I may be late but for all the people who have a problem with the man not showing you or telling you what size the socket is....wtf is wrong with you? This day and age where people are doing more stuff on their own and saving money is because of the help of people that decide to teach. It is just really amazing and im so very glad for it. I've been around cars my whole life. a whole bunch of people in my life are gear heads. It just is so helpful when you can go into a project with a little insight if you've never done it. I've never heard so much whining because of people not knowing socket sizes. I mean did you want the man to come show up and hand over hand with you to do the job? I thought he did a good job and showed me what to expect and look for so thank you for your time and the free lesson. That's what you should be hearing. not a bunch of complaining. I also left grammatical errors so that way you can overlook your inability to even think on your own just so you will be able to point out where I didn't use proper spelling or pronunciation or capitalization. Get some of your masculatinity back on me through that. Really not up here to criticize others but more to just let this man know that I thanked him for taking the time out.
I hear ya. Could be insecurity on doing a repair they've never done before. If you look into a automotive repair manual like Clymer or Haynes, they don't give you socket sizes. It's more like "now take that part off".
I can't agree more with you. I think these kind of people perhaps never had any kind of tools and want to buy/borrow only what they need for the job they are going to do.
Just bought new pre-assembled struts, rotors, calipers etc. About to do a full replacement in my driveway and save thousands of dollars for an afternoon of my time. Thanks for the strut replacement walkthrough for the video homework before doing it!
I came to TH-cam hoping to find a vídeo on this same procedure. Yours is excellent. Short, very well explained, very good camara shots and to the point. On the scale of ratings, from 1 to 10, 10 being best, you get 20 from me. 👍 👌 Thank you for sharing
Just did a 2009 Corolla LE front pair of struts. I spent the extra money at Rock Auto and bought KYB complete strut assemblies. Some tips: PB Blast the sway bar nuts the night before and have a t-handle Allen key ready; consider just replacing the sway bar hardware. New is cheap and gets you a renewed part; carefully support the rotor to avoid separating the CV joint when releasing the strut until new is reattached (I used cardboard between the Jack and rotor edge); if the new strut does not want to twist, then attach it at top then use a pipe wrench to grab strut and twist it; have a breaker bar handy with a 22mm socket to break loose the main knuckle nuts; for a 2009, I did not remove the plastic shroud and wipers, I just popped the plastic pins and worked under it; do not tighten the 3 top nuts until you set the car back on the ground and let the car settle; put a little lock-tite on the large pin threads before reassembly; have a partner to help-preferably a younger kid that needs to learn this stuff anyway… good luck folks!
Thanks for sharing your repair experience! And you're right, better off replacing those possibly worn out sway bar links. They can be a bear to take off from both the strut and sway bar if link nut and stud are rusty. Had some that I needed to hack saw off!
I'd love a video that explicitly shows each socket size as you go along. Finding the right sockets is sometimes the biggest challenge I face. I had to go buy a 21mm socket today. I'm 50 years old, and I somehow did not own a 21mm socket. Great video, but mentioning the socket sizes as you go along would be great.
I take it that car was made in the US or Canada, mine was made in Japan, and the nuts up top were 12mm and not 14mm, and the ABS line had a metal plate just like the brake line and you put one in front of the other and used the bolt to attach them to the strut. Also for whatever reason I couldn't get the wipers off (didnt have the correct tool and all the parts stores in the area were out) so I removed the plastic pins on the wiper cowl and pushed it up just enough to get my tool and my hand in there to get the nuts out and put them back in, it was a squeeze but I got it done. Great video, definitely helped me in removing and reinstalling the front struts. I cant believe most shops I talked to wanted to charge me around $1000 to change them, I mean yeah I had to spend about $150 for the struts, and I still need to get an alignment, but I was done each side within an hour.
This looks way easier than I expected it to. May have to try it myself. I usually do my own work but I was debating paying someone to do it because I thought it was gonna be tougher than this
Such a good tutorial. I started replacing my struts today but could not remove the bottom bold of the struts. I’m using a breaker bar and a blow torch tomorrow hopefully I have better luck.
It’s nice that the tie rod end for the rack is not connected to the struts. Worked out great cuz I thought I would need an alignment after replacing these but I actually didn’t
This is the only video I watched before deciding I could do the job, and it was the only video I needed! Thanks a lot man. Only thing is, I didn't get so lucky with the sway bar link bolt (my bolts were very rusted & the hex insert was rusted out, so it stripped immediately). Ended up cutting off the old sway bar links & installing new ones. That took the most time, but other than that, the video was a great representation of how to do the job correctly. & yes, I kept the OEM top mount bolts on as well. You were right! The bolts the send with the assembly are cheap! Thanks again man, great insight! Mind you, I'm just your average Joe with minimal car experience besides the work I've done on my own car. Thanks for saving me hundreds of dollars that I don't have!
Thank you for the video. Very detailed. I want to do this on my own because it looks pretty easy, but I heard it can be dangerous because the strut could blast away like a rocket and cause injury. Is it easy to avoid that? for example, as long as you don't unbolt anything from the brand new strut?
