2005 Pontiac Aztek Front Driver & Passenger Side Upper Strut Mount with Bearing 2 Piece Set TRQ SKA56560

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Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.

In this video, we're going to show you how to replace the front strut mount on this 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo. We'll show you on the passenger's side, but it's the same procedure on the driver's side. It's the same parts and similar process on this Monte Carlos from 2000 to 2007. The items you'll need include a new front strut from 1AAuto.com, a 15mm, 19mm, and 21mm socket and ratchet, an 18mm wrench, a T47 Torx Bit, a hammer, a torque wrench, penetrating oil, a spring compressor, and jack and jack stands.

Start off by using a 19mm socket to loosen up these lug nut caps and pull your hubcap free. If you have air-powered tools, you want to lift the vehicle and remove the lug nuts. If you don't have air-powered tools, you want to keep the vehicle on the ground, loosen the lug nuts, raise the vehicle, and then remove the lug nuts the rest of the way. Then just pull your wheel free.

Spray these two strut bolts with some penetrating oil, and do the same thing for these three up here. Remove the nuts on top. You want to leave one of them in place just to hold the strut until you take the lower part apart. Put an 18mm wrench on one side, and use a 21mm socket and ratchet on the other. You may need a piece of pipe for some extra leverage. Then just loosen up those two nuts.

Also, if you do have ABS brakes, there'll be a couple of harnesses that you need to detach from the strut at this point and reattach them later on. Hammer the knuckle in between the two posts of the strut, and then remove those nuts the rest of the way. Then just hammer out the bolts. Pull the bolts the rest of the way free. Now, pull your wheel knuckle forward, push the strut back and angle it down, and then remove that nut that you put back on finger-tight up top. Then pull your strut down and out.

Spray this top bolt with penetrating oil and then attach your spring compressors. Either use an air-powered ratchet or ratchet and socket, and you want to just tighten these up. You want to go back and forth tightening them up until the spring is compressed. Put your T47 Torx bit into the bolt at the top of the strut. Make sure it's in there nice and good, and then put on your strut socket and then remove this bolt. We'll fast-forward as Mike removes this the rest of the way. Once the nut is removed, just remove this place and then pull the mount from the strut, and, now, you can lift your spring up and off.

Pull this boot free. On the left is a new front strut mount from 1A Auto; on the right is the old one. You can see they're identical, and they'll fit exactly the same. Push this cap onto the boot. Then slide the boot down into place. Then lower your spring into place making sure it lines up on the tab the way it was before. Once you have it lined up, take your mounting plate and just line it up. Push it down into place. Push this plate into place and then replace that nut. Now, just tighten up that nut, and you can just use the tools you used to loosen it, but you will notice we're using slightly different tools just because of some other things that we've changed.

Now, carefully loosen your spring compressors. Just loosen each one a little bit at a time, going back and forth, making sure that the spring is uncoiling in the right spot. Take your new strut and fit it back up into place, and then just replace those nuts by hand at the top of the strut.

Push the strut back behind the wheel knuckle, and then push the wheel knuckle into it.
Then replace those two bolts as far as you can. You will have to maneuver it around a bit to get the holes to line up. Then use a hammer and put them in. When they have about this much space left, you can just use the nut to pull them the rest of the way through. So just replace the nuts and then tighten these up. Now torque these two bolts to 130 foot-pounds.

Replace the wheel and then replace and tighten up those nuts in a crossing pattern. Torque each of them to 100 foot-pounds in a crossing pattern. We'll fast-forward as Mike tightens those three nuts at the top of the strut. Torque each of these to 30 foot-pounds. Replace your hubcap, tighten up your lug nut caps, and then you're all set.

We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.