Hello,
Just curious about strut replacement, do I need to replace both the front and back or can I just replace the front if the back seems ok.
Also do they need to do some kind of wheel balancing on the car after installing new struts?
Thank you!!
Yes you can replace struts in pairs only, IE the fronts and not the rears. After which you will not need a wheel balence. but rather a wheel alignment.
Often all 4 are replaced if it’s just due to wear and not damage. If one pair is worn enough to need replacing, I do them all.
I usually do them in pairs as needed. Usually the fronts wear out first, but not always. I have seen rears that were undersized for the application and they wore out first, but that is rare. It really is a case by case thing and not a general rule.
There always seems to be an exception. My wife’s car wore out the rear shocks but the struts in front lasted until she traded the car at around 110k miles. I have not replaced struts on the four cars that we drove to various old ages to 110k miles and much more to over 250k miles. Before you buy struts, do the bounce test. There is a demo on YouTube. I use my knee on the bumper, not my hand on the fender to push down. You may not need struts if the vehicle passes the bounce test and drives safely. Drive a known good car and then yours over bumpy curves, for example, to get an idea of what is acceptable.
Agreed, wheel balancing is not needed because struts were replaced but a front alignment is critical.
Usually front struts will last longer than rear shocks. However, at 56k miles, mine seem to both need replacing.