1993 Ford Taurus Remove the Front Struts

Ford's engineers designed the struts on the 1993 Ford Taurus as an integral assembly. The front struts serve as both a shock to absorb bumps and jolts in the road as well as the pivot point on which the tires turn. The strut also holds the tire rigidly in alignment while allowing the tire to turn with the steering wheel to guide the Taurus down the road. Broken springs, binding strut bearings, leaking strut cartridges and noisy strut mounts require removal from the vehicle and complete dismantling of the strut assembly to replace failed components.

Tools Used

Tools
Wheel chocks
Automotive floor jacks
Jack stands
1/2 inch drive metric impact socket set
1/2 inch drive impact wrench
Metric wrench set
3/8 inch drive metric socket set
Chisel
Hammer
Pry bar
Marker
Coil spring compressor
Safety goggles
Gloves

Remove the Front Struts

• Park the vehicle on a flat level surface. Set the parking brake. Block the rear wheels with tire chocks.

• Lift both sides of the front of the 1993 Taurus with automotive floor jacks. Place jack stands under the subframe of the car.

• Remove the lug nuts using a 1/2 inch drive impact socket installed on a 1/2 inch drive impact wrench. Remove the tires.

• Unbolt the sway bar link where it attaches to the strut using a 19 mm wrench on the nut, and an 8 mm wrench on the stud to prevent the stud from spinning.

• Remove the pinch bolt and nut from the bottom of the strut where the strut attaches to the cast iron spindle using a wrench and socket attached to a ratchet.

• With a hammer, tap the point of the chisel into the slot where the cast-iron spindle grips the strut, spreading the tabs apart slightly to loosen the pressure retaining the strut.

• Pry the strut free from the spindle with a pry bar.

• Use a marker to outline the exact location of the three strut mount retaining nuts on top of the strut tower under the hood. Marking the exact location of the strut mount helps alignment when reassembling the 1993 Ford Taurus.

• Remove the three strut mount retaining nuts using a 13 mm socket and 3/8 inch drive ratchet one at a time. After loosening the last nut, use one hand to hold the strut in place as you remove the last nut.

• Guide the lower end of the strut past the spindle, and pull the strut assembly out of the wheel well of the 1993 Ford Taurus.

• Mount a coil spring compressor to the strut as close to the top and the bottom of the springs as possible. Compress the coil spring until all tension is relieved from the strut mount.

• Remove the strut mount retaining nut using a 19 mm 1/2 inch drive impact socket from the top of the strut assembly.

• Remove the strut mount, strut bearing, compressed coil spring, strut boot and coil spring insulator from the strut.

Tips & Warnings

• Lift both sides of the front of the vehicle even when removing only one strut. The sway bar transmits tension across the vehicle's front suspension. Lifting both sides removes the pressure on the control arms, simplifying the task.

• Assembly is essentially the reverse of this procedure.

• Align the vehicle after replacing suspension components to avoid unnecessary tire wear.

• The coil springs are under tremendous pressure. Wear safety goggles and gloves. Always use a spring compressor to remove and install coil springs.