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-   -   2005 Altima - Replacing STRUTS SHOCKS (https://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/altima/13894-2005-altima-replacing-struts-shocks.html)

superkid667 01-11-2010 03:17 AM

2005 Altima - Replacing STRUTS SHOCKS
 
My shocks need to be changed and i'll be doing the job myself. I have opted to replace the stock 2005 Nissan Altima OEM Tokico's with KYB GR2 shocks.

My questions:

1. I'm planning on just replacing the shocks, to restore the smooth ride quality, is it recommended i also replacing the springs, do they ever wear out?

2. Do i need to perform an alignment once the installation is complete?

Any other helpful tips or tricks from you Nissan Techs is greatly appreciated. I'm not a mechanic or specialized in anyway, i started doing my own work on my car just last year, and after replacing the water pump a few weeks ago, i feel invisible, like i could take on any task lol.

P.S Any Diagrams, how-to's etc..., just send them my way.

The Critic 01-11-2010 09:53 PM

Springs do wear out over time, resulting in ride height issues. That is why companies such as Monroe have developed a pre-assembled "quick strut" to encourage replacement of the strut, spring, insulators, mount and bellows at the same time.

At 50k miles, it is very unlikely that your springs are worn-out. I would install new struts in the front and replace the strut mounts. According to the pictures, the front strut mounts have bearings, so it would be a good idea to replace the strut mount while you have the strut assembly disassembled. You would not want to have to do the same job twice if the strut mounts decided to fail a few months from now.

As for the alignment, I would always have a 4-wheel alignment performed after any suspension work. Even if the mounting holes on the new KYB struts are not elongated, the act of removing and reinstalling the bolts may cause slight changes to the camber that may ultimately affect the other settings.

superkid667 01-13-2010 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Critic (Post 49104)
Springs do wear out over time, resulting in ride height issues. That is why companies such as Monroe have developed a pre-assembled "quick strut" to encourage replacement of the strut, spring, insulators, mount and bellows at the same time.

At 50k miles, it is very unlikely that your springs are worn-out. I would install new struts in the front and replace the strut mounts. According to the pictures, the front strut mounts have bearings, so it would be a good idea to replace the strut mount while you have the strut assembly disassembled. You would not want to have to do the same job twice if the strut mounts decided to fail a few months from now.

As for the alignment, I would always have a 4-wheel alignment performed after any suspension work. Even if the mounting holes on the new KYB struts are not elongated, the act of removing and reinstalling the bolts may cause slight changes to the camber that may ultimately affect the other settings.

Thanks for the info, did exactly as you said, just finished doing the front 2 struts today and the ride quality is smooth, greatly improved. The springs looked fine, however i did discover a bad wheel bearing front driver side. Also discovered the inner tie rod on passenger side needed to be replaced.

I have been documenting and taking pictures of the install, will post " DIY Struts replacement" sometime soon.


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