New Struts for the 2002 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Monte Carlo - The Struggle Is Real

Every time I finish a job like swapping out the front struts on my 2002 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, I begrudgingly thank my late mother for her steadfast determination to block my aspirations to pursue a career in automotive repair. I also feel sorry for people who wake up every day and go to work where their employ consists of grueling and fairly dangerous tasks. I at least have the benefit of knowing this project is probably a one-off; for folks who do this kind of work for a living, or any job that is physically taxing, it's onto the next job. More power to all of you. Seriously. 

It all started easy enough. I found 1AAuto's video on strut replacement on 2000-2007 Monte Carlo's and it seemed like a very straight forward, dare I say simple job. Five bolts, some lifting, hammering and yanking. How hard could this be? Well, the very well-produced video here glosses over one very important fact - getting the new strut in is a major pain in the ass. Speaking of which, with all my grunting and squatting I think I may have a hemorrhoid. The struggle is real. 

In hindsight, it's not that anything "went wrong", per se with this project. It's that these suckers get heavy, they're unyielding and lining up the bolts connecting the lower part of the strut to the steering knuckle is way, way more challenging than the guy in the video makes it out to be. Then again, nothing ever goes wrong in DIY Youtube videos, you know? 

I did the passenger side strut earlier this week and that was bad enough. The driver's side, for reasons I will probably never determine, was ten times harder. I mean, if I didn't know better, I'd swear my "new" strut was not the correct size. The damn steering knuckle would not move down low enough and the strut itself could not go any higher. What was worse, the knuckle kept jumping up like it was on a spring. Well, it was and that was the anti-sway bar which is huge on my car with its F41 suspension and all. The car worked on in the video is a 2000-era Monte Carlo "LS" not an "SS" like mine. Less thick sway bar thus less spring action and easier to move the knuckle down and keep it there. 

I had thought about disconnecting the sway-bar links to help lower the knuckle, something the guy in the video didn't do but the bolts were rusted and to undo them would have taken at least another hour. So I fought and fought with the strut and the knuckle and eventually got the bolts in just far enough to whack them the rest of the way in with my trusty five-pounder. Phew. Remarkably, the threads on the bolts weren't damaged. 

Much like discussing a serious car accident you almost had but thankfully didn't, in the end my "new strut" story on "The Dale" is an anti-climactic one. Once my anxiety dialed down over possibly not being able to finish this project I found my car to ride like it hasn't in years. Shocks, struts and springs deteriorate slowly; you don't realize how bad things had gotten until new ones are in. Who's up for a roundtrip to D.C.? 

Now, onto the rears which looks to be somewhat easier to do than the fronts. Bring it on and long live "The Dale".