into position
39. Place the new strut into position in the shock tower and loosely tighten the top strut nuts to hold the strut
40. Place the strut back onto the knuckle (this may take some tweaking) and place the strut to knuckle bolts in position. Make sure the TOP BOLT WITH THE MARK ON IT IS ON TOP, and find that mark
41. Rotate the top bolt into the correct orientation based on where you put the mark (in my case, the top position)
42. Place the ABS bracket onto the top strut to knuckle bolt
43. Place the washer and nut on the top bolt and just the nut on the bottom bolt and tighten both
44. It has already been shown in some of these pictures, but place the brake line back into the bracket and tap the brake line retainer into place
45. Now tighten the top strut mount nuts and you're done with one side.
As an aside, here's a comparison of the top spring perches for the Legacy (Right) and Impreza (Left):
I have pictures from the rear suspension install as well, although I was a little rushed, so there aren't quite as many (which may not be a bad thing).
If I missed something crucial, let me know and I'll modify the post. Also, I keep calling it the knuckle because that's what I've heard other mechanics refer to it as, but I'm sure there's a name in the Subaru factory service manual that is more correct.
These pictures were taken when I installed KYB GR2s and Impreza 2.5RS springs on my friend's 1992 Legacy Sport Sedan.
Right into the install:
1. Obtain Legacy Sport Sedan
2. Obtain necessary parts and tools
-KYB GR2 struts
-Impreza front shocks from junkyard (used for upper spring perches)
-Impreza 2.5RS springs
-Jack
-Jackstands
-Harbor Freight Electric Impact Wrench
-Harbor Freight Spring Compressors
-Vise Grips (I accidentally left them in the photo)
3. Break loose lugnuts on front wheels
4. Raise hood and place jack under car
5. Place jack under front crossmember plate
6. Lift car
7. Place car on jackstands
8. Remove wheel
9. Notice the strut to knuckle bolt nuts and the ABS bracket on the front of the strut
10. Notice the strut to knuckle bolts and brake line bracket on the rear of the strut
11. Use a screwdriver and a hammer to lightly tap off the brake line retainer (or use pliers to pull it off)
12. Remove brake line retainer and keep it in a safe place
13. Push brake line back through bracket in preparation for next step
14. I know people might moan and complain about this step, but I've done it on several suspension installs...Cut a piece out of the brake bracket to slide out the brake line (you will repeat this on the new strut to get the brake line in). This way you can avoid cracking the line on the caliper and having to bleed the brakes afterward. DO NOT CUT THE RUBBER BRAKE LINE
15. Make a mark on the top of the top strut to knuckle bolt. This step is necessary because the top bolt sets the camber of the wheel, and so, assuming your wheels are aligned the way you want before you replace your struts, this step will help the wheels remain aligned correctly AFTER you install the new struts
16. Here's a view of the mark I made on the top strut to knuckle bolt
17. Strut to knuckle bolts and nuts are 19mm
18. You might have to use a cheater pipe if you don't have air tools, electric tools, or ridiculous strength
19. Go ahead and loosen the strut to knuckle bolts
20. Remove the washer and nuts from the strut to knuckle bolts. Remember that the washer goes on the top bolt
21. Remove the ABS bracket from the top bolt
22. Tap out strut to knuckle bolts
23. Remove the top strut to knuckle bolt and notice how it is actually a cam bolt. This is what sets the camber on each of the front wheels, so hopefully you made a mark earlier so you can reinstall this bolt the same way
24. Remove the bottom strut to knuckle bolt
25. Go under the hood to find the three strut mount nuts on the shock tower and remove them (they should all be 12mm)
26. Put the top strut mount nuts in a safe place (I generally use the front fender mounting rail)
27. Loosen the strut from the knuckle. Usually you can do this by pushing down on the wheel studs and the rotor while pushing the strut back towards the body of the car. The knuckle will also tilt outwards a bit if that helps
28. Now lower the strut down far enough until you can tilt the top of the strut out of the wheel well, then remove the entire assembly
29. Now take a look at your handy work, you're halfway to having a new strut! Although you're only a quarter of the way to having new front struts and an eighth of the way to having all new struts
30. For this particular install, nearly everything is getting replaced EXCEPT for the top strut mounts, so we still have to disassemble the strut, spring, etc. However, I chose to swap springs, so I need to get those Impreza spring perches off the Impreza struts first. So the first step is to compress the spring with those Harbor Freight spring compressors and the electric impact wrench (my choice on the impact wrench, but it makes a huge difference in time and frustration)
31. With the spring SAFELY compressed (you can tell if it has been compressed enough by whether or not the spring is still firmly seated on the strut spring perch and the upper spring perch), loosen the top strut nut (should be a 17mm). I have always done this with an impact wrench, whether air or electric, and I would recommend the same for anyone else
32. Take a look at all the pieces that make up your strut assembly, from top to bottom you have:
-shock
-bump stop (still on shock shaft)
-dust boot
-spring (still compressed)
-top spring perch
-washer
-top strut mount (with bearing)
-top strut nut
-strut nut dust cap
33. Now take the top spring perch and put it aside to be used in the new setup. Compress the spring on the Legacy strut and then take off the top strut nut
34. Here's a side by side comparison of the old components (right) and the new(er) components (left)
35. Compress the RS spring, place it on the new strut and place the bump stop on the new strut
36. Now put on the Impreza spring perch, washer, legacy strut mount, and new strut nut on top and tighten
37. Loosen the spring compressors and VOILA, you've got a fully assembled strut
38. Remember to cut a slot in the brake line bracket on the new struts so that you can slide the brake line into position
39. Place the new strut into position in the shock tower and loosely tighten the top strut nuts to hold the strut
40. Place the strut back onto the knuckle (this may take some tweaking) and place the strut to knuckle bolts in position. Make sure the TOP BOLT WITH THE MARK ON IT IS ON TOP, and find that mark
41. Rotate the top bolt into the correct orientation based on where you put the mark (in my case, the top position)
42. Place the ABS bracket onto the top strut to knuckle bolt
43. Place the washer and nut on the top bolt and just the nut on the bottom bolt and tighten both
44. It has already been shown in some of these pictures, but place the brake line back into the bracket and tap the brake line retainer into place
45. Now tighten the top strut mount nuts and you're done with one side.
As an aside, here's a comparison of the top spring perches for the Legacy (Right) and Impreza (Left):
I have pictures from the rear suspension install as well, although I was a little rushed, so there aren't quite as many (which may not be a bad thing).
If I missed something crucial, let me know and I'll modify the post. Also, I keep calling it the knuckle because that's what I've heard other mechanics refer to it as, but I'm sure there's a name in the Subaru factory service manual that is more correct.