How To Change Front Struts on a 2002 Mercury Sable

The front struts on your Mercury Sable are vital to your car's smooth ride, absorbing the bumps and shocks of the road. If one of the struts has a damaged spring or another defect, you can remove and disassemble it for repairs, but replacing the strut assembly is much easier done. If one front strut has simply worn down over time, there's a good chance that the other strut also needs to be changed.

Instructions

Removal Procedure

1

Raise the car's front end with the jack and support it on jack stands, placed underneath the subframe. Remove the front wheels and open the hood.

2

Loosen the three upper mounting nuts for the strut assembly with a wrench; the nuts are accessible from the inside of the engine compartment. Don't remove the nuts and don't loosen the nut in the center.

3

Disconnect the brake hose bracket and the guide clip for the sped sensor wiring from the strut assembly. Disconnect the stabilizer bar from its bracket on the strut by removing its nut.

4

Unbolt and remove the brake caliper and mounting bracket from the brake disc, and then slip the disc off.

5

Remove the steering knuckle--detach the knuckle from the control arm by removing the nuts and bolts; mark the knuckle's relationship to the strut with paint or white-out; remove the pinch bolt and wiggle the knuckle off the strut.

6

Remove the three mounting nuts while you or an assistant supports the strut assembly, then guide the strut out of the wheel well.

Installation Procedure

7

Guide the replacement strut assembly into position within the wheel well, making sure the upper studs protrude through the mounting holes at the top of the tower. Install the mounting nuts and tighten them loosely by hand.

8

Connect the steering knuckle to the strut, using the marks as a guide, then reconnect the brake disc and caliper.

9

Attach the stabilizer bar link and tighten its nut to between 57 and 75 foot-pounds of pressure.

10

Re-connect the wiring clip and brake hose bracket.

11

Tighten the three upper mounting nuts to between 22 and 29 foot-pounds of pressure.

12

Reconnect the wheels after changing the struts, then lower the car to the ground.