How to Replace Front Strut Assembly 11 Hyundai Sonata

Difficulty: Advanced · About 90 min · Hyundai Sonata

Replace the front strut assembly on a 2011 Hyundai Sonata.

Steps

1. Remove the wheel

   Raise the car with minimal weight on the wheel, loosen the 21mm lug nuts with a breaker bar, raise and support the car fully, then remove the lug nuts and wheel.

2. Remove the old strut assembly

   Remove the 19mm nut holding the sway bar link to the strut and free the link, remove the two 12mm bolts holding the ABS wire and brake line brackets to the strut and the 12mm bolt securing the ABS wire to the body, remove the two 19mm nuts from the 17mm through bolts at the bottom, hammer the through bolts out, free the lower strut from the knuckle, then remove the three 14mm nuts from the upper mounting studs and lift the strut out.

3. Install the new strut assembly

   Twist the strut cap so its studs line up with the body's mounting holes, insert the studs and thread on the three 15mm nuts (to be torqued later), insert the knuckle into the lower mounting bracket, insert the two 17mm through bolts and their 19mm nuts and torque them to about 58 ft-lb while holding the bolts with a wrench, refit the ABS wire and brake line bracket bolts, reconnect the sway bar link and its 19mm nut, then once the wheel is back on and the car's weight is on the ground, torque the upper mounting nuts to about 43 ft-lb.

4. Reinstall the wheel

   Put the wheel on the lugs, tighten the 21mm lug nuts by hand, lower the car until the wheel carries minimal weight, torque the lug nuts to about 80 ft-lb in a star pattern, then lower it the rest of the way.

Check your vehicle’s repair manual for exact specifications and fit.