How to Replace Front Struts 2000-07 Chevy Monte Carlo
Created on: 2014-07-23
This video shows you how to replace the front struts on your 00-07 Chevy Monte Carlo. Save money by doing it yourself. 1A Auto is here to help!
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Loosen the lug nut covers with a 19mm socket
- Pry off the center cap with a flat blade screwdriver
- Loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Removing the Front Strut
- Spray the lower and higher strut bolts with penetrating oil
- Remove the two of the upper 15mm strut bolts
- Remove the two 21mm nuts from the bottom of the strut and knuckle
- Hammer the bottom of the strut to loosen the bolts
- Remove the nuts and hammer the bolts out
- Pull the wheel knuckle forward and push the strut back
- Remove the two of the upper 15mm strut bolt
- Remove the rear shock strut
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step 3 :Dissembling the Front Strut
- Spray the top bolt on the strut with penetrating oil
- Place the spring compressors on either side of the spring
- Tighten each back and forth a little while alternating sides
- Remove the nut at the top of the strut with a strut socket and T47 Torx bit
- Pull the mount plate from the top of the strut free
- Remove the spring
- Pull the boot up and off
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step 4 :Assembling the Front Strut
- Push down on the strut and remove the packing clip
- Remove the nut and pull the clip free
- Hammer the clip on the old strut that holds the gasket
- Place the gasket onto the new strut
- Replace the boot
- Insert the spring into its notch on the strut
- Push the plate and mount onto the strut
- Push down on the strut and insert a 47 Torx bolt
- Loosen each of the compressors bit by bit while alternating sides
- Repeat until the spring compressors pull free
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step 5 :Inserting the Front Strut
- Insert the strut into place
- Replace the upper 15mm strut bolts by hand
- Push down on the knuckle and place the strut behind it
- Push the strut onto the knuckle
- Insert the 21mm bolts into the bottom of the strut and knuckle
- Hammer the 21mm bolts in and tighten them
- Torque the 21mm bolts to 130 ft/lbs
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step 6 :Reattaching the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Tighten the lug nuts
- Tighten the lug nuts to 100 ft/lbs in a crossing or star pattern
- Tighten the three 15mm bolts at the top of the strut
- Tighten the lug nuts to 30 ft/lbs
- Reattach the center cap
- Tighten the lug nut covers with a 19mm socket
Tools needed
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Socket Extensions
Torque Wrench
Hammer
15mm Socket
Rust Penetrant
18mm Wrench
19mm Socket
Strut Spring Compression Tool
21mm Socket
6mm Allen Wrench
Ratchet
Floor Jack
T47 Torx Socket
Brought to you by 1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet.
Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace the struts with unloaded struts on this 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo. We'll show you on the passenger's side, but it's the same procedure on the driver's side. It's the same parts and similar process on this Monte Carlos from 2000 to 2007. The items you'll need include a new front strut from 1AAuto.com, a 15mm, 19mm, and 21mm socket and ratchet, an 18mm wrench, 21mm strut socket or a 7/8 inch O2 sensor socket, a T47 Torx Bit, a hammer, a torque wrench, penetrating oil, a spring compressor, and jack and jack stands.
Start off by using a 19mm socket to loosen up these lug nut caps and pull your hubcap free. If you have air-powered tools, you want to lift the vehicle and remove the lug nuts. If you don't have air-powered tools, you want to keep the vehicle on the ground, loosen the lug nuts, raise the vehicle, and then remove the lug nuts the rest of the way. Then just pull your wheel free.
Spray these two strut bolts with some penetrating oil, and do the same thing for these three up here. Remove the nuts on top. You want to leave one of them in place just to hold the strut until you take the lower part apart. Put an 18mm wrench on one side, and use a 21mm socket and ratchet on the other. You may need a piece of pipe for some extra leverage. Then just loosen up those two nuts.
Also, if you do have ABS brakes, there'll be a couple of harnesses that you need to detach from the strut at this point and reattach them later on. Hammer the knuckle in between the two posts of the strut, and then remove those nuts the rest of the way. Then just hammer out the bolts. Pull the bolts the rest of the way free. Now, pull your wheel knuckle forward, push the strut back and angle it down, and then remove that nut that you put back on finger-tight up top. Then pull your strut down and out.
Spray this top bolt with penetrating oil and then attach your spring compressors. Either use an air-powered ratchet or ratchet and socket, and you want to just tighten these up. You want to go back and forth tightening them up until the spring is compressed. Put your T47 Torx bit into the bolt at the top of the strut. Make sure it's in there nice and good, and then put on your strut socket and then remove this bolt. We'll fast-forward as Mike removes this the rest of the way. Once the nut is removed, just remove this place and then pull the mount from the strut, and, now, you can lift your spring up and off.
Pull this boot free. On the bottom is the old strut; above it is the new one from 1A Auto. You can see they're identical enough and exactly the same. Push down on the strut and remove this packing clip, and then remove the nut and pull the clip free. You want to hammer in this clip on the plate of your old strut that holds this gasket on, and then transfer that over to this place. Push that clip back down into place.
Take your boot and slide it down on to the strut. Lower your spring into place, making sure it lines up on that tab the way it was before. Once you have that lined up, take your mounting plate, line it up, and push it down into place. Push this plate into place and then replace that nut. It is a slightly different-sized nut, so what we end up using is a 19mm wrench. It actually uses a 6mm Allen. We just tighten it up.
Now, carefully loosen your spring compressors. Just loosen each one a little bit at a time, going back and forth, making sure that the spring is uncoiling in the right spot. Take your new strut and fit it back up into place, and then just replace those nuts by hand at the top of the strut.
Push the strut back behind the wheel knuckle, and then push the wheel knuckle into it.
Then replace those two bolts as far as you can. You will have to maneuver it around a bit to get the holes to line up. Then use a hammer and put them in. When they have about this much space left, you can just use the nut to pull them the rest of the way through. So just replace the nuts and then tighten these up. Now torque these two bolts to 130 foot-pounds.
Replace the wheel and then replace and tighten up those nuts in a crossing pattern. Torque each of them to 100 foot-pounds in a crossing pattern. We'll fast-forward as Mike tightens those three nuts at the top of the strut. Torque each of these to 30 foot-pounds. Replace your hubcap, tighten up your lug nut caps, and then you're all set.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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