My 2012 f150 makes a crunching sound when the front-passenger side wheel drops off of a curb. I noticed that the cylinder inside of the coil spring has a big crack in it. I’m guessing that could be the problem or a symptom of a larger problem. What do you think?
This is the one. Just watch this video and DIY. Saved me $600 and I was able to get better parts than the shop was trying to sell me. I didn't grow up wrenching on vehicles. I'm learning as I go here and really appreciate people like this who take the time to share their knowledge. That means more to me at the moment than the money I saved.
Thank you Sir. I used this as my reference material to swap my Ford Expedition struts. I found the 30mm needed the deep socket, like the one you used and the Milwaukee M18 high torque impact driver. So i used the money I saved on labour to buy a few more tools and got the job done. I did not have a 406lb torque wrench, the price of 0-600 lb wrenches is shocking. If I can find a deal I will buy one, if not next time i am in a shop i will add a torque check to the job, For now the Milwaukee with 1100 ft lbs of torque rammed them on. BTW you are an amazing teacher, so much detail, I feel confident that with your videos and the right tools, I can better maintain my fords.
Thanks for sharing this video! I went to take my 2008 F-150 for an alignment and they told me my spring was broke. They told me that they replace these strut assemblies in pairs. They quoted me well over $800 to get the parts, plus labor and then the alignment. I have the parts from the parts store. It looks so easy to put it from the video that I may tackle the job myself and save the money from the labor and just go and have the alignment done once I get them in.
Thanks for the great video! .Just did this myself, went pretty smooth, tie rod dropped right out after loosening the nut, no hammering was needed. Moving the bottom knuckle of the shock back into the slot of the control arm was easily done without a pry bar or anything for me. Because of this video I knew exactly what to expect, it really helped.
I appreciate your videos, I was a tech in the Air Force and got away from turning wrenches. As my F150 needs it your videos have given me the boost to get back out there and do it myself. Thanks for taking the time to do them.
You have been amazing on your knowledge of these Ford trucks.. I just bought a 08 F-150 for 2500 bucks and I've been stressed with all the work I've had to do but it's paying off. I had a 5.8 before this for about 15 yrs and rarely had to do much. Your videos have been great with helping me to diagnose problems
maintaining my 2011 ford f150 supercrew with 3.5 ecoboost is easy with your great detailed explanations... replace plugs using your videos . now struts and shocks with only 104,000 on truck.. thanks for the help... keep up the good work.... spudlocker..
You’re the BEST Technician EVER!!…. Thank you so much for sharing your great knowledge, and your videos are so good quality just like you are, thanks again, May God bless you All.
Thank you for giving us accurate information regarding tools needed. Everyone on TH-cam says that the struts lower bolt is 30 mm and you say it is 29 mm. You sir, are correct !!!
I thought I already watched this. I noticed truck also got a new half axle and ewi hub. Good job. I ALWAYS watch your video related to something I have to do to my "05 f150 4x4 5.4
Thanks for the video, replaced struts in an '07 F-150 and this video helped greatly. I just wanted to tell you for the next time you do this, you don't have to unbolt the outer tie rod end, it slips right out with it in place. Once again, great video.
I've watched several videos, presentation is superlative as it teaches someone with medium mechanical skills how to accomplish each task. In addition, it gives someone with minimum mechanical skills the knowledge that will save them from getting ripped off by unsavory individuals. I find your videos to be one of the most useful tools that I've encountered on the internet......thank you!:)
Thank you FordTecMakeuloco! Installed Kyb loaded struts on my 2005 lariat this weekend. The job went flawlessly because of your insightful video. Start to finish less than 2 hours including coffee break. Next project is spark plugs and coils. Hope they don't break. Thanks again and keep up the great videos.
Hey great vid, I replaced the coil spring assembly on my truck not long ago. Just a tip I had a cardboard box from Uhaul in the garage and I cut a square and put it between the CV boot and the bottom of the coil spring assembly so it doesnt tear anything when it comes up. Thanks for posting all these!
Man seeing these videos with all the rust underneath makes me appreciate living in Florida. I have 2005 and my under body still looks new even the stickers are still there
Just did this over the weekend along with the rear shocks. Your video helped tremendously! Mine (07 stx) did not come out or go in as easily but i think it was because i was trying to be too easy with it. Those third bolts in the engine compartment took long extensions as there is no room to turn a wrench in there. Thank you!
Did my struts along with both the four wheel drive actuators the other day. Your videos really helped me out. It would have been a lot harder without your tips. Everything is working great now. Oh and I ordered some of the Mopar rust penetrant. I normally use Kano Aerokroil which is a lot more expensive but good stuff too. So we'll see if the Mopar lives up to your claims. Thanks for all the videos man. You are #1 in my book. Next project is the rear end differential.
Gotta tell you thanks again. I’ve been teaching my 18 year old off of your videos Helped us out a ton on these 1-3 hour jobs for the 1/2 and 3/4 tons we own
Goodby Dealer repair or any mechanic. You are showing that many repairs can be done by me, in the garage. I don't have the words to express my gratitude for sharing this information. Thank you very much. But wait, what is that sound coming from the garage? Oh, it's my 2006 Lincoln Mark Lt thanking you too.
