Front strut replacement

[geetee]

Start removing like you would normal do to remove the strut. Place another jack on the rotor for support and loosen control arm. Bolt head is 15mm and nut is 18mm. Loosen the 18mm a full turn.
Loosen/remove top nut. Lower the rotor. The spring and top bearing etc will drop along with the strut. Remove the spring/bearing etc. Push the strut shaft down and tilt the strut out and remove.
Replace the new strut. Compress and re'install. Place the spring back in and align the top bearing and start raising the rotor. If you use your original top spacer, it's already grooved for the springs. Keep raising the rotor so the strut shaft lines back into the camber plate. Tighten top nut.
Pain in the arse if stock springs due to tension....if you have shorter aftermarket springs..basically no tension and easy

[NewArt]

So this would be a good time to change over to lowering springs?

[Gelbster]

This is very useful because it is not written up elsewhere,would apply to 996 also and it saves time,lots of time !Thanks. It should go in the DIY Project Guide Section. It may even inspire someone to do a full diy with photos ?

Originally Posted by geetee

Start removing like you would normal do to remove the strut. Place another jack on the rotor for support and loosen control arm. Bolt head is 15mm and nut is 18mm. Loosen the 18mm a full turn.
Loosen/remove top nut. Lower the rotor. The spring and top bearing etc will drop along with the strut. Remove the spring/bearing etc. Push the strut shaft down and tilt the strut out and remove.
Replace the new strut. Compress and re'install. Place the spring back in and align the top bearing and start raising the rotor. If you use your original top spacer, it's already grooved for the springs. Keep raising the rotor so the strut shaft lines back into the camber plate. Tighten top nut.
Pain in the arse if stock springs due to tension....if you have shorter aftermarket springs..basically no tension and easy

[steved0x]

I would be leary of putting different springs on the front and adjusting the rake away from the factory rake. But that's just me But that shortcut for the fronts sounds very intriguing...

1. Put the car on jackstands
2. Remove the front wheels
3. Jack up one of the wheel carriers (by jacking under the end of the coffin LCA) just to support it
4. Hang the caliper
5. Disconnect the speed sensor (and maybe brake sensor, I have them disabled so I don't have any)
6. Remove the top sway bar link bolt
7. Remove the tie rod end from the wheel carrier
8. Maybe (I have monoballs so I have plenty of range of motion so I don't have this step) loosen the rubber bushing end of the coffin LCA so that arm will pivot down more.
9. Jack up the wheel carrier some more to compress the strut and spring
10. Remove the top nut while counter holding the center strut post
11. Lower the wheel carrier down, slide the strut top out of the mount, and remove the top parts that are sitting on top of the spring.
12. Tilt the strut out from under the fender. If it doesn't fit, you could lower the carrier as much as you can, remove the spring (if you can?) then lift the strut up out of the carrier by sliding the strut up through the strut top mount.
13. You could then replace the strut top mounts with new ones (highly recommended if the mounts are the originals, both of my fronts had cracks in the rubber, while backs did not)
14. Re-assembly is the reverse of assembly The front strut top mounts don't clock the the 3 bolts like the backs since they turn for steering so it should be pretty easy to assemble it under the fender before putting it back together

That seems like a workable plan, I have installed all 4 struts twice (to KSports, dropping the fronts twice to adjust the KSport top plates, then reinstall the OEM Suspension, then installing camber plates on the front). I didn't do it this way, but I think it could work in the front.