When replacing struts on a car, do the coil springs NEED to be replaced also?

It depends on the mileage of your vehicle but vehicle suspension springs hardly ever need replacing. In the rare occasion a bend or crack in the springs occur then it would require a replacement. Usually the rubber covers at the ends of the spring coils get worn or the strut mount (the black circular thing that holds everything together at the top) also go bad and may warrant a replacement. And these usually go bad before a spring needs replacement. Only way is to get a good physical inspection of the spring, jack up your vehicle, take off the wheel, and get a flashlight to take a close look. Be careful when jacking up the car and always use chucks and a jack stand.

Most of time strut replacement DOES NOT require spring replacement. Most aftermarket stock replacement struts run $40-200 depending on the vehicle make, model, and if it's for front or rear.

When a mechanic replaces your strut and you have a Mcpherson or strut suspension type they have to remove the entire assembly, compress the spring down, take off the strut, replace the strut, bolt the strut mount back on, decompress the spring, then reinstall into your vehicle.

Strut And Coil Spring Assembly

This Site Might Help You.

RE:

When replacing struts on a car, do the coil springs NEED to be replaced also?

I drive a Dodge neon '05, and an auto shop told me I need to replace the front struts on my car. This is not cheap - $500-700. They broke down everything I'd be paying for - labor, struts, alignment... and mentioned that the struts would be around $250 each. I looked up strut prices online...

Don't listen to Robert G.--he's completely wrong!

To answer your question, No, you don't have to replace the springs at the same time you replace the struts unless your car's ride height is out of specs. For a car as new as yours, this is a very, very remote possibility.

If you don't have the training for this type of repair, do NOT attempt to do it yourself. A compressed vehicle spring stores an enormous amount of energy. IT WILL KILL YOU!!!!!

Now, back to Robert G's answer: Macpherson Struts serve the same function as an old-style shock absorber. That's really all they are in essence. The shock absorber, or strut, is designed to dampen the oscillations that occur when you hit bumps and pot holes. They work by a piston passing through a thick, viscous oil. The piston has tiny holes around it's circumference and will only pass through the oil so fast. Because a fluid cannot be compressed, it slows and stops the up/down oscillations of the car.

Driving with bad struts or shocks will negatively effect your car's handling. Bad shocks/struts have even been known to contribute to traffic accidents because the driver lost control of the car.

To test your struts/shocks, push the car down and let it up repeatedly like you were trying to bounce a basketball. Once you have it going up and down pretty good, let go and watch the car. The bouncing should stop in 3 or less oscillations. Also, visually inspect the shocks and struts for leakage. If there are signs of wetness coming down the sides of the shock/strut, it's time to replace them.

Car Coil Springs

First, do not go to the dealer with this. There are many suspension shops who will give you a better quote and lower rates. You have to replace both because over time, springs loose their recoil strength. No enough to notice because they wear together, evenly. If you replace one side and not the other you will have a stiffer spring on one side than the other. This will most likely cause uneven tire wear and steering issues. Sorry and good luck.

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/axf6A

When one side fails, quite often the other is getting close too. Its also a good idea to replace suspension parts in pairs to keep the ride on each side even. So, yes... replacing both sides is common practice and a good idea. Don't let the dealer do the work on the car... they will gouge you for sure. If your local mechanic is trustworthy, then definitely have him take a look at it.

--->> Tips---> https://trimurl.im/f67/when-replacing-struts-on-a-...

strut/spring replacement is not an easy job.

I did replace the strut and spring assembly on a Ford Windstar.

I would not try to remove the spring from the the strut/assembly.

...that could be a dangerous practice to avoid.

sorry, but my recommendation is to trade the dodge for a better vehicle.

a toyota hopefully, find a just off lease Camry and enjoy the ride.

Honestly it's likely none of it needs to be done unless you want the handling of a new car. You can drive for 20 more years on the worn struts fine. Usually you change the springs because they get noisy.