With the need to replace the upper strut mount, I'll probably buy everything, including new springs, and preassemble the new struts so that the strut swap becomes a simple six-bolt R&R. When I had it aligned (5600 miles ago), the shop replaced the upper of the two strut-to-knuckle bolts with an eccentric, so I'll definitely have to have it aligned after reassembly. What I don't get is how the leaking strut was missed. It's wet clear down to the spindle, so it seems likely that it was already at least weeping when they were in there. No one said a thing.
You do have to watch for those shipping charges, some are worse than others. That's why I buy online with the discount, and pick up at my local store. Mike
$550 sounds right inline. By the time you buythe struts, buy the spring compressor, buy a jack, buy a set of stands, buy all the hand tools needed to do the job and then do all the work, THEN have it aligned........ $550 is cheap the way I see it
I already own everything except the spring compressor. I even have a couple of pickle forks sitting around here somewhere.
Just an fyi, pickle forks are not the proper was to remove tie rod ends or ball joints. Use one of these instead. These will not damage the boot or the ball/socket:
That's fucking cool. Thanks - the next time I'll look for one. I"ve got to imagine they are like pickle forks in that they come in sizes for different rod ends?