How To: Replace Front Strut Assemblies on a 2008 to 2012 Ford Escape
This video and instructions explain how to replace the front struts on a 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 Ford Escape. Maintaining healthy struts is crucial to maintaining your vehicle’s suspension system, as they help stabilize your Ford’s handling, braking, and more. Signs that your strut assembly is worn out includes excessive rocking, poor handling, prolonged braking time, bottoming out, or if you notice cupping wear on your tires. Failing struts should be replaced as soon as possible to avoid further damage to your Escape’s suspension system or tires.
Supplies Needed for This Job:
0:00 Welcome Back
0:36 Raise the Vehicle
0:53 Use Rust Penetrant
1:28 Compress the Strut
1:44 Disconnect the Old Strut
3:29 Remove the Old Strut
3:52 Install the New Strut
4:35 Torque Strut Bolts
5:31 Lower the Vehicle
The struts on the front of your Ford Escape are a structural component that helps absorb energy from the suspension system to limit abrupt movement when driving. Repairing faulty struts on your 2008 to 2012 Ford Escape is a service that can improve the comfort of driving your vehicle. Struts can affect the handling, braking, alignment, tire wear, and overall ride of your Ford. High heat, weather, and deterioration can lead to worn strut assemblies, and failing struts should be changed to avoid damage to your tires and the rest of your suspension. It’s advised that you inspect your Escape’s struts every 50,000 miles, and they should always be replaced in pairs since they have likely experienced the same amount of wear. Our detailed instructions and educational video can help you perform a front strut replacement on your 2008 to 2012 Ford Escape.
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Loosen the lug nuts on the front wheels with a socket.
Jack up the front end… put it on stands… and chock the tires [video link].
Remove the lug nuts… and take off the wheels.
Now is a good time to spray the nuts that will need to be removed with rust penetrant.
This includes opening the hood… and spraying the four upper bushing nuts.
Now use your floor jack under the control arm of the side where you’ll be working first to lift the vehicle
slightly off the stand.
Use your flathead screwdriver to pry off the brake jounce hose clip… then remove the ABS wheel speed
sensor harness bolt with a 10mm socket.
Use rust penetrant throughout the process of loosening the upper stabilizer bar link nut… starting with a
14mm wrench to break it… and turn it until the stud starts to spin.
Now, you’ll use a 5mm Allen wrench to secure the stud… and continue loosening the nut… and applying
penetrant as much as needed until the nut is removed.
Once the nut is removed, the stud can be slipped out.
[lower third: you may need to tap the stud lightly with a hammer]
Now, you’ll use an 18mm socket and breaker bar… securing the bolt with a wrench… to begin loosening
the two nuts and bolts securing the strut assembly at the bottom.
Once the nuts are removed, use a hammer and punch to start the bolts out if needed… and lower the
floor jack so that the vehicle rests on the stands.
Leave the bottom bolts in place for now.
Back in the engine bay… use a 14mm socket to remove the four upper bushing nuts.
Now, remove the bottom bolts completely… and you should be able to remove the strut assembly from
the wheel well.