When you park, use the handbrake, and block the rear wheels to keep the car from shifting. Unscrew the wheel nuts from your car's tires, lift the front of your vehicle, and use a jackstand to hold it steady before you detach the wheel. Make sure to keep track of how the strut connects to the steering knuckle so you can reinstall alignment properly. Unclamp the threads on two brackets, one for the brake hose and another for ABS wiring, before removing their nuts. To avoid damage, gently work each bolt off with a soft-face hammer rather than using a wrench. Take the steering knuckle away from the strut carefully, being sure not to extend the inner CV joint too much and keeping strain off the brake hose. Take off the electrical connection from the strut when available. Let an assistant hold the strut assembly while you loosen and remove its three upper mounting bolts or nuts, and then pull the whole assembly through the fender opening. Look for fluid leaks, body damage like dents, broken spots, and repairs needed on the strut before moving ahead. Examine the coil spring for damaged coating and look for imperfections in the spring seat, both major cause of failure. When you see any broken or damaged part, get a new strut straight away. Place the complete strut coil spring assembly inside the strut tower. Tighten the upper mounting nuts or bolts right away to keep the assembly from dropping. Reconnect the electrical wire to the strut when it has one. Press the steering knuckle into the strut flange front side up, put in the two bolts, use the nuts to lock them in place, line up the marks, and adjust the bolts to their specific torque. Reattach the brake hose and ABS wiring connectors to the strut with tight bolts. Put the wheel on, let the car go down, and crank the nuts to the recommended force. Put all three external screws tight to their specific force value, and arrange wheel alignment verification.
