Front Strut Assembly Question?

[Mr. Detail]

One of my front struts has started to make some noise since the season has changed and gotten a bit colder out and I can even spin the rubber top piece under the hood with my hand. My question is when replacing the front struts does one need to also replace the spring?
I have seen several suppliers selling just the strut without the spring.

[erikv11]

One of my front struts has started to make some noise since the season has changed and gotten a bit colder out and I can even spin the rubber top piece under the hood with my hand. ...

Spinning of the top nut (not just the rubber cap over it - the nut and strut shaft need to rotate) means the spring seat is trashed. Nothing more, nothing less.

... My question is when replacing the front struts does one need to also replace the spring? ...

Definitely not. It is unusual to replace the coil spring.

Are there any indications the struts are bad? Or are they high miles now? Servicing the spring seat(s) only is a much, much cheaper parts expense, however you do need to remove and disassemble the whole strut tower to change the spring seat - same labor as a strut job.

If you decide to do the struts, may want to check the bump stops and dust boots too, and consider replacing the upper strut mount "bearing plate." And of course the spring seats and don't buy aftermarket - they'll be squeaking and spinning again by next fall. The strut-to-steering knuckle fasteners can be reused if they are in good shape, though the book says replace the bolts every time you loosen them.

[csh]

Oh man! I just wrote all the stuff below because I was stuck on the question about replacing the spring. You mention being able to spin the strut mount cap. If the noise is a clunk or rattle then I bet the problem is loose hardware at the top of the strut or your upper spring seat is shot. My wager is that the upper spring seat is bad. Watch the top of the strut as you rock that side of the car the strut cap should only move slightly. If you look under the strut cap and check spring seat you might see that it is cracked/split and you may be able to see it move when you rock the car. If you are hearing noise, then it may be pretty far gone. Replacing the spring seat requires removing and disassembling the struts. If there is any question about the status of your struts, this might be a good opportunity to replace them since you will be disassembling the struts to replace the spring seats.
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Unless your spring is broken, there is no need to replace it. The only reason they sell the struts assembled with the spring is to make it easier. As a complete assembly you remove old strut and then install new strut. To reuse your original springs you'll need a strut spring compressor to compress the spring before you disassemble the strut to remove the spring. This will of course add to the time it takes to do the job and require you to get a strut spring compressor if you do not already have access to one. Personally I like to keep the original spring so that I know it is the correct spring for my car.

When replacing the struts I recommend that you replace the top spring seat at a minimum. Other parts to consider are the strut mounts and bump stop. If the existing struts have been leaking oil, definitely add the bump stops, spring insulator, and bellows. All of those will likely be damaged by the strut oil if they leaked. What is the status of your control arms? This might be one of those opportunity to replace those if they need to be changed or are close to it. Since the top spring seat can fail before the struts you might consider the HD one from IPD. That is what I used. Others have mentioned using the spring seat for a XC90, but I have no experience with that.

For struts, I would stick with Sachs, Bilstein, or Volvo. Sachs is the original supplier and Volvo will just carry a higher price tag. For parts I would check either IPD or FCP Euro.

[Mr. Detail]

Thanks guys. The car has 170k miles on her. There is a clunking type sound on the front pass. side coming from under the hood when it's cold outside. When the outside temperature warms up, it is not as noticeable. I will do as you guys stated and re-use the springs if my normal mechanic has a spring compressor. No Chi-com parts for me!

[benpineapple]

I had a similar clunking on my older '98 V70, shop diagnosed upper spring seat failure and replaced both. Recently went through this with my wife's '01 V70 X/C and I opted to replace the whole strut/coil/seat assembly. 1Aauto sells a kit with the springs already mounted on the strut tower, super easy replacement, car rides so much better now. Going from 20 year old shocks to brand new ones (even lower quality ones) has been super nice so far. I'm glad I replaced the whole thing.

[Mr. Detail]

hey, benpineapple, can I ask if you remember the brand of struts they sold you?

[erikv11]

Looks like they are made by "TRQ."

https://www.1aauto.com/volvo-s60-s80-v7 ... 97540/2002

Keep in mind you will likely need to replace the spring seats after about 15k depending on driving habits. If you don't drive much or only on smooth roads it could work out for you through.

[Mr. Detail]

Thank you sir!

[notny41]

what year and model is it? I purchased a pair of loaded struts for my 2006 S60 and after replacing one of them the car drove like a brand new car and I never ended up putting the second one on.

[Mr. Detail]

notny41, my P2 is a 2002 V70 (Base).