Time to start on the front struts now…at this point my camera was in use elsewhere so I wasn’t able to take any pictures. Fortunately I have found someone else’s pictures that I’m going to use instead (Many thanks go to Randall Aiken).
As with the back struts, I jacked the car up using a trolley jack in the middle of the wheel well, then placed axle stands under the sill jacking points and lowered the car onto them.
First job to do for someone changing their struts and re-using their springs etc is to loosen the center nut ¼ of a turn whilst still on the car, this will make it easier for you to dismantle them once off the car.
I then slackened all 4 of the top mount nuts just a few turns for now so that the strut couldn’t fall through when the bottom was released.
The next step was to release the bottom banjo bolt from the brake line where it connects to the caliper, then after removing the bottom clip from where the line is secured to the strut I then threaded the hose up through the bracket.
Next came the removal of the droplink from the Anti roll bar, this should have been accomplished in the same manner as the rears but unfortunately this one needed cutting off with an angle grinder. However this picture is of one successfully removed using the 5mm allen key to stop the ball joint turning and a 14mm spanner to undo the nut.
The two bottom strut to hub mounting bolts were removed next using a breaker bar and 19mm socket, then using a large flat bladed screwdriver inserted between the hub lug and strut I eased the two apart whilst pressing down on the hub itself.
Then with the bottom of the strut separated it was just a matter of removing the 4 previously loosened top mount bolts while supporting the weight of the strut and then threading the whole strut out through the wheel arch. Although the following picture is not my front strut, mine looked identical, right down to the rusty strut body and the destroyed rubber boot.
Cheers...Bob