GM W Body Strut Cartridge Change, Buick Regal
In this video i change the strut cartridge in a Buick regal W-Body car.With these cars you can change the front strut cartridges with out even jacking up the car.The original strut cartridges use fluid in the strut housing. The new strut cartridges are self contained but leave most of the oil in there to help cool the new strut cartridges. There are better tools for doing this job but most parts stores which has loan a tools should have the tool you can use for free. On this Buick Regal the front strut cartridges are easy to change if you have the proper tools .
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question. the new shocks don't have the star shape on the top of the shock to replace or remove the top nut. what the heck do ya do to tighten the nut securely?
I wish u would have showed the jack a little more.
Nobody carries w body toll kit impossible to find
Did you jack the front end up to take the load off the suspension? My fronts both have oil leaking down them. Since the struts are drawing oil from that reservoir, is that normal, or should I still replace?
Thanks for this video great info!
Great video. Can I remove the cartridge without the OTC 4533 (strut service tool)? I can't seem to find at any of my local auto parts.
Did you have the car on jack stands .??
This is one of the best car vids I've seen. Information was straight forward, easy to understand. Thank you so much for making what was an intimidating job far less so.
Woow..tank you for the video awesome!! And easy
Thanks for the video, it showed me exactly what I needed to do. On a side note, I wasn't able to find a w body tool (OTC 4533) but did lift up the front of the car and removed the wheel which let me use a pipe wrench to loosen fitting holding the cartridge in.
thank you lot of people "mechanics" no idea about this shocks. GREAT JOB
Awesome video… Thanks for the help!! Can't rent the tool any more which sux. Anyone looking for one they sell them online mainly on eBay for about 80$ and I found the short one for only $20 lol guy said he had that eBay ad up for almost a year
I won't get this lucky if I gotta do my car, the struts will have to be removed first before the strut mounts come off. The mounts and the housing are one unit, sandwiched between the body and the springs… bummer.
Anybody still needing this, it's OTC 4533, available on Amazon for about $50. Thanks for the video. Might be doing this on my step son's car.
E X C E L L E N T / nice job (and video too). Well done sir! Many thanks for sharing this step-by-step procedure.
This is a great video. Thank you for posting this on youtube. I inherited my mother's 96 Chevy Lumina with 62k on it after she passed away 23 months ago and it needs all kinds of work incuding struts. The front replacements look pretty simple for someone with mechnical experience. I will look for the special tool first before ordering the parts and strut tower bushings to do the work.
Would this be the same for 97 Chevy Lumina? Need to do the front set. It's a cartridge, but I'm just afraid that as soon as I take that center nut off the coil will shoot out lol.
Thank you so much for the vid. I am doing the carriages on my Lumina this weekend (can wait). Found w-body tool on web for $38 tax totaled shipped (amazon). Autozone web shows: cartiage closure nut tork @ 82#; shaft nut using 50 torx but tork @ 59#; and cover plate tork @ 24#. 4 wheel alignment recommended. EASY DONE!!!
So….anyone know if this method will also work on a 93 Grand Prix (2-door model)? I believe its a W-Body vehicle but I keep getting mechanics telling me its a bad idea to attempt to take a strut cartridge out without lifting the vehicle and performing other ritual methods because the cartridge will shoot out of its housing like a cannon if loosened without having the vehicle in the air…
Found the tool kit on Amazon, from OTC. Search for W-Body Strut Service Kit and you'll find it. Every auto parts store within an hour's drive of me didn't carry it or seem to know much about it.
Anyway, thank you for the video! I have a '96 Regal Gran Sport, and it can be frustrating trying to find info and guides like this that are relevant or close enough to it.
Where did you get the tool? I went by Advance, O'reillys and Auto Zone and they said they do not carry that specialty tool anymore. Thanks!
where did you get the w body tool?
I just bought that tool to do the struts on my 94 Regal and it says on the package to remove all the oil. I may leave a little. I don't know. Good video. Thanks
Did you have the car jacked up or just on the ground ?