How to Mount a Tire After a Blowout

Misplaced strut mounts can wear on a tire and cause a dangerous blowout. Replacing the strut mounts after a blowout requires a fair amount of time, but you can do it yourself if you have any experience with auto repair. The mount is located 8 to 10 inches above the strut, which is inside the wheel. You'll need to remove the old parts and replace them with new ones in reverse order.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Complete tools for auto repair
• Replacement parts for any worn nuts, bolts or other pieces of the assembly

1. Raise the vehicle, ensure that it is safely supported and stable, and remove the entire wheel and the swaybar end link.

2. Remove any brake hose brackets or clips attached to the strut. If the outer tie rod attaches to the strut body, remove it as well. Loosen and detach the strut-to-knuckle bolts. Once you've detached the bolts, be sure to stabilize the suspension to avoid damage.

3. Remove the upper strut mount nuts and bolts, but do not remove the center strut shaft nut. Remove the strut assembly.

4. Use the strut spring compressor to compress the spring, take pressure off the upper strut mount, and use a wrench to remove the shaft nut. Remove the entire strut mount.

5. Disassemble the strut assembly and replace any worn out parts. Take care to replace any parts that you have removed exactly where they were before.

6. Mount the strut parts in reverse order from the way you disassembled them. Replace all of the auto parts where they were before.

7. Reinstall the wheel and repeat on the other side. Take the vehicle in for an alignment check to be sure your work is safe and ready for the road.

Tips & Warnings

• Always balance your work on strut mounts. If you replace the mounts on one side of the vehicle, you must replace them on the other side as well.

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