So glad I left Minnesota for Dallas, just swapped my rear shocks, truck looks brand new underneath still on a 2013. Front should be a breeze. Doing billstein 5100 on all 4.
Thank you very much for the great instructions. I replaced my front left and right struts, Driver side wheel bearing, and my front brakes on each side. I followed your instructions and everything went nice and easy. THANKS AGAIN.
On a 2010 2wd, the lower strut mount goes into a cup-like thing so the lower control arm has to be lowered much more. The lower mount bolt nut takes a 30 mm socket, too. On the first try, I couldn't get the tie-rod end loose without destroying it so I ended up putting it back together. Will try again tomorrow. Maybe the tie-rod will lower enough without taking it apart. Also I had to unmount the brake hose and antiskid wires to keep from breaking them.
Thanks again. I have so many of your videos saved and have done all the work myself because of your helpful tips. You have the best tutorials on TH-cam. 👍
One more tip: I tried doing this at home by jacking up one side of the truck. New strut wouldn’t go in, “too long”. Problem was the sway bar link was pulling up on the lower control arm. Had to jack up the other side of the truck to allow that wheel to drop and let the sway bar link let the lower control arm to drop, giving me room to install the strut. Much easier on a lift probably
I want to thank you for this video, made changing the front struts easy. The only real time eating process was jacking up the truck and taking off the wheels, other than that sweet tutorial video.... Thanks again...
after watching this video and ordering these same struts i was able to complete this job exactly how you said it would go...awesome videos... thanx alot
Excellent video. Hi def and well explained. Great camera angles and super easy to follow. Kudos and thank you for taking the time to put this together!
Sad but this is what American vehicles look like. I work with guys with 5-6 year old Dodge and Ford trucks with rust all over the fenders...disappointing for the price and supposed American quality.
I'm looking at this job next weekon my 2013 F150 FX4 3.5L V6 DOHC Turbo. I was pretty hesitant about doing this myself until I saw this video. Thanks for the great explanation. Question.. I have a leveling kit on my truck, does this make a difference on the replacement?
i bought the struts you linked for an 04 f150, and they're the same length and configuration as the strut that was on there, but i can not get the bottom of the new strut seated properly. I'm pushing down on the spindle and lower control arm as hard as i can and i can not get it to pop in place. In your video it just went back in no problem.
Brian, my 2013 f150 doesn't have the aluminum bottom A frame, mine is black metal and the cup where the bottom of strut fits is way different and harder to get in than the aluminum setup. Just wanted to mention the difference.
Wow Brian this is awsome I have an 11 year old f150 and I always wanted to learn how to do this just in case anything happens to my truck thanks awsome vid as always very thorough on how you explain things keep it up and thanks.
I wanted to say thank you for taking the time and making all of the videos I have watched which helped me complete my task today. I changed out both strut assemblies, upper control arms, sway bar links and lower ball joints. I only had one problem with doing everything and it was the driver side strut assembly. I had to take it to a shop and have the spring compressed and the lower mounting hole adjusted as it was about 30 degrees offset. Other than that it went great but took me a full 8 hours to finish. Thanks again and have a great holiday season sir.
You are extremely clear in all your videos and I have been using them for a few years now. Thank you for making them available. I currently have a 2012 F150 4x4 that I’m about to install a 2 inch leveling kit on. Would this video be good to follow or will I have to remove the knuckle?
A neat trick is how the rusty cv joint magically shined up to brand new! That Mopar rust penetrator works miracles! Probably should have sprayed the whole chassis with it to make it look like new too! (Just joking) A shop I worked for way back use to use a competitors spray of some type that worked better than what we had available through the dealer brand that we were.
I just did a 2009 after watching this video. I must say the lower control arms are totally different, as well is the steering rack and tie rod ends. The LCA has a hole that they sit in and can not be pried out. The tie rod end sits on top of the the spindle, rather than under. I had to take the top control arm loose, and the swaybar to get the LCA low enough to remove the assy.
Same issue on my 2013. Loosen/remove the ball joints and you’ll have to pry down the control arm. It’s the only way I could get mine out/in after a short panic…… It’d be nice for the video description to be updated to point this out. I found the tie rod ends different too but that was much easier to overcome. Hope not goes well. These videos are amazing.
Ok, so on the next attempt, I figured out how to do this on my 2010 f150 2wd and it was very easy (with the right tools, of course). I did not need to separate the tie rods. Only the stab link, the ABS harness and brake hose, and the upper ball joint. The lower control arm dropped enough that I could get the strut out.
Lol I’ve never seen anyone mention the mopar stuff befor. But that’s all we use at our shop. It’s literally the best we’ve used for rusted, corroded or sticky bolts
Nice video just about to start Rancho Quick lift install "2008 F-150 XL 2wd" and no other video mentioned the lock tight, wire brushing the threads or loading the strut before torquing it down
I notice the vacuum hose to the hub was off. But I am guessing that you did that since you changed the CV axle also. Am I correct? Great video by the way. Thanks for being my informative Ford tech. Helps a lot!
great video, like your thoroughness and expertise. Lotta people just beat these parts when its not necessary. I'm doing it on my town car and the basic principle is the same. thanks!
