Noticed that the boots on my front struts are cracked open. Is it worth replacing just the boots or should I replace the struts at the same time?

How hard is it to replace these? Is this a job for a newbie mechanic, or a seasoned pro?

 

As long as the "shaft" of the strut is covered for the most part, you could probably put off replacing the boots until the struts need to be replaced (or you want better ones). The strut wear is increased if "grit" gets onto the shaft and wears away at the seals, so it's up to you.

Not a hard job but you need proper tools (esp. spring compressor).

 

If your struts are over 60k old, I would recommend replacing them at the same time. You have to do the same work as you would to replace the strut to just replace the boot... I didn't enjoy replacing my boots/bearings - its a pain in the butt to compress the springs, and get the steering knuckle bolts off etc.etc. Definitely a DIY job - if you are even remotely considering replacing the struts soon, I would recommend doing them at the same time.

 

if your planning on keeping the car stock height go with new OEM boots, but if you decide to lower the car go with KYB dustboots from Tirerack.com.

Either way this is a DYI project for sure... maybe in your case have a friend around to help you out with it if its your first time ever doing a suspension. I would also invest in a Haynes manual($20) this will help you alot in pretty much anything youll ever need to do to the car.

my.o2!

Ant

 

Thanks for the help...I'm definitely going to replace the struts at the same time as the boots. Is it also worth replacing the strut bearings, or do they rarely go bad? Anything else I should piggyback on this work?

My max has 95k miles on it and I have no idea if any suspension work has been done on it (I bought it w/ 90k miles on it).

 

Definitely replace the bearings at the same time - they are only 15 bucks (or less) a piece from the dealer and are known to go bad on our cars.

 

Do the bearings come with the shocks when you buy them?

 

Although many people report problems with them, I haven't had any problems with my original set after about 3 changes of shocks/springs. Just be careful how you reassemble them. And NO, they do not come with shocks. It may be cheap insurance but it's up to you whether or not to get them. I have a set of Tein H ready to go in with new boots but will be reusing my original bearings again.

 

would it also be a good idea to go ahead and put new springs on at this point if i'm ever planning to do it?

 

If you are going with a OEM equivalent strut (in terms of firmness) you do not need to replace the springs. If you want a firmer/lower ride, you will need to replace the springs/struts as a combo.

The strut bearings are not included when you buy the struts or the strut mounts, they are a seperate part.