ok, yes i'm a noob. i tried this yesterday with only watching a video online of how to do it, i got the strut out of the car and reassembled in 1.5 hours. then spent another 4.5 trying to get the strut mount to line up with the holes in the trunk.

i bought the strut mounts from the wbody store. the bolts they gave me were so small compared to the stock bolts that are stamped in the stock mount that we spent those painful extra hours just trying to get the strut to go back in. so we went to autozone and bought new bolts that were longer.

i think part of my problem was that when we put the new mounts on that we didn't have it lined up right to go back in. does anyone have any advice so that when i do the other side i can make it less painful? the only way we got the one side in was by putting the spring compressor on the spring so we could move the mount around while we lined up the bolts with the holes. sorry for the long post.

I'm trying to remember when I did this. I think I fit it in place loosely first. Also, I hope you are compressing the springs...

Not sure how you're going about this, but it sounds like you're mounting the strut to the lower arm beform installing the top plate screws. If that's what you're doing, try installing the top plate screws first, then the lower bolts.

youre right, i was trying to think about it, and i think that is exactly what he is doing.

no, when we went to drop the bolts in from the trunk, they weren't lining up with the nuts that were pressed into the new mount. i'm thinking that we didn't have the new mount installed in the right orientation such as the stock one was in. or does that not matter? i just want to know if there is some tips i'm missing? i tried my best to line the new mount up the same way the old one was when we took it off. i think that was the biggest problem. and yes we used the compressor for the spring. i wasn't about to die or lose an eye for this job. lol.

Sorry bud, I don't remember using the universal strut mounts to be so complicated..... I do recall the stock mounts to be "left" and "right" with threaded rods to poke through the strut tower VS. the aftermarket mounts being universal and having to feed a bolt through the strut tower to thread into the universal mount...... I also recall spending some time "mapping out" the position of the mounts to make sure the bolt holes would end up in the right location. 2 people definately make the job easier.

You need to buy yourself a shop manual,FYI it should take less than 4hrs to change out all 4 struts and springs with new mounts,your going about something all wrong,that's why I suggest everyone buy a shop manual for their toolbox.Chico(pops)

ok, redirecting, i got the otherside done tonight. went for a drive and now the driverside rear is squeaking enough to make you say "thats so annoying." what would make it squeak like a broken box spring? could i have tightened the mounting bolts to tight?