Are these front strut mounts on my 2005 Chrysler Sebring Sedan broken? I was not sure if the rubber should be showing through. I know when this happens on the rear struts, the mounting bracket is shot.

Any thoughts? Dealer quotes are around $275 per mounting bracket. Cannot find them anywhere else.

Thanks for any info you can give!

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Part of the rubber mount is supposed to be showing on top like that. If they are moving around, that's bad. You can find them at most part stores and on line at rockauto.com for much less money.

Replacing them however requires removing and disassembling the shock (strut) which is why the dealer quote is so high.

If you want to do it yourself, you'll need some special tools: ball joint separator and spring compressor. If you're going to go through all that, you might as well replace the struts, too.

Don't bother looking for a "quick strut", there isn't one for that car.

If you're still thinking about taking on the job, you can get all the parts you need from sources other than the dealer except the spring isolators. They are only available through the dealer but are not expensive.

If you want to try it, come back here for some more pointers.

 

Starting the job on a Sebring 2004 and looking for a spring compressor with small enough clearance (have one but the hooks are too thick to get in between the coils)

 

I was able to do mine with an inexpensive spring compressor I bought from Harbor Freight. It was a tight fit and barely made it but it worked. I had two Sebrings and used it on both of them. Keep the thing well lubricated. You need to pay attention to how the parts are aligned and oriented (indexed) when re-assembling. Do one side at a time so you can use the other side as a guide.

An alternative might be to take the parts to a shop where they have a big wall-mounted unit and pay them to disassemble and re-assemble the struts. Make sure they understand how to properly index the parts and make sure you have all the necessary replacement parts for re-building the strut.

 

Thank you, would you have a model number for the Harbor Freight compressor you bought ? It would be great to use the same

 

One like this:

MacPherson Strut Spring Compressor Set

It was barely adequate. Take your time and use your head.

 

Thank you, just got it, will start next week and definitely take time (and head)
Much appreciated, regards Eric