🔧 Front Strut Assembly - Replacement

Your Sierra uses front strut assemblies, not rear struts. Replacing them restores ride control, steering feel, and braking stability, especially if the truck bounces, clunks, or sits unevenly.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-4 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• Support the truck securely on jack stands before removing any suspension parts.
• Keep hands clear of the coil spring area. A strut spring is under high tension.
• If your replacement strut is pre-assembled, do not disassemble the spring and mount.
• Use care around ABS wire brackets and brake hose routing.
• No battery disconnect is required for this repair.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• 21mm socket
• 18mm socket
• 15mm socket
• Ratchet
• Breaker bar
• Torque wrench
• Torque wrench, low range
• Penetrating oil
• Trim clip tool
• Needle-nose pliers

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front strut assembly - Qty: 2
• Front strut upper mount hardware kit - Qty: 2
• Front sway bar link nuts - Qty: 2

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground and set the parking brake.
• Put wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• Loosen the front lug nuts before lifting the truck.
• Work on one side at a time.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Raise and support the front of the truck

• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the front end by the frame.
• Place jack stands under the frame rails and lower the truck onto them.
• Remove the front wheel with a 21mm socket.

Step 2: Remove the sway bar link from the strut

• Use an 18mm socket and 15mm socket to remove the sway bar end link nut and hold the stud if needed.
• Move the link out of the way.
• Spray rusty fasteners first.

Step 3: Disconnect the brake hose and ABS wire brackets

• Use a trim clip tool and needle-nose pliers to release any brackets attached to the strut.
• Do not let the brake hose hang by itself.

Step 4: Remove the lower strut bolts

• Use a 21mm socket and breaker bar to remove the lower strut-to-knuckle bolts.
• Support the knuckle so it does not pull on the CV axle or brake hose.
• Torque on reassembly: 175 Nm (129 ft-lbs)

Step 5: Remove the upper strut mount nuts

• Open the hood and locate the top of the strut tower.
• Use an 18mm socket to remove the upper strut nuts.
• Hold the strut from below while removing the last nut.
• Torque on reassembly: 50 Nm (37 ft-lbs)

Step 6: Remove the strut assembly

• Lower the strut assembly out through the wheel well.
• If needed, rotate it to clear the control arm and axle.

Step 7: Install the new strut assembly

• Position the new strut into the tower by hand.
• Start the upper nuts first using a ratchet.
• Align the lower strut holes with the knuckle and install the lower bolts.
• Tighten the lower bolts with a torque wrench to 175 Nm (129 ft-lbs).
• Tighten the upper nuts with a torque wrench, low range to 50 Nm (37 ft-lbs).

Step 8: Reattach brackets and sway bar link

• Reinstall the brake hose and ABS wire brackets using the original clips.
• Reattach the sway bar link using an 18mm socket and 15mm socket.
• Torque the sway bar link nut to 100 Nm (74 ft-lbs).

Step 9: Reinstall the wheel and lower the truck

• Install the wheel and snug the lug nuts with a 21mm socket.
• Lower the truck and torque the lug nuts in a star pattern to 190 Nm (140 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• Test drive slowly at first and listen for clunks or rubbing.
• Check that the brake hose and ABS wire have full slack through steering travel.
• Get a front-end alignment after replacing struts.
• If the steering wheel is off-center, the alignment is especially important.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $700-$1,300 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $220-$500 (parts only)

You Save: $480-$800 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-4 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.