Replacing Struts and Installing Coil Springs

[86Toyobaru]

How about use portable/detachable torque wrench that can bolt on hollow type head and torque to 41 ft-lb directly.

[mla163]

Note. The stock front springs come off fairly easily without a spring compressor. But if you are putting the stock springs back on, you will need a spring compressor.

[mla163]

Great write up @DarrenDriven. With 7 pages of follow up after the initial DIY, it would be helpful to amend the original post to include some of the more recent info such as:

- Special tools or procedures to use when taking off the strut top nut to avoid spinning the strut shaft and damaging the shocks
- At the rear, loosening the hub bolt and unbolting the swaybar can help to make more room for the rear shock.
- Unclipping the ABS clips - see post 136
- The proper method for taking off the front swaybar to endlink bolt. This bolt will spin endlessly unless you use an allen wrench and a box wrench since it is in a ball joint.

[ricebox]

On step #47 there's two rubber (one on each side) that you slide the bolt in. Does it matter if one of the rubber is out of place? Because when I tried to push the LCA in place it sort of pushed the rubber and pushed it out of place. Is it fine to just put it back like that or should I try and pull the rubber back in place? Any help would be helpful

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by DarrenDriven

Ah, jacking the control arm up seems like the right way to do that. I edited the DIY to reflect that. Good idea.

You said to just man handle the control arm to get the bolt holes to line up, but I found that if you man handle it to get the shock lined up and that bolt in, and then jack up the control arm a little, it's easier to get the other bolt hole to line up. then once you get that bolt in, just jack it up a little more to put a load on it and torque it to your hearts content, well to the specs anyways...

Jaden

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by mla163

Great write up @DarrenDriven. With 7 pages of follow up after the initial DIY, it would be helpful to amend the original post to include some of the more recent info such as:

- Special tools or procedures to use when taking off the strut top nut to avoid spinning the strut shaft and damaging the shocks
- At the rear, loosening the hub bolt and unbolting the swaybar can help to make more room for the rear shock.
- Unclipping the ABS clips - see post 136
- The proper method for taking off the front swaybar to endlink bolt. This bolt will spin endlessly unless you use an allen wrench and a box wrench since it is in a ball joint.

I considered doing that but realized that you could pretty easily put one foot on the control arm and push down and still reach under the fender with your arms to push down on the shock and get it under the lip of the fender liner.

Jaden

[DarrenDriven]

Originally Posted by mla163

Great write up @DarrenDriven. With 7 pages of follow up after the initial DIY, it would be helpful to amend the original post to include some of the more recent info such as:

- Special tools or procedures to use when taking off the strut top nut to avoid spinning the strut shaft and damaging the shocks
- At the rear, loosening the hub bolt and unbolting the swaybar can help to make more room for the rear shock.
- Unclipping the ABS clips - see post 136
- The proper method for taking off the front swaybar to endlink bolt. This bolt will spin endlessly unless you use an allen wrench and a box wrench since it is in a ball joint.

I still use my air impact wrench to remove the strut top nut, in small bursts it comes off easily and quickly. Can you recommend the tools that one might need if they don't have an impact wrench?

I have never had a problem getting the rear strut in and out with the swaybar left bolted in. Is this really an issue?

I did update the photo for the lower ABS clip and moved the arrow to show the proper screwdriver placement.

Again, since I use an impact wrench to remove the front swaybar nut, it hasn't been an issue. Sometimes I squirt a little WD40 on the threads first, if there is any rust forming, but I haven't met a nut that didn't spin off in a few seconds. If you can recommend the proper hand tool technique then I can include that in the writeup.

[MasterMech77]

Thanks for the great write up, it helped out tons, the new springs are on and looking so lovely

[408brz]

Thanks for the great directions. I used this to replace my shocks with Koni's. I reused the stock springs because C Street autox. I don't have an impact wrench so used a Xtreme Xccess socket set from Lowe's with other items as shown in the picture and listed below below. I didn't have too much of a problem getting the rears installed with the swaybar left bolted in, though a rubber mallet helped quite a bit.

Front
17mm socket
6mm allen

Rear
14mm socket
5mm allen

End Link (White Line)
19mm socket
6mm allen

And a 19mm crows foot for torque.

[buckseventysix]

I installed springs today. No need to remove the struts from the car to do this. Just unbolt the top hat bolts using a pass through and allen wrench combo, undo the sway bar in the front and the LCA bolts on the rears. The struts will lower just enough so you can rotate them out enough to put the new springs in.

For the rears, I used the jack the car comes with to lift the LCAs and guide the strut back into the hole.

Start to finish took about 2 hours for all four corners double checking everything.

[ap5512]

So I tried removing the strut top nut but found it impossible using the pass through socket/wrench and 6mm allen key. Has anyone else found it very difficult to remove and if so what did you to circumvent this?

[Agent 86]

Originally Posted by ap5512

So I tried removing the strut top nut but found it impossible using the pass through socket/wrench and 6mm allen key. Has anyone else found it very difficult to remove and if so what did you to circumvent this?

Could be seized if it has never been removed before. Try spraying a bit of penetrating oil on the nut and allow it to sit for a while.

Not to be insulting, but make sure you are doing lefty loosey.

I replaced my springs about 3 weeks ago and found all the nuts to be easy except the nut that anchored brake line to the front strut. I didn't expect that.

[jvincent]

Originally Posted by Agent 86

I replaced my springs about 3 weeks ago and found all the nuts to be easy except the nut that anchored brake line to the front strut. I didn't expect that.

First rule of wrenching. There's always one god damned nut that won't come off!

[ap5512]

Originally Posted by Agent 86

Could be seized if it has never been removed before. Try spraying a bit of penetrating oil on the nut and allow it to sit for a while.

Not to be insulting, but make sure you are doing lefty loosey.

I replaced my springs about 3 weeks ago and found all the nuts to be easy except the nut that anchored brake line to the front strut. I didn't expect that.

LOL no insults taken...actually I was thinking about spraying some liquid wrench on the top nut but wasn't sure if that was okay or not. Maybe I'll that this coming weekend and see if it budges.