I watched the video about three times, it looked simple enough, so I bought the struts and shock assembly. After I started, I realized I did not have a socket big enough for that heavy-duty bolt. I went to Walmart, they did not have anything close. I went to Lowe's, but they did not have it either. I went to Home Depot and they had the 29 mm socket. When I got back home the socket was still too small. I went back to Home Depot and got the 30 mm, and it fit. The problem was that I did not have that powerful air gun to loosen the bolt, and I wasn't strong enough to undo it with all of my might. Then I sat back and asked God how to do this, and guess what? He gave me the idea of using leverage. I attached a two foot extension on the end of the wrench and used my body weight, and it finally gave way. Holy cow, 350 foot pound of torque is a lot. I finally got the job done, well one side, but it took me four hours. Just think, the professional in the video was done in only 13 minutes. Lol. This was my first time, and I'm a doctor, not a mechanic. Lol. But the instructions in the video were great. My vehicle : Ford f150.
I had a bad knee, so I decided to fix it myself. I couldn't find a scalpel anywhere, so I bought a razor knife and a sawzall. It took me all day, and a bottle of whiskey, but I fixed it. I'm a mechanic, not a doctor. I guess we could have helped each other out on this, if we had met sooner, probably, probly...
First of I want to say I have watched several of your videos and they are all top notch. Thank you for your time and effort in putting these together. I have two questions on the strut install -1 I ordered the struts from your link. When I went to mount the new strut I had to pry down on the lower control arm to get it into position. Is this because my truck has a 5" lift and is this normal? And 2, you didn't show torquing the lower strut bolt. Do I need to spend several hundred on a torque wrench that will do 350 foot pounds that I might use twice in my lifetime?
So I watched your video on the rear shock replacement and that ended up being so easy. I did it with the bilstein 5100 series and love it. I then thought I'd go ahead and do the fronts as well. I got a set for the front of the bilsein 5100 series without the springs thinking I could handle it and also it saved about 500 bucks. Now that I watch this, I wonder of I screwed up. How hard is it to do the front shocks without replacing the springs? You're amazing and in depth videos walked me through the entire timing component upgrade and replacement and I was able to do that with your instruction. Will I be in over my head with this next project? P.s. thank you so much for your videos! You are a God send!
Very grateful for your videos! They have saved me time and money, and are just fun to watch even if I don’t have a pending repair to make. I have a 2005 King Ranch F150 with 139,000 miles. Definitely has bad lower ball joints on both sides, and a visually torn rubber boot on the passenger side upper control arm joint. I think it is safe to assume that most if not all the front end suspension components are shot, and it seems like it would make sense to replace them all while I have stuff taken apart. I am planning to replace upper control arms, lower ball joints, inner and outer tie rods, coil over shock assemblies and stabilizer bar linkage. Maybe wheel bearing hub assemblies too. Is there a particular order I should use for all this to avoid uninstalling/reinstalling parts unnecessarily? Seems like this coil over shock repair would be easier while the drive shaft is out of the hub and the knuckle is out if the way for the ball joint repair. Just worried about things like torquing that bolt at ride height. Wouldn’t I need to finish the ball joint and upper control arm repair first to raise the lower control arm to ride height. Just trying to make a plan...any advice would be appreciated.
This video helped a lot on my 09 XLT, however the procedure is a little different on the 09-14? Had to remove the upper ball joint nut and sway bar link to allow the lower control arm to drop down enough to remove strut. It didn't want to slide by the boot nicely.
Excellent video. I try to stay around 100 ft pounds on my lug nuts (not 150) cuz on many cars I've had the rotors become warped for some reason with over torquing. Not sure what the manufacturer specs are but that's what I do. Glad I subscribed to your videos.
I could have used this video a few months back. Haha. I had no idea that this would be a common thing. My spring let lose while turning into my driveway (thankfully) and it was a loud pop/ping sound. Scared the crap out of me. It would have saved me a few hundred on labor doing it myself than having my mechanic do it, but I had no idea what the problem was. It sounded more serious than it really was I guess! Then again, I have no idea how I'd torque down that big bottom bolt accurately.
Excellent Video. However after ordering my Struts,for my 2010 FX4, I went to replace them and found I did not have a cast aluminum lower control arm as seen in your video. Instead, I had a steel one with a slot/hole where the large bolt holds the bottom of the Strut. It was just inpossible to lift it up out of it's hole in the steel control arm. Looked for a video showing a similar type control arm and found none.
For anyone else having the same issue like I did, Autozone put out a great video showing how to do it on the other model truck. You have to remove the upper control are ball join nut and drop the sway bar off the truck as well to get it out
Found the same in a 2013. It’s a big steel “nest” the strut bottom sits in. Had to loosen the ball joints and have my wife SIT on a 4’ pry bar to lower the control arm enough to make it work both off and back on. Otherwise these videos are spot on!!
Great info as always, much appreciated. I'm rebuilding the front end in my 2004 New Body Style F150. My struts are still in great shape after 200K but I'm going to change the shock anyway. I'm surprised by the corrosion on this truck. I live the east coast and it is clean by comparison. Unfortunately I have to settle for aftermarket generic shocks since Ford has discontinued them for the HD Payload Package. I considered adjustable, but very expensive.
