It looks like it might not be too tough according to my haynes manual. So what do you guys think? Is it work paying someone else to do it? What could go wrong?

 

let someone else do it , unless you own a cutoff tool (or any other means that will let you cut the strut in half).

here's the problem , the top nut won't loosen up , it jus WON'T , so instead you will start turning it but it still won't loosen , hmm, lol , want to know why ? :-)

'cause it will spin the strut shaft , I don't think I know anybody that was able to remove the strut without a lot of swearing and some blood sacrifising...

not to mention the lower bolts , they are a pain in the *** to remove too.

so no it's not hard to do , but you better have a few days to do it , lots of patience and hopefully access to compressor/air tools.

 

I did mine a few weeks back. It wasn't too bad at all. The lower bolts will take a strong breaker bar, probably with an extention. I used a 1/2" drive breaker bar and just stood on it (240lbs) to bust those free. The top nut was a bit more trouble. There is a nut on a shaft, and the shaft turns freely. I used a boxed end wrench on the nut, and put a socket & ratchet on the shaft to keep it from turning. I used an extention (metal pipe) on the ratchet so it was up against the hood hinge, then pulled on the boxed end wrench to break the nut free. I busted a Craftsman socket on the driver's side strut and wound up using an air tool socket.
just remember to get the alignment checked after changing the struts. Good luck!
Rob

 

All it cost me was a Craftsman socket, and Sears replaced that. You just gotta rig up a way to keep the shaft from turning. I used a ratchet/socket on the shaft after I put a boxed end wrench on the nut. I slipped a length of pipe on the ratchet handle so it jammed up against the hood hinge. The first try busted the socket, so I used an air tool socket. It did take a bit of grunt power...
Rob

 

beg, borrow, plead or just staright up steal froma freind or shop some ZEP 45 penetratig lubricaNT with teflon. Soak the top nut for about 15 min, resoak and go at it with a impact wrench, they will come off!!!!!!!! (it aint that hard with air tools, just be patient, if it dont come off the first time, resoak, and try again..took me 3 tries and it popped liked a blonde bimbo;s cherry)...as for the two bottom nuts...I sprayed some more zep on those...they require a 15/16 inch bit and a crescent wrench to hold the back in place, use a breaker bar and pop they will come...not hard at all. Remeber kiddies work smarter...not harder