- 1). Disconnect the negative battery terminal. Block the rear tires and raise the front of your vehicle, supporting the working side with a jack stand. Remove the front wheel.
- 2). Support the lower control arm that connects the wheel assembly to the chassis. This should remove the weight from the strut. Remove the lower knuckle bolts that connect the strut rod to the wheel assembly. If the strut is secured by an upper sway bar, remove these bolts. The sway bar should be near the top of the strut, under the wheel well. Detach the lower end of the strut rod.
- 3). Raise the hood to access the upper strut bolts, which are in the upper left and right corners of the engine compartment. Remove the upper strut mounting nuts. Remove the strut and coil assembly from the vehicle.
- 4). Clamp the strut assembly lengthwise in a vise. Mount a spring compressor tool, leaving a few top coils free. Once the compressor tool is securely mounted to the coil, loosen the nut at the top center of the strut.
- 5). Compress the coil using the compressor tool, and remove the top center nut. Remove the upper strut mount assembly, noting the order for later reassembly. Remove the compressed coil from the strut.
- 6). Release the compression on the coil spring, slowly and carefully. Mount the compressor tool to the new coil spring and compress the coil.
- 7). Slide the new coil spring over the top of the strut. Replace the upper strut mount assembly. Insert and tighten the top center strut bolt. Once the bolt and assembly are secured, slowly release the tension on the coil. Make sure the coil is lined up and properly seated in the upper strut mount assembly.
- 8). Reinstall the strut in the reverse order of removal. Fasten the upper strut mounting bolts, the sway bar bolts (if necessary) and the lower knuckle bolts.
- 9). Perform the same procedure on the other side of the car's front assembly if needed.
- 10
Remove the lower control arm support and the jack stand, and lower the car.
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