How do you like the Detroit Brand Struts that you used in this video? Are they any good? I have a 2011 Corolla S that I need to change the strut assemblies on and I don't know which brand to buy. Toyota does not offer the assembly, just the individual parts that make up the assembly. Comes out costing over $100.00 more.
I'd never buy from them again. They reneged on a warranty claim. Also, when you call them on a warranty claim, they place you on hold FOREVER. After waiting over a week for a replacement, the part never came and once again ... placed on phone hold FOREVER. For a warranty claim, you have to buy the part again and hope they credit your card after you returned the defective part. Which they didn't do and once again ... phone call and on hold FOREVER. They're excuse for poor service: "We're not like Amazon with a computer server farm".
From my recollection, the only adjustment that can be done is the toe. The caster and camber are fixed unless you get aftermarket adjustable ball joints and cam pinch bolts for the suspension struts.
@hardlymovingpro thank you so much for ur help, the mechanic want 1000$ cash for 4 struts replacement, I bought from rockauto $350 fcs 4x struts , and I prepare Saturday and Sunday to do by myself, save 650$ for groceries hihihihi, thank you sir and have a wonderful day
I'm assuming you mean the stabilizer (sway) bar link? If so, both wheels must be off the ground to reposition the link. If the link stud is far away from the stud hole in the strut, then you have the wrong strut.
Hell to the NO! Did the nuts come off that easy on my strut. Give about 150 lb with a 1/2” breaker bar, bouncing on it like a maniac. Still!!!! No budge. Oh boy did I struggle to get that nut and bolt off. Never the less it came off. It’s nice to see how other just use two fingers to unscrew them off and their pinky to hold the strut.
I'm late to the party on this excellent video but I just want to ask - can you use replacement struts built for Japanese Corollas on American made Corollas (or in my case, Canadian made) if I just replace the 8mm Japanese bolts with the already in use 10mm bolts? Or is there more difference between the two than meets the eye? I ask just because the US car struts are almost double the price of Japanese car struts, and I can't seem to find any other difference beyond bolt size. Thank you in advance.
Thanks! I use a brand call FCS sold by rockauto.com Installed a lot of them over the years with no customer complaints. FCS also gives you a lifetime warranty with the original owner and they're not a fly by night company.
Difficult to compare with KYB. Although KYB and Sachs are extreme high quality with dependable performance, their cost is very high. If you own a car with 150k + miles with low resale valve, do you really want to install the most expensive struts? I've got customers that have been using FCS struts for years with no complaints on deteriorating ride quality.
@@hardlymovingpro Mines already pull, but I just want to make the clunking noise go away. I press up and down on the front end of the car and I'm assuming its the strut assembly. I'm going to replace it this weekend and hopefully if I was right the clunking noise over bumps will go away.
@@hardlymovingpro I figured you shouldn't need an alignment since all the bolts are fixed, however on my moms' 2006 Saturn Ion, they do come with a camber adjustment at the top of the strut, I guess every car is different.
I have a question. I did mine today on my 2017. When I test drove I’m getting a kind of droning noise and slight vibration in gas pedal. Wasn’t there before. Could it be alignment?
Is it not worthwhile to loosen the center nut as well, the hub ? i did as you are doing here on a Volvo I had, and the drive shaft came loose and the balls came out because the whole ting was a struggling mess to put together, because i did not loose the senter nut. Had to fix a new driveshaft also... Became a little problem.. 
At the factory where they assemble the car, I've found they tend to over torque the bigger nut and bolts (14mm on up). So if you have an electric impact gun, keep applying torque until you don't see the nut moving anymore. Usually less than 1 second. If you over do it with the gun, you could shear the bolt off. Always torque the nut ... not the bolt. As a general rule, 12mm around 15 lbs. 10mm under 10 lbs. Hope this helps you out.
7/8 (22mm) for bolts that hold strut onto brakes. 14mm for nuts on top of the strut under hood, do nut towards front of vehicle LAST. 14mm for brake line thats attached to strut assembly, and 17mm (for me it was 18mm weird) to remove sway bar link.
How long did your previous set of front suspensions lasted before you changed it? I got the same corolla model in Hong Kong and our operating environment is kinda hilly, at them moment i got 65000km on my clock, is it too early or about time for a set of new struts? Cheers mate!
I just changed the struts after using this guide. Everything went well until I put the car on the ground. The front brakes are dragging on the rotors when I was backing the car up. I took the wheels off again to inspect. It all looked fine. I even torqued everything according to spec. Any idea what could be causing this?
It's your brake dust shield rubbing against the rotor. Push and bend back the shield away from the rotor with a pry tool. With alloy see through wheels you can do it without taking off the wheel.
Wonderful! I will donate if I choose to DYI these struts. Is the tools and sizes needed were told that would be more than perfect.I will rent the tools. Thank you!
Asian imports use specific metric sizes. They are 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19 & 21 mm. I can general just look at a nut or bolt and know what size socket or wrench to reach for. Which means I can eliminate 13, 15, 16, 18 mm that is common with American and European vehicles.
hi bro i have 2009 corolla and it needs new suspension i can either get monroe or gabriel suspension for 1/3 the price of original is it better to get them or to go with original
@@hardlymovingpro When installing all the parts into the new shock, it would be nice if you show which way the bearing goes and how to install the strut mount. I will edit my previous comment since I don't want to be a jerk.
