Interesting...
What makes these better than OEM (Land Rover) or other competitors (other than price). Longevity and reliability rank high with me, simply because I really don't like fixing stuff any more than I have to...
ZERO anything is better about those "remanufactured" struts. He's being cheap on something that I would not be cheap on...
Just get what AB or Rovers North has and be happy you'll have an accountable/helpful place to call a person if anything goes wrong.
This is super easy DIY actually. Houm is being a ***** lol
No, seriously, if you don't have the few tools needed, you can't do it. I understand that. I've even removed and replaced one trail-side without all the extra items that make it even easier.
Tool list more or less in order of item used:
1. 1-3 floor jacks
2. 2 minimum safety jack stands sized for the weight. I like them to just fit underneath with no extension allowing maybe notch or two at most so they aren't over extended.
3. 22mm socket to remove wheel nuts
4. breaker bar or air tool (or ratchet but torque wrenches are for torqing, not breaking things loose. Ratchets are for quick work, not heavy duty hard nuts. Always use a box wrench on the hardest nuts/bolts or air tool with black impact sockets. Silver sockets are only for hand work.)
5. 12mm line wrench for the little air nut on the valve block to empty all air from strut. (or the top of the strut later). These are brass fittings into delicate mounts so be gentle and ideally only use open end wrench until snug then finish with the partially closed line wrench. I feel like the valve black also has an 11mm on it but that may be for the main supply. You empty the air because it allows the strut to relax and not have that pressure pushing it down.
6. if you have an IIDtool, you can skip 5. but will need it later for removing line from the strut itself.
7. ? You will find all of this easier if you remove the fender liner but I've done it with and without. Access is kind of annoying with liner there especially if you've never done it. So, fender liner comes out with panel popping funky forked tool that is good to have in your set anyway. or it can be done with a flat head screw driver but be careful to not damage the plastic panel doo-dads as they need to go back in.
8. the tpms sensor is mounted to front side roughly where the washer fluid sits. A snap fitting releases it. This could be the single most annoying fitting.
9. there may be some screws using philips or hex or torx for the liner as well.
10. 15mm stubby socket ideally on a 1/4 drive for the tight access mainly to the backside nut. This is easy if you have the 1/4 drive, flex head on an extra long handle. The front 2 nuts I just get with a 15mm ratcheting box wrench. The 3 15mm bolts hold the strut into its top mount. It may be easier to snug them on with a longer arm box wrench but it'll have to be only slight bend like 10-15 degree. You standard small bend should be fine. Ratcheting is just much nice for quick work.
10b just loosen the 15mm top nuts first, don't remove them yet. I put this in front of the lower big bolt because if you can't access these, you need to stop.
11. big bolt that runs through the lower control arm. I think it used 22mm head end and 24mm nut end so you could use a 24mm deep socket for nut end or you'll at least want a ratcheting box wrench as it's a long bolt.
*remember/ take note, photograph the direction this bolt runs through.
12. I like a small floor jack here with little block of rubber to set up under the strut bottom so when it starts to drop from loosening the above 3 top nuts, it doesn't just fall yanking on the air line which would be BAD or hurt your hands.
13. make sure air line has some slack so it won't get screwed up pulling through the top hat hole as you remove the 3 15mm and lower the strut a little.
14, slowly lower the strut via the jack and adjust the jack until strut is free enough to rotate enough without hurting the air line so you can get to the 12mm nut that sits on top of it.
15. the air line nut can feel weird because you're trying to rotate it but it's also still holding a snug seal against the plastic line. Be careful not to damage any of that or loose any of it! It won't be funny if you loose the split chamfered ring/collar that holds air line in place which would render vehicle unusable!
16. do NOT **** up the strut air line entrance. You can't just go buy another one at hardware store
17. New strut may need some prepping. I would be sure it's top nut on the damper stud is tight by using an impact driver - I forget socket size but a deep socket is likely needed.
18. I have not seen any new struts come with a dust boot but oddly that Suncore site I disparaged shows them with a boot.... that's a plus if so but you can get "genuine" boots too. If you want to have boots, you should do it now. New lr3/4 never came with the boots though in the front, only had them in the rear, so it's just as likely the website is showing generic photo and fronts wouldn't have boots either.
19. I put anti-seize on the big lower bolt shaft portion.
20. reverse everything above...
21. I set prepped new strut on jack in the general location, get it close to where I can install air line.
22. Then get the 3 top bolts into the holes and hand start the one front nut which you can get to with your right hand, just to hold it all in place, I thread it on until bolt is almost through the nut..
23. Then I get the lower big bolt lined up which may take a moment to squeeze some air out but it'll go because the system is empty. With the top loose, you'll have some movement to help aligning lower bolt. Knock it through with rubber hammer maybe.
24. use jack to press strut up into top mount noting that there is a plate that sits over some bolts and they have to pass through it as well. try to equally tighten all 3, then I use a roughly 8-10" lever distance to get them hand torqued to what feels like it'll not loosen but isn't over stressing the bolts either. Think of the feel of leverage. 6" lever and wrist strength is a lot less than 12" lever distance on same hand.
25. Torque big bolt - I forget the number but "good and tight"
it's a large size so you could also use a torque wrench to see how much is needed to remove it.
26. replace fender liner - don't forget to first reconnect tpms sensor receiver.
27. I think I have usually gently lowered the vehicle before starting the re-inflate process but I don't know if it matters. You gotta get it off the stands or jacks though at some point.
This is why I use 2 floor jacks to lift front, just set stands purely as safety back up, then 3rd jack to deal with strut. Obviously I didn't have all that **** on a trail....
Some notes:
1st Floor jack is to lift front end at OTHER side. If you don't have 2nd floor jack, place stand now to hold vehicle. Then move your only jack over to the job side. Lift and set stand.
WHOLE front end is lifted in order to take weight off the sway bar which will make removal/replacement way easier because control arms are then allowed to droop. If other side wheel is on the ground/weighted, it causes the sway bar to work against you.
Now, if you only have 1 jack, remove it and let the 2 stands hold both front wheels off the ground. Note that you'll have to lift high enough so that when both sides droop, they still are off the ground. You'll see that lifting one side just enough to change a tire will not be enough when you also lift the other side as the say bar gets released.
