Cost to replace one front strut

jwest · Dec 14, 2018

BrandonM7 said:
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.

Ah yes, I can see that but honestly nothing is needed once the air is out of the system and I'm even dealing with the added length of 50mm strut spacers which make it worse. This is also due in part to being deliberate in lifting the other side as well though. This removes the pressure from the sway bar trying to keep it equalized. Basically if both front wheels can have some space below the tires, you'll have a much easier time than just letting the other side sit firmly on the ground.

Upon recalling more about my first time with this, yes, the strut really had a lot of downward force but I used a small floor jack with little block of wood to tuck the strut up into position. That made it super easy and it just sat there so I could use two hands for placing the bolt, etc. The last couple times though I was able to do all of that part wit my own hands.

avslash · Dec 14, 2018

jwest said:
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.

I probably could have used better diction, but yes, I have done it multiple times.

Prybar is to wiggle bottom of strut into alignment with control arm.

12mm does refer to the air fitting.

Would be curious to see a pic of your setup for that back bolt. I probably have the components to do it, and just not smart enough to connect the dots...

The passenger side is easy. Just pop off the heat shield under the hood and access is easy. It is the driver's side one that I fight with.

I will admit, I also just crack loose the air fitting and depressurize it from there.

jwest · Dec 14, 2018

avslash said:
I probably could have used better diction, but yes, I have done it multiple times.

Prybar is to wiggle bottom of strut into alignment with control arm.

12mm does refer to the air fitting.

Would be curious to see a pic of your setup for that back bolt. I probably have the components to do it, and just not smart enough to connect the dots...

The passenger side is easy. Just pop off the heat shield under the hood and access is easy. It is the driver's side one that I fight with.

I will admit, I also just crack loose the air fitting and depressurize it from there.

yeah, you will enjoy a "1/4 drive flex head extra long handle" for sure. I think you're right that passenger/ starboard side is easier but i use the same tools each side. Also the socket is short but just enough to go over the nut and exposed stud. Those two components make it actually easy.

The back nut is actually accessed with the ratchet while the front outer is too tight above it so I use a box wrench to loosen/tighten it and a ratcheting box wrench to get it off and on again.

My favorite model is the Proto black spline ratcheting combination sets in short and full length. These are great for the various suspension bolts as well because the 24 has good length for leverage. The best box wrenches will be longer though like the Snap-on "high performance zero offset box" set. Man those are awesome along with a standard 10 degree offset combi set. Sometimes a 15 degree deeper offset is useful as it can access tighter areas than a socket and head can such as in several of the control arm bushing areas.

For the air line nut I only start and finish it with the line wrench because it's so annoying to use. The rest I do with a stubby 12mm open end.

So back to the strut tower top 3. The outside nuts are loosened with a zero box wrench. Snap on model is flush one side so you have two ranges of access. Then the rest is done with the ratcheting box basic bent-end / 10 degree I think it is, maybe 15.

Jazzy · Dec 17, 2018

Avslash is absolutely correct, that is exactly what I did...I recently added spacers to my struts, which required me to pull out every single air strut. I have limited experience working on vehicles and that was my first time working with any type of suspension. Front struts were actually not that bad, rear were a PITA. I used the following videos, even though videos address LR3s, process is same as LR4, which I have (2012 LR4):

Video about replacing air strut on LR3:

Video about replacing air strut on LR3:

Video about installing spacers on LR3:

Two notes:
Releasing air from struts - don't need IID tool, just slowly loosen two of the nuts on the front air valve block to release the air from both right and left air strut.
Also, when reinstalling strut, place a jack under the strut and jack it up to decompress the strut in order to align the base of the strut with the control arm, which will allow you to return the 9inch bolt back into place.

Let us know if you have questions.

jwest · Dec 17, 2018

Jazzy said:
Let us know if you have questions.

Who is "us"?

jwest · Dec 17, 2018

Jazzy said:
rear were a PITA.

What gave you trouble on the rear struts? I don't recall any of them being very difficult or very different.

FYI to anyone considering this, if you use a splice type connector, you are adding 4 more locations for potential failure in the air lines. For the rear I sourced a full metal parts connector that is also not relying on pressure fittings like those that come with the spacers but rather a proper threaded nut design and no plastic.

At the front you don't need any extensions but you have to connect the line before setting the strut, with it's spacer already bolted on, up into the mount. This provides a much more reliable air line arrangement IMO.

IF I were to use a splice up front, I wouldn't have it occur right at the top of the strut where it's impossible to access. I would run a long line from strut to just above where it starts to route under the radiator frame (driver side) and
i'm not sure where I'd do it on passenger side. They both had plenty of slack to reach the strut with spacer. I used a heat gun to reshape the line for nicer path in through the spacer hole.

avslash · Dec 17, 2018

jwest said:
What gave you trouble on the rear struts? I don't recall any of them being very difficult or very different.

FYI to anyone considering this, if you use a splice type connector, you are adding 4 more locations for potential failure in the air lines. For the rear I sourced a full metal parts connector that is also not relying on pressure fittings like those that come with the spacers but rather a proper threaded nut design and no plastic.

At the front you don't need any extensions but you have to connect the line before setting the strut, with it's spacer already bolted on, up into the mount. This provides a much more reliable air line arrangement IMO.

IF I were to use a splice up front, I wouldn't have it occur right at the top of the strut where it's impossible to access. I would run a long line from strut to just above where it starts to route under the radiator frame (driver side) and
i'm not sure where I'd do it on passenger side. They both had plenty of slack to reach the strut with spacer. I used a heat gun to reshape the line for nicer path in through the spacer hole.

I used the splices included in the kit in my initial installation. I added to my "to do" list to go back and just run a complete new air line to each corner and use the factory (Voss?) connectors. Might not be needed, but I would feel better without the extra splice in there. I already have 4 (2 front/2 rear) from the GOE air kit I installed years ago. Haven't had any issues with them at all, but I can't help but think fewer potential sources of failure is better.

Anybody sure on the specs on the factory air line? 6mm id? Working pressure/burst specs? Or a good supplier for the stuff in bulk?

@jwest , any details on the threaded connector you used? Source/part number/etc?

Same question for the connectors. Best price I have found so far is around $10.00 per fitting.

avslash · Dec 17, 2018

Jazzy said:
Avslash is absolutely correct, that is exactly what I did...I recently added spacers to my struts, which required me to pull out every single air strut. I have limited experience working on vehicles and that was my first time working with any type of suspension. Front struts were actually not that bad, rear were a PITA. I used the following videos, even though videos address LR3s, process is same as LR4, which I have (2012 LR4):

Video about replacing air strut on LR3:

Video about replacing air strut on LR3:

Video about installing spacers on LR3:

Two notes:
Releasing air from struts - don't need IID tool, just slowly loosen two of the nuts on the front air valve block to release the air from both right and left air strut.
Also, when reinstalling strut, place a jack under the strut and jack it up to decompress the strut in order to align the base of the strut with the control arm, which will allow you to return the 9inch bolt back into place.

Let us know if you have questions.

Jwest is correct in his earlier post. The key is to get both wheels on an axle off the ground at the same time, and thus unload the sway bars. It took me a few minutes to clue in to this. Too many beers into the job, I guess. Once I had that moment of clarity, it went back together much easier.

Jazzy · Dec 17, 2018

jwest, loosening and removing the inner-most nut on top of each rear strut took forever. I'm sure I just didn't have the right tools, but there was limited space in there, even from the rear of the vehicle and I could only turn my ratchet so far each turn.

Cost to replace one front strut

jwest

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