Shop Discount Struts

Quick look shows it's available with the upper mount! Must happen more than usual! "Is it safe to drive" Yes/No - right into the shop to replace it! Control of vehicle is compremised and it could whack and break something else and be additional trouble. It is a higher end DIY job - air wrenches will help and an alignment is required. I strongly suggest doing both sides with the identical replacement part,

T

Strut Mount - Rear Gabriel / Strut Mount - Rear for a 1996 Buick Regal

Related Parts Shock/Strut - Front Shock/Strut - Rear About this product: Part Number: 143067 Weight: 2.53 lbs. Warranty: LLT Note: Complete mount kit
Includes mount, bumper bellow and retainers Pricing: $34.99 Availability: Store: Visit your local store to special order. Online: Ships within 3-5 business days

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Check that out! They do make a fix for just the mount. It might have to come out to install it as that nut will be stuck and shaft may just be an Allen head to the shaft - not sure.

A good gas strut would self extend under pressure. It doesn't have to to be safe but it should have it's shock effect which you think it does. The bottom two bolts are very HD and might give you a hard time. You kinda need to know what your'e doing as they are a serious part of the rear suspension. It's been a while but those are where you adjust the "camber" setting of the alignment as I recall. If you spray paint or scribe the exact position (indexing where it started) you can at least get it back close for a while to use car. This also means supporting the weight just so and if in doubt get help with this.

As I recall - some of these types to get to the top can be from trunk or maybe even from inside package shelf or back seat - memory gone - back in five minutes!

This sure appears like it was weakened by rust. Also take a good look at the other one! If it looks ok now I'd spray the heck out of it with something to stop rust now or just do both at once.

Note: Sometimes when taking the nut of a shock's shaft like this the thing is rendered useless as it's possible for the shaft to "come unscrewed" inside it if the shaft can't be held in position while undoing the nut - like by air wrench as heat is not really an option with shocks/struts.

The whole unit was about $82 bucks listed at AutoZone if it just can't be done separately. I know that's some bucks but as cars go it's pennies!

Tom

Thanks much for the insight. After working the old strut a bit it seems to want to expand on its own (very weak, and not all the way extended). But, alas, the shaft has too much of the old mount rusted solid to it to be cleaned off to fit through a new mount, and it may be nearly impossible to remove that top nut from the shaft without scoring up the shaft. I decided to follow your first suggestion of replacing the strut & mount. This makes the most sense anyway. $35 for the mount or $82 for the mount & strut. It isn't worth the trouble to save 45 bucks and fix it halfway.
The other side looks pretty ugly too. I will just replace both and have a smooth ride and some peace of mind too.

One more thing, you are 110% correct on the lower bolts giving me problems. So far I've broken 1 socket and (don't laugh) 1 12" crescent wrench and the nut still hasn't moved. The first one came out relatively easy but the 2nd is being stubborn. Some new tools might do the trick tomorrow. What I wouln't give to have an air wrench right now. I'll have to put one on my Christmas list.

These things are really best with air tools. All the leverage in the world can just tip the car over and a good air wrench can make this a one shot/done deal! You pay for those things though!

Good luck. Sounds like you have the attack down right. Remember the alignment. You may see that one of the stut's bolt holes allows for altering the tilt (camber)) of the wheel when loosened and tightened,

T

I thought I'd give an update and one more "Thanks!"
All is well now with 2 new strut/mount combos installed.
Casualties: 3 sockets, 1 12" Crescent Wrench, 3 bolts for the strut mount, 1 lower bolt, 3 drill bits, and surprisingly no blood! Only some extremely sore muscles and back.

Rust was not my friend on this project. After 12 years of Minnesota winters I should have expected nothing less. I snapped the heads off of 3 of the 4 (both sides) strut mount bolts and had to grab the other ends, from inside the trunk, to screw them inward to get them out. One of which I actually snapped off from the other end using vice grips leaving only the part of the bolt surrounded by threads left. After breaking 3 drill bits, the bolt, or what was left of it, finally busted out without damaging the threads.
On the camber issue: luckily for me it was easy to line up. The old strut was set all the way to the end of the adjustable bolt hole on both sides.

The end result is a car that feels perfectly aligned with much better handling and much less klunking.

Thank You again for the help.

