How To Replace Front Struts 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS

This video shows you how to install new reliable TRQ struts in your 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS.

www.1aauto.com

get your parts from a1auto or rockauto

loosen the ball joint nut with weight on the car suspension

should be easy job, i'd do the struts as well?

 

Just use an open end wrench for the ball joint nut?

What brand struts do you use?

 

If you crawl under with full weight on tires you can crack the nut loose they are tightened to~25 Lbs + 120 degrees on my rig

 

Lower control arms are on the way, one is GM the other Moog from Rock Auto, they didn't have GM for both sides.
Prices were much better than what I see from other GM sources.

 

171K miles:
Got an OEM LCA for the driver's side and a Moog for the passenger side, it was all they had at Rock.
Also got OEM bushings for the sway bar link. Doing this job now, and brakes at the same time.
Given that we live in the salty North East I found that the bolt that is the sway bar link was rusted about 10% away on one side and 30% (and slightly bent) on the other side. I would replace these also with OEM if I can find them. These are easy to get to, jack it up, remove the wheel and turn the steering.

Started on the driver's side. Took off the brakes which makes it easier to get at the LCA. Ball joint
nut came off, wedged a steel chisel in and it would not break, soaked it with WD40. REmoved the
sway bar link and cleaned up all the hardware.

Gave the chisel a few more hits and it broke free.

The bushing bracket on the LCA has 2 bolts that go through the frame with nuts on top. There are
small pipes resting on the nuts, I wedged them upward so that I could see the nuts, they are 18mm.
Used an open end wrench to hold them and then the bolts came right out.

LCA removal was straight forward after that.

New one went in easily, remember to leave the bushing bolts loose.

The nuts for the bushing bracket are not easy to get back in. I used a pair of "needle nose" vice grips
that with good light helped a lot.

Torqued everything:
Ball joint: Chilton manual here says 22 ft-lbs then 210 degrees for 2006 DTS and later.

Manual lists "bracket bolts" as 37 ft-lbs in the wrong spot but I'd guess that 37 is correct.

It lists stabilizer link as 13 ft-lbs

Jacked it up under the LCA with a block of wood until it lifted off the main jack to preload the bushings.
Control arm front pivot 116 ft-lbs
rear pivot: 108 ft-lbs

Most of the rubber that I could see was in good shape, motor mount, sway bar mount, even
the sway bar link bushings but they were very compressed so replaced them.

 

Might be better to do the passenger side first since it is easier to get to and see the nuts
for the front bracket.

 

Our car has had a rattle on the drivers side for several years which turned out to be the ball joint.
The front end has been squeaky/creeky for over a year, and lately it has had a front end shake
during braking, along with the hammering sound.
I did the drivers side LCA, brake and sway bar link first and this got rid of the rattle on a test drive
but the squeaks were still there. Did the passenger side yesterday and test drove it on the highway
today. Did 3 hard brakings from 75 MPH to bed them in and the brakes feel very good, smooth as
glass. Squeaks and front end shake are gone, feels more stable also on the highway.

Interesting, the Moog LCA has a grease fitting for the ball joint, how about that?

Will see how well the brakes last and the Moog LCA. Brakes are RAybestos R-line rotors and
Bendix fleet semi-metallic pads.