If you haven’t noticed, the cost of car repairs has gone way up in the last few years and shows no sign of slowing down. That means doing your own repair work can save you more money than ever. Some jobs should always be left to the professionals, but if you’re reasonably handy (and patient), installing new struts and shocks may not be one of them.

In this article, we’ll provide a step-by-step set of instructions to give you a clear idea of the process and help you decide if it’s a job you want to take on. We also go over how to choose the right replacement shocks and struts for your vehicle, giving you everything you need to do the work yourself and save hundreds of dollars.

Can You Install Struts and Shocks Yourself?

Even if you’ve never worked on a car before, you can install shocks and struts yourself — as long as you have some basic mechanical skills, a few common tools, a free afternoon, and a little patience. It may seem intimidating at first, but with the right replacements, the job is probably much easier than you think. 

When you use pre-loaded complete strut and shock assemblies, putting them on your vehicle basically comes down to ensuring everything sits where it needs to and installing a few bolts. To put it another way: if you can put together a dresser from IKEA, replacing the shocks and struts on your car shouldn’t be too difficult for you.

What You Need To Install Struts and Shocks on Your Car

While putting new shocks and struts on your car isn’t especially challenging, you do need some basic tools for the job. These include:

• ⦿ Replacement struts and shocks or conversion kit
• ⦿ Set of socket wrenches matching the measurement units of your vehicle (metric or standard)
• ⦿ Sturdy jack
• ⦿ Large flathead screwdriver or prying tool
• ⦿ Rubber mallet
• ⦿ Spray-on rust penetrant
• ⦿ Gloves
• ⦿ Pan or bowl for loose nuts and bolts
   

The one specialty tool you need to get the job done right is a camber gauge. This ensures that you’re installing the new struts at the angle the car is designed for. You should be able to find one at your local auto parts store or online for less than $20 — no need for anything fancier than that.

How To Install Shocks & Struts: Step-by-Step Guide

The following set of instructions is a general overview for informational purposes. Be sure to follow the instructions that come with your replacement struts and shocks. You may also be able to find videos to help.

1. Prepare Your Installation Site

To install your new struts and shocks, you’ll need a safe space with enough room to move around the vehicle as needed. Most driveways and garages will do just fine.

Clear the installation site of debris and find a relatively flat, level surface for your jack. Take note of any areas where you could lose small parts like nuts and washers. 

2. Prepare Your Vehicle for the Installation

The next step is getting your car ready to be worked on. Park it in the spot you’ve prepared and check again for rocks and other debris that might be painful to step or lay down on.

You’ll need to remove the wheels from your vehicle to install the new suspension parts. Remember to loosen the lug nuts on each wheel before lifting it. Ensure that your parking brake is fully engaged for safety.

This is also a good time to spray rust penetrant around the wheel assemblies. These solutions work better when they’ve had a little time to settle, so applying it at this point means you won’t have to wait until it’s time to start removing components.

3. Safely Lift Your Vehicle

Never forget that working under a car can be dangerous. Make sure you use a jack you can depend on, specifically NOT the emergency jack stored in your vehicle. These aren’t designed for auto repairs and may slip while you’re working.

A hydraulic jack, or floor jack, is a great option for working on your struts. It’s also a good thing to have around in general, especially if you think you’ll be working on your own car more.

Lift your vehicle enough that you can easily remove the wheels. Finish unfastening the lug nuts and put the wheels somewhere out of the way.

4. Measure the Camber Angle

The camber angle is the angle of your car’s wheel relative to the road. It may look completely vertical, but most cars have a slight negative camber — which means the top end of the wheel leans a little inward. 

Use your camber gauge to read the angle and write it down. You’ll need to check that it’s the same when you reinstall the wheel assembly. After doing so, you can remove the rotors.

5. Remove the Old Struts and Shocks

If you applied rust penetrant earlier, you should now be able to easily remove the old struts and shocks. There are three main parts of this process.

The first is to disconnect the stabilizer bar from the strut, which is usually attached with just one bolt and remove any wiring or wiring harness. Then, you’ll need to pry the steering knuckle away from the strut. Finally, remove the bolts that mount the strut to the frame and pull the strut away from the vehicle.

Do not force anything. If something seems stuck, apply more rust penetrant and wait. You may need to use the rubber mallet to knock stubborn parts loose. Just do so with gentle force.

6. Set the New Shocks and Struts and Measure

Installing the new struts and shocks is the same as the previous step, just in reverse. Carefully mount the new assembly to the frame. Attach the steering knuckle to the new strut, which should fit perfectly into place. Reattach any wires or harnesses you removed and finally, fasten on the stabilizer bar. Leave a little play in the bolts for now.

At this step, you’ll also want to measure the camber angle again to make sure it matches the measurement you took earlier. If your replacement shocks and struts are made correctly, you shouldn’t have to make any adjustments. If the angle is off, look to see where you may have installed something incorrectly.

7. Tighten and Check the Installation

Once you’ve confirmed that everything is in place and the camber angle is where it needs to be, you can tighten all the bolts at the installation points. It may be helpful to make a list and cross things off when you finish tightening to ensure you catch every one. Leaving bolts untightened can damage your new struts and your vehicle and make it unsafe to drive.

Double check everything before lowering your car. If you’re new to working on cars, go ahead and triple-check. Look to see that all the bolts are tightened securely and that nothing is wobbly or loose. 

Once you’ve given everything a thorough inspection and everything looks good, you can reattach the wheels. Lower the vehicle and tighten the lugs. At this point, you have completed the installation, but there are a few post-install steps still to take.

8. Conduct a Driving Test

You’ll want to confirm that you performed the installation correctly before taking your new shocks and struts on the highway. Drive your car at slow speeds around safe neighborhood streets to check.

Listen for any odd noises coming from the wheel area. Pay attention to the ride and see if you feel a wheel out of alignment or unusual movements. In general, your new shocks and struts should feel smooth and secure. If they don’t, you may need to go over the installation again.

9. Get an Alignment Service

Installing shocks and struts will likely shift your car’s alignment. Driving around on a poorly-aligned vehicle can quickly damage your new suspension, among many other negative effects. 

Before you put many miles on your new struts and shocks, take your car in for an alignment service. This will ensure that your car is truly ready for the road, and you get the maximum lifetime and performance out of your work.

Congratulations. You just installed your own struts and shocks.

How To Choose the Right Struts and Shocks for Your Vehicle

Before you do anything, you’ll need to get the proper replacement components for your car. The right replacements can provide years of dependable performance. The wrong ones can make your car uncomfortable or even unsafe to drive and do damage to other parts of the vehicle.

Replacement Struts and Shocks: What To Look For

To ensure you get the right replacement shocks and struts, there are a few things you’ll need to consider:

1. Model and year match: Find parts that are made for your vehicle in specific. Even models a year or two apart can vary in size and fit, so look for the most precise match you can find.
2. Pre-assembled components: You can buy shocks and struts separately, but unless you’re an experienced mechanic, you don’t want to. Putting them together and ensuring they’re properly assembled can be difficult. Many suppliers sell complete strut and shock assemblies that make installation easy and remove any guesswork.
3. High-quality parts: Some manufacturers use inferior components to save money that may not fit perfectly or are made with low-quality materials. To be safe, choose a recognized provider like Bag Master with a strong reputation for quality.
4. Customer support: You may not need help with installing your struts and shocks, but if you do, you want to know that you’ve got support you can count on. Choose parts from a company that offers customer support that’s easy to reach and knows their stuff.

Installing shocks and struts for yourself can be a rewarding task that also saves you a significant amount of money. When you choose the right replacement parts from a supplier you can trust, the job gets much easier.