replacing front struts

[duke316]

I have a 05 trailblazer need to replace front struts and sway bar links. Has anyone done it any advice?

[stinger67L88]

Remove top 3 bolts and lower 2 big bolts. Remove brake line clamp and ABS clamp. Pull strut Assembley from vehicle use spring compressor so you can loosen top center bolt (be careful with the spring compresser). Keep spring compressed and pull strut out of upper bearing. Assemble new unit with rubbers and upper bearing in proper order and install upper nut. Spring is dangerous when nut is off. Reinstall in reverse order. Careful.

[The Roadie]

Best tool for removing strut mount from lower control arm is a Pittman arm puller. Some folks use pickle forks or a BFH, but they're not as guaranteed.

Also throw some PB Blaster on the top shock nut for a few days in advance to lessen the frustration level. It can be a horribly frustrating job.