GM W-Body Strut Cartridge Replacement

1997 Lumina Sedan. 3.1 Picked up a set of cartridges today - Monroe Sensitrac. Will probably replace them this weekend when we replace the rotors and pads. He did the ball joints/outer tie rod ends/alignment last week The kid already has the GM special tool set borrowed from his shop. Anybody do these cartridges already and have some gotchas/tips to share?

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith
Loading thread data ...

I could be way off, but doesn't it have to be aligned again after the install?

Reply to
genius

One would assume, given the use of the word "strut."

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

But since he's installing "cartridges," it doesn't.

Reply to
aarcuda69062

Unless he can install them without removing the housings from the spindle, I don't see how not.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

W-body front strut cartridges are replaced by removing them through the top strut mount, with wheels on the ground. Anyway, I just looked at the shop manual, and it's clear enough. Doesn't mention anything about putting some oil in the strut housing either to "isolate" the housing from the cartridge or to dissipate heat, as I've read elsewhere. Does mention siphoning the oil out after cartridge removal, but not putting any back in. Lame. Maybe the Monroe cartridge instruction sheet covers that. Here's the procedure

formatting link
Again, doesn't mention the oil. Very little of anything coherent about this on the net. Mostly a few guys mouthing off that they just went at it with vise grips and channel locks, and somebody else yelling at them to use the tool kit and do it faster and right. I with the yellers. And I'll replace the oil. Pretty sure I'll know all about it soon enough.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

I just did the rears on mine.. carefully marked everything etc, and still ended up with a bit of unwanted camber.

Reply to
ben91932

e:

Huh. so you don't have to pull the whole assembly out and use spring compressors etc.? You mean GM actually came up with a sensible service-friendly design? I'm impressed. Usually I dread working on a late-model car...

nate

Reply to
N8N

Nope. You don't even have to lift the wheels off the ground.

Sorta/kinda...

The rest of the car leaves plenty to dread.

Reply to
aarcuda69062

snippers

If I read your comments right it had the factory cartridge in one side and a replacement Monroe in the other side????? Someone was too lazy to replace them both sometime in the past!!

Reply to
Ashton Crusher

I dont know if that is what he meant or not. I replaced the cartridges in several family Buicks over the past couple of years, and found that the aftermarket cartridges and the OEM dealership cartridges were essentially identical....("essentially" means there could have been paint variations, or minor things, but even some of the part numbers were similar).

The exact same cartridge that the Buick dealership wanted $129 each for cost me about a hundred bucks less in aftermarket.

Im not trying to start a flame war on this. I know what I found.

Reply to
hls

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.