The monroe quickstruts I used had 15 mm nuts and studs versus the 12 mm that came off the car, so I was unable to use that metal bracket at the top (since the studs on the new strut were too large) and I am wondering if that is going to cause any issues with rigidity or handling of the car... Any thoughts? I tried to talk my BIL out of using a quick strut for this very reason, because something is always off.
@@hardlymovingpro Is it unsafe to install the struts without these cross members? If so, I will try to drill out the holes on them and slap them on. I was hoping he could get by without them.
I have 2011 corolla and i could feel hard bounce on bump road but i check and my neighbor check the strut is good... is there something else i miss..??? My corolla 2011 200km now, i still not sure if strut bad??? Should i just go head and change it..???
Only way to check the compression and rebound of a strut is to remove the spring. Which requires removing the strut and using spring compressors ... a lot of work. Being a 13 year old Corolla with 200km, I'd replace them. Should notice an improvement in ride quality. Also look for oil stains at the lower spring seats. If there, that indicates the internal strut oil has been leaking.
How is the ride quality with FCS Quick Strut? I have no luck with any Quick struts, I stick with KYB and original spring. At least for Camry, the difference is night and day. Toyota Spring with KYB is much better.
@@hardlymovingpro Thanks for the reply. It is a good value replacement if it holds up. My only concern is the ride quality and long terms usage. I knew from my local mechanics, he only agree to install KYB, Bilstein, OEM, Tokico, Monroe, and Gabriel. Unknown Chinese brand are safety hazard. Someone ever got broken welding during sharp manouver on unknown chinese struts and total the car. Could you please let me know what Struts supplier in FCS? Is it printed/steel stamped?
@@rondhole Don't know. Installed on customer's car and the customer has moved on. FCS is sold by rockauto.com and if they get a lot of product returns, they will drop it from their list of available parts for sale. Also, FCS gives a lifetime warranty and rockauto honors any warranty claims. One strut that's a real POS and should be avoided is SenSen. If your local mechanic refuses to install whatever you want, move on and find a another mechanic. These people are not engineers and (hate to say this) barely made it through high school. They may be hard workers but don't spend time researching anything. Had a friend say that his local Toyota expert mechanic refused to install Denso Iridium spark plugs because it wasn't listed as the plug type in his owner's manual. Meanwhile, Toyota was transitioning away from platinum to iridium plugs in all their new vehicles.
@@hardlymovingpro Thanks, yes it was SenSen. FCS may be one of supplier of Gabriel or Monroe. I will measure the height, diameter of the spring at least to make sure it will be similar as OEM spring. I agree, but my mechanics is very good and honest. He just do not want me to redo the job and waste my money. His hourly rate is 1/2 than most franchise like Tireplus and if never charge more than he quoted which is already cheap. Good to know, I will try FCS for 90s or older cars.
@@rondhole Don't see what your mechanic's problem is. If I let the customer provide his own parts, I tell them that they own the part; that if the part fails, they're paying for the labor to replace the part again.
@@hardlymovingpro that may be (to an extent), but the people watching these videos are by and large DIYers. I think there's value in at least mentioning the importance of proper torque.
The mechanics wanted to charge me almost 1,200 to change two front struts of my Toyota Corolla, I went to oreilly auto parts and spent $368 for the struts plus 250 for labor for a mechanic I saved a lot of money 😊
Get the average labor hours listed online for the replacement service. Multiple the hours times the shop's labor rate. Get the average cost online for the part and add to the labor cost. Now you should have a general idea as to the cost of the repair.
Depending on what size nut or bolt your removing, you need a 1/2" wrench with a breaker bar. On the big nuts and bolts, I use my electric impact tool ... which for most people is considered expensive. Here's a video link explaining how to use a breaker bar with a ratchet wrench for more torque and leverage: th-cam.com/video/VXA6qguVnUY/w-d-xo.html
Now I have another problem. The sway bar link is getting stuck after taking the bolt off and is torquing to the point where I can’t get it off of the strut. Help anyone thanks
Wow you disconnected the sway bar link so easy. I’ve been trying to disconnect my linkage for hours and The whole thing just keeps spinning in place. The Hex Screw is striped at this point. Power Tools aren’t working neither.
I can understand if there's a lot of corrosion build up on the link stud. Use either a rotary metal cut off tool (Dremel tool) or a reciprocating saw (Sawzall tool) with a metal saw blade to cut it off.
The upper strut mounts are super stiff. Would it be advisable to inject some grease into the top or partially loosen the bolt just enough to free it up?
