Remove old struts from car
The first thing that you will need to do is remove the stock struts.
This is very straightforward.
The car will need to be off all fours, wheels removed.
Brake lines will be disconnected from the struts.
17mm bolts secure the lower mounts
Remove assorted bracketry from the front strut towers (10 and 14mm bolts)
If your car is a GT, disconnect the AAS servos (front and rear).
Remove the rear strut tower bar(GTs only) (14mm bolts)
Youll have to remove the rear AAS servos as they may not fit through the strut tower hole(GTS only) (8mm)
Remove strut assembly (you were reading the FSM for the finer points right?)
Use the spring compressor to relieve the spring tension on the upper perch and mount so you can disassemble the strut. The main nut is 21mm.
The nut may pose a problem for some folks, One..rust can be an issue so be prepared with whatever penetrating oil you prefer. Two…the shaft of the strut is not “keyed” to the top of the strut mount. This means that as you try to turn the main nut it will try to turn the shaft…..forever. An impact gun works wonders here.
Just a quick note here..The springs when compressed have a great deal of stored energy(esp the front springs) so pay heed to the instructions of the spring compressor and ensure that it is firmly attatched. Take it easy and slow here, no sense in getting yourself hurt for no reason.
On to the installation then..
(PS. If this all looks a bit familiar, it is. I am employing a bit of cut and paste from my previous
illumina conversion/installation (2nd gen Illumina to 1st gen conversion(and other things) HOW-TO) writeup. Yes its a cheat but a good one
)