I've been thinking about replacing the struts/spring on my 06 RWD and wanted to see some videos on the process. Everything looks straightforward, but one video is saying the torque spec is 350 ft-lbs on the lower bolt (the one that attaches to the lower control arm) and another video says 150 ft-lbs. Which is it and if it's the 350 figure, is it worth spending $200 on a torque wrench to do the job yourself?

Or is this something that I can torque as close to 350 as I can and have the alignment shop re-torque when they do the alignment?

 

you can use a torque wrench from auto zone’s loan a tool program.. it is 350flbs on the lower coilover bolt. I my self would t stress over it.. get it as close as you can and check it later.

 

None of the auto parts stores have a torque wrench that goes over 250 ft-lbs. I can buy a 3/4 torque wrench that maxes out at 300 ft-lbs and it'll be $85. That price is more acceptable considering the axle nut to change the front rotors needs to be torqued to 295 ft/lbs and is within the range of that torque wrench.

So, 300 ft/lbs and maybe an extra 1/16th of a turn and you'd call it a day?

Blue or Red threadlocker for the lower strut bolt?

 

You'll want to get your truck re aligned after doing the swap. You can always ask the mechanic doing the alignment to check the torque on the lower bolt. That's what I did because I couldn't find a torque wrench that went that high. He had one that went to 500 ft lbs. He didn't charge me any extra to do it either.

 

I maxed a 250lb wrench out.
After that, I grabbed a big damn cheater bar and a fence post. Added some extra oomph and called it a day

 

Easy to do with a cheater bar and a bathroom scale. Stand on the scale, weigh yourself, do the cheater extension math and add or subtract from your weight on the bathroom scale.

 

Put the wheel at ride height before tightening so it won't tend to tear bushing later . I take it to 300 with my torque Wrench and call it a day .. Some mech and shops don't even go that high you will never know . I do have lots of cheater pipes but mostly use for stubborn fasteners . You can use the formula for the length of the tool versus the weight on the end . I forget how it goes . Some smart guy here should post it .

 

100 lbs perpendicular to a 1ft bar/lever is 100ftlbs. 100 lbs at 2ft is 200ftlbs, and so on.

 

I thought that was it but I didn't want to guess at it . So a guy 200 pounds @ 1.5 feet 300 pounds so for 350 1.75 feet at 200 pound guy

 

Well damn, I better eat more. I'll have to stand in my neighbor's yard to torque 350