Strut problem
 

Hey guys,

so I;m finally getting around to replacing the strut mounts on my '03. The struts looked like they had been replaced by the previous owner with no name brand like EECCP or something. The suspension was making a squeaking sound like rubbing a cloth or squeegee on wet window glass. A few mechanics said that maybe the strut mounts were the problem. I removed the front driver strut, but it looks like the mount is integrated with the spring, because I can't see the spring top end. I tried using the spring compressors,but the spring get compressed unevenly, and I'm worried I might be adding more pressure to the mount instead of lowering it . I already bought strut mounts. Two questions:

(1). Can I buy good springs separately for the assembly from regular auto parts stores?

(2). Can I still remove the mount/spring combo from the rest of the strut assembly safely, or is it not possible?

Thanks for reading.

You can buy strut mounts separately. When you compress the spring it doesn't have to be perfectly straight but it should pull down mostly even. Separating the parts of the strut assembly is easy once the spring is compressed.

This is what my rears looked like when I had the WorST problem getting the parts swapped onto the new strut.

The way the spring and top mount join together prevents me from getting the extreme ends of the coil compressed so made it terrible to get parts swapped and the end nut threaded on. Just 1/8" longer strut would have been golden.

Maybe it was me or the length of the kyb struts but that was a simple concept turned worst job ever, or so it seemed.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....9f989c2ed5.jpg

When you compress the spring, do it as evenly as possible. Don't compress one side to the point that you can see a bulge starting on the other side.

Make sure you have some good spring isolators...But realistically that squeak could be your front sway bar bushings, endlinks, or right side engine mt....