I read several tutorials on how to change front strut. My problem is my e-brake's been bad for some time, so I won't have the rear wheels on brake when I jack my up. I thought if I can chock the rear wheels and just lift front side one at a time, I can work on the front strut. But I've read you can not replace strut with one side jacked up. Both front side ned to be jacked up. Is this correct?
In my situation, is going to a mechanic the only choice? or is there a safe way to jack up the car without e-brake?

Thank you for any input as always!

 

yes if you're changing the front struts, you WILL need to jack up the entire front end. all you need to do is make sure the car is on a level surface and chock up those tires.

 

Are chocks enough to hold on the car without e-brakes? It'd be a disaster if car rolls backwards off the jack stands.

 

both sides do not need to be jacked up. they have nothing to do with each other. AND, you should be using jack stands!!!!. bricks chocks of whatever you want to call them should be able to hold the car steady while working on the front.

 

I read it from http://www.innerbean.com/housecor/strut_install.html

"...
1. Raise both sides of the front of the vehicle using jack and jack stands or hydraulic lift. NOTE: Struts can't be removed with only one side raised.
..."

mizzax, did you change front strut with only one side raised before?

 

There is a reason for this. You will not have clearance to pull it out, the spindle/control arm will not drop low enough.

 

The sway bar connects to what again?

 

Will chocks be enough to hold on the car without e-brakes on a level surface?

 

I use bricks but I would imagine wheel chocks will be fine. Just have the jackstands in the proper locations and level. When the weight of the front-end is on the stands it will not have as much tendancy to roll back as you would think.

 

I have jacked up the front of my car with no E-brake before. Just make sure to block the wheels wheel, and give the car a good shake once its jacked up to make sure its not going anywhere.

 

I have changed about 4-5 sets at least without jacking up both sides. again it is not necessary. and as far as the sway bar........what does that have to do with changing the struts? man you folks amaze me at times. whatever you do, make sure you use jack stands. and if your control arm wont drop low enough once the wheel is off, you have much bigger problems with your suspension than just your struts. last I checked we have independant front wheels suspensions.

 

Thank you guys for the information. I'll make the attempt when I get my struts.

 

are you sure you are reading this correctly? he's actually asking if the front driverside and front passenger side needs to be jacked up in order to replace the struts. and yes Fr33way is right, the lower control arm will not fall low enough for the entire strut to be taken out if you only jack up one wheel. and btw, i believe he's talking about the front sway bar.

 

This diagram may be somewhat helpful:

 

he is asking if they both have to be jacked up together at the same time. obviously one must jack up the wheel in order to change the strut. but the drivers side wheel must not be off of the ground in order for you to change the passenger side strut.

 

He could probably get it out but he is in better position to have the relationship of the two spindles the same as they are CONNECTED by the front sway bar. Trying to install a typical strut/spring combo on one side with a coilover on the other would more than illustrate this point.

 

Haha, owned...

Sorry.

 

the spindels are not connected by any means. please go look under your car. the sway bar connects to the CONTROL ARM. please know what youa re talking about before trying to correct someone. and again. a car jacked up and placed on a jack stand only on that side would have MORE THAN ENOUGH travel to allow the strut to come out. If it doesnt, you hve bigger problems than a bad set of struts. the only thing that connect to the spindle is the ball joint, tie rod end axle and strut.


I suppose your sway bar that is connected to your spindle would make it impossible for one wheel to travel independantly of the other right? one cant go up while the other goes down?

 

i gotta agree with 2da, i just took my passengers side strut out today to replace the strut mount and only jacked up the passengers side. had plenty of clearance to get it out of there. and when i replaced my struts a few months ago i did one side at a time as well.

 

Im not saying you can't...he would have an easier time with both in the air.

I love spelling things out: The sway bar enlink can only travel SO FAR, thus the angle at which the control arm (and thus the spindle) can drop is only SO MUCH realative to the position of the sway bar. You are right, it is NOT directly connected. That was my error on wording.

 

From my point of view, I can see why the instructions he read would say that and that was the basis of my original response. You have done several sets and I have done several suspension installs on my and other Maximas so we obviously have different experiences. Let me be clear on that I don't think you are wrong 2da mizzax, but I do think both in the air is the easier/correct way to do it.

 

understood. but with no parking brake and only some bricks, a car in park with one front wheel on the ground along with some bricks is much more stable than 2 rear wheels that may run the risk of rolling in either direction.

 

he could always back the car up close to a garage or a tree and put a old pillow or somethign behind it then jack the car up and put blocks infront of the back tires this way no way it can roll back or forward really

 

2da mizzmax, maybe what you're saying is true for stock suspension. But it is certainly NOT true for after market suspension. freeway is CERTAINLY correct...Try this. Install the TRULY adjustable coilovers on the car, like D2, k-sport and such making sure they're about 2 finger gaps in between, like shown below. Raise EACH END UP and try changing the coilovers ONE BY ONE...its IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!! The back OR the front end won't allow you to bolt the STOCK setup UNTIL THE OTHER SIDE HAS BEEN DROPPED!!! Unless you're just THAT stubborn and making this about 150x harder for yourself. <~~(me thinking this can't be true, i'm suppose to have independent fronts.)

why doesn't you're e-brake work again?? Maybe you should fix it up while your at it. If its just loose, tighten it. All the e-brake has is just a cable that runs along the car. If i were you, i'd build like a lil contraption with 4x4s. Put one in front and in back of the rear tire and then using a long bolt to chock the wheels like other orgers said.

 

This was my experience. Coilovers also will not let the wheels hang as low (wheel gap is hardly changed when car gets raised) as an aftermarket strut designed to have a maximum length similar to stock.