97 Bonneville need struts??

I think my bonnie needs some struts. Has anyone tried to intall them yourself? It is unusually hard to do or anthing? I put struts on an escort and it wasn't to bad but didn't know what I would be getting into with the bonnie.
Rob

You will need a strut tool to compress the springs, a good one. relevant info is available at autozone.com/repairinfo

This is what I used to change the front struts in my 93
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v155/randman1/1993SSEi/DSC01081_edit.jpg

A) BFH
B) spring compressor
C) W body strut kit (more on this later)
D) extra long breaker bar
E) impact sockets
F) adult beverage of choice
G) general pain killer of choice

The most difficult part of the whole job was removing the strut to knuclke bolts. The nuts came off rather easily but the bolts were siezed. You will also need a good penetrating oil such as PB Blaster (don't use WD-40, it's not a penetrating oil). If the bolts do not turn, they can not be pounded out. Spray the crap out of the bolts and strut holes with the penetrating oil and tap it lightly to encourage the oil to seep into the joints. Let the oil work for a bit and reapply if necessary. I used a 36" breaker bar with the impact sockets to loosten the bolts or you can use a strong steel pipe over a smaller bar. I broke 2 standard sockets before switching to impact sockets. Eventually, they were lose enough to be pounded out with the big hammer. One note... reinstall the nut on the end of the bolt before pounding out. This will protect the threads so you can reuse the bolts. I hope yours being a 97 will require a little less effort but mine was a pretty strenous job.

After the struts are removed, mark the end of the spring on the top. This will help with aglinment on the nre strut. Install the spring compressors and make sure they are secure. There is a special hollow nut in the W body strut kit. The kit was "borrowed" from Autozone through their tool rental program. this is needed to remove the spring from the strut and reinstall on the new one.

Thanks very much for all of the info. I will have to try to get all of that stuff together and the money to pay for the parts then give it shot!
Rob

Randy, You're definitely cool with that presentation. Very informative with a touch of humor, I love it. :rofl:

This is not a real hard project, but does take time.
Use caution around the springs.

You should have your car aligned as soon as possible afterwords.
removing the struts will change the settings and could cause adverse tire wear.