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Replacing strut(s)

L

LuckyTaxi

Diamond Member
Apparently I have one leaking strut on the left front. My cousin says I should replace both but shouldn't I jsut leave the right side alone if it's fine? Also, how can one tell if a strut is bad? I know for sure the left side if bad because I hear a noise when going over bumps and another mechanic informed me of the issue.

I just dont want to have to spend additional money if I didnt have to. He used the analogy of changing brakes, why change 1, you change all 4 at the same time.
 
I feel that struts should be replaced in pairs just like one does (or should) with shocks. If one is bad I would expect that the mate will be failing soon.
 
Yes, it can add up quickly but it isn't something that has to be done every year so the cost is really spread out over several years.
 
If it is a new strut or shock that failed fairly quickly due to a manufacturing defect, you can get away with replacing just one. If it has worn out due to normal wear and tear, best to replace them in pairs. I would say 20 or 30K is probably the cut off, but really depends on vehicle type and use.
 
Doing both at once is better in the long run and is only slightly more costly. And if you are hearing a noise over bumps in the front end of the car, consider changing the Strut Bearing Mounting plate at the top of the strut. When they fail, you will get that type of noise over bumps and the only way to change them is when the struts are out of the car.
 
I agree with snake. If it's a fairly new car(65,000 miles or less) and the strut is leaking due to a defect, just replace that one strut. They are supposed to last a pretty long time. Usually 100k miles on em at least. However if the car is old you should do both or you'll most likely end up doing the other one soon after. If you're broke though, you can get away with doing just one. It's just easier to do both when you have all the tools there.
 
Another thing to keep in mind is that you will want to have the car aligned. Do both now and do only one alignment.
 
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