DIY: Install front struts/springs

[Chris Crash]

This install I am using Tokico blues and H&R springs.

Tools needed:

• 12, 14, 19, 24 (?) mm deep sockets (impact work best!)
• Impact gun if available
• Spring Compressor
• Hammers, pry bars, screwdrivers

1. Jack the car up and put it on jack stands with the rear wheels blocked and the parking brake on. Remove the wheels.
2. Remove the 12 mm brake line connected to the strut.
3. Remove the two 19 mm bolts/nuts from the bottom of the strut. They're on at 150 ft/lbs, and even my impact gun had trouble getting them. Might need a torch.
4. LOOSEN but do NOT remove the middle 19 mm nut for the strut mount. If you remove it, expect to go the hospital.
5. Remove the three 14 mm nuts from the top of the strut mount. The strut will fall. Wrangle it out of there. Hopefully you bought new mounts, new everything, and don't need anything so just set the old setup aside.
   
6. Get your springs/struts/mounts/rubbers out now and assemble them together. I put these on a 94 camry, but I was sent struts for a 96 so needed the top mount bearings for it.
7. Compress the spring. You need to compress it enough to be able to put the strut mount over it and still have some play. You'll understand when you do it.
8. If you're lucky like me, you'll get sold the wrong lower insulator (gave me the rear instead of the front) which happens to be a little too small.
   
   But it's rubber, right? So it'll stretch. Grab yourself some zip ties and tie it up like so:
   
9. Place the spring on the strut, place the mount on top and make sure the grooves LINE UP with the strut threads. Then start the middle strut mount nut. Make sure the side farthest downward faces in towards the engine, away from the 19 mm bottom strut mounting bolts.
   
10. Decompress the spring. Then tighten up the middle nut. Make sure that the strut shaft moves WITH the mount, or else it's not lined up. Once you've done this, cut the zip ties off, they should just slide right out, if not with the help from some pliers.
11. Reinstall on the car. Three top 14 mm bolts first, torque to 50 ft/lbs. Then the bottom two 19 mm bolts. They are a pain to get on, just wrestle with the brake hub until it's lined up then slam one in. These are torqued to 150 ft/lbs. Brake line is next, 12 mm. 36 in/lbs. Then the middle nut on top can be torqued to 39 ft/lbs.
    
12. Reinstall your wheels and torque to 76 ft/lbs.
13. Drop the car and admire your wheel gap (1.5 fingers!)
    

Test drive it. Then re-torque EVERYTHING.

Will do a write up for the rears tomorrow...

Disclaimer: Use this guide at your own risk. I don't feel like coming up with anything witty to say here...

[LynchburgCSI]

ZIP TIES. You're a freakin genius. THat would have helped me out about ohhhh.... 2 years ago.

[jtex2717]

NICE

[iovaykind]

JUST what I needed.. how long did it take you? Should only take me about twice as long

A little confused on what the "middle 19mm" nut is.. the one you shouldn't remove if you don't want a trip to the hospital.. could you get a picture of where it is, or explain a little more? Thanks.

Edit:
Isn't a realignment also recommended after a drop?

[jtex2717]

^ YEs reallignment is highly suggested and the top mount nut is just a regular ...

Honestly I could do all 4 in about 2 hours...thats w/ a 20 min brake in between too....but for this being your first time....and w/o a lift...I would give yourself about 6 hours....take your time and double check everything you youre not doing things twice...

[iovaykind]

Well I have every tool known to man in my garage so tools shouldn't be a problem.. the hardest part should be figuring out how the spring sits in the strut and how all the mounts and rubber parts attach.

[jtex2717]

^Oh dude...thats easy....There is a spot right on the strut where the spring sits perfectly....and I found that if you just follow the lines of the stock springs on the rubber part of the mount then you wont have any issues....but just make sure you check for fitment for the first assembly that you put together...

[Chris Crash]

What I would do is get all the rubber pieces, new mounts, bearings, and then assemble off the car. Then just swap them right over.

The middle nut is on top of the strut mount, right in the middle. You'll see the three 14 mm nuts holding the mount up through the engine bay, then right in the middle of that cluster is a 19 mm nut. Loosen it a bit.

Let's see, it's taken me three weekends to do this because of missing parts and what not. But last night doing the front took probably, oh, 2 hours? I've never done struts before. The back just one side took 2 hours (the big nuts were rusted in, needed the torch for these ones...)

The spring and strut are fool proof. There's a shoulder/lip on the strut seat where the end of the coil sits in. You can't mess it up, I promise.

Then there's a slot in the mount that has to line up with the strut rod. I can take more detailed pics when I do the back to better explain...

[iovaykind]

Should I get all these misc pieces from rockauto? Can you edit your DIY with a parts list including some links so it's easier? YES, I ask for more than I need

edit:
mostly what rubber parts i need, and bearings. i know about mounts but that's all

[Chris Crash]

Rockauto or advance. I ordered the mounts and kit and rubbers from rockauto, and they shipped them from advance so just compare prices.

Yeah I'll get a parts list up just for you

[fenixus]

nice thanks

also, for gen4 guys, torques on strut mount nuts (14mm) and 19mm top center strut nut are a little different.
it's 36ft-lbs for center nut (hospital warning was on this one) and revised 29ft-lbs (old OEM was 59ft-lbs) for 3 nuts around it for the strut mount. numbers per FSM and usually same for all aftermarket struts & parts.

I will be doing front struts in Spring, but for the life of me I can't decide if I want to drop the car or not ... I'd rather not touch rear struts yet as they are 26k mile old OEM struts and dropping front only is just silly either way I think I will get Tokico blues for fronts and use them probably with stock springs for now.

[Chris Crash]

Strut mounts:
Monroe #903991 $55.79
OR
KYB #SM5174 $54.99

Rubbers:
Upper:
Monroe #904950 $13.00
Lower:
Monroe #904951 $13.01

And honestly that's all I personally used. You can get the bellows and bumpers if you'd like, but I think it's a waste because they demolish themselves soon anyway.

[iovaykind]

I only need to change strut mounts if it's OEM right? Cause I'm pretty sure my suspension was changed, and used new strut mounts.. I'll probably need new rubber though. Is there anything wrong with using used strut mounts or should new ones be used whenever changing struts

[BoyBlue]

Great DIY!! looking 4ward to when i can start this project! ;D

[LittleWhiteBubble]

I re-used my mounts when I changed my struts out. I didn't have any problems doing so. But if they are bad you'll have to replace them. They can come apart if they're worn out. I agree about the bellows and bumpers. Mine were trashed, so I bought bellows and universal cut to fit bumpers to put on mine. It cost me 10 bucks per bellow and like 20 bucks for 2 bumpers which I just cut in half. I don't think it was worth the 60 extra bucks I paid. Junk is going to get in there if it really wants to, the bellows usually rip or aren't long enough anyhow.