Parts for your 2005 Ford Territory-Struts

2005 Ford Territory: Struts or not?

Struts are not used on the 2005 Ford Territory. Technical sources describe the Territory’s front end as a short-long arm (double wishbone) layout with a coil-over shock absorber, and the rear as Ford’s Control Blade independent rear suspension with separate locating arms and a shock/spring arrangement. Because neither end relies on a MacPherson strut (where the damper is a primary load-bearing, steering-locating member), “struts” aren’t the correct term or part for this vehicle.

Why no struts? The Territory was engineered off the Falcon’s chassis hardware to deliver better wheel control, carrying capacity and refinement for Aussie and Kiwi roads. In a double wishbone front end, the upper and lower control arms locate the wheel and handle the big loads, the damper and coil simply manage motion and ride. Same story down the back: the Control Blade IRS uses a trailing arm and lateral links for geometry and load paths, leaving the shock absorber to dampen rather than carry structural steering or camber loads. That’s different to a MacPherson design, so a “strut” assembly doesn’t apply here.

What should owners look at instead? Think shocks, springs and bushes rather than struts. Typical Territory service or refresh items include:

• Front shock absorbers (coil-over type), upper mounts/insulators, sway bar links and bushes
• Front control arm bushes and ball joints
• Rear shock absorbers, rear springs, Control Blade/trailing arm and lateral link bushes
• Wheel alignment after any suspension work

Tell-tales that the shocks or bushes are tired include a floaty or bouncy ride, clunks over bumps, uneven tyre wear, nose-dive under braking, steering shimmy and oil seepage down a damper body. Many catalogues casually label the front shocks as “struts”, but on the 2005 Territory they are shock absorbers, not structural struts. Ordering by VIN and by suspension type (SX/SY) avoids mix-ups.

Technical sources referenced for the above conclusion:

• Ford Territory SX/SY Workshop Manual, Sections 204-01 (Front Suspension) and 204-02 (Rear Suspension)
• Ford Australia Product Information: Ford Territory Engineering Overview (2004–2005)
• Ford Territory (Australia) model technical specifications noting double wishbone front and Control Blade IRS rear

Popular questions about 2005 Ford Territory “struts”

Does a 2005 Ford Territory have struts?
No. It uses a double wishbone front suspension with a coil-over shock absorber and a Control Blade independent rear suspension. The dampers aren’t structural locating members, so they’re not MacPherson struts.

What do you replace instead of struts on a 2005 Territory?
Replace front and rear shock absorbers, check/replace springs, and renew control arm bushes, ball joints, and sway bar links/bushes as needed. Always finish with a proper alignment.

Why do parts catalogues list “front struts” for this model?
Some catalogues use “strut” loosely for any front shock/spring unit. On the Territory the correct term is shock absorber (damper). Ordering by VIN and selecting “front shock absorber” for SX/SY Territory will get the right parts.