need help on replacing front strut

[free_money]

i have a 2002 alero 3.4 that i just purchased in the beginning of november, after my sonoma plowed into a deer, and about a month ago i hit this huge pothole in a driveway at night and ever since then i have noticed an annoying rattling sound coming from my engine so i popped the hood and pushed down on my driver side fender to make it go up and down i hear that same noise and didn't hear it on the passenger side....i took the car to my local mechanic to let him look at it for free and he said my strut was busted and that there was hydraulic fluid leaking from it (now i know what was dripping on my face when i was looking at it while up under the car, i thought it was just water or something lol)...he said to replace the whole assembly being the strut, bearings and something else (maybe plate) it would cost around $250+ but he also said i could just drive it but the sound will still be there and it might be somewhat more rough later on...well i wouldn't mind just buying what i need and replacing it myself but is that possible and if so how?...from what people have told me is that i will need a spring compressor and it may be dangerous if you are not experienced so any suggestions from you guys would be awesome!!

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

a spring compressor is pretty much a clamp to keep the springs tight. yes, you will need it.

also, when replacing struts, it is usually a good idea to do them in pairs. if the driver's-side front strut is shot, replace that AND the passenger's-side front strut also.

in short, it is an easy 2-man job, or mildly difficult one-man job. depends on the tools you got. I would hope you have air-tools to make it easier though.

here's the how-to, if you want to do it yourself
http://www.aleromod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20

[free_money]

when using the spring compressor, is that for the coil you see rapping around the strut? struts are a new world that i am venturing into

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

the coil is the spring
the strut is the big thing in this pic: http://www.pbase.com/image/13908231/large.jpg

[free_money]

is there a certain strut that you guys recommend to buy bc i have stock springs and i am not looking for anything expensive just something that will hold up that's decent....and when using the spring compressor exactly where should i mount it bc i noticed that the other guys in the how to never even used one...

[mrmike]

You can buy a complete replacement for it. It comes with a new bearing plate, strut, spring and its all assembled, ready to go on the car. Includes mounting hardware and is under $200
http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?Ntt=monroe+quick+strut&N=700+4294908158+115+4294907386&Ntk=KeywordSearch
You could probably find these anywhere because Monroe is a common brand.

[free_money]

You can buy a complete replacement for it. It comes with a new bearing plate, strut, spring and its all assembled, ready to go on the car. Includes mounting hardware and is under $200
http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?Ntt=monroe+quick+strut&N=700+4294908158+115+4294907386&Ntk=KeywordSearch
You could probably find these anywhere because Monroe is a common brand.

$200 for a pair or just for one?

my mechanic that i took it to said the strut would probably cost almost $100 but the labor would be the expensive part but if i need to replace both struts then i want to get something that is rather inexpensive yet decent quality...i was hoping to find a strut for around $50 bc i am not into the performance parts because i am what you call BROKE!! I'd rather work on the car for 12 hours myself than take it to a mechanic who could do it in 30min and charge me $200

[Ghadsphi]

That's $200 for the pair. "Quantity:Sold as a pair"
I haven't done this before but I think the spring changing how-to should give you a good idea of what you're up against.
http://www.aleromod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20
Looks to me like if you got some upper body strength a wrench, hammer, some jack stands, and a six pack of beer, you should be able to finish both struts before you run out of beer...

[free_money]

i called autozone and they will let me rent a spring compressor for a $40 deposit and if i return it i will get a full refund...the only problem is that i am not sure exactly where to compress and when bc on the how to they never used a spring compressor....i didn't know if you take the strut off and everything and only use the spring compressor when you put the new strut on and have to compress the spring...

[Ghadsphi]

If you use the Quick struts you don't need the spring compressor, everything is already assembled. Basically you would just need to go to the 5th picture.Just take out the old ones and put in the new ones. Looks like you just need take off 2 nuts and a bolt on top and 2 bolts on the botom (for each side, not including the 5 lugnuts). And hit some stuff with a hammer too.

[sound_xtreme]

i miss those shoes...

[free_money]

i really wasn't planning on using the quick struts bc i believe everything else is fine other than the strut itself is out so i really don't want to replace the whole assembly unless you guys believe that it is necessary....my driver side strut is out so i just wanted to replace it and use the rest of the old stuff on it such as the spring and stuff and somebody earlier recommended to replace both of the front struts....would it be better to replace both of the whole assemblies? i'd rather do what is the cheapest but yet still good for the car

[Twiz]

$189 for that quickie assembly is not a bad deal. Quickie means less work for you... A LOT less. You don't have to compress the coil spring, line up the top hat and mess around with the center nut and torque values. It takes time and the right tools but it's really not that hard. It's a stock replacement so everything should fall right in its place. It's not the best brand and I don't recommend it but you said you're on a tight budget.

[free_money]

yeah $189 doesn't sound bad for 2 whole assemblies but i kinda just wanted 2 struts by themselves so is there just a certain strut that is a decent buy and also when replacing struts is it necessary to replace the springs or is replacing the struts good enough...sorry for all the questions but i am kinda new into the DIY car repair...when i bought a house and gathered more bills i realized the DIY method is much more needed now than ever before...just about every penny counts ya know? thank you guys for all of your information ;)

[free_money]

well guys i appreciate all of your help but it doesn't look like i am an alero owner anymore because as of 7am this morning my fiancee rear ended a guy and it looks as if it is totaled.....but i can say that i was a proud owner of an alero for 2 whole months!! you guys probably would have hated me because i can become a nuissance at times lol (as you can see w/ the strut problem)

[Cliff8928]

Nah, the strut problem is WAY more justified than asking how to clear your corners, where to get an intake or all of those other tons of questions people ask repeatedly.