Great video. i was doing the whole left side front suspension. Lower boll joint, inner outer tie rod done. Upper control arm, shock and strut assemblies in place.all snug and blue loctited, about to put back the steering knuckle back so that I can put it all to ride height to do the final torque when it starts raining. Had to pack up the tools and stop. Tomorrow should I take the upper control arm and shock assembly back off, clean the loctite, Re apply it then proceed?
Your videos are the best man. I've made a few with my 2010 F150 and was going to make one showing me changing the struts and four-wheel drive actuator but you set the bar too high man! One question for you though, on my truck the tie rod end faces down not up. I went and double checked it last night to be sure and it definitely faces down. I assumed it varies? Anyway keep the videos coming man you know your stuff. Best on TH-cam in my opinion.
Great instructional video! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. If the spring wasn't broken would you just replace the inner shock? Or is that even possible? Thank you in advance for your reply!!
You can replace just the inner shock, but it's a lot more work and can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Spring compression tools can be sketchy.
Thank you for this great video. I replaced my struts this weekend and loaded the suspension before torquing. When I torqued the drivers lower shock mount it cracked when I hit 250 ft lbs. Is this common?
Would suggest for any video of this type list the tools and torques at the front so you don’t have to go back and forth to find it in the video, if it’s it in the video at all. The lower bolt on my 2005F-150 is 27mm bolt head, 30mm deep socket for the nut
Man, I don’t know why it’s so easy on yours. I had to drop fn everything on my 2012 just to get the old one out. Even harder to get the new one in. Both tie rod bolts undone and lower control arm bolt had to go.
You might also try twister penetrant made by zep. I used this stuff when i was a ford tech and the nuts and bolts came right off even without knocking the rust off first. Just thought you might try this stuff as well
Wowwww buddy. Is that a Minnesota vehicle. My goodness. I hope your anyi seize sprays worked for you! Enjoy your videos!! Your setup was much easier. No coil compression. I'll be removing Motorcraft original shocks and putting on B6 bilsteins. Need to find a good coil compressor. All the ones I have found scare me.
I have seen/heard that the bottom bolt is 30mm and you said 29mm. I'm going with you man! Thanks for the videos. Another mechanic's bill I don't have to spring for.
Your a dam good instructor, keep up the excellent work. I have one request, Can you do a electrical wiring video, on how to find a short within the electrical system. Thank You.
On a 2014, that has two smaller bolts holding down the bottom of the shock, will this method still work or will I also have to take out the half shaft? The reason I ask is that the 2014 has a cross piece in the lower shock hole, and it seems like you might have a hard time getting that to clear the boot. I know it has been 4+ years since this video came out, but I'm hoping you might see this question and comment.
These are the Loaded Struts I Recommend (check fitment guide)-
amzn.to/2Uz5Zx2
What about 2018 4x2 loaded struts?
FordTechMakuloco just for clarity do you recommend the KYB struts over the Motorcraft (part numbers GU2Z-18A092-K) ones?
My 2012 f150 makes a crunching sound when the front-passenger side wheel drops off of a curb. I noticed that the cylinder inside of the coil spring has a big crack in it. I’m guessing that could be the problem or a symptom of a larger problem. What do you think?
Just checked the amazon link these struts do not fit 2012 f150 2wd vehicles
Michael Casey because this is a 4x4 truck n the video
This is the one. Just watch this video and DIY. Saved me $600 and I was able to get better parts than the shop was trying to sell me.
I didn't grow up wrenching on vehicles. I'm learning as I go here and really appreciate people like this who take the time to share their knowledge. That means more to me at the moment than the money I saved.
I know you have a million people thanking you for saving them money, but make it one million one and counting. Thank you sir!!!
Thank you Sir. I used this as my reference material to swap my Ford Expedition struts. I found the 30mm needed the deep socket, like the one you used and the Milwaukee M18 high torque impact driver. So i used the money I saved on labour to buy a few more tools and got the job done. I did not have a 406lb torque wrench, the price of 0-600 lb wrenches is shocking. If I can find a deal I will buy one, if not next time i am in a shop i will add a torque check to the job, For now the Milwaukee with 1100 ft lbs of torque rammed them on. BTW you are an amazing teacher, so much detail, I feel confident that with your videos and the right tools, I can better maintain my fords.
Thank you for showing this way. It’s way easier than other channels show. There is no reason to remove the knuckle.
Thanks for sharing this video! I went to take my 2008 F-150 for an alignment and they told me my spring was broke. They told me that they replace these strut assemblies in pairs. They quoted me well over $800 to get the parts, plus labor and then the alignment. I have the parts from the parts store. It looks so easy to put it from the video that I may tackle the job myself and save the money from the labor and just go and have the alignment done once I get them in.
Hands down, best Ford F-150 content on TH-cam.
This man has just such a wealth of knowledge.
I follow his advice religiously.
Best mechanic help videos on the Internet save me thousands of dollars thank you very much and I watch these videos just for fun
Thanks for the great video! .Just did this myself, went pretty smooth, tie rod dropped right out after loosening the nut, no hammering was needed. Moving the bottom knuckle of the shock back into the slot of the control arm was easily done without a pry bar or anything for me. Because of this video I knew exactly what to expect, it really helped.
Watching this video makes me even happier I live in the southwest, 180+ K on my 2013 F150 4x4 no rust on frame or suspension.
