🔧 Focus - Shock Absorber Replacement

On your Focus, the rear uses separate shock absorbers, while the front suspension uses a strut assembly (a strut is a shock with a spring built around it). The steps, tools, and safety risks are different for front vs rear.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Never loosen the center nut on a front strut top mount unless the spring is safely compressed with a coil spring compressor (specialty).
• ⚠️ Support the car with jack stands on solid lift points; never rely on a jack.
• ⚠️ Keep fingers clear of suspension pinch points as the arm moves.
• ⚠️ If you’re doing front struts, plan for a professional alignment afterward.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Lug wrench or 19mm socket
• Socket set 8mm-21mm
• Ratchet
• Breaker bar
• Torque wrench (20-200 Nm range)
• Combination wrench set 10mm-21mm
• Trim clip tool
• Flathead screwdriver
• Pry bar
• Penetrating oil
• Paint marker
• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• Coil spring compressor (specialty)
• Strut spreader bit (specialty)

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear shock absorbers - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Rear upper shock mount hardware - Qty: 2
• Rear lower shock bolts/nuts - Qty: 2
• Front complete strut assemblies - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Front strut mount/bearing kits - Qty: 2
• Front strut pinch bolts/nuts - Qty: 2

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and place wheel chocks at the rear wheels if lifting the front (and at the front wheels if lifting the rear).
• Crack the lug nuts loose 1/2 turn with a lug wrench or 19mm socket before lifting.
• Spray visible shock/strut bolts with penetrating oil 10 minutes before removal.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Quick check — rear shocks or front struts?

• Please reply with: Rear shocks or Front struts (or Both).
• If you say Front struts: tell me if you’re installing complete quick-struts (pre-assembled) or reusing your springs (requires coil spring compressor (specialty)).

Step 2: I’ll give you the exact procedure

• Once you answer Step 1, I’ll lay out the exact Focus steps with the correct fastener locations and torque specs for that end of the car.

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✅ After Repair

• Test drive slowly and listen for clunks over bumps.
• If you did front struts, get a 4-wheel alignment as soon as possible.
• Recheck lug nut torque after 25-50 miles: Torque to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs).

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$1,400 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $160-$900 (parts only)

You Save: $290-$500+ by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-5 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.