F-150 - Front Strut Replacement 🛠️

Below is a beginner-friendly guide for replacing the front strut assemblies on your F-150. If you also want rear shocks, tell me after this.

Safety First ⚠️

• 🧯 Work on level ground and set the parking brake.
• 🧱 Use jack stands under the frame; never rely only on a jack.
• 🧤 Wear safety glasses and gloves.
• 🔧 Do NOT disassemble the coil spring unless you have a proper spring compressor and experience. For beginners, I strongly recommend using complete loaded strut assemblies (pre-assembled with spring, mount, and bearing).

Recommended Parts ✅

• 🛞 Complete front strut assemblies (left and right) Always replace in pairs so the truck sits and handles evenly.
• 🧩 Optional: new upper strut nuts and lower strut bolts/nuts (Ford often specifies replacing “torque-to-yield” fasteners).

Tools You’ll Need 🔧

• 🧰 Floor jack – to lift the truck.
• 🧱 Jack stands – to safely support the truck.
• 🔩 Socket set (metric):
  • Common sizes used on this truck: 10mm, 15mm, 18mm, 21mm.
• 🔧 Combination wrenches – same sizes as sockets.
• 🛠️ Breaker bar – long-handled bar to loosen tight bolts.
• 🌀 Torque wrench – tool that tightens bolts to a specific torque.
• 🪛 Flat screwdriver / trim tool – to move clips or small covers.
• 🪚 Pry bar – to help move the lower control arm if needed.
• 🧴 Penetrating oil – helps loosen rusty bolts.
• 🧽 Paint marker or scribe – to mark alignment of parts if needed.

Key Torque Specs (Front) 📏

• 🧷 Upper strut mount nuts (3 small nuts on top): ~ 30–35 lb-ft.
• 🧷 Lower strut-to-lower-control-arm bolt: ~ 350 lb-ft (very tight; use a strong breaker bar and torque wrench).
• 🧷 Stabilizer (sway) bar link nut (if removed): ~ 85 lb-ft.
• 🧷 Wheel lug nuts: 150 lb-ft.

Values vary slightly by build; these are typical for your truck. Tighten to spec, not just “good and tight.”

Preparation 🚗

• 🧷 Park the truck on level ground, set the parking brake, and chock the rear wheels (wheel chocks are blocks that stop the truck from rolling).
• 🧷 Loosen (do not remove) the front wheel lug nuts with the truck still on the ground.

Step 1 – Lift and Support the Front 🔼

• 🧷 Place the floor jack under the front frame crossmember and lift the front of the truck.
• 🧷 Put jack stands under the frame rails on both sides.
• 🧷 Lower the truck gently onto the stands and make sure it’s stable. Give the truck a small shake to confirm it’s solid.
• 🧷 Remove the front wheels completely.

Step 2 – Access the Strut Top Mounts (Engine Bay) 🔍

• 🧷 Open the hood.
• 🧷 On each side, locate the strut tower (near the fender). You’ll see three small nuts around the top of the strut.
• 🧷 Spray a little penetrating oil on these nuts.
• 🧷 Loosen but do NOT fully remove the three upper nuts on each side (leave a few threads engaged so the strut doesn’t drop later).

Step 3 – Disconnect Components at the Strut (Wheel Well) 🧩

• 🧷 Turn the steering wheel to give yourself more room on the side you’re working on.
• 🧷 If the sway bar link attaches to the strut body (common on this truck), remove the nut holding the link to the strut using a wrench and socket. Hold the link stud with a wrench or hex key if it spins.
• 🧷 If any brake hose or ABS wire brackets are clipped to the strut, remove the small bolts or clips so they’re free.

Step 4 – Remove the Lower Strut Bolt 🔩

• 🧷 Support the lower control arm with the floor jack (light pressure only, just to hold it).
• 🧷 Locate the big bolt that goes through the bottom of the strut into the lower control arm.
• 🧷 Spray penetrating oil on the nut and bolt.
• 🧷 Use a breaker bar and the correct socket (usually 30mm-ish head, 27–30mm or 21mm depending on build) with a wrench on the other side to remove the nut, then slide the bolt out. You may need to tap the bolt out with a hammer; protect the threads with a nut or use a soft-faced hammer.

Step 5 – Remove the Strut Assembly 🏗️

• 🧷 Go back to the engine bay and now remove the three upper strut nuts completely while supporting the strut from below with your other hand.
• 🧷 From the wheel well, lower the strut out of the tower and angle it out of the truck. You may need to push the lower control arm down slightly or turn the steering for clearance.
• 🧷 Remove the strut assembly from the truck.

Step 6 – Install the New Loaded Strut 🆕

• 🧷 Compare the new strut to the old one:
  • Same length.
  • Same spring orientation.
  • Same top mount shape and bolt pattern.
• 🧷 Feed the new strut up into the wheel well and into the strut tower.
• 🧷 From the engine bay, start the three upper nuts by hand to hold the strut in place, but do not fully tighten yet.
• 🧷 Align the bottom of the strut with the lower control arm mounting point.
• 🧷 Insert the lower bolt through the control arm and strut. You may need to raise or lower the control arm slightly with the jack to line up the holes.
• 🧷 Install the nut on the lower bolt and snug it up (final torque later).

Step 7 – Reattach Sway Bar Link and Brackets 🔗

• 🧷 Reinstall the sway bar link to the strut and tighten the nut snug (torque later).
• 🧷 Reattach any brake hose or ABS wire brackets to the new strut.

Step 8 – Torque Everything to Spec 🔧

• 🧷 With the truck still on jack stands, torque the following:
  • Lower strut bolt: ~ 350 lb-ft (you may need a high-capacity torque wrench; if you don’t have one, get as close as possible with a long breaker bar, but a proper torque wrench is best).
  • Sway bar link nut: ~ 85 lb-ft.
• 🧷 In the engine bay, torque the three upper strut nuts to 30–35 lb-ft in a crisscross pattern.

Step 9 – Reinstall Wheels and Lower the Truck 🚙

• 🧷 Reinstall the front wheels and hand-tighten the lug nuts.
• 🧷 Raise the truck slightly with the jack, remove the jack stands, and lower the truck to the ground.
• 🧷 Torque the lug nuts in a star pattern to 150 lb-ft.

Step 10 – Final Checks & Alignment ✅

• 🧷 Bounce the front of the truck a few times to settle the suspension.
• 🧷 Take a short, gentle test drive. Listen for clunks, pops, or rubbing.
• 🧷 After the drive, recheck the torque on the lug nuts.
• 🧷 Get a professional wheel alignment as soon as possible. Strut replacement changes suspension geometry and can cause tire wear if not aligned.

Rear Shocks (If You Need Them) 🔁

If you also want to replace the rear shocks, tell me and I’ll give you a shorter, separate step-by-step (they’re easier than the fronts).

Save Money with DIY 💰

Shops often charge 4–6 hours labor plus parts for front struts on your F-150. Doing it yourself with complete loaded struts can save you hundreds.

HowToo makes it easy: below this answer you’ll see recommended complete strut assemblies, new hardware, and the tools (including torque wrenches and breaker bars). You can add them to your cart right from the parts section for fast shipping.