Is it wise to attempt replacing a cars suspension yourself?. I have a '96 Buck Regal with struts on all four wheels. I purchased replacement cartridges for the front and whole strut replacements for the rear. Is it possible for me to change these with the right tools or is it better left to a mechanic (the front cartridges are replaced from the top, so I assume no messing with the spring).
Any suggestions?
thanks.
You're *PROBABLY* assuming wrong (and in for a *REALLY* nasty, potentially fatal, surprise if you go into the job with that assumption), although that may vary from car to car. My 626 makes a fine example: Although the struts are removable as a unit, the cartridge that you want to replace is an integral part of the spring-loading system - unscrewing the shaft nut from the cartridge without first compressing and locking down the spring will give you a real good chance of getting your skull (or other important pieces...) removed quite neatly as the top plate comes screaming off the assembly when you get the nut backed off far enough.
As far as actually doing the job, it's no big deal. Just make sure you mark positions on anything in the front end that might be involved in the alignment. Ferinstance, my 626 adjusts camber by rotating the top mount-plate of the struts to a different position. Which means that I needed to scribe a mark in the metal panel it mounted to, and use a hacksaw to "X" the top of the stud that came through it, so that I knew how to put things back together properly without totally destroying my alignment.
And never try to mess with anything spring-loaded that might still have a load on the spring until you've got it locked down in a reliable set of spring compressors - any other behavior is a good way to lose body parts. (Your body parts, not the car's!)
"Nadeem" wrote
If you know what you are doing, and you have the right tools, it's fine to attempt replacing struts. You are right, the front cartridges can be replaced without messing about with the springs.....but.....you need some special tools to extract the cartridges. I can't remember when the w-bodies changed over from the transverse spring to coils, but if you have the transverse spring, it can be done, but you really need to have some idea of what is going on. If you have the coil spring suspension, you need special tools to compress the springs.
Ian
Get yourself a book of some kind (Chiltons ok, if they cover this for your car) and study the procedure until you have it down pat.
I believe that DIY.COM may have a procedure on this too.
Pay really good attention to what Don Bruder said. Put marks on everything and watch how you take it apart. You might even take some photos if you have access to a digital camera, so you won't miss anything. (The first one I ever did, I would have sworn I got it back exactly right but DIDN'T. Driving it over the alignment shop, it was like being in a car with the steering wheel disconnected from the rack and pinion...It went whereever it wanted to go).
You can often borrow the appropriate tools if you don't have them.
You shouldn't be scared, but you should be respectful and careful.
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