Worth to change spring on strut on my own?

Hard to tell without pics of your concern...

REVVL V+ 5G ?

 

I think his concern is taking the OEM spring off the OEM struts and installing them on the new struts.

His quote: I don't have any experience changing strut springer

The only way to get experience is to try it. If you're more interested in not risking injury working on compressed springs, and want to do the job much faster, then buy the strut assemblies that already have springs and are essentially just bolt in units. I just did a 2006, all 4 struts, three weeks ago in about 4 hours, using a strut kit that came with 4 complete assemblies. On a 2006, you have to remove the rear hatch trim to access the rear mounts and you have to remove the wiper cowl area to access the mounts for the front struts. Not sure if the Gen 3 is similar.

I would imagine, with no previous experience, it would probably add at least an hour per strut for spring swapping. This is something you want to be very careful with. Purchase or rent the right equipment and NO cutting corners

 

This is the kit I purchased through Rock Auto. FCS brand for Gen 2. Relatively inexpensive and very straight forward installation. No problems during the install, everything went smooth. I'm not 100% up to speed on the FCS brand, but this was for my back up car, which is a 2006 that has 342k miles and still had the original front and rear struts. The car drives great, runs great, looks great. You'd never guess it had that many miles.

More Information for FCS KIT27226741

 

To the OP, something else to consider, suspension components require higher torque, typically over 100 ft/lbs, so you will need to have 1/2 inch six point sockets and breaker bars, and maybe impact tools to loosen and tighten the nuts.

You won't be able to get by with 3/8 inch sockets.

You should also have a torque wrench to ensure that you are getting the nuts tightened to specifications.

As mentioned previously, if you are changing springs, then you will also need to rent or buy a good quality spring compressor set.

If you have to buy a lot of tools, that may sway you in the direction of getting the complete strut assemblies with springs included.

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I'd get the KYB complete set, you get fresh, new springs and you don't have to move your old springs over to the new struts.



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Removing then installing the compressed spring on the new strut will be the scariest thing you’ll ever do. Tremendous amount of energy in that compressed spring. Very dangerous. The dangerous comes from using the wrong spring compressor tool. The one you will rent will not fit that spring perfectly you must use the SST FACTORY tool you can’t get.
So your rented tool will not perfectly grab and safely compress that spring.
It will probably work but it will be sketchy.

Also you will not enjoy a set of $99 struts. It will not even be close to the ride comfort of the stock strut.

Spend the extra money on the spring set. Also buy the factory steering bearing too it will improve the steering wheel feel. Car will turn much easier. This is the top bearing on the strut with the 3 bolts that allows the strut to turn.
I don’t see that bearing in your picture.

 

I love that scariest thing .. first if you were to blast off the center it holding spring and strut under pressure. I believe I can supply a betamax video do win 74 on a te27 sr5 flared Corolla purdy in eventful no one got any kind of hurt the spring
Lifting upper bearing to my full arm extension I'm 5.9.. so that's from kneeling on floor with assembly still attached to an x member on a concrete floor and bted to steer knuckle on said floor not part of this car .then the spring n top bearing just left my extended hand and dropped to floor ft next to my spaced feet . And everyone in shop started laughing like a gale banks video that did not exist then .enjoy I've not seen any de capitTions or such so far . See n an eye taken out at Pratt Whitney metal.lathe threw schrapnel..
I would also go with KYB not GR series want Gas A just..

 

You don't want no-name cheap struts. They'll last a year, then you'll be doing the job again. So in the end, you'll have spent just as much money, had to endure crappy ride while the first set fails, and you'll have had to do the job twice. Then, you'll be doing them each year as long as you own the car. That will get old (and expensive) fast!
Given your situation, I'd go the KYB route.

 

Nothing personal, and I guess it's due to your voice to text, but the actual scariest thing in this forum is trying to decipher your posts..
So if a crazy guy put a loaded pistol to his head and pulled the trigger and the gun misfired, it should be safe for everyone to try it?
Most air bags are safe also, unless you eat the one that spews shrapnel.
I'd rather someone go into this job with a bit of respect for what could happen, not a 'no big deal' attitude.

 

Nope that's just what happens when kids are assing around in a shop no big deal The gun thing now man I ain't taking that kind of chance to spring I already knew what kind of pressure it was under I had popped a few before so I knew what the deal was it's usually mostly scary

 

Start watching at the 10 minute mark. These guys had the right tools and thought they did everything right, and the guy still almost wrecked himself.

 

Even with Toyota’s special service tools, it’s still a dangerous job.

The coil spring compressor specified in the Repair Manual (more info), part number 09727-30021, had its instruction manual updated in 2011 with three pages of added cautions and notices, and presumably when that wasn’t enough to prevent misadventures, it was superseded in 2013. (One stated reason: “Prevention of Parts Flying Off” when “workers fail to follow proper procedures.”) The current version, 09727-30022, has a list price of ¥93100 (about $807, at today’s exchange rate), plus ¥10000 ($87) for the coil spring stopper belt, 09727-00110.

(See service bulletins S-0010, “New Instruction Manual for Coil Spring Compressor,” January 2011, and S-3002, “Change of Coil Spring Compressor,” August 2013, available by subscription to toyota-tech.eu.)

 

I recently had to change the front strut top mounting plate when one of the 3 studs snapped when I was torqueing the nut after reassembling the removed windshield washer cowling on my Camry.

I had to compress the spring to remove the top mounting plate with the broken stud. I felt like I was handling a live hand grenade, and was always mindful to keep body parts clear of either end of the compressed spring in case the spring compressors slipped or failed.

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Folks making way to much of the explosion and loss of limbs etc it's not really like that .yes i cage truck tires. I. Old days we've sat weighting spring and used panduit straps to hold the mess big white uns. Worked Jess fine everyone lived or like this un better go Home Depot get 3 turn buckles 6 threaded hooks almost like the tools in book. Or a tyre wheel assy and 2 big assess on each edge of tyre blast bolt loose you see two butts jump meh 2 inches they stand lift tyre spring falls dink . Stand round talk about new parts . Reverse process . Even the monkey in AAMCO add can help..

 

If around NC I've a wall mounted coil compressor it's old as hale welcome to use. They guy living dangerously in video should be in parts Dept. Any y'all been like to Nam. field engineering etc ? You know wars and crap like that?

 

When I was repairing the alignment caster on my parents' v last year I purchased several different types of spring compressors to try to compress the spring while strut was still installed in the Prius. (I think I was trying to put the lower control arm back in with polyurethane bushings and could not).

One can use more than one tool set to compress the spring in four spots at 90 degree angles....

REVVL V+ 5G ?

 

There's a reason things change and attitudes change. There's no do-overs in real life. There's no save point where you can start the game over again. You can do a thousand of these jobs in half-assed ways and never get hurt or hurt someone else. It only takes once, and you or someone else can be crippled for life. Cripple yourself? Oh well, right? Cripple someone else? Not so ok. Attitudes about safety in the workplace and at home have really changed since 'the old days" and everyone is better off because of it. Please keep in mind, the people that you're communicating with ARE NOT the same as 'the old days'. The mechanical experience and ability is significantly different because the majority haven't had to spend parts of their life actually working on things. How would you feel, doing this job with your best friend or his kid or your kid, doing it half assed and then have them get a hand partially ripped off? Or a tire blow up in their face and be disfigured for life. It's all fun and games until you're calling an ambulance.