DIY Rear Strut Replacement Corolla 98 - 02 - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

RinconRolla98 · 02-19-2010, 12:34 PM

This is a DIY of rear struts with coil over sleeves . It still can be a DIY with OEM springs , you just omitt the areas for the sleeve .

First you jack your car up and place it on jack stands for safety . As you can see in this photo I do not need a spring compressor but if you are working with OEM springs then you need to use the proper tools which is the spring compressor which you can rent for free at any local auto parts store .

Once you have the car secure you and your spring secure then remove the brake line . Remember to bleed the brake line when you put this back together . If you do not have to unscrew the brake line then you do not have to bleed . There is a clip there to once you unscrew the brake line then with a flat head screw driver you push the clip aside .

Then you remove the rear sway bar link using a wrench and allen key . Make sure when you put this back on you add some anti seize for easier future removal .

Then you loosen the bottom two bolts do not take them fully off . Until you remove the top one after . Loosen this up first because if you take off the top nut then strut will turn while trying to take the bottom bolts off . When you put the bolts back on use anti seize .

Then if your vehicle has the back seats that come down then you pull down your back seat . If your vehicle back seat doesnt come down then you have to remove the back part . Once you pull your back seat down you will see a flap as shown in the photo , Pull the flap towards you then unscrew the top nut . Again when you put this back on use anti seize .

Once you have them off make sure you have the correct side . The rear struts are the only struts on the car that have a left or a right .

Now this part is only for those who have coil over sleeves and the sleeve will not fit over the strut shaft because of a obstruction of the top part . This will not void your warranty unless your dum enough to tell them what you did .

Now with your drill you drill out the three weld marks . Leaving the clip still on the strut to help you out for needed stress . You do not drill all the way . All you are doing is basicailly removing the weld spot not drilling through the strut shaft .

You can drill a little and tap with the a hammer and keep doing this until you see the clip lifting up that flat piece , and as shown in this photo your piece will come off .

Now if in the future if you do not want to open the brake lines you can cut out a piece on the strut as shown in the photo so that you can slide it in and out . This is so much easier

Once you d
o that then you can put your brake line back and put the clip back so it can hold it there . If you opened up your brake line do not forget to bleed your brakes .

Then once everything is back on this is what you should have . If you still have your OEM springs make sure you use your spring compressor tool .

Then you put the wheel back on make sure you tighten your lugs nuts .

More DIY : http://rinconrolla98.blogspot.com

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HAWAZNPERSUAZN · 03-23-2012, 01:53 AM

need a diy for the 8.5 gens we don't have that hatch on the inside to get to the bolt

samanthabb · 05-01-2012, 09:44 AM

Wait why would you do all of this? I got my shocks from completestruts.com and all I did was take them to a mechanic and popped them in in like ten minutes.

He said there were a bazillion places to get assemblies and that messing around with a spring compressor was REALLY dangerous...

-samantha

Kyle Hamelin · 05-02-2012, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samanthabb

Wait why would you do all of this? I got my shocks from completestruts.com and all I did was take them to a mechanic and popped them in in like ten minutes.

He said there were a bazillion places to get assemblies and that messing around with a spring compressor was REALLY dangerous...

-samantha

Because your complete strut assembly is a piece of junk compaired to buying say a KYB strut and springs seperatly.

ilovecorollale · 05-02-2012, 11:35 AM

I don't even bother to use a spring compressor but still able to change them successfully and easily.

KeMBro2012 · 05-02-2012, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovecorollale

I don't even bother to use a spring compressor but still able to change them successfully and easily.

^-- This.

When my buddy and I were replacing the springs and struts on the 2000, we did the rears using the spring compressor. While he was messing with the compressor on one of the fronts, I said screw this, stacked all the parts together for the other front and pushed down, then yelled for him to come over and spin the nut on. Worked just fine, and I'm a scrawny little f***er.

ilovecorollale · 05-02-2012, 04:04 PM

Funny...Well i did it alone on all four sides.

KeMBro2012 · 05-02-2012, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovecorollale

Funny...Well i did it alone on all four sides.

Yeah, I wasn't sure I'd be able to push it down so I didn't think to have the nut sitting where I could reach it. Plus, it was still his car at the time and it was more of a get together and have a few beers kinda thing.

Buurin · 05-03-2012, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeMBro2012

When my buddy and I were replacing the springs and struts on the 2000, we did the rears using the spring compressor. While he was messing with the compressor on one of the fronts, I said screw this, stacked all the parts together for the other front and pushed down, then yelled for him to come over and spin the nut on. Worked just fine, and I'm a scrawny little f***er.

I can't. I even needed to buy a bigger spring compressor when I did my dad's car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HAWAZNPERSUAZN

need a diy for the 8.5 gens we don't have that hatch on the inside to get to the bolt

That's not because you have a gen 8.5; it's because you don't have fold down rear seat. In this case, you need to remove the seat back. search here for a fold down seat retrofit and follow it, but you stop after removing the seat back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RinconRolla98

Once you have them off make sure you have the correct side . The rear struts are the only struts on the car that have a left or a right .

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Is this just a clip that keeps the strut compressed?

RevvinBen · 05-17-2012, 01:25 PM

You would have killed yourself with an american car. That would never have worked on a big ass american car. But Maybe on a little jippy jap toyota u can get away with it. But that's part of the beauty of japanese cars! When I did my camry struts it was a cinche. I got the assemblies, though, from completestruts.com so there wasn't any messing around with the spring for me. Everything on that car is easy. I love to hate it and hate to love it.