Before my vibrating brakes issue appeared I'd ordered new king springs, kyb shocks and bump rubbers. The kings arrived today, shocks and bumps next week.

I'm keen to do this work myself and I'm confident I can do it. The only thing I'm stuck on is the "special tool" required to do the front struts. The tool required to hold the strut top while the top nut is undone.

Is there a work around for this? I'm looking at it and thinking I could loosen that nut while the strut was still bolted to the car. Not undo it completely or course.

I have a set of spring compressors, and the rest seems simple apart the alignment of the strut tops. Though that seems easy enough to not stuff up.

Posted this from the iPhone, expect maximum type-o's.

i have verry little to do with 3rd gens . i loosing the top nut while sturt is still in the car . so when spring are compressed they come of easy. thats on gen 2s . and should work the same .

If you have a decent set of spring compressors on the springs then removing the top nut on the strut top should not require any special tool.

Just a socket wrench that fits the top strut nut and something (maybe a multigrip) to hold the strut shaft so it does not turn when you turn the nut with the socket wrench. Laying it flat on the ground helps when doing this.

Ive found for the times ive had to do this that the socket wrench just needs a decent bit of force intially just to crack the nut loose and then it should be quite easy to undo by hand.

A second pair of hands to help hold the strut and spring whilst you undo the top nut is also worthwhile.

Just make sure you go slowly and dont rush or try and remove the spring compressors unevenly once you have the springs out of the strut assembly.
These springs hold quite alot of potential energy and if it springs out it can caused some serious potenially fatal injuries.

Hope it all goes well

Crack the top nut while it's still in the car, this is the easiest way to do it. Don't loosen it off much, just half a turn or so, then take the strut out, compress the spring, and finish removing the nut.

ive done a few, just as all ready mentioned need a good set of spring compresses
just remember if these springs come off or slip off the compressors they have enough force to kill you.
take your time and diffently turn the top strut nut half a turn makes a lot easier
putting a cloth on the cv boot helps too when removing front shocks to help prevent splitting the boots
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Crack the top nut while it's still in the car, this is the easiest way to do it. Don't loosen it off much, just half a turn or so, then take the strut out, compress the spring, and finish removing the nut.

Something i didnt pick up on the first few times i removed springs, the part that the top of the spring is pressed against is fitted so that if you grab it it can't possibly spin. so rather than trying to hold the actual shaft still (which is near impossible at times) just get something holding the metal bracket beneath the strut top while undoing the top nut in the strut top. (if you have a big vice perfect if not hold it onto the concrete with your boot)

so yeah i've never used a special tool so long as the springs have been compredssed (and try loosening the nut before removing the suspension from the car itself) just make sure yuo brace the top of the spring and you shouldnt have any problems, i just did it again to be sure and it took me less than 5 minutes to pop off the spring safely.

It's done! Fitted all four corners tonight. Took waaay longer than I had hoped for. Was aiming for an hour per corner, but it blew out to a total of seven. It was my first time using spring compressors, so on my first spring I tried to wind it down until I got coil bind... turns out, you dont need to go that far. Getting the spring compressor OFF the standard front springs was a pain in the arse. Putting the king springs back on was a snap. After that I had the flattened top of the shock break off on one rear shock... had to grind the nut off. That was fun, as I only have a bench grinder. I was hanging onto that thing - spring compressors on - waiting for it to launch and torpedo through the wall into the neighbours house.

Getting the rear shock top mounts is extra fun if you leave the parcel shelf in. Other hitch with the rear shocks - getting them back onto the lower mount involved a combination of hugging the rear brake assembly and eventually the use of a strategically placed scissor jack. And that damned whiteline sway bar just kept getting in my way. Reassembled the sway bar doesnt foul, or clunk. Clearance between the sway bar and the outside diameter of the lower part of the shock is about 15mm to 20mm.

Didn't cut the bump rubbers, hope that doesn't bite me in the arse later.

Test drive was great! Handles much better now. Will be better after the wheel alignment of course.

Looks better I guess. And has dropped the advertised 40mm.