How to Replace Shocks & Struts on a GMC Sierra

Find the three top strut mount nuts under the hood. Use a 15 millimeter deep socket with a 3/8 inch extra long extension to loosen and remove them. It’s easier to access these nuts while the truck is on the ground.

Once you’ve got the nuts loosened to be removed, we’ll need to get the truck raised and the wheel off to access the strut inside the wheel well, break the lug nuts on the wheel with a socket breaker bar. Then jack up the car. A jack standard secure part of the frame and lower the car onto it.

Take off the lug nuts and remove the wheel. Now you can access the strut assembly.

You’re gonna want to locate the two bottom bolts on the strut assembly, loosen and remove them with a 15 millimeter deep socket. You won’t need a wrench here because the nuts are fixed onto the structure.

Once the bolts are out, just slide out the old assembly.

Since we have a Duralast Loaded Strut Assembly, we can just go ahead and install the new assembly.

Now you should be able to access the top studs through the wheel well. With your fingers. tighten the top nuts supplied with the new strut to hold the assembly in place. We’ll tighten them all the way through the hood later.

Reinstall the bottom bolts and tighten. The torch spec this torques to 37 ft. lbs.

If you can reach the top nuts while the truck is raised, go ahead and tighten them under the hood with the ratchet and extension. If not, get them as tight as you can and then tighten all the way after the wheel is reinstalled and the car is lowered

Reinstall the wheel and lug nuts. Lower the car until the wheel is touching, then tighten the lug nuts all the way. These lug nuts should be tightened to 140 ft. lbs. of torque.

Repeat on the other side and you’re ready to move to the rear.

For the rear, install jack up the car, place it on jack stands and remove the wheel. Following the same process we use for the front. You may want to place the jack under the rear differential of the vehicle.

Use a 21 millimeter socket and 21 millimeter wrench to loosen and remove the bottom nut on the shock.

Now remove the bottom bolt. You may need a mallet and a punch to get it all the way out.

Remove the top nut with a 21 millimeter socket.

And now we just take the shock out and then we just install the new shock.

Get one of the top bolts started to line up the shock. Then compress the shock and slide it into the bottom, insert the bottom pole, install the nut and tighten.

Now you can tighten the top nuts. These are also torqued to 85 ft. lbs.

Now put the wheel back on using the same steps outlined for the front and lower the car.

Repeat on the other side and you’re done.