I appreciate your videos, I was a tech in the Air Force and got away from turning wrenches. As my F150 needs it your videos have given me the boost to get back out there and do it myself. Thanks for taking the time to do them.
What trade? I was Avionics, I and E and I to have my 1999 F150 that I hug regularly.
You have been amazing on your knowledge of these Ford trucks.. I just bought a 08 F-150 for 2500 bucks and I've been stressed with all the work I've had to do but it's paying off. I had a 5.8 before this for about 15 yrs and rarely had to do much. Your videos have been great with helping me to diagnose problems
Phasers go out yet?
I saw other videos where people took apart everything just to get to the struts. Not necessary. This was quick and simple.
maintaining my 2011 ford f150 supercrew with 3.5 ecoboost is easy with your great detailed explanations... replace plugs using your videos . now struts and shocks with only 104,000 on truck.. thanks for the help... keep up the good work.... spudlocker..
You’re the BEST Technician EVER!!…. Thank you so much for sharing your great knowledge, and your videos are so good quality just like you are, thanks again,
May God bless you All.
Thank you for giving us accurate information regarding tools needed. Everyone on TH-cam says that the struts lower bolt is 30 mm and you say it is 29 mm. You sir, are correct !!!
I have a 2005 F150 XLT 4WD. I will also confirm the lower nut is 29mm, not 30mm.
Just finished mine. 30mm in my case. I don't know if this is a year change or a trim change. 2006 FX4
I thought I already watched this. I noticed truck also got a new half axle and ewi hub. Good job. I ALWAYS watch your video related to something I have to do to my "05 f150 4x4 5.4
2005 f150 owner here. Just wanted to let you know your videos are great. Very informative and very easy to understand. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the video, replaced struts in an '07 F-150 and this video helped greatly. I just wanted to tell you for the next time you do this, you don't have to unbolt the outer tie rod end, it slips right out with it in place. Once again, great video.
I think maybe you have a 2wd model. He was working on a 4wd
I've watched several videos, presentation is superlative as it teaches someone with medium mechanical skills how to accomplish each task. In addition, it gives someone with minimum mechanical skills the knowledge that will save them from getting ripped off by unsavory individuals. I find your videos to be one of the most useful tools that I've encountered on the internet......thank you!:)
Thank you FordTecMakeuloco! Installed Kyb loaded struts on my 2005 lariat this weekend. The job went flawlessly because of your insightful video. Start to finish less than 2 hours including coffee break. Next project is spark plugs and coils. Hope they don't break. Thanks again and keep up the great videos.
Did you break any plugs? If not, what removal technique did you use?
Hey great vid, I replaced the coil spring assembly on my truck not long ago. Just a tip I had a cardboard box from Uhaul in the garage and I cut a square and put it between the CV boot and the bottom of the coil spring assembly so it doesnt tear anything when it comes up. Thanks for posting all these!
Man seeing these videos with all the rust underneath makes me appreciate living in Florida. I have 2005 and my under body still looks new even the stickers are still there
Just did this over the weekend along with the rear shocks. Your video helped tremendously! Mine (07 stx) did not come out or go in as easily but i think it was because i was trying to be too easy with it. Those third bolts in the engine compartment took long extensions as there is no room to turn a wrench in there. Thank you!
Did my struts along with both the four wheel drive actuators the other day. Your videos really helped me out. It would have been a lot harder without your tips. Everything is working great now. Oh and I ordered some of the Mopar rust penetrant. I normally use Kano Aerokroil which is a lot more expensive but good stuff too. So we'll see if the Mopar lives up to your claims. Thanks for all the videos man. You are #1 in my book. Next project is the rear end differential.
Gotta tell you thanks again. I’ve been teaching my 18 year old off of your videos Helped us out a ton on these 1-3 hour jobs for the 1/2 and 3/4 tons we own
Goodby Dealer repair or any mechanic. You are showing that many repairs can be done by me, in the garage. I don't have the words to express my gratitude for sharing this information. Thank you very much. But wait, what is that sound coming from the garage? Oh, it's my 2006 Lincoln Mark Lt thanking you too.
So glad I left Minnesota for Dallas, just swapped my rear shocks, truck looks brand new underneath still on a 2013. Front should be a breeze. Doing billstein 5100 on all 4.
Thank you very much for the great instructions. I replaced my front left and right struts, Driver side wheel bearing, and my front brakes on each side. I followed your instructions and everything went nice and easy. THANKS AGAIN.
On a 2010 2wd, the lower strut mount goes into a cup-like thing so the lower control arm has to be lowered much more. The lower mount bolt nut takes a 30 mm socket, too. On the first try, I couldn't get the tie-rod end loose without destroying it so I ended up putting it back together. Will try again tomorrow. Maybe the tie-rod will lower enough without taking it apart. Also I had to unmount the brake hose and antiskid wires to keep from breaking them.
Mopar knows all about rust. that's a fact lol.
I bet they have good connections for a tow truck too!
If only they had a change transmission light every 50k lol
Change your fluid. That will help.
Yeah my ram was a nightmare to fix and put on all new suspension haha
Ford Tech Makuloco RULES !!!!! Semper Fi !!
