ive just done a strut replacement using XtremePsionics guide and a little of my haynes, here are some comments about it, bearing in mind im a mechanical noob..
Prices...Monroe struts NZ$150 each, strut mounts (i never bought em didnt need em but NZ$140 each), i didnt find out about spring seats but im guessing all this would have been cheaper to buy online and not from local suspension shops.
1)Sway bar link nut...arrghh....haynes says nothing about how tricky it is, so thank you for the DIY guide, i used a very small wrench, worked well, however i got the left side off okay, then i went to get the right side off, there was a lot of pressure on the right side link, i got the nut off but the screw bit was forced at a funny angle. This damaged the rubber bushing on the link and the grease inside came out. I could not get the link off and hence not get the strut out. Having undone everything else i kicked the strut out.
I think this happened because i took both links off at the same time and the pressure on the sway bar was released. In the reverse having fitted the strut the first link was real hard to get on, but once on the second one went on a breeze.
I would be interested to hear comments from anyone on this?
As an aside i found the strut to steering knuckle nuts were tightened correctly on one side and finger tight on the other
2)Please use good quality and CORRECTLY attached spring compressors, i compressed the springs and had undone both nuts from the top, i was taking the dust boot and mount off when BANG!!! they hit the roof. The spring compressor had slipped off, i was tardy and had probably not put it on properly, fortunately for me the bottom part of the spring was in a bench vice or it too would have gone ..... somewhere. The spring has a lot of power ..... it scares me.
3)Putting the strut back on was easy, the way i did it was put it up and bolt one of the nuts holding the strut in place in the engine bay so it hung down, i then lowered the jack holding the A-arm until the holes lined up. A lot easier then when taking it off.
No rusted bolts and all the top bits were in good order
Total time was 3 hours.
. I did this job a few weeks ago as well with my Weitec install and agree with most everything here. How were your bump stops? Mine were TORN up badly... I'm surprised they didn't just crumble apart.