I may be late but for all the people who have a problem with the man not showing you or telling you what size the socket is....wtf is wrong with you? This day and age where people are doing more stuff on their own and saving money is because of the help of people that decide to teach. It is just really amazing and im so very glad for it. I've been around cars my whole life. a whole bunch of people in my life are gear heads. It just is so helpful when you can go into a project with a little insight if you've never done it. I've never heard so much whining because of people not knowing socket sizes. I mean did you want the man to come show up and hand over hand with you to do the job? I thought he did a good job and showed me what to expect and look for so thank you for your time and the free lesson. That's what you should be hearing. not a bunch of complaining. I also left grammatical errors so that way you can overlook your inability to even think on your own just so you will be able to point out where I didn't use proper spelling or pronunciation or capitalization. Get some of your masculatinity back on me through that. Really not up here to criticize others but more to just let this man know that I thanked him for taking the time out.
I hear ya. Could be insecurity on doing a repair they've never done before. If you look into a automotive repair manual like Clymer or Haynes, they don't give you socket sizes. It's more like "now take that part off".
I can't agree more with you. I think these kind of people perhaps never had any kind of tools and want to buy/borrow only what they need for the job they are going to do.
They probably just wanna know what socket to buy
Pretty sure he does say most of sizes anyway lol
Sir yappington
Absolutely fantastic. You just saved a lot of money for a whole lot of people.
Thanks!
Just bought new pre-assembled struts, rotors, calipers etc. About to do a full replacement in my driveway and save thousands of dollars for an afternoon of my time. Thanks for the strut replacement walkthrough for the video homework before doing it!
Good luck!
I watch this video and 2 weeks later I replaced all 4 on my 09 Toyota Corolla thanks for posting the video thank u
Glad it helped!
@Graig Stifel you’re right idgf
Did you donate a $50 at least?🤨
Thanks for the comment I have a 2009
I came to TH-cam hoping to find a vídeo on this same procedure.
Yours is excellent. Short, very well explained, very good camara shots and to the point.
On the scale of ratings, from 1 to 10, 10 being best, you get 20 from me. 👍 👌
Thank you for sharing
Thanks for your critique!
Man you made this look completely easy, i'm going to do it myself!
Not too difficult of a replacement job.
Just did a 2009 Corolla LE front pair of struts. I spent the extra money at Rock Auto and bought KYB complete strut assemblies. Some tips: PB Blast the sway bar nuts the night before and have a t-handle Allen key ready; consider just replacing the sway bar hardware. New is cheap and gets you a renewed part; carefully support the rotor to avoid separating the CV joint when releasing the strut until new is reattached (I used cardboard between the Jack and rotor edge); if the new strut does not want to twist, then attach it at top then use a pipe wrench to grab strut and twist it; have a breaker bar handy with a 22mm socket to break loose the main knuckle nuts; for a 2009, I did not remove the plastic shroud and wipers, I just popped the plastic pins and worked under it; do not tighten the 3 top nuts until you set the car back on the ground and let the car settle; put a little lock-tite on the large pin threads before reassembly; have a partner to help-preferably a younger kid that needs to learn this stuff anyway… good luck folks!
Thanks for sharing your repair experience! And you're right, better off replacing those possibly worn out sway bar links. They can be a bear to take off from both the strut and sway bar if link nut and stud are rusty. Had some that I needed to hack saw off!
I used your video to replace the struts on my car and it worked. Thank you so much for posting this.
Great to hear!
Easiest "how to" video Ive ever found on youtube, seriously!
You bet!
I'd love a video that explicitly shows each socket size as you go along. Finding the right sockets is sometimes the biggest challenge I face. I had to go buy a 21mm socket today. I'm 50 years old, and I somehow did not own a 21mm socket. Great video, but mentioning the socket sizes as you go along would be great.
Thanks. On most of my recent videos I'm stating the bolt/nut size as I go along now.
I'm just curious, you're doing strut assembly but didn't own a 21mm socket which is the size for the wheels...?
@@Raptor200637 Well I do now. First time doing struts on this vehicle.
@@Raptor200637he probably uses a tire iron for the wheels but good point. Lol
You can surely figure out on your own what size sockets you need. You don’t have to be spoon fed every single little thing.
If I could give this video a 100 thumbs up I would ! ....What a great instructional on how to do this job !! ......Thanks!!!
Glad you liked it!
I take it that car was made in the US or Canada, mine was made in Japan, and the nuts up top were 12mm and not 14mm, and the ABS line had a metal plate just like the brake line and you put one in front of the other and used the bolt to attach them to the strut. Also for whatever reason I couldn't get the wipers off (didnt have the correct tool and all the parts stores in the area were out) so I removed the plastic pins on the wiper cowl and pushed it up just enough to get my tool and my hand in there to get the nuts out and put them back in, it was a squeeze but I got it done. Great video, definitely helped me in removing and reinstalling the front struts. I cant believe most shops I talked to wanted to charge me around $1000 to change them, I mean yeah I had to spend about $150 for the struts, and I still need to get an alignment, but I was done each side within an hour.
Wow! $1,000 to replace 2 struts?
This looks way easier than I expected it to. May have to try it myself. I usually do my own work but I was debating paying someone to do it because I thought it was gonna be tougher than this
Nope. Very simple and straight forward IMHO.
Dude you just saved me 800 bucks. Thanks a lot
Good for you and thanks for sharing!
Getting mine done tomorrow with a quote of $750. Worth every cent I think.