Thanks again. I have so many of your videos saved and have done all the work myself because of your helpful tips. You have the best tutorials on TH-cam. 👍
Man, I'm glad I live in Arizona, I have a 2009 f150 it's clean as a whistle under the truck !
Mark Collins same here, I can't believe how rusty those northeast vehicles get.
One more tip: I tried doing this at home by jacking up one side of the truck. New strut wouldn’t go in, “too long”. Problem was the sway bar link was pulling up on the lower control arm. Had to jack up the other side of the truck to allow that wheel to drop and let the sway bar link let the lower control arm to drop, giving me room to install the strut. Much easier on a lift probably
I want to thank you for this video, made changing the front struts easy. The only real time eating process was jacking up the truck and taking off the wheels, other than that sweet tutorial video.... Thanks again...
This video just saved me about $400. Thanks man.
after watching this video and ordering these same struts i was able to complete this job exactly how you said it would go...awesome videos... thanx alot
What year and model pls I have2013 f150 xlt ecooboster??? Do you have the same??
THE INFORMATION OF YOUR VIDEO WAS VERY HELPFUL MADE THE JOB SO MUCH EASIER THAN I EXPECTED.
Excellent video. Hi def and well explained. Great camera angles and super easy to follow. Kudos and thank you for taking the time to put this together!
So how long was that truck on the bottom of the Atlantic?
hi
Just looks like it spent a few winters in Wisconsin.
badderthanyou in canada that's 2 days in winter 😂😂
Sad but this is what American vehicles look like. I work with guys with 5-6 year old Dodge and Ford trucks with rust all over the fenders...disappointing for the price and supposed American quality.
Truth!
I'm looking at this job next weekon my 2013 F150 FX4 3.5L V6 DOHC Turbo. I was pretty hesitant about doing this myself until I saw this video. Thanks for the great explanation. Question.. I have a leveling kit on my truck, does this make a difference on the replacement?
i bought the struts you linked for an 04 f150, and they're the same length and configuration as the strut that was on there, but i can not get the bottom of the new strut seated properly. I'm pushing down on the spindle and lower control arm as hard as i can and i can not get it to pop in place. In your video it just went back in no problem.
Nice to see someone working on a truck that isn't brand new !
Brian, my 2013 f150 doesn't have the aluminum bottom A frame, mine is black metal and the cup where the bottom of strut fits is way different and harder to get in than the aluminum setup. Just wanted to mention the difference.
Thank you for this video. I recently purchased the Rough Country 4 inch struts for my 2019 F150 with a 4 inch BDS lift easy off / easy on
This was very helpful, saved me a ton of time learn. The 2010 model bottom of strut fits into a pocket.
Nice Job. I like how you explained everything in detail. Thank you
Wow Brian this is awsome I have an 11 year old f150 and I always wanted to learn how to do this just in case anything happens to my truck thanks awsome vid as always very thorough on how you explain things keep it up and thanks.
I wanted to say thank you for taking the time and making all of the videos I have watched which helped me complete my task today. I changed out both strut assemblies, upper control arms, sway bar links and lower ball joints. I only had one problem with doing everything and it was the driver side strut assembly. I had to take it to a shop and have the spring compressed and the lower mounting hole adjusted as it was about 30 degrees offset. Other than that it went great but took me a full 8 hours to finish. Thanks again and have a great holiday season sir.
Super professional video wow. Dude you are awesome, may all your dreams come true for helping millions out with this.
You are extremely clear in all your videos and I have been using them for a few years now. Thank you for making them available. I currently have a 2012 F150 4x4 that I’m about to install a 2 inch leveling kit on. Would this video be good to follow or will I have to remove the knuckle?
You really gave me the confidence to save money and tackle this project! Big thanks
A neat trick is how the rusty cv joint magically shined up to brand new! That Mopar rust penetrator works miracles! Probably should have sprayed the whole chassis with it to make it look like new too! (Just joking) A shop I worked for way back use to use a competitors spray of some type that worked better than what we had available through the dealer brand that we were.
Great video my question is why are other videos showing so much more disassembly?
Likely because this guy is doing an assembly. And not compressing the spring and keeping the existing spring.
I just did a 2009 after watching this video. I must say the lower control arms are totally different, as well is the steering rack and tie rod ends. The LCA has a hole that they sit in and can not be pried out. The tie rod end sits on top of the the spindle, rather than under. I had to take the top control arm loose, and the swaybar to get the LCA low enough to remove the assy.
Same issue on my 2013. Loosen/remove the ball joints and you’ll have to pry down the control arm. It’s the only way I could get mine out/in after a short panic……
It’d be nice for the video description to be updated to point this out. I found the tie rod ends different too but that was much easier to overcome.
Hope not goes well. These videos are amazing.
Watching in 2017 - Thanks a lot man, great archive of instruction.
Ok, so on the next attempt, I figured out how to do this on my 2010 f150 2wd and it was very easy (with the right tools, of course). I did not need to separate the tie rods. Only the stab link, the ABS harness and brake hose, and the upper ball joint. The lower control arm dropped enough that I could get the strut out.
Man I really appreciate the videos you post! They have helped me repair and have knowledge to future repair my Expedition. Thank you!
