Strut Replacement

It's not hard but you will need to use a spring compressor to get them off, the springs will be under a bit of tension and can do some serious damage if not held correctly, so I would save the Heini's for after.

Are you sure you really need new struts? I replaced the struts on my old 1978 Celica and noticed no change whatsoever. If the car is drivable, I'd just leave em' alone. I think struts are pretty tough to wear out.

Hello all, new to this forum. I want to add that I replaced the front strut Assemblies last February on wifey's '98 LE with around 110K miles on the clock. It made a big difference in the ride, especially when braking. The counter guys at my local O'Reilly told me the originals are only good for about 75K miles, and replacement ones are backed with a lifetime warranty.

HOW TO FIND OUT IF YOU NEED THEM: Bounce the front or rear of the car by pressing down on the bumper or hood. If the return bounce travels more than once, your struts are worn. Typically, the front ones wear more than the rears, because every time you brake going forward the struts absorb all the forward momentum. Since over 40% of the car's weight is in the front with the engine, they take a beating over time. Struts are probably one of the most overlooked maintenance detail with cars these days, and usually isn't even considered an issue until they are so weak that it makes driving the car almost unbearable, by which time the neglect may have caused other components to wear prematurely.

REPLACING THEM: You will need a spring compressor, and an air compressor as well with an Assortment of air tools to complete the job. A jack and pair of jackstands will also be required, as well as about 3 hours of your time if you haven't done this job before. An alignment won't be necessary afterwards, since no adjustments are taken out of spec. If you don't have everything you need, don't attempt it. I had the help of a friend with a shop when I did mine.

I was thinking about putting TRD lowering springs on myself, but the more I read the less confident I feel...