Little pricey for a Corolla.
@@hardlymovingpro That's $AU so there's a conversion to about $US 515.
Then that's about right.
Such a good tutorial. I started replacing my struts today but could not remove the bottom bold of the struts. I’m using a breaker bar and a blow torch tomorrow hopefully I have better luck.
Thanks! Don't use a torch. Breaker bar should be adequate.
Great video with alot of detail keep up the good work and keep the videos coming.
Thanks ... I will!
Thanks ... we will. Got some videos coming on a Acura RX and a Volvo S80. Also Tips and Tools.
Chrome sockets on an impact wrench? I like this guy 😂👌🏼
All comes down to amount of torque being applied.
Thanks for the demonstration. I was able to install new shocks to my 09 Corolla.
Good for you!
Great video with plenty of detail. If you can't do it after watching this video don't even Jack your car up.
Thanks 👍
I’m glad I found this video. Thank you very much
Glad it was helpful!
It’s nice that the tie rod end for the rack is not connected to the struts. Worked out great cuz I thought I would need an alignment after replacing these but I actually didn’t
I do get a lot of comments that a realignment job is needed after detaching the strut from steering knuckle. Not need with Toyota's.
This is the only video I watched before deciding I could do the job, and it was the only video I needed! Thanks a lot man. Only thing is, I didn't get so lucky with the sway bar link bolt (my bolts were very rusted & the hex insert was rusted out, so it stripped immediately). Ended up cutting off the old sway bar links & installing new ones. That took the most time, but other than that, the video was a great representation of how to do the job correctly. & yes, I kept the OEM top mount bolts on as well. You were right! The bolts the send with the assembly are cheap! Thanks again man, great insight! Mind you, I'm just your average Joe with minimal car experience besides the work I've done on my own car. Thanks for saving me hundreds of dollars that I don't have!
Thanks for sharing your story and experience!
Thank you buddy it was really helpfull.
You bet!
I just got the struts alone and need to use the old springs to shocks, was thinking on how to change it.
Here ... watch this video: th-cam.com/video/rc15cmFQyyg/w-d-xo.html
Did you torque your bolts to spec? I dont work on a whole not of my stuff. Just checking to see the consensus
I don't use torque specs for this type of repair since I use high torque impact tools to complete the job quickly.
Sounds good, thanks for the quick response!! Sounds like my DeWalt impact will do the trick, thank you for this awesome video!
Thank you for the video. Very detailed. I want to do this on my own because it looks pretty easy, but I heard it can be dangerous because the strut could blast away like a rocket and cause injury. Is it easy to avoid that? for example, as long as you don't unbolt anything from the brand new strut?
If you're not transferring the old strut springs to a new bare strut, there's no danger.
@@hardlymovingpro got it, thank you!
How do you like the Detroit Brand Struts that you used in this video? Are they any good? I have a 2011 Corolla S that I need to change the strut assemblies on and I don't know which brand to buy. Toyota does not offer the assembly, just the individual parts that make up the assembly. Comes out costing over $100.00 more.
I'd never buy from them again. They reneged on a warranty claim. Also, when you call them on a warranty claim, they place you on hold FOREVER. After waiting over a week for a replacement, the part never came and once again ... placed on phone hold FOREVER. For a warranty claim, you have to buy the part again and hope they credit your card after you returned the defective part. Which they didn't do and once again ... phone call and on hold FOREVER. They're excuse for poor service: "We're not like Amazon with a computer server farm".
Classic and explicit explanation
Thanks!
Assume you need an alignment after this, do you require camber bolts to adjust the camber ?
From my recollection, the only adjustment that can be done is the toe. The caster and camber are fixed unless you get aftermarket adjustable ball joints and cam pinch bolts for the suspension struts.
Excellent video, thanks for sharing, this will be my Sunday job 👍 replace them on my 2011 Corolla
Glad I could help and good luck!
@@hardlymovingpro thank you very much 🙏 appreciate it 👍
Great video! Does anyone have torque specs for the strut bolts, nuts etc?
Nope he’s too lazy to post all that info
According to my Haynes Manual
Strut to Steering Knuckle bolts - 177 ft lbs
Strut Upper Mounting Nuts - 37 ft lbs
Toyota Corolla Front Strut Upper Nuts Torque Spec : 29 ft-lbs
Toyota Corolla Front Strut Lower Bolts Torque Spec : 166 ft-lbs
Toyota Corolla Front Stabilizer Endlink Torque Spec : 55 ft-lbs
Thanks for sharing!
thanks
Hi , may i ask long to change front and rear strut for first time, do i need to do wheel alignment after change strut ??? Thank you
I would say it takes me less than 3 hours to replace all 4 using my power tools. A wheel alignment is generally not needed after replacement.
@hardlymovingpro thank you so much for ur help, the mechanic want 1000$ cash for 4 struts replacement, I bought from rockauto $350 fcs 4x struts , and I prepare Saturday and Sunday to do by myself, save 650$ for groceries hihihihi, thank you sir and have a wonderful day
Good for you and thanks for sharing!