Lol I’ve never seen anyone mention the mopar stuff befor. But that’s all we use at our shop. It’s literally the best we’ve used for rusted, corroded or sticky bolts
Nice video just about to start Rancho Quick lift install "2008 F-150 XL 2wd" and no other video mentioned the lock tight, wire brushing the threads or loading the strut before torquing it down
Brandon Armstrong how did those Quick lift work? I put some on my 08 F150 2WD and I just don't like how they pull down on the upper control arm.
Thanx for the video. I am doing this job on a 2011 f150 raptor next week.
I notice the vacuum hose to the hub was off. But I am guessing that you did that since you changed the CV axle also. Am I correct? Great video by the way. Thanks for being my informative Ford tech. Helps a lot!
Great video. After I put my new Rancho leveling struts in I will come back and let you know how it went!
great video, like your thoroughness and expertise. Lotta people just beat these parts when its not necessary. I'm doing it on my town car and the basic principle is the same. thanks!
Thankyou for taking the time to do this video, I just replaced mine with your help.
I watched the video about three times, it looked simple enough, so I bought the struts and shock assembly.
After I started, I realized I did not have a socket big enough for that heavy-duty bolt. I went to Walmart, they did not have anything close. I went to Lowe's, but they did not have it either. I went to Home Depot and they had the 29 mm socket. When I got back home the socket was still too small. I went back to Home Depot and got the 30 mm, and it fit. The problem was that I did not have that powerful air gun to loosen the bolt, and I wasn't strong enough to undo it with all of my might.
Then I sat back and asked God how to do this, and guess what? He gave me the idea of using leverage. I attached a two foot extension on the end of the wrench and used my body weight, and it finally gave way. Holy cow, 350 foot pound of torque is a lot.
I finally got the job done, well one side, but it took me four hours. Just think, the professional in the video was done in only 13 minutes. Lol.
This was my first time, and I'm a doctor, not a mechanic. Lol. But the instructions in the video were great.
My vehicle : Ford f150.
I'll let you know how long it takes me to do the other side tomorrow, God willing.
I had a bad knee, so I decided to fix it myself. I couldn't find a scalpel anywhere, so I bought a razor knife and a sawzall. It took me all day, and a bottle of whiskey, but I fixed it. I'm a mechanic, not a doctor. I guess we could have helped each other out on this, if we had met sooner, probably, probly...
First of I want to say I have watched several of your videos and they are all top notch. Thank you for your time and effort in putting these together. I have two questions on the strut install -1 I ordered the struts from your link. When I went to mount the new strut I had to pry down on the lower control arm to get it into position. Is this because my truck has a 5" lift and is this normal? And 2, you didn't show torquing the lower strut bolt. Do I need to spend several hundred on a torque wrench that will do 350 foot pounds that I might use twice in my lifetime?
So I watched your video on the rear shock replacement and that ended up being so easy. I did it with the bilstein 5100 series and love it. I then thought I'd go ahead and do the fronts as well. I got a set for the front of the bilsein 5100 series without the springs thinking I could handle it and also it saved about 500 bucks. Now that I watch this, I wonder of I screwed up. How hard is it to do the front shocks without replacing the springs? You're amazing and in depth videos walked me through the entire timing component upgrade and replacement and I was able to do that with your instruction.
Will I be in over my head with this next project?
P.s. thank you so much for your videos! You are a God send!
I'm sure you'll be alright, just be sure to use the spring compressors correctly and safely. Let us know how it goes!
Ordering my rear 5100's tonight.
Great Step by Step! Nice description along the way - and Thanks for not missing anything!
Thank you, very informative, easy to follow. I'm getting Rancho struts, not cheap but are going to level the truck afterwards.
Very grateful for your videos! They have saved me time and money, and are just fun to watch even if I don’t have a pending repair to make. I have a 2005 King Ranch F150 with 139,000 miles. Definitely has bad lower ball joints on both sides, and a visually torn rubber boot on the passenger side upper control arm joint. I think it is safe to assume that most if not all the front end suspension components are shot, and it seems like it would make sense to replace them all while I have stuff taken apart. I am planning to replace upper control arms, lower ball joints, inner and outer tie rods, coil over shock assemblies and stabilizer bar linkage. Maybe wheel bearing hub assemblies too. Is there a particular order I should use for all this to avoid uninstalling/reinstalling parts unnecessarily? Seems like this coil over shock repair would be easier while the drive shaft is out of the hub and the knuckle is out if the way for the ball joint repair. Just worried about things like torquing that bolt at ride height. Wouldn’t I need to finish the ball joint and upper control arm repair first to raise the lower control arm to ride height. Just trying to make a plan...any advice would be appreciated.
This video helped a lot on my 09 XLT, however the procedure is a little different on the 09-14? Had to remove the upper ball joint nut and sway bar link to allow the lower control arm to drop down enough to remove strut. It didn't want to slide by the boot nicely.
Excellent video. I try to stay around 100 ft pounds on my lug nuts (not 150) cuz on many cars I've had the rotors become warped for some reason with over torquing. Not sure what the manufacturer specs are but that's what I do. Glad I subscribed to your videos.
Jitom7 Most vehicles the spec is 100 but the trucks they are 150 and the superduty trucks are 165 never a problem.
