How to Repair the Strut Boot on a 2003 Corolla

Replacing a car's entire strut is easier and often recommended, but it is possible to replace individual components of the strut assembly. The rubber boots at the top and bottom of your Corolla's front struts can be the cause of them not working properly. These boots can harden, crack and wear down over time. How far you need to disassemble a strut depends on whether you're repairing the top or bottom boot. You should inspect the condition of both boots on both struts when you need to change one of them.

Instructions

Removal

1

Raise the Corolla on its front end and support it on jack stands, then remove the wheel for the corresponding strut.

2

Unbolt and disconnect the brake hose bracket, speed sensor wiring and stabilizer bar link from the strut using your wrench.

3

Mark the strut's relationship to the steering knuckle and the camber bolts' positions using paint or whiteout, then remove the nuts with a wrench, punch out the bolts with a punch and hammer and separate the strut from the knuckle.

4

Remove the strut's upper mounting nuts and lower the strut out of the fender well. Mount the strut in a bench vise lined with rags; don't close the vise excessively.

5

Compress the strut's spring with a large spring compressor, following the exact instructions of your compressor.

6

Mark the relationship of the upper and lower, if that is the one that needs replacing, boot to its suspension support using the paint/whiteout.

7

Loosen the damper shaft nut at the top of the strut with a socket and then remove the nut, upper suspension support and upper boot.

8

Lift the compressed spring carefully off the strut if you need to reach the lower boot, then slide the lower rubber boot off the damper shaft.

Installation

9

Slide the replacement boot onto the damper shaft. If you replaced the lower boot, place the coil spring onto the shaft and lower insulator, resting the spring's lower end in the insulator's lowest part, and install the upper boot.

10

Install the upper insulator and spring seat; make sure the spring seat's flat-shaped holes line up with the flats on the damper shaft.

11

Connect the dust seal and suspension support, lining up your alignment marks. Install a new nut and tighten it to 35 foot-pounds using a torque wrench.

12

Remove the spring compressor according to its own instructions.

13

Guide the reassembled strut into the fender well and screw in the upper mounting nuts by hand without tightening them all the way. You may need another person to hold the strut as you apply the nuts.

14

Reconnect the steering knuckle to the strut using its nuts, bolts and the hand-made alignment marks, tightening the bolts to 113 foot-pounds with your torque wrench. Reconnect the stabilizer bar link, brake hose bracket and speed sensor wiring harness.

15

Reinstall the wheel and lower the car off the jack stands, then tighten the strut's upper mounting nuts to 29 foot pounds.