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Autopapyrus · Hyundai i40 (1st generation, VF)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/hyundai/i40/front-strut-replacement/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Hyundai i40 (1st generation, VF): Front Strut Replacement

The i40 front suspension is a MacPherson strut design. The strut is attached to the body at the top by three nuts (strut tower) and at the bottom to the steering knuckle by two bolts. Replace struts in pairs on the same axle. A wheel alignment is mandatory afterward. The G4NA engine does not affect the procedure, which is the same for the whole generation.

Difficulty: Medium Time: 2-3 hours per pair (on a lift or over a pit) Steps: 14 Tools: jack or lift and jack stands, lug wrench, socket and wrench set (typically 14, 17, 19, 21, 22 mm, Torx for brake hose and sensor mounts as needed), ratchet with extension, torque wrench, spring compressors (quality ones with hooks that grip 3-4 coils), strut rod tool (hex or Torx for the strut shaft) and an open-end wrench for the shaft nut, pry bar, penetrating oil, copper grease

Part

  • 🔩 front suspension strut (complete assembly or cartridge), left and right, replace in pairs. For a turnkey job, buy a complete strut assembly with spring, top mount and bump stop. If you are replacing only the shock absorber, buy the shock absorber itself (oil or gas-oil), a dust boot with bump stop, and a strut top mount with bearing (ideally replaced at over 80,000-100,000 km (50,000-60,000 mi)). I am not listing OE numbers to avoid errors: select parts by VIN and body data for your trim level. Aftermarket options: Sachs, KYB, Monroe, Bilstein, Mando
There's a full repair manual for this car Every system, wiring diagrams and torque specs — not just this job. Haynes AutoFix (online). See manuals →

Step by step

14 steps
  1. Park the car on level ground, apply the parking brake and place wheel chocks under the rear wheels. Loosen the front wheel nuts, then raise the front of the car, place jack stands and remove the wheel.
  2. Apply penetrating oil to the threads of the lower strut-to-knuckle bolts, the sway bar link nut and the upper nuts. Let it soak for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Detach the brake hose bracket (clip or retainer) from the strut and free the ABS sensor wire from the holders on the strut. Do not stretch the hose or let the caliper hang from the hose: the caliper can stay in place.
  4. Disconnect the sway bar link from the strut (nut; if the ball stud turns, hold it with a hex key or Torx bit at the end of the stud). If the sway bar link is worn, replace it at the same time.
  5. Mark the position of any eccentric or adjustable elements in the strut-to-knuckle connection, if present (to preserve camber at least approximately), then place a jack under the control arm to support the knuckle.
  6. Remove the two lower bolts connecting the strut to the steering knuckle. The bolts may be tight, so use a box-end wrench and an extension. Note the direction the bolts were installed.
  7. Open the hood and remove the three upper nuts securing the strut top mount to the body, supporting the strut from below. Remove the strut downward and outward, moving the knuckle slightly outward (lower the control arm with the jack if needed).
  8. If you have a complete strut assembly, go to step 11. If you are replacing only the shock absorber, secure the strut in a vise or on a bench (by the body, using soft protective pads), install spring compressors evenly on both sides and compress the spring until the top mount is loose. Working with a spring without quality compressors is dangerous: a compressed spring can fly off violently.
  9. Holding the shaft with a hex key, remove the shaft nut. Remove the top mount, bearing, spring seat, the spring in its compressors, bump stop and dust boot. Inspect the parts: cracks in the mount, bearing play or grinding, damage to the rubber spring pad and the condition of the bump stop should all be replaced if worn.
  10. Reassemble the unit with the new shock absorber in reverse order: lower spring pad, spring (coil ends seated against the stops on the seat), new dust boot and bump stop, upper seat, bearing, top mount. Orient the top mount correctly relative to the lower strut mounting (the three mount studs must face the body the same way as on the removed strut). Tighten the shaft nut to specification (approximately 50-70 N·m (37-52 lb-ft); confirm the exact value in the manufacturer's service manual), and only then remove the compressors.
  11. Install the strut: first guide the upper studs into the strut tower and start the nuts, then align the lower holes with the knuckle and insert the bolts. Do the final tightening with the suspension loaded (car lowered onto the wheels, or supported under the control arm) so the bushings are tightened in their working position. Torque guidelines: upper nuts ≈ 40-55 N·m (30-41 lb-ft), lower knuckle bolts ≈ 130-160 N·m (96-118 lb-ft), sway bar link ≈ 80-110 N·m (59-81 lb-ft), wheel nuts ≈ 90-110 N·m (66-81 lb-ft) (confirm all values in the service manual).
  12. Reconnect the sway bar link, brake hose and ABS wire, install the wheel and tighten the wheel nuts in a crisscross pattern. Repeat on the other side.
  13. Lower the car, bounce the body to settle the suspension, check the tightness and make sure there are no oil leaks. After a short drive, retighten the wheel nuts.
  14. Be sure to have a wheel alignment done on an alignment rack: the alignment angles are disturbed when the strut is removed.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • Working with suspension springs is dangerous. Use only sound spring compressors and do not disassemble a strut without experience: it is safer to buy complete strut assemblies or have a repair shop do the disassembly. The suspension is a safety-critical system: tighten fasteners with a torque wrench and do not reuse damaged bolts. On the rear axle, shock absorbers are replaced separately; before installing new front struts, pump the rod by hand several times if they were stored lying down.
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