Struts help to provide a smooth ride. They do this by absorbing vibration and shock caused from driving over paved roads. Over time, struts may need to be replaced. A good rule of thumb is if you push down on the back of your Ford Taurus and it bounces more than two times (bounces up and down), then the struts are going bad and should be replaced soon.
Open the trunk of the Ford Taurus and remove the trunk lining. You may need a screwdriver to help you pry up some of the trim around the wheels.
Loosen and remove the strut mounting bolts using the socket wrench (you may need to use penetrating oil to loosen the bolts if they have seized). On either side of the trunk, there will be bolts holding the struts in place. If you are replacing both struts, it doesn't matter which one you start with. You may need to use a breaker bar to loosen these.
Remove the sway bar link from the top of the struts.
Spray the penetrating oil on the pinch bolt, which holds the spindle housing in place. Let it sit for up to 15 minutes, then spray again and let it soak for 5 more minutes.
Loosen and remove the pinch bolt. You will have to be careful while using a breaker bar because the bolt head on this particular bolt breaks easily.
Separate the upper strut from the spindle housing using a pry bar and hammer. You will have to wedge the pry bar in between the spindle housing and the upper strut and hit the pry bar with a hammer pretty hard, but it should come loose.
Jack up the car slowly. As you do, you will notice that once the upper strut mounts have been loosened, there is nothing holding the struts in place. You may need to jack the vehicle up quite high to provide enough clearance for you to remove the strut. Place jack stands under the car at the pinch welds in the rear and lower the car onto the stands. Make sure that the car is supported on the jack stands and not the jack.
Loosen, but do not remove, the rear brake line support brackets. Be careful not to damage the abs sensor accidentally, which is attached to the wheel bearing assembly.
Loosen and remove the lower strut bolt(s) and pull the strut down through the bottom of the wheel well.
Install the new "quick strut" assembly. Installation is the reverse of removal.
