Pays to change your own wheels

Rob Keeble

Member
Messages
12,633
Location
GTA Ontario Canada
Got er done. That is replacing the two front struts and sway bars on wifes dodge caravan.
The take aways were .....shop for spares,......stick to changing your own wheels over each season as it presents opportunity for one to do an inspection which allowed me to catch a potentially very serious problem.........dont bother with trying to remove sway bars if you live in NE kinda climate....then dont bother with sawzall to cut em off. Use a small hand grinder you save tons of time and loads of blades.
Last make sure to watch future wheel alignment "specialists" and prevent them tampering with more than one strut bolt. :)

On our vehicle the strut bolts had both been replaced by cam adjusting strut bolts. The rule is if they are needed only one should be used. In Our case both had been replaced. This caused the failure of both the heads and the bolts seized inside the potmetal steering knuckle. Only remedy replace steering knuckle.
Job took day and half but now i know its safe.
Oh and dont let shop torque wheel nuts get your own torque wrench and diy even if it means loosening them and redo after new tires or whatever. On front wheels with discs this torque being correct seriously affects how discs and brakes wear and function over long term.

Your diy mechanic Rob




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