Cost to replace one front strut

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Davidb612

New Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2016
Posts
4
Reaction score
0
I replace both front air struts. Took me about an hour on each side pretty easy. Tools 22mm, 17mm 18mmsockets, 12mm wrench to loose the air hose and a floor jack. If you kinda handy you can do it. The way you take off the old just put the new one back the same way. 3 lugnuts 17mm on the hood area, 2 screws 22mm holding your front disk and 1 lugnut 18mm holding your sway bar. 12mm wrench to unscrew the air hose. The new air strut you just insert the air hose you dont have to screw it back so is way easier.
 

avslash

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2011
Posts
1,255
Reaction score
1,101
Location
The Lone Star State
3 15mm bolts.
1 12mm bolt
1 24mm bolt.


If you have a floor jack and a wrench/socket set you can do this. ETA: And a prybar

Accessing the innermost shock tower bolt is literally the hardest part.
I replace both front air struts. Took me about an hour on each side pretty easy. Tools 22mm, 17mm 18mmsockets, 12mm wrench to loose the air hose and a floor jack. If you kinda handy you can do it. The way you take off the old just put the new one back the same way. 3 lugnuts 17mm on the hood area, 2 screws 22mm holding your front disk and 1 lugnut 18mm holding your sway bar. 12mm wrench to unscrew the air hose. The new air strut you just insert the air hose you dont have to screw it back so is way easier.


You could do it that way, but there is no need to remove the rotor or sway bar links.

Just get the front end in the air. Pull the tires. Loosen air fitting to depressurize. Unbolt top and bottom bolts. Remove strut.

Connect air fitting to new strut. Put new strut in place. Bolt in place at the top. Use pry bar to line of lower control arm and strut bottom. Tighten top and bottom bolts on new strut. Reinstall wheel.

I speak from experience. Just did it last weekend in my driveway to install my Proud Rhino strut spacers.
 

ttforcefed

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2010
Posts
522
Reaction score
148
Highway robbery
47b4ad0d50ca3496cc4b7ca7abdfbcae.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

ryanjl

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2015
Posts
3,018
Reaction score
1,793
Location
KCMO
$1,032 for the air spring is about $150 more than even the MSRP from the dealership: https://landrovermerriamparts.com/p...iteid=215719&vehicleid=378928&diagram=7117295

You'd think they'd cut you a break for having them do the work, but they cut themselves a break instead. Maybe the service manager has a boat payment coming up.

Wonder how many hours they billed for that job? Even at $250 an hour, there's no way it would have taken $652 in time to do that job.
 

ttforcefed

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2010
Posts
522
Reaction score
148
Reconfirms why i never go to the dealer


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

jwest

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Posts
2,041
Reaction score
409
Location
Seattle WA
3 15mm bolts.
1 12mm bolt
1 24mm bolt.


If you have a floor jack and a wrench/socket set you can do this. ETA: And a prybar

Accessing the innermost shock tower bolt is literally the hardest part.

not quite, have you done this job? ;) No prybar is needed for any of this so I'm not sure what that was for. What did you use it on?

3x 15mm nuts, not "bolts" for the top of strut to mount
1x large through bolt at bottom of damper has a 24mm nut and 21mm bolt head, the nut requires either deep socket or box wrench. Air makes quick work of this one.

Not sure where your 12mm bolt is but the air line nut is 12mm and is best done with a line wrench and patience as you can screw these up very easily.

The back nut of the upper 3 is not really hard at all with the right tools. To make it super easy use a 1/4 drive long flex head with stubby socket. The flex head allows you to make nice long sweeps in an arc shape to follow allowable clearance under the plastic fender liner.

For 100% remove and replace with new complete strut, I don't think even the best shop can do it in under an hour. This is because care must be taken at the air line and it's not the quickest thing to remove and replace that one aspect while the reat really is pretty quick. Once front corner is lifted, you also should first "deflate corners" which in itself takes about 5 minutes to locate elec tool and find on menu and complete. The strut is almost impossible to remove easily without being deflated.

The time from go pull the car in to take the car back out is definitely over an hour. I would bet the dealer charges at least 2hrs.
 

BrandonM7

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2016
Posts
141
Reaction score
93
Location
GA, USA
not quite, have you done this job? ;) No prybar is needed for any of this so I'm not sure what that was for. What did you use it on?

3x 15mm nuts, not "bolts" for the top of strut to mount
1x large through bolt at bottom of damper has a 24mm nut and 21mm bolt head, the nut requires either deep socket or box wrench. Air makes quick work of this one.

Not sure where your 12mm bolt is but the air line nut is 12mm and is best done with a line wrench and patience as you can screw these up very easily.

The back nut of the upper 3 is not really hard at all with the right tools. To make it super easy use a 1/4 drive long flex head with stubby socket. The flex head allows you to make nice long sweeps in an arc shape to follow allowable clearance under the plastic fender liner.

For 100% remove and replace with new complete strut, I don't think even the best shop can do it in under an hour. This is because care must be taken at the air line and it's not the quickest thing to remove and replace that one aspect while the reat really is pretty quick. Once front corner is lifted, you also should first "deflate corners" which in itself takes about 5 minutes to locate elec tool and find on menu and complete. The strut is almost impossible to remove easily without being deflated.

The time from go pull the car in to take the car back out is definitely over an hour. I would bet the dealer charges at least 2hrs.

Probably used the pry bar to help line up the bottom through bolt. I used an extension and a wrench as pry tools to line that up because that's what was close to me on the garage floor. Just needed a little leverage to help squish and wiggle that eye up into the right spot.
 

Latest posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
36,223
Posts
217,594
Members
30,473
Latest member
OnoA
Top