Front Strut Replacement cost

[Cbpcop]

Any ideas as to what price range would be considered reasonable these days? 98 4runner with a four banger.

[jdmccright]

Price will vary quite a bit depending on which brand and type. Some el cheapo Gabriels will run ~$55 each while Bilsteins are ~$90. That's for the strut itself. Sometimes you can catch them on a "buy 3 get 1 free" sale. But whatever you do, it is recommended that they be replaced in pairs unless they are relatively new. Different struts or one new/one old on each side of the truck can severely affect how it handles, and can cause instability in an emergency situation.

For labor, sometimes they'll be on a "free installation" sale, but really the cost is added to the price of the strut, so you have to compare the total cost of the struts AND labor. Figure about $30-50 each.

Finally, it is recommended that the truck have the alignment tested afterwards to be sure they were installed correctly and the truck's handling hasn't changed....don't want to be going back for new tires shortly after because of strange wear patterns.

Hope this helps!

[Cbpcop]

Much thanks for the reply - the vehicle has over 102,000 miles on it and has only recently started acting up with some wheel vibration and some hop to it also - specifically the left side. This at least gives me something to go on so I can budget out the repair.

[jdmccright]

Though the mechs usually check this when you mention your symptoms, also check the ball joints, tie rod ends, and steering linkage for play.