Lose the front wheel lug nuts, lift the front part of the car and place it on jack stands securely then, remove the wheels. If ABS equipped the wiring harness for the speed sensor at the strut should be disconnected. CUT the clip to hold the brake hose to the strut and take the hose off the bracket. Apart from that, remove the nut that connects the strut with the knuckle, knocking the bolts with a hammer and punch for easy removal of the stabilizer bar link from the strut. Pull the strut away from the
Steering Knuckle carefully, try to avoid stressing or over flexing the inner CV joint and be careful to ensure that the knuckle does not sag to the right to avoid hitting the brake hose and or ABS speed sensor wiring. Standing on the other side of the vehicle, place one hand underneath the strut and spring assembly and then release the three upper mounting bolts. Examine the strut body for signs of leakage, signs of a dent, crack or any other evidence that the strut unit needs a change. Check for breakdown of the coil spring by looking for chipped or cracked coatings which will make it vulnerable to corrosion and failure, look for cuts in spring seat, its hardness and how it has deteriorated. If it is the case, then go to the disassembly of the strut as indicated in the following step. Using your hands, guide the strut assembly into the fenderwell and put on the upper mounting bolts, followed by the tightening to the recommended torque limit; this will, however, require a helper considering the mass and awkwardness of the strut. Insert the steering knuckle into the proper place on the strut flange, join it with bolts and put the nuts on them before they are torqued. Reverse the above procedures, tighten the frequency insensitive link nut and wheel lug nuts to the recommended torque and also, it is advisable to check the front end alignment and adjust it if necessary.