Tom Hinz

Thanks for the update on the fix. Rust is a real pill with cars - never mind the roads and bridges rotting away as well known.

Glad to hear you survived it!

T

Pretty sure you remove the whole assy then compress spring to replace the strut and install back in. The car should get both sides and an alignment,

T

they “should have been replaced at 50k miles”. He warned that she could end up with a broken spring if this is not done.

That ridiculous................... That must have been a tire store you took it to. have seen them with 150K and still be good. If they don't show any signs of leakage or binding, I wouldn't worry about it.

If the struts were that bad, why did he go ahead and align it? You can't get a good alignment with bad struts. Ignore the guy.

Agree - Garbage advice from that place. If they were no good why did they do an alignment first then say that as it would likely need another if they were done - arggh. They walk among us,

T

The thing about a shock or strut wearing out is they wear out gradually. Most drivers won't notice much of a performance diffrence until there is noise or serious tire wear. Most stuts are good for 80-100 thousand miles. Before then replacement typically on a as needed basis due to damage or fluid leakage. If you are over 100 thousand miles you will likely feel a diffrence when you do have them replaced. Like Tom said, totally safe to drive even if the stuts are worn or leaking a bit of fluid.

Last Friday, I had new tires put on my 2003 Toyota Highlander at the dealer. Five days later, I noticed a fluid leak - hydraulic fluid, I believe. I took it back to the dealer and was told I needed new rear struts. I drive my car gently, and it only had 44K miles on it. I am suspicious that it is not a coincidence that a fluid leak and strut problem developed days after the tire installation. I'm also suspicious of the $900+ repair cost. Are my suspicions unfounded?

Where are you noticing this fluid leak? It matters. Strut may be the leak and really shouldn't drip to ground if so.

Low easy miles or not it could happen. Unscrupulous folks could spray oil to make a scare but I have better faith in folks than that type crap. If that was the case it would clean off and not return and fell fine when driving??

T

It did feel fine while driving. The fluid leak was near the right back tire. My husband slid underneath the car and said it looked like something had sprayed out, freshly. I hadn't at that point been to the dealer for 5 days, so I'm pretty sure nothing was sprayed on, and that the spray was a result of some sort of leak. Given the age/low mileage of the vehicle, and the speed with which this problem followed on the heels of new tire installation, I was wondering if there was a cause and effect there.

You really need to know what sprayed out and from where - for safety sake.

Is the liquid water soluable? Things that might be back there include:


A rear heater?? Antifreeze and washes off with plain water)

Brake fluid (washes off with plain water)

Strut oils would likely be an oil product

Gear oil from axle parts

Does this have a rear wiper/washer? Could be that too.

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Most parts that could leak a fluid are out of harms way from a moving wheel/tire and just in hoisting somthing might have been touched - you need to know what it is/was no matter what.

It's possible a strut just couldn't take it and showed up right then from just being hoisted. It shouldn't of course but unless you can find something done on purpose (unlikely IMHO) it probably can just be chauked up to bad luck,

T

I was told by the dealer that the fluid wasn't brake fluid, but a "hydraulic" fluid. Before the trip to the dealer, though, the brake fluid was low.

My last car was a Honda Accord. I had it 13 years, 95K miles, and kept up with routine maintenance. It never needed a major repair job. It it looked great when I sold it because the A/C system needed a complete replacement.

Love driving my Highlander, but I won't be buying another one if it keeps costing me big $.

Hammer just made a great point - could be that the easy use this has had, has never had struts at their extremes and seals got crusty there and just gave out from hoisting it. There realy is no blame for something like that - stuff happens.

New rear struts will vary in costs. Check you own parts outlets for the various grades if they are in fact the trouble. Best in pairs and it does mean it will need an alignment. If you aren't happy with a dealer that as some independant shops.

Dealers aren't automatically the best shops or not - it's still a one by one thing and the people you are dealing with,

T

Not trying to defend anyone here but the coincidence you refer to could actually have been triggered by lifting the truck off the ground which would have fully extended the struts into a position they don't normally ride in and sometimes that will push the seals through some bad portions of the pistons and tear them which will trigger the leak.
As the other person stated, the struts gradually lose their ability to control suspension movement over time and replacing them will definitely benefit your new tire investment. Most of the aftermarket replacements are actually higher quality that the OEM units anyway.