Need to replace a broken strut on my '95 Concorde (rear).

What is involved in reinstalling the spring on the new strut? Is this a job left to a professional?

The spring needs to be compressed to take the load off of the upper mount. Once the spring is compressed, it's just a matter of buzzing off one nut, sliding the old strut out and sliding the new one in. You could take the strut assembly off the car and take it to a shop that has the spring compressor.

Bill better and cheaper to get a quick strut.IIRC they need a compressor.Then usually the isolators are bad more cost.Look up quick strut ill bet around 80 bucks or less.Rock auto usually has the best price.I always replace in pairs as a car that old the spring is worn out also.Rocky

I use the weight of the car to compress the spring. First thing is to break the upper nut free. then jack the car up using the LCA, put the frame on a jackstand but keep the jack under the LCA with it up as far as you can, then out the strut mount bolts, the finish taking off the upper net, slowly lower the LCA. Installation is the opposite. Worked on ever strut car I ever had to replace springs on, 86 Daytona, 05 Neon, 89 Voyager, 95 Mustang whatever year Cobalt my daughter had.

Thanks, I do plan on replacing both of them. Front one broke about a year ago, same way.

I buy them with the spring already on. For a little more money it's an easier job.

At the cost of springs and labor its not worth it most times to not get quick struts.Cost of springs,labor to remove/install,usually the plates and insulators.You have more than a complete strut.Usually just the labor savings offsets the price and its all new.Rock Auto typically has the best price on them.Rocky

Thanks for the replies and advice folks!!

This is true. I thought maybe he had a buddy that worked at a shop and he could use the spring compressor for next to nothing. That's what I did when I put drop springs on a Stratus I used to have. Just took them to my friends work and we swapped them after hours.

Or buy two sets of spring compressors either at Harbor Freight or on Ebay. I like to use three on a spring. I have also used the car's weight to compress the spring while I replaced the strut.

But really the quickest/easiest is the complete strut from Rockauto. It makes strut replacement a half-hour or less job.

R.

Even at work we started uson quick struts on most.Between less labor and not having to buy other parts say bearing plates etc that have 100K or more.The price was close to just replacing the strut and a better ride with all new.Rocky

I find the quick struts are cheap made in china crap. Only good if you intend on selling or scrapping car in a few months. I had a couple customers and friends see the cheap price and installed them. Then complain later about ride quality and spring sag with passengers in car.

Funny Ive installed many.Both at work and at the shop when I was there.They are Monroe.so if you buy any but you might get junk.Maybe you need a different supplier.Monroe uses the same strut and springs they sell seprately.
Rocky

So looking at Rockauto I see that there are a couple of companies I've never heard of before and they are 30% to 50% lower in price than Monroe and in some cases Moog, Gabriel and KYB. Depends on which car you are fixing.
The lower price parts state they meet OEM specs and they probably do for the first month. If friends and relatives went for the lowest prices they got what they paid for. In any repair situation you balance price and quality. That should be apparent to any conscious adult over the age of 30.

R.
Or maybe they were from Moorhead in which case it figures.....