How were you able to put the sway bar back in? It was a totally different length when i put my new strut on do i need some sort of compression tool?
I'm assuming you mean the stabilizer (sway) bar link? If so, both wheels must be off the ground to reposition the link. If the link stud is far away from the stud hole in the strut, then you have the wrong strut.
Not as intimidating as I thought. Thank you.
You bet!
Hell to the NO! Did the nuts come off that easy on my strut. Give about 150 lb with a 1/2” breaker bar, bouncing on it like a maniac. Still!!!! No budge. Oh boy did I struggle to get that nut and bolt off. Never the less it came off. It’s nice to see how other just use two fingers to unscrew them off and their pinky to hold the strut.
That's why I invested in some high torque electric impact tools.
@@hardlymovingpro what type of impact tool?
I'm late to the party on this excellent video but I just want to ask - can you use replacement struts built for Japanese Corollas on American made Corollas (or in my case, Canadian made) if I just replace the 8mm Japanese bolts with the already in use 10mm bolts? Or is there more difference between the two than meets the eye? I ask just because the US car struts are almost double the price of Japanese car struts, and I can't seem to find any other difference beyond bolt size. Thank you in advance.
Try rockauto.com for better prices. Only a few dollar difference between US (& assuming Canadian) and Japanese struts.
Thanks so much. Got some from there.
Wow..Nice job with this vid...I'll use all these helpful hints!
Glad it was helpful!
Another great video! Did you go OEM for your struts or aftermarket? What brand did you use? Was going to get some KYB Excel 2's for my 12 Corolla.
Thanks! I use a brand call FCS sold by rockauto.com Installed a lot of them over the years with no customer complaints. FCS also gives you a lifetime warranty with the original owner and they're not a fly by night company.
How do you think they compare to an established strut company that has been around for a long time like KYB? @@hardlymovingpro
Difficult to compare with KYB. Although KYB and Sachs are extreme high quality with dependable performance, their cost is very high. If you own a car with 150k + miles with low resale valve, do you really want to install the most expensive struts? I've got customers that have been using FCS struts for years with no complaints on deteriorating ride quality.
Thanks for this video! Did you have to have an alignment done after the new struts were installed?
Nope ... no alignment necessary. But if the car pulls either to the right or left afterwards, then an alignment would be in order.
thx
@@hardlymovingpro Mines already pull, but I just want to make the clunking noise go away. I press up and down on the front end of the car and I'm assuming its the strut assembly. I'm going to replace it this weekend and hopefully if I was right the clunking noise over bumps will go away.
Sounds like your stabilizer/sway bar links are shot. Could also be control arm bushings.
@@hardlymovingpro I figured you shouldn't need an alignment since all the bolts are fixed, however on my moms' 2006 Saturn Ion, they do come with a camber adjustment at the top of the strut, I guess every car is different.
Thinks it’s time to do it in our Corolla going to try it myself after see this
Ok...good luck!
I have a question. I did mine today on my 2017. When I test drove I’m getting a kind of droning noise and slight vibration in gas pedal. Wasn’t there before. Could it be alignment?
Could be your CV axle or wheel bearing.
Did you have to take it to an alignment shop for at least the camber?
Most cases no. As long as the car doesn't pull to the left or right and your steering wheel stays centered.
Is it not worthwhile to loosen the center nut as well, the hub ? i did as you are doing here on a Volvo I had, and the drive shaft came loose and the balls came out because the whole ting was a struggling mess to put together, because i did not loose the senter nut. Had to fix a new driveshaft also... Became a little problem..

Hub nut removal not necessary.
Does anyone know the torque specs on this replacement, besides “good and tight?” Just want to get it right. Thanks! ☮️
At the factory where they assemble the car, I've found they tend to over torque the bigger nut and bolts (14mm on up). So if you have an electric impact gun, keep applying torque until you don't see the nut moving anymore. Usually less than 1 second. If you over do it with the gun, you could shear the bolt off. Always torque the nut ... not the bolt. As a general rule, 12mm around 15 lbs. 10mm under 10 lbs. Hope this helps you out.
Thanks for the video.
You bet!
The impact makes the job a lot easier.
Absolutely!
How I know what strut I want to match the others thanks
Excellent video ! 👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks!
Does it matter how you install the top part? Is there a specific direction to mount it?
The strut studs are set up to align properly with the chassis holes.
Great video thanks for posting!
Great video!!!
Thank you!!
Glad you liked it!
Did you have any issue having to tighten the middle strut bolt? I don’t believe mine is sitting properly
Had no problems.
7/8 (22mm) for bolts that hold strut onto brakes. 14mm for nuts on top of the strut under hood, do nut towards front of vehicle LAST. 14mm for brake line thats attached to strut assembly, and 17mm (for me it was 18mm weird) to remove sway bar link.
Thanks for sharing!
Followed this religiously and now the front end is clunking. If I crank the bolts any tighter theyll snap off. Any thoughts?
Could be your stabilizer bar links or bushings.
My car is U.S bulit in California
I bought the struts Japan bulit does it fit or i have to get the u.s bulit ? Thank you
I can't say.
did you not have to put any bearing great inside the cap at the top of the strut
Nope ... the bearing in part of the new strut.
