Suspension Strut Inserts
The suspension strut inserts are usually installed on the front of the vehicle and are part of a Macpherson strut assembly. The easiest way to identify the Macpherson style strut is that the coil spring and the shock assembly appears to be one single unit. The coil spring will be located on the strut housing itself and the strut will be on the inside of the coil spring. The top of the strut and spring assembly will be a strut bearing or retainer that will bolt to the vehicle at the top of the fender well. The strut bearing also allows for the rotation of the strut from right to left so that the wheels can turn with out binding.
Basically the strut insert is a shock absorber that is retained inside the strut assembly housing. To remove the strut insert you will need to remove the strut assembly from the car or truck and remove the spring from the assembly. Caution! The spring is under considerable pressure and removing the strut bearing/retainer with out the proper spring compressor could lead to bodily injury or death. We recommend that if you want to replace the strut inserts yourself, remove them from the vehicle and have a qualified technician with the proper tools, swap out the strut inserts. On most vehicles, removing the struts will require the front end alignment to be checked and adjusted.
There are many different types of strut inserts that will provide different types of handling. If you desire a more aggressive positive suspension and steering response a good Bilstein heavy duty or sport shock is the best bet. If you wish to have the same comfortable ride as the original equipment struts, the recommendation would be a Boge, KYB, Monroe or Sachs strut insert.
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