I could have used this video a few months back. Haha. I had no idea that this would be a common thing. My spring let lose while turning into my driveway (thankfully) and it was a loud pop/ping sound. Scared the crap out of me. It would have saved me a few hundred on labor doing it myself than having my mechanic do it, but I had no idea what the problem was. It sounded more serious than it really was I guess! Then again, I have no idea how I'd torque down that big bottom bolt accurately.
PB Blaster is the best rust penatrator I've found. We use that stuff offshore.
Quick thanks for the video. Made my job much easier. Cool to know what size tools to gather prior to starting.
Glad you are posting videos again! How about a tour of your new shop?
eldoradony Soon
Excellent Video. However after ordering my Struts,for my 2010 FX4, I went to replace them and found I did not have a cast aluminum lower control arm as seen in your video. Instead, I had a steel one with a slot/hole where the large bolt holds the bottom of the Strut. It was just inpossible to lift it up out of it's hole in the steel control arm. Looked for a video showing a similar type control arm and found none.
Chuck Taylor I just went to do mine as well and found the exact same thing. Can't get that strut out at all.
For anyone else having the same issue like I did, Autozone put out a great video showing how to do it on the other model truck. You have to remove the upper control are ball join nut and drop the sway bar off the truck as well to get it out
Found the same in a 2013. It’s a big steel “nest” the strut bottom sits in. Had to loosen the ball joints and have my wife SIT on a 4’ pry bar to lower the control arm enough to make it work both off and back on. Otherwise these videos are spot on!!
Great info as always, much appreciated. I'm rebuilding the front end in my 2004 New Body Style F150. My struts are still in great shape after 200K but I'm going to change the shock anyway. I'm surprised by the corrosion on this truck. I live the east coast and it is clean by comparison. Unfortunately I have to settle for aftermarket generic shocks since Ford has discontinued them for the HD Payload Package. I considered adjustable, but very expensive.
Great video. i was doing the whole left side front suspension. Lower boll joint, inner outer tie rod done. Upper control arm, shock and strut assemblies in place.all snug and blue loctited, about to put back the steering knuckle back so that I can put it all to ride height to do the final torque when it starts raining. Had to pack up the tools and stop. Tomorrow should I take the upper control arm and shock assembly back off, clean the loctite, Re apply it then proceed?
Your videos are the best man. I've made a few with my 2010 F150 and was going to make one showing me changing the struts and four-wheel drive actuator but you set the bar too high man! One question for you though, on my truck the tie rod end faces down not up. I went and double checked it last night to be sure and it definitely faces down. I assumed it varies? Anyway keep the videos coming man you know your stuff. Best on TH-cam in my opinion.
Yes it varies throughout the years.
Great video. Been watching your videos for learning and I been learning a lot. keep it up
Great instructional video! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. If the spring wasn't broken would you just replace the inner shock? Or is that even possible? Thank you in advance for your reply!!
I want to know this answer as well for a 08 Expedition @FordTechMakuloco
You can replace just the inner shock, but it's a lot more work and can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Spring compression tools can be sketchy.
This was the best video..this other guy I watched that fooo took everything apart..
Thank you for this great video. I replaced my struts this weekend and loaded the suspension before torquing. When I torqued the drivers lower shock mount it cracked when I hit 250 ft lbs. Is this common?
Thanks your video showing how to replace the struts and your right about the replacement especially when it comes to this.
Would suggest for any video of this type list the tools and torques at the front so you don’t have to go back and forth to find it in the video, if it’s it in the video at all. The lower bolt on my 2005F-150 is 27mm bolt head, 30mm deep socket for the nut
Man, I don’t know why it’s so easy on yours. I had to drop fn everything on my 2012 just to get the old one out. Even harder to get the new one in. Both tie rod bolts undone and lower control arm bolt had to go.
Thank you for the excellent video and giving all the torque ft lbs. of each.
The lower strut nut is 30mm for my 2013 f150.
I did an 09 and it was 26mm on one side and 30mm on the other side.
You might also try twister penetrant made by zep. I used this stuff when i was a ford tech and the nuts and bolts came right off even without knocking the rust off first. Just thought you might try this stuff as well
Brian Skinner I will put it on my list!
Wowwww buddy. Is that a Minnesota vehicle. My goodness. I hope your anyi seize sprays worked for you! Enjoy your videos!! Your setup was much easier. No coil compression. I'll be removing Motorcraft original shocks and putting on B6 bilsteins. Need to find a good coil compressor. All the ones I have found scare me.
Man your videos are a life saver
I have seen/heard that the bottom bolt is 30mm and you said 29mm. I'm going with you man! Thanks for the videos. Another mechanic's bill I don't have to spring for.
Fordtechmakuloco is the man by far but mine was 30mm
I think you do nice job. You have helped me on several jobs and have saved me lots or $.
this is for 2004 (new) to 2013... 2014, the strut design was changed...
Your a dam good instructor, keep up the excellent work. I have one request, Can you do a electrical wiring video, on how to find a short within the electrical system. Thank You.
On a 2014, that has two smaller bolts holding down the bottom of the shock, will this method still work or will I also have to take out the half shaft? The reason I ask is that the 2014 has a cross piece in the lower shock hole, and it seems like you might have a hard time getting that to clear the boot. I know it has been 4+ years since this video came out, but I'm hoping you might see this question and comment.