You'll need a couple of stout wrenches with 15/16 inch sockets to remove the strut from the steering knuckle. Note the bolt with the eccentric cam on its head and how the cam's edge is aligned against the raised edge on the strut housing. That's how the camber is set, by turning the slightly loose bolt head with the cam pushing the strut housing in or out. So you might want to make a mark on the cam and when you reinstall make sure it's in about the same relation to the new strut. You'll still need a full wheel alignment, though.
Remove the three nuts from the top of the strut tower and pull the strut from the car. Compress the spring and remove the large center nut from the strut piston. Will require a special wrench or box-end wrench and smaller one (but with good leverage) to hold the center hex to keep the piston from turning. If there's a rubber jounce bumper on the piston, probably should replace it too, since they tend to disintegrate with age and then you get a loud bang when the strut bottoms out. Make sure the bearing at the top isn't worn out.
Above all, be careful about compressing the spring, which if it comes loose while compressed can injure or kill.
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Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 AT 10:06 AM
