On the 13th-gen F-150 the front "struts" are really coil-over shock assemblies bolted into a double-wishbone front end: three nuts on top inside the shock tower and one long through-bolt at the bottom into the lower control arm. Buying complete loaded assemblies makes this a bolt-in job with no spring compressor, and tool-wise it is simple: 22 mm for lugs, 15 mm for the top nuts, and a 21 mm socket plus wrench for the bottom bolt. Budget extra time for a seized lower bolt if the truck has seen road salt.
The one thing people get wrong is not supporting the lower control arm. Because the spring sits on the strut, pulling the bottom bolt with the arm hanging free lets everything drop and makes reinstallation a fight; keep a second jack under the outer end of the arm and lower it gradually. The other common miss is torquing the lower through-bolt with the suspension at full droop, which preloads the bushing and shortens its life.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2-ton minimum, low profile helps Lift the truck and, with a second jack, support the lower control arm. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 3-ton pair, under frame rails Hold the truck safely while both front wheels are off. | Required | shop |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 24 in Loosen 150 ft-lb lug nuts and the lower strut bolt. | Required | shop |
| Lug nut socket 22 mm 6-point, 1/2 in drive (thin wall for alloy wheels) Removes the front wheels; all 13th-gen F-150 lugs are 22 mm. | Required | shop |
| Socket set 1/2 in drive, 15-24 mm 6-point Lower strut through-bolt (21 mm) and sway bar hardware. | Required | shop |
| Socket set 3/8 in drive, 8-19 mm, with deep sockets Three 15 mm upper mount nuts in the shock tower and bracket bolts. | Required | shop |
| Combination wrench set Metric, 15-21 mm Hold the lower bolt head or nut while turning the other side. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 30-250 ft-lb Lower strut bolt and lug nuts to spec. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 10-100 ft-lb Upper mount nuts and sway bar link nuts. | Recommended | shop |
| Second floor jack or bottle jack 2-ton Supports and slowly lowers the lower control arm to unload the coil spring. | Required | shop |
| Hex key or bit set 5-8 mm hex, 3/8 in drive bits Some sway bar link studs have a hex socket in the end to keep the stud from spinning. | Recommended | shop |
| Pry bar 18-24 in Line up the lower strut eye with the control arm and coax the bolt through. | Recommended | shop |
| Punch or alignment drift Tapered, 1/2 in Aligns the lower control arm bore with the strut eye for bolt reinstallation. | Recommended | shop |
| Wire brush Clean corrosion off the lower bolt and the shock tower studs. | Consumables | shop |
| Penetrating oil PB Blaster or equivalent The lower through-bolt can seize in the bushing sleeve, especially in salt states. | Consumables | shop |
| Wheel chocks Pair Keep the truck from rolling with the front end lifted. | Safety | shop |
| Safety glasses Rust and debris fall from the shock tower area. | Safety | shop |
| Front strut assemblies Complete loaded coil-over, matched to trim/4x2 vs 4x4 and Raptor separately The replacement units; buy in pairs. | Parts | shop |
| Lower strut bolt and nut New hardware if corroded Cheap insurance if the old bolt is rusted or the nut galls. | Parts | shop |
| Alignment check Shop service Camber can shift slightly; check toe and camber after the job. | Recommended | shop |
Engine choice (3.3/3.5 V6, 2.7/3.5 EcoBoost, 5.0 V8) does not change any front strut tool sizes - the front suspension hardware is common. What does change things is trim: Raptor uses Fox coil-overs with their own mounting hardware and remote-reservoir routing, and trucks with FX4 off-road packages or aftermarket leveling kits may have spacers or longer upper studs. Lug nuts are 22 mm across the generation.
| Wheel lug nuts | 150 ft-lb (204 Nm) |
| Strut upper mount nuts (3, 15 mm) | 46 ft-lb (63 Nm) - verify in the service manual |
| Strut lower through-bolt/nut at lower control arm | verify in the service manual (high, roughly 110-130 ft-lb range) |
| Stabilizer bar link nut | verify in the service manual |
| Strut rod nut (if using a bare shock and reusing the mount) | verify in the service manual |
Sizes here (22 mm lugs, three 15 mm upper nuts, 21 mm lower through-bolt hardware) match the common 2015-2020 F-150 layout, but hardware varies slightly by trim and aftermarket kit, so test-fit sockets and confirm all torque values in the Ford service manual before final tightening.
Yes, get at least a toe and camber check. The lower through-bolt and strut position can shift camber slightly, and it is cheap compared to chewing up a set of tires.
The three upper mount nuts in the shock tower are 15 mm, the lower control arm through-bolt and nut are typically 21 mm, and the lug nuts are 22 mm. Have both a 3/8 in and 1/2 in drive set on hand.
You can, but you then need a proper coil spring compressor to transfer the spring and upper mount, which is the riskiest part of the job. Most DIYers buy complete loaded assemblies and skip it.
The bolt corrodes to the inner sleeve of the shock bushing. Soak it in penetrating oil, work it back and forth with a wrench, then drive it out with a brass drift or punch - protect the threads and never hammer the exposed thread directly.