How to remove suspension struts (with pics)

[zarnah]

Hi all, had to replace the rear struts in my girlfriends car today so thought I would take a few snaps and post it up on here as its a reasonably easy job that most people can do themselves.

The car I am working on is a GF8 WRX (wagon) and the struts I am removing are the rears, but it is the same basic principal for most subarus (excluding the later gtbs etc which have a different setup in the rear, which is actually even easier to remove) and is the same idea front or rear.

Tools I used

Wheel brace (19mm for most subarus with factory wheel nuts)

Strong flathead screwdriver

19mm ring spanner

A socket drive and extension and 12mm and 19mm sockets

A jack

First up is to loosen off wheel nuts on the wheel you are changing the strut (obviously!)

Then place your jack securely under the car, lift untill the wheel has just left the ground, and remove the wheel, it may be safer to also use an axle stand or similar to keep the car stable, allthough I havnt done here.

Now you have an idea of what you are working with (you can see the strut etc)

, first up is to remove the clip that holds the brake line to the strut, a strong flathead screwdriver is good for this, pop it under the small lip on the clip and pop it out, dont ose it as unless you have new ones you will need it when putting your new strut back in. (and it does have a habit of pinging halfway across the garage into some dark corner never to be seen again)

now use your screwdriver to pry the clamp around the brake line apart, just wide enough to slip the brake line out

now you have the brake line free its time to remove the two large bolts that bolt the strut to the hub, to do this use your 19mm ring spanner on one side, and your 19mm socket on the other, remove both these bolts

you my have trouble removing the second one but if you take the weight off the hub a bit by slightly lifting it, it will come straight out

now its time to remove the 3 nuts from the top of the strut tower (these are the three nuts that bolt to the three studs that come off you tophats, in a wagon like I am working on you will find them under the speaker covers in the boot, directly behind the rear seats, in a sedan you will find them in the same place, behind the rear seats, but you will have to remove the parcel tray carpet etc to get to them (very easy)

Use your socket drive with an extension and 12mm socket on it and remove all three nuts, try not to lose them!

Basically you should now be nearly finished! everything is unbolted and ready to pull out. You may have trouble getting the strut out but its easy enough to work it out, pushing down on the hub etc helps it come out easy.

Done!!

Now you have done it, basically just do the reverse to get it back in.

Hope this helps any noobs that are thinking of doing this, once you have done it the first time you will realise just how easy it really is!

[MercuryFree]

nice guide .

Although when I did it, I needed a breaker bar to get the 19mm nuts off they were seized on so hard, and managed to twist the 'thread' of a cheap socket around it's axis in doing so.

And then I needed a massive screwdriver for leverage in between the mounting knuckle and the hub on one of them to get it out cos that too was tight as.

Just some issues that can occur that people may want to prepare for

[Guest 4Play]

Probaly pay to get a wheel alignment done too afterwards make sure all your hard work isnt going to give you uneven tyre wear

[Guest SPANKU]

you might also need a hacksaw to cut this the bracket for those lines:::