replacing/rebuilding new front struts

[pathfinder1990]

Hey everyone, I recently did my rear suspension and now its time for the front. I had a few extremely helpful tips last time and id like to start a topic on the how to as well. I have the haynes guide and read it but still like to hear and talk about personal experience and tips before starting.

 

So i have new springs, struts, spring insulators, strut mount, and bearing. But am reusing the metal spring seat and mount plate. I have all new hardware.

1. I just looked at the struts installed and noticed the "Notch" In the metal spring seat is randomly placed on bothsides of my truck from whoever installed them last. I believe this notch is suppose to line up with the lower strut mounts facing outward. true?

2. The strut mounts themselves are marked with a L and R. Im assuming this means left and right, but should the R be facing outward on the RIGHT side, and L face out on the left side? Or does the R face inward on the Left side (pointing to the right) and the L face inward from the right side (pointing towards the left) Im sure that paragraph is confusing but im sure someone knows what I mean without a picture.

3. Is everything tightened close to torque spec, then lowered , and then properly torqued when the truck is on the ground?

4. Any other secrets while rebuilding/replacing? Why does it require an alignment after. I understand it may sit a little higher than it does now (the struts it has are bad but not shot)

Thank you very much

[pathfinder1990]

So i tackled this project today, and the first bit of advice you need to know going into this job is...


Have a new set of sway bar links ready to go in. return them if you don't need them.

But i got up to the shop early this morning ready to start, only to be stopped by the sway bar link. Mine is the allen key style, which requires it to be held with an allen key, and the nut spun with a wrench. I manged to get it started but the inside of the sway bar link bolt must have snapped and would free spin inside even though the allen key was being held.

So now i have one very loose front sway-bar link, going to pick new ones up tonight. I had to fill the gap from the threads i had manged to losen with medium size clips so it doesn't bang around too bad. I hope i can make it to the city okay. ill take it easy.

 

(the old ones will need to be cut off)

[XPLORx4]

The notch on the upper spring seat needs to line up with the notch on the lower spring seat. Both notches face towards the inboard side of the strut after it's mounted.

 

Refer to this pic: https://xplorx4.shutterfly.com/278

[LittleFR]

Your almost further ahead to go ahead and swap springs while your at it. $60 stockers from Moog. (It will fix the sag, they are heavier but not by much) The struts won't lift you they just dampen.

 

I had to cut my sway bar links off with an angle grinder, it was the worst part of the job. Wearing ear plugs I still got a migraine I don't know what kind of steel it is but they should build tanks out of it.

 

My isolator was all better than the non oem parts I bought. I only changed the swivel bearing.

 

Torque everything then lower. I believe the camber bolts call for 90-95lbs

 

The top strut bolts only needed like 18 lbs on mine to start denting the plate. I used big washers on them the second time.

 

Don't hang off your cv shafts while your doing the swap or you will slip them apart by accident.

 

Torque your wheels, on the ground! Never torque them in the air and just take off. I've seen too many lugs back off from that.

 

And also everybody takes off their intake and all that to get to the driver side. I literally unhooked 2 plugs took out 2 bolts and just bent that piece out of my way and put it back when I was done.