I have a question for all of you that have changed their struts... Did you also replace those plates that have the bearings in them? I think they are the spring seatswith the bearing...Someone mentioned that I should also replace them, becuase they might be bad as well??? Just don't wanna tear them out to find out those plates need to be replaced. And of course your new struts don't come with those parts, they make you reuse all the hardware from your original struts...

I was gonna change them this weekend, but now I wanna hold off till I find out some more info...

 

i dont think my top plates have bearings in them. i know what you mean cuz my old grand am had them. but when i did my springs i dont think the top plates had bearings.

 

On the 2004 set up they have a bearing I guess... Just had a friend order them for me through the dealership he works for.

Were your struts making noises before you replaced them? I guess that plate with the bearing can also go bad from what I have been told???

 

Im inthe process of changing mine out with coulover struts and I have the reuse the top plate, and It does not have any bearings. By the way my car is a 2000.

 

all cars have a bearing in the plate, to rotate the strut when u turn, if not the coil spring will bind up and ping.......

 

If beyond 70K probably a good idea if making noise definitely get new ones.

 

just checked mine. no bearing in the plate. the plate bolts up to the fender and they way it pivots is by the rotational freeplay on the strut shaft itself. mine is 2005 sxt.

 

i replaced my all 4 of my strut plates when i did mine last year on my 2000. they were rusted to hell and back.

 

I'm gonna replace all 4 of mine as well, just to be on the safe side! I really wanted to do them this weekend, butI guess I'll just have to wait a bit longer untilI get those plates and then find another weekend that I have free to do the struts. Ughhhh

Just for fun I called around to get a price on what shops would charge to change the struts... OMG!!! 2 Shops wanted $400 to change them, and I'm even supplying the new struts and springs. 2 Other shops wouldn't even give me a quote because I was supplying the parts!WTF is that all about??? $100 An hour to just replace the struts??? I believe I'll wait and do them myself, even if it takes some extra time because I don't have a lift and all that good stuff like a garage does...

 

many shops wont use YOUR parts. think about it, do you take your own hamburger patty to Wendy's?

i paid a shop $1000 parts and labor to change 4 struts and plates. the struts and plates cost more than the labor and i know that for a fact because i priced them out first. i paid them, cuz it was winter and i needed them bad. so $400 is about right.