How long did your previous set of front suspensions lasted before you changed it? I got the same corolla model in Hong Kong and our operating environment is kinda hilly, at them moment i got 65000km on my clock, is it too early or about time for a set of new struts? Cheers mate!
Depends on how rough the roads you ride on. In the US, around 100k miles.
Thanks! Appreciate the video :)
Glad it helped!
Thank you
You bet!
I just changed the struts after using this guide. Everything went well until I put the car on the ground. The front brakes are dragging on the rotors when I was backing the car up. I took the wheels off again to inspect. It all looked fine. I even torqued everything according to spec. Any idea what could be causing this?
It's your brake dust shield rubbing against the rotor. Push and bend back the shield away from the rotor with a pry tool. With alloy see through wheels you can do it without taking off the wheel.
@@hardlymovingpro You are correct. Now the car is perfectly operational. Thank you!
Wonderful! I will donate if I choose to DYI these struts. Is the tools and sizes needed were told that would be more than perfect.I will rent the tools. Thank you!
Asian imports use specific metric sizes. They are 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19 & 21 mm. I can general just look at a nut or bolt and know what size socket or wrench to reach for. Which means I can eliminate 13, 15, 16, 18 mm that is common with American and European vehicles.
@@hardlymovingpro
Thank you again. If I give it a try I will donate🙂🙂🙂 Nice work
@@msquarehaiti You bet!
The link you have for Amazon strut assembly is for xrs, is this the same on base model?
Yes.
hi bro i have 2009 corolla and it needs new suspension i can either get monroe or gabriel suspension for 1/3 the price of original
is it better to get them or to go with original
Relatively decent quality and ride for the cost savings.
@@hardlymovingpro thanks for fast reply appreciate it
but which 1 would be better of these 2? any suggestions
How many volts is your impact driver?
18v
Please provide more info on installing the bearing and strut mount.
So what was skipped?
@@hardlymovingpro When installing all the parts into the new shock, it would be nice if you show which way the bearing goes and how to install the strut mount. I will edit my previous comment since I don't want to be a jerk.
@@EJ257IHI Still don't understand. What bearing? The one that sits under the strut mount?
What brand was that strut too, I just got a pair of duralast not knowing about the KYB lol
I don't recall. The customer provided the new struts. I just did the labor to install them.
So you do not have to remove the wiper motor on a 2010 Corolla to complete the task?
Nope. Just the cowling.
Is camber adjustment necessary after replacing the struts? I was under the impression that it was.
Generally speaking no. But if the car pulls to the left or right, an alignment would be in order.
The monroe quickstruts I used had 15 mm nuts and studs versus the 12 mm that came off the car, so I was unable to use that metal bracket at the top (since the studs on the new strut were too large) and I am wondering if that is going to cause any issues with rigidity or handling of the car... Any thoughts? I tried to talk my BIL out of using a quick strut for this very reason, because something is always off.
I'll assume you mean the strut cross member stud holes. You basically have two choices: make the stud holes bigger or return the struts for a refund.
@@hardlymovingpro Is it unsafe to install the struts without these cross members? If so, I will try to drill out the holes on them and slap them on. I was hoping he could get by without them.
The strut cross member is there to stiffen up the suspension when doing hard turns to reduce sway. Not a safety issue if the member is not used.
How is the ride height with these? Did the ride height change with these new struts?
With new springs it might be slightly higher. To offset or balance it out, replace the rears as well.
Thanks for the video 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽😄
You bet!
I have 2011 corolla and i could feel hard bounce on bump road but i check and my neighbor check the strut is good... is there something else i miss..??? My corolla 2011 200km now, i still not sure if strut bad??? Should i just go head and change it..???
Only way to check the compression and rebound of a strut is to remove the spring. Which requires removing the strut and using spring compressors ... a lot of work. Being a 13 year old Corolla with 200km, I'd replace them. Should notice an improvement in ride quality. Also look for oil stains at the lower spring seats. If there, that indicates the internal strut oil has been leaking.
@hardlymovingpro thank you so much for advice, you have a wonderful weekend
You bet!
Is there a brand of struts to look for?
I like FCS, KYB, Monroe, Gabriel
How is the ride quality with FCS Quick Strut? I have no luck with any Quick struts, I stick with KYB and original spring. At least for Camry, the difference is night and day. Toyota Spring with KYB is much better.
KYB is obviously better than FCS. So far the FCS' I've installed for customers have been holding up
@@hardlymovingpro Thanks for the reply. It is a good value replacement if it holds up. My only concern is the ride quality and long terms usage. I knew from my local mechanics, he only agree to install KYB, Bilstein, OEM, Tokico, Monroe, and Gabriel. Unknown Chinese brand are safety hazard. Someone ever got broken welding during sharp manouver on unknown chinese struts and total the car. Could you please let me know what Struts supplier in FCS? Is it printed/steel stamped?
