How to Replace the Struts on a 2000 Toyota Camry

Raise vehicle

1). Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2). Loosen the front lug nuts. Lift the Camry with an automotive jack and support it with jack stands, then remove the lug nuts and the wheels.
3). Lift the rear of the Camry following the same procedures as the front if you are removing the rear struts, but remove the rear seat cushions first. You' will also have to support the rear axle beam with an additional jack.

1). Remove the bolt attaching the brake hose to the strut. Set aside the brake hose.

Also remove the wiring harness in ABS equipped cars.
2). Remove the two lower bolts attaching the strut to the steering knuckle. Then remove the three mounting bolts from the strut tower under the vehicle's hood, and slide the strut assembly out from the underside of the car.
3). Install a bolt and two nuts into the lower bracket on the strut shell, and mount the shell in a bench vise. Compress the spring with the spring compression tool, then remove the dust cover and hold the spring steady, then remove the nut from the top of the strut. Remove the suspension support, bearing, dust seal, spring seat, spring, insulators and bumper from the strut.

1). Install the spring bumper to the new strut piston, and compress the spring with the spring compressor. Then install the spring onto the strut, and install the dust seal on the spring seat.
2). Install the suspension support and torque the support nut to 35 foot-pounds. Grease the suspension support with multipurpose grease, and install the dust cover.
3). Position the strut from the underside of the car and install the upper nuts attaching the strut to the strut tower. Torque the nuts to 59 foot-pounds. Attach the lower strut bracket to the steering knuckle with its two connecting bolts. Insert the bolts from the rear and torque them to 156 foot-pounds.
4). Bolt the brake line back onto the strut, and reconnect the ABS wiring harness if applicable.
5). Repeat for the other side. Install the wheels and reconnect the negative battery cable. Lower the car from its jack stands.

1). Disconnect the ABS sensor wire from the strut if applicable. Disconnect the strut from the stabilizer bar if applicable. Remove the bolt attaching the Load Sensing Proportioning Valve (LSPV) to the lower control arm.
2). Loosen the nuts and bolts securing the strut to the axle carrier, but leave them installed.

Support the axle carrier with a jack then disconnect the strut from the strut tower by the nuts under the seat cushion.
3). Secure the strut assembly in a strut vise. Compress the spring with a spring compressor only until the upper suspension support is free of spring tension. Do not over-compress the spring. Hold the upper support, then remove the nut on the end of the shock piston rod. Next, remove the support, coil spring, insulator, and bumper.

1). Install the bumper, insulator, coil spring, support and spring loosely on the new strut.

Line up the upper suspension support with the piston rod and install the support, then

align the suspension support with the strut lower bracket. Compress the spring with the spring compressor to access the threads on the strut piston. Install a new self-locking strut piston nut and torque it to 36 foot-pounds. Remove the spring compressor and position the strut so that the painted marking on the upper support faces outboard.
2). Install the strut from the underside of the vehicle and torque the strut tower bolts to 29 foot-pounds. Install the bolt and nut on the strut to axle carrier, but do not tighten it.

Connect the stabilizer link to the strut, and connect the load sensing proportioning valve to the control arm. Torque it to 94 foot-pounds.
3). Put the rear wheels back on the vehicle, and bounce the vehicle up and down to stabilize the suspension. With the vehicle weight on the suspension, torque the bolt connecting the strut and axle to 188 foot-pounds.
4). Reinstall the rear seat cushion and any other accessories that may have been removed for access. Reconnect the negative battery cable.