How to replace front struts?

[JCeeDub]

Can someone give me a quick overview on how to replace the front struts on a '01 QX4? I looked for the online service manuals but they all seem to be unavailable now.

[Avalanche325]

First of all, rent or buy a GOOD strut / spring comrpessor. Without one, you could find yourself in the hospital. You will also need a torque wrench and jack stands.

You should also go ahead and change the upper mounts (bearings), and think about the ball joints.

Once you take the brakes off, it is pretty straight forward. The hard part is taking the springs off of the old struts.

The Haynes manual covers it pretty well.

[hospitalbuilder]

I did this job on my 99Q about a year ago. A bit of a wrestling match but fairly straight forward. The one tip I can offer is to loosen the nut on the top of the strut (holds it to the bearing plate) before you take the strut out. Don't remove it, just turn it once. I took the first one out and compressed the spring only to find I could not get the nut loose as the whole thing spun. De-compressed the spring, put it back in and then cracked the nut. I second the good spring compressor recommendation from Avalanche. Also, the strut with the spring on it is heavy, a second set of hands to help move it in and out will be nice.

I followed the Haynes Manual and it had most everything covered. All in all doable, but physically tough due to the weight of the struts and springs. You will earn your beer that day. Good luck!

[Empty V]

While you have everything apart it's a good idea to re-pack the wheel bearings. I did this on my 01 without any instruction. The first one took about 3 hours, the 2nd only took about 30min.

Billy