How to Change a Strut on a TrailBlazer

The struts on your Chevy TrailBlazer truck are responsible for absorbing all the bumps, shocks and hits the suspension encounters on the road. If you start feeling excessive banging while driving, it may be a signal that you need to change the struts on both front wheels. If you regularly drive in excessively bumpy conditions, you will need to change the shocks more often than if you stick to strictly even, paved roads.

Instructions

1

Open up the hood and unscrew and remove the upper mounting nuts for the strut using a wrench.

2

Raise the truck's front end with a floor jack and support it on jack stands, then remove the front wheel for the strut you are changing. Raise the floor jack underneath the lower control arm at its outer end to support the arm.

3

Unscrew and remove the nut connecting the shock absorber yoke on the strut to the control arm. Separate the yoke from the control arm stud with a small two-jaw puller.

4

Lower and remove the strut from the vehicle through the fender well.

5

Insert the replacement strut into the fender well, inserting the strut's upper studs into the holes at the top and insert the yoke onto the control arm stud. Install and tighten the upper nuts in the engine compartment first and then the lower nut on the yoke.

6

Reconnect the wheel on the vehicle, lower the floor jack from under the control arm and then use the jack to lower the vehicle off the jack stands.