01XC Front Strut labor hrs

[jmoser]

What can I expect time wise for a DIY front strut replacement on my 2001 XC?
I am thinking 4 hrs start to finish should be adequate working fairly slow; am I way off base? Not looking to set any speed records - just want a realistic estimate before I dive in.

[Chilled Man]

I would say 2hrs if you have a good spring compressor :D

Just soak everything in WD 40 the night before :D

[howardc64]

4 hours should be enough. I'm no pro and have only done it on both of our 01 V/XC70s. I think I can do in about 2.5 hours now for both.

Only tricky spots I can think of are all related to having the right tools. I have a snapon spring compressor and can compress with just turning one big nut. Maybe a lessor spring compressor might take longer.

Getting the end link unbolted from the strut seems to be a difficulty for some. There is barely enough space to stick a open end wrench in there. A more compact size around the wrench's opening will make this easier. A socket won't work because you need to hold the center with a torx bit (torx on OEM endlink, hex in the after market endlink I got) while turning the the nut. I do used a socket just to break the nut loose, then the open end + torx to hold the center still to take it off.

I've read salted roads can make this endlink nut hard to take off. In that case, you might need to spray something to loosen it up before hand.

The ABS cable is clipped on the strut. My XC had a plastic holder that holds the cable. This holder is attached firmly on the strut by 2 pins. You need to push the pins out from the backside to get the holder off. From the backside, you can barely make out a cross pattern, A really thin flat head screw driver like the ones you use for electronics is good for the job. Just inserted the edge on one bar of the cross and push it out. Doesn't need much force. Otherwise, it will break if you forced it off. My V70's holder was metal attached by 2 bolts... much more obvious on how to uninstall.

Attaching the new endlink will require a crow bar to push the sway bar downwards.

The cross shaped nut on top of the strut can just be removed and tightened by a pipe wrench.

Best direction I found was here. It is identical to our car. Note the ABS cable clip is metal + attached by a couple of small bolts.

http://members.shaw.ca/heeeeee/strut/

I left some notes below for this job. Search for "Replacing Struts"

http://www.freewebs.com/howardsvolvos/suspension.htm

Oh and strut length is different for V70 and XC70. I've read people getting the wrong ones so make sure you double check that.