Replacing Struts - Shocks on a 1996 Ford Windstar How-To

Ayep...

Nonsense.

True, a set of coil-spring compressers is needed (Cheap and easy to get

- Last set I bought was under $20, and the local autozone has 'em on hand as part of their "loan-a-tool" thing.)

Also true that it does take some reasonable care. ("Don't undo the nut holding the upper spring plate to the strut until the spring compressers are solidly engaged and the spring is compressed" is the biggest item)

Not true that it isn't a DIYer job - struts are no biggie for anyone who has the smarts to be able to change a set of spark plugs. Typically either three or four bolts on top, and two on the bottom are what's holding it in place, and removing/replacing the old cartridge usually means unscrewing a collar after the spring and upper plate are off the strut. Not at all complex, and difficult, at best, to screw up without it being too obvious to overlook.

The one critical item other than not letting the top strut-spring plate loose before the spring is unloaded is to check and see if your particular vehicle messes with camber by turning the upper mount plate - Some do (My Mazda adjusts camber in 0.5 degree steps based on which way the little stamped-in arrow on the mount-plate points) and some don't. If the Windstar does (and I have no idea whether or not that's the case), you need to make sure you put the mount-plate back in exactly the same way you found it, or you'll blow your alignment all to hell.

Here you raise a good point - From the symptoms we've heard from the OP so far, (sloppy steering, especially) I'd be suspecting either bad ball joints, tie-rod ends, pittman arm, and/or idler arm before I'd suspect the struts. Not that struts can't cause all the described symptoms, but it seems to me that it's more likely to be something in the "connect the steering box to the wheels" hardware. Then again, he DID say it has 130K on it, so it might well be time for struts, too.

(Personally, I dealt with mine by "shotgunning" everything in the front end - Mainly because it all needed it to some extent, and I had everything needed on-hand to do a complete "replace everything that moves, plus some stuff that doesn't" operation. Since I was in as deep as I was already - looking at an absolute minimum of ball joints and tie rod ends - it just made sense to do the whole job once, rather than having to redo parts of it half a dozen times as the old stuff failed under the changed stresses that come with only putting some new parts into an old, "worn in" system.)

compressors.

Either that or because they are dead when the compressed spring shot straight into their chest.

OTC makes an inexpensive clamshell spring compressor that sells on the net for under $200, (in addition to their expensive one that costs $700) and Harbor Freight sells a cheapo Chinese knockoff of this for $40 that works OK if you replace the bolts in it that are made out of Silly Putty with decent Grade 8 stuff.

Ted

It will help, but probably not with the pulling right. Depending on the uneven wear you are getting, it might help there too. You should check the rest of the suspension/steering system to make sure all is ok.

--------------- Alex

Danerous, hardly. I've used them with no problems. They are tedious to use and take more time than more expensive tools, but they are not inherently dangerous.

They come with safety hooks that you should always use. So that at worst, they will slip a bit, but not shoot out.

slipping and cocking yes, shooting out, never. Slipping is not a big deal. Just start again.

any tool in the hands of a fool can have disastrous results. You need to make sure you understand how to properly use the tools before you use them. It is not rocket science.

-------------- Alex

The harbor freight compressor will not work with smaller springs, like on a Honda Accord. Has anyone had any experience using

I agree, it's sort of a wonky job. An independent suspension shop will do it for $20 per strut if you bring them the old strut assy and the new strut damper, mount and boot kit. $20 per strut saves a lot of grief IMHO.