@@rondhole Don't know. Installed on customer's car and the customer has moved on. FCS is sold by rockauto.com and if they get a lot of product returns, they will drop it from their list of available parts for sale. Also, FCS gives a lifetime warranty and rockauto honors any warranty claims. One strut that's a real POS and should be avoided is SenSen. If your local mechanic refuses to install whatever you want, move on and find a another mechanic. These people are not engineers and (hate to say this) barely made it through high school. They may be hard workers but don't spend time researching anything. Had a friend say that his local Toyota expert mechanic refused to install Denso Iridium spark plugs because it wasn't listed as the plug type in his owner's manual. Meanwhile, Toyota was transitioning away from platinum to iridium plugs in all their new vehicles.
@@hardlymovingpro Thanks, yes it was SenSen. FCS may be one of supplier of Gabriel or Monroe. I will measure the height, diameter of the spring at least to make sure it will be similar as OEM spring.
I agree, but my mechanics is very good and honest. He just do not want me to redo the job and waste my money. His hourly rate is 1/2 than most franchise like Tireplus and if never charge more than he quoted which is already cheap. Good to know, I will try FCS for 90s or older cars.
@@rondhole Don't see what your mechanic's problem is. If I let the customer provide his own parts, I tell them that they own the part; that if the part fails, they're paying for the labor to replace the part again.
Dont you have to get it aligned afterwards?
Generally no. Depends on how tight the struts fit into the chassis strut tower and the steering knuckle.
great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
How can you be so particular about the strut mount nuts, but then not bother to actually torque anything to spec?
After working on cars for years, you know how tight to make nuts and bolts. Just work at a professional repair shop and you'll see.
@@hardlymovingpro that may be (to an extent), but the people watching these videos are by and large DIYers. I think there's value in at least mentioning the importance of proper torque.
What kinda drill are you using?
Milwaukee M18 impact tools.
@@hardlymovingpro thanks sir good work on that video
I bought two struts for our 2005 Corolla and I’m ready to install them, but the tops of the struts don’t spin as depicted in this video. Help anyone?
They'll spin. Bolt the upper portion to the chassis then grab the low part of the strut to twist on any direction.
So that would be a way of breaking them in, correct?
@@hardlymovingpro Would the strut rod nut need to be loosened if it won't turn?
does the top plate have a directiontu put it
Yes. The 3 studs must be oriented correctly or it won't fit into the mounting holes.
The mechanics wanted to charge me almost 1,200 to change two front struts of my Toyota Corolla, I went to oreilly auto parts and spent $368 for the struts plus 250 for labor for a mechanic I saved a lot of money 😊
Thanks for sharing. $250 a little high on the labor.
So good
Thanks!
How much should I pay a mechanic to do this on my 2009 Toyota Corolla without getting overcharged?
Get the average labor hours listed online for the replacement service. Multiple the hours times the shop's labor rate. Get the average cost online for the part and add to the labor cost. Now you should have a general idea as to the cost of the repair.
Good job
Thanks!
What size was that ratcheting wrench? or type.
Depending on what size nut or bolt your removing, you need a 1/2" wrench with a breaker bar. On the big nuts and bolts, I use my electric impact tool ... which for most people is considered expensive. Here's a video link explaining how to use a breaker bar with a ratchet wrench for more torque and leverage: th-cam.com/video/VXA6qguVnUY/w-d-xo.html
Mine is 2017 would it be similar
Yes.
I'm guessing I'll need a wheel alignment after doing this?
Not necessarily. If your steering wheel stays straight and the car drives without pulling to the left or right.
Now I have another problem. The sway bar link is getting stuck after taking the bolt off and is torquing to the point where I can’t get it off of the strut. Help anyone thanks
Both wheels must be off the ground when removing the link.
Are these still working fine?
As far as I know, no complaints.
What year model was that car?
2009 to 2013.
What are the torque specs for the top 3 nuts?
Don't have them. I didn't use a torque wrench ... rather my impact tool.
Hardly Moving Productions would you suggest driving if I over torqued one of the bolts off of the strut mount?
Your car, your call.
Hardly Moving Productions I mean will it screw up the car?
If you hit a large bump on the road, it could overstress the other two strut studs
Wow you disconnected the sway bar link so easy. I’ve been trying to disconnect my linkage for hours and The whole thing just keeps spinning in place. The Hex Screw is striped at this point. Power Tools aren’t working neither.
I can understand if there's a lot of corrosion build up on the link stud. Use either a rotary metal cut off tool (Dremel tool) or a reciprocating saw (Sawzall tool) with a metal saw blade to cut it off.
Too bad I read this 3 months late. Chris Fix has a video on how to deal with this problem. I hope you were able to remove it.
Nice
Thanks!
Jesus Loves you all very much!!!! God Bless everyone!!!!
Thank you!
Copy thanks!
No problem!
The upper strut mounts are super stiff. Would it be advisable to inject some grease into the top or partially loosen the bolt just enough to free it up?
I was able to do it without removing the shroud. There's just enough room to get a wrench in there.
Good for you. My general attitude with auto repair: if it's in the way, remove it if doesn't take much effort.
why didn't you compress them?
Compress what?
@@hardlymovingpro
The springs or were they already pre compressed
It was a "complete strut" meaning with new springs as a complete unit.