Assembly - Strut Assembly (Front)

For the disassembly and assembly of the strut assembly, use strut spring compressor, Pentastar Service Equipment (PSE) tool W-7200, or the equivalent, to compress the coil spring. Follow the manufacturer's instructions closely.

1. Place the coil spring in the compressor following the manufacturers instructions (Figure). Before compressing the spring, rotate the spring to the position noted in the note between steps 7 and 8.
2. If disassembled, reinstall the upper spring isolator and dust shield on seat and bearing. Match the step in the isolator with the step in the seat and bearing.
3. Install the seat and bearing (with dust shield attached) on top of the coil spring. Position the step built into the seat and upper spring isolator against the coil end of the coil spring.
4. Install the lower spring isolator on the lower spring seat of the strut (Figure). The tabs on the isolator will align it on the strut spring seat. They straddle the expanded area of the lower spring seat on the strut.
5. Install the jounce bumper on the strut shaft. The jounce bumper is to be installed with the smaller end pointing downward toward the lower seat (Figure).
6. Install the jounce bumper cup (Figure) on the strut shaft. The cupped side goes on first.
7. Install the strut through the bottom of the coil spring until the lower spring seat contacts the lower end of the coil spring. The inboard side of the strut (or rear of the clevis bracket) should align with the flat on the inboard side of the seat and bearing outer perimeter. Install the clamp on the lower end of the coil spring and strut, so the strut is held in place (Figure).
   CAUTION: Before installing the upper mount, make sure the correct upper mount is being installed on the strut. DO NOT  install a right mount on a left front strut or a left mount on a right front strut. Incorrect mount installation may cause poor vehicle ride and steering feel, and excessive front end noise. A lead or drift condition may also be the result. Left and right mounts look similar, but are different from one another. Looking down at the top of the upper mount, 2 tabs can be seen, (Fig 1) and (Fig 2), down inside the mount center well. A rectangular hole can be seen on the edge of the mount mounting surface (Fig 1) and (Fig 2). This is always in the 10 o'clock position when observing rubber tab positioning, whether a left or right mount is being observed. Once this hole is located in the 10 o'clock position, the tabs should be in the positions as shown (Fig 1) and (Fig 2). The right upper mount should also have a white dot painted on its mounting face.