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Plan to get them at rockauto. Anything weird or curveball about this job?
Changing front struts
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2009 451 Rally Red, Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5W-40, Wix XP 51356, 185/55R15 tires, 44 psl
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Rock Auto has the struts in two places, under "Strut" and "Suspension Kit"...
2013 SMART FORTWO 1000cc L3 Strut | RockAuto
RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.
www.rockauto.com
2013 SMART FORTWO 1000cc L3 Suspension Kit | RockAuto
RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.
www.rockauto.com
It's not terribly difficult. Removing the struts and getting the "hat" off the old strut were the hardest parts for me. If you've done a set of struts before, it's not much different.
Some people prefer to use a clamp-like tool to hold the strut for removal, I found a sparkplug socket worked great. Take your pick.
Here's the thread where I did mine.
2010 Smart fortwo front coil spring failure
I could hear some noise in the front, go take a look and there's not much room in the wheel well.... Looks like this car is going to need new coil springs, at least in the front. Its 10 years old, so I imagine there are going to be other suspension issues along the way. Time to read...
www.smartcarofamerica.com
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Right. I just ordered strut and the 2 other parts. I didnt see what "suspension kit " was . What is it?
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I've dropped the struts to change the springs on my 2015 Pure, but I've yet to pull a strut out of the hub assembly. Anyone have any comments on that procedure?
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Rock auto didnt have springs. Anyone have a source? I saw it on here long ago but cant find it now.
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You can try Autobahn: Drivetrain & Suspension — Autobahn Used SMART 451 Parts or MB Online Parts: Suspension Components for 2010 Smart Fortwo | MB Online Parts
On the 451 it helps to spread the clamp of the knuckle open where the strut goes into it, but the real answer is to push it out from the bottom. If you have a hydraulic press, you're golden and it will be quite easy.. If a press is out of the question, you can use a hammer. Try not to beat on the shock itself, use a block of dense hardwood or similar because if you bash the metal on the strut with the hammer, you'll mushroom it and make it harder to remove. Patience is key with suspension because just about everything is rusty.
The thread I linked above has part numbers. I ordered all of my parts from eBay, RockAuto, and mbonlineparts.com
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A You Tube video was great. I got the micro flex ratchet that made removing the top nut uneventful.
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Downtown which utube vid did you watch? The guy with the yellow car?
Also is it cheaper and or easier or smarter to buy the whole strut/spring together? I already have the struts and mounts.
Also is it cheaper and or easier or smarter to buy the whole strut/spring together? I already have the struts and mounts.
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Yes, I remember the cat. The ratchet and socket worked well. I did not need to make a special socket. A regular socket and PB Blaster worked for me.
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Downtown been reading the thread you linked to. I found oem springs on ebay for $126 for the pair. Is the consensus that they are inferior or that a closely priced aftermarket is better? I want to stay with stock height since the roads around here are like a missile testing site.
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Also I ordered the mounting (donut?) for the struts. Are there any other parts I'd want to replace? Are there bump stops that are probably gone?
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No bump stops. Just the donuts. Definitely replace. Cheap insurance. Consider sway bar links and bushings.
Depends on the springs, I would stick with known and trusted brands (Sachs, Eibach, etc). They cost a little more, but typically only a little and I would avoid any used ones.
There's a bearing that often comes with the donut, make sure that's included.
Pay close attention to the order of parts as you dismantle (I take pictures as I go) and reassemble in the same order. It sounds trivial and obvious, but I know how easy it is to get lost in the work, get distracted, then come back and wonder what order the pieces went in.
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So my current question is whether $126 is a good deal for a pair of brand new OEM springs?
Also thank you for all the help. It is appreciated.
Also thank you for all the help. It is appreciated.
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1,585 Posts
Sometimes the strut gripping tools slip and don’t have enough torque to get the top bolt off. If that happens, I’ve used a Dremel or grinding tool to carefully remove metal from the strut bars to make flat spots that fit an open-end wrench. It takes time and patience, but it’s more productive than trying 100 different ways to get the strut gripping tools to grab more tightly.
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