Here you can find information regarding the assembly of the Dodge Stratus front end. In this guide we will cover the
essential repairs for the front end of this vehicle. Included within these repairs
is the inner and outer tie rod removal and change, the front wheel hubs installation, ball joint removal and
installation, the upper and lower control arms, and the front strut installation. Along
with the repair procedures we also include the corresponding bolt torque specs for each fastener involved. These
guides are intended to assist in each procedure to help diyers with the job.
Dodge Stratus Tie Rod Change/Removal
To install a new tie rod on a Dodge Stratus you must first remove the old one from the vehicle. This can be
done by raising the vehicle up by either the use of a floor jack or a vehicle hoist.
Once the vehicle is in the air you can remove the corresponding tire for the side that you want to change the
tie rod on. Once the tire is off you can now access the old tie rod and remove it for replacement. On this vehicle the
tie rod is apart of an entire rod system which controls the steering of the vehicle. If any of the steering rods are loose
be sure to replace them appropiately. The outer tie rod itself connects with another inner portion of the rod through the use
of an inner tie rod. This inner tie rod screws into the power steering rack and can be torqued down to 55 ft-lbs.
Be sure to inspect and measure your old tie rods so that the new ones can be installed
correctly. Whenever steering components are changed I recommend having an alignment done after the job to ensure the vehicle is in good
functional condition. When putting the tie rod onto the vehicle the tie rod end nuts get tightened down to 45 ft-lbs.
Be sure to install new cotter pins to ensure that vehicle safety is maintained.
Dodge Stratus Outer Tie Rod End Torque Spec : 45 ft-lbs
Dodge Stratus Inner Tie Rod Torque Spec : 55 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub Installation
The front wheel hub on the Dodge Stratus tightens down to the steering knuckle through the use of 3 bolts. In order to remove the
old part from the vehicle you will need to jack your car up and remove the wheel on the side you are working on. From here we can then begin to
remove the braking system by taking off the caliper and brake rotor and removing the center axle nut which holds the cv axle to the steering
knuckle. With those removed we can now gain access to the wheel hub bolts which will be
on the back side of the steering knuckle and can be accessed by turning the steering wheel one way and then the other. As you move the wheel take the bolts
out as the access becomes easier. Once the 3 bolts have been removed you can remove the old part using a hammer and pry
bar and then clean the surface and put the new part onto the vehicle. With the new wheel hub installed we can begin to hand tighten down the 4 bolts
and then torque them to specs. The 3 bolts which hold it onto the steering knuckle should be torqued down to 95 ft-lbs.
Once all are tight you can then put the center axle nut onto the cv axle and torque it down to 150 ft-lbs. Once both have been torqued you can proceed to
reinstall the braking system and then the wheel.
Dodge Stratus Front Axle Nut Torque Spec : 150 ft-lbs
The Dodge Stratus has 2 front ball joints being the upper and lower ball joints. Both of which connect their corresponding control arms to the
steering knuckle. For removal you can either press out the old ball joints and press new joints in or you can replace the entire control arm along
with the frame bushings and ball joint. When removing the entire control arm please refer to the control arm section within this webpage.
When installing the new parts be sure to torqued down the ball joints nut to 40 ft-lbs and the lower ball joint to 55 ft-lbs.
Each ball joint will have a corresponding cotter pin that will need to be installed to ensure safety of the vehicle maintains.
On the Dodge Stratus there are 2 control arms which aid in the vehicles suspension and handling. On this particular vehicle there is the use
of both a strut and upper control arm which connect together through the use of an upper strut mounting plate as shown in the picture. When removing
the upper control arm be sure to remove the lower strut bolts before trying to move it as the extra moveability and accessibility is very helpful during the
procedure. When installing the new upper control arm be sure to torqued down the mounting frame sided bolts to 66 ft-lbs and the upper ball joint to 40 ft-lbs.
As for the lower control arm it simply has 2 frame bolts and a single ball joint nut. When installing the new part be sure to torqued down the bolts at ride
height to ensure the bushings seat properly. You can torque down the lower contorl arm frame sided front pivot bolt to 135 ft-lbs. The rearward bolt can be
torqued down to 70 ft-lbs while the lower ball joint nut goes to 55 ft-lbs.
To replace the front struts on the Dodge Stratus you will need to lift the vehicle up into the air and start by removing the tire on the side you want to replace.
With that removed we can now remove the bolts and nuts that hold the strut to the vehicle frame and lower control arm. Starting
with the single lower bolt which holds the strut assembly to the steering knuckle. Simply remove the nut from the bolt and then lightly tap the bolt out of
the steering knucle assembly. Be sure not to damage the threads on the bolt as they will need to be reused when installing the new strut into the vehicle.
With the lower bolt removed we can then remove the single nut which holds the stabilizer bar to the front strut. With that remove we can move to
under the hood and remove the 4 boltss which hold the upper portion of the strut to the vehicles frame and the upper control arm.
With the upper 4 bolts removed and the upper ball joint nut taken off the old strut assembly and upper control arm
should be able to be removed from the car. The new strut assembly can be placed into the location of the old one and the upper bolts can be hand tightened.
Before torqueing down any fasteners be sure that everything is first hand tightened. The lower bolt can then be installed and hand tightened up along with the
stabilizer endlink nut. From here we can torque down the upper bolts to 66 ft-lbs and then the lower strut bolt to 85 ft-lbs. The stabilizer
endlink can be torqued down to 25 ft-lbs.
The front swaybar on the Dodge Stratus consists of a series of brackets that hold it to the frame of the
vehicle and a couple of endlink nuts that fasten it the the outer side of the car. To remove
the swaybar you will need to jack up the front of the vehicle and remove both the endlink nuts as well as the
brackets. To install the new swaybar you will need to move it back into the place as the old one
and torque the endlink nuts to 17 ft-lbs and then torque the bracket bolts to 40 ft-lbs as well.
Dodge Stratus Front Swaybar Bracket Torque Spec : 45 ft-lbs
Dodge Stratus Front Swaybar Endlinks Torque Spec : 27 ft-lbs
