- 1). Remove the springs from the car. Jack up the front of the vehicle and secure it on jack stands.
- 2). Take a 17 millimeter wrench and 17 millimeter socket and remove the strut fork bolt on the bottom of the control arm.
- 3). Use a 14 millimeter socket and remove the pinch bolt that holds the strut to the fork.
- 4). Take a 10 millimeter socket and remove the brake line clamp that is attached to the rear of the strut.
- 5). Using a 14 millimeter wrench, remove the two bolts in the engine bay that the strut is attached to and remove the strut from the vehicle.
- 6). With the strut on the ground, use the spring compressor to compress the springs while they're attached to the strut.
- 7). Once the tension is released from the spring, insert the Allen key into the top of the strut, and place an open-end wrench over the nut so that the strut top can be released. Once it is off, release the tension from the springs by loosening the spring compressor.
- 8). With the spring on the ground, use a cutting tool to cut the top of the spring. This is the portion that was up against the strut cap. It's best and easiest to cut small amounts at a time and letting the vehicle settle over a period of time rather than cutting a lot and being too low. Start with a 1/2 or full wrap of coil, as in when the spring makes one full revolution. For a cutting tool, you can use a dremel tool with a cut-off wheel, a grinder with a cut-off wheel, or even a plasma cutter if you have access to one. A torch will work in a bind, but it doesn't leave a very clean cut and the heat can distort the spring, causing damage and a poor ride. Try not to use a reciprocating saw, because those have a tendency to work against the spring.
- 9). With the spring cut, reinstall into the strut in the reverse order of installation. Depending on the number of coils you've cut, you may not need to use the spring compressor.
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