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The XV70 Camry front suspension is as DIY-friendly as a modern Toyota gets. Three 14 mm nuts on top of the strut tower and two big 22 mm through-bolts at the steering knuckle are all that hold the strut in, and if you buy complete loaded assemblies you never deal with a compressed spring. Budget most of your time for the knuckle bolts: they sit in a tight steel bore and after a few winters they need penetrating oil, a drift and a dead blow hammer to move.
The single thing people get wrong is not supporting the knuckle after the strut comes out. Let it hang and you stretch the brake hose or pull the inner CV tripod apart, turning a two-hour job into an axle replacement. The second mistake is skipping the alignment — even with everything marked, camber changes enough to chew the inside edges of the front tires.
| Item | Type | Product search |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum, low profile Lifts the car at the front pinch-weld/subframe jack points and later supports the lower control arm. | Required | search retailer |
| Jack stands 2 ton pair Supports the car at the front pinch welds while both wheels are off. | Required | search retailer |
| Wheel chocks Chock the rear wheels before lifting the front. | Safety | search retailer |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 24 in Loosens lug nuts and the seized strut-to-knuckle bolts. | Required | search retailer |
| Lug nut socket 21 mm, 1/2 in drive, thin wall XV70 Camry wheel nuts are 21 mm; thin wall protects alloy wheels. | Required | search retailer |
| Socket set, metric 1/2 in drive: 17, 19, 22 mm (deep and shallow) 22 mm for the strut-to-knuckle bolts and nuts, 17/19 mm for sway bar link and brake bracket hardware. | Required | search retailer |
| Socket set, metric 3/8 in drive: 10, 12, 14 mm 14 mm for the three upper strut mount nuts, 10/12 mm for the brake hose and ABS harness brackets. | Required | search retailer |
| Ratchet 3/8 in and 1/2 in drive General disassembly and reassembly. | Required | search retailer |
| Extensions and swivel 3/8 in: 3 in, 6 in + universal joint Reaching the rear upper mount nut under the cowl/strut tower brace area. | Required | search retailer |
| Combination wrench set Metric 10-22 mm Holds the nut side of the knuckle bolts and the sway bar link stud while turning the other end. | Required | search retailer |
| Hex key or bit socket 6 mm hex Holds the stabilizer link ball stud from spinning while loosening its 17 mm nut. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 25-250 ft-lb Knuckle bolts and lug nuts are high-torque and must be set correctly. | Required | search retailer |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 10-80 ft-lb Upper strut mount nuts and small brackets are in the low range. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Penetrating oil Soak the strut-to-knuckle bolt shanks; they corrode into the knuckle bore. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Dead blow or brass hammer 2 lb Drives the knuckle bolts out of the bore and taps the knuckle off the strut flange. | Required | search retailer |
| Punch or drift Brass or steel, ~12-14 mm Pushes a stubborn knuckle bolt through without damaging the threads. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Pry bar 18 in Spreads the knuckle clamp slightly and levers the knuckle down off the strut. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Zip ties or bungee cord Support the knuckle/hub so the CV joint and brake hose are not stretched with the strut out. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Paint marker or scribe Mark the knuckle bolt positions so camber returns close to the original setting. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Wire brush Cleans rust from the knuckle bore and strut tower studs before reassembly. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Anti-seize compound Light film on the knuckle bolt shanks (not the threads of torque-critical fasteners) for easier future service. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Front strut assemblies Complete loaded strut, XV70 Camry, left and right specific; confirm by VIN and trim (LE/SE/XSE/TRD/hybrid) The replacement units, sold with spring and upper mount pre-assembled. | Parts | search retailer |
| Stabilizer bar link Optional pair replacement Links often seize or the boot tears; easy to do while the area is open. | Parts | search retailer |
| Safety glasses Rust and debris fall from the strut tower and knuckle area. | Safety | search retailer |
| Mechanic's gloves Protection while hammering bolts and handling rusty hardware. | Safety | search retailer |
| Spring compressor Only if reusing the spring/mount on a bare strut Needed only if you buy a bare strut cartridge instead of a complete assembly. | Recommended | search retailer |
Tool sizes are the same for the 2.5 A25A-FKS, the 3.5 2GR-FKS and the hybrid — the front strut hardware and 21 mm lug nuts do not change across the XV70 generation. What changes is the part: SE, XSE and TRD models use firmer, lower-ride-height struts and springs than LE/XLE, and TRD suspension is unique, so order by VIN and trim rather than by engine. Hybrids share the chassis hardware but can have different spring rates for the battery weight distribution.
| Wheel (lug) nuts | 76 ft-lb (103 Nm) |
| Strut-to-steering knuckle bolts/nuts | verify in the service manual (high torque, roughly 150+ ft-lb range — do not guess) |
| Upper strut mount nuts to body (3x 14 mm) | verify in the service manual |
| Stabilizer bar link nut | verify in the service manual |
| Brake hose / ABS harness bracket bolt | verify in the service manual |
The two strut-to-steering-knuckle bolts take a 22 mm socket with a 22 mm wrench on the nut, and the three upper strut mount nuts on top of the strut tower take a 14 mm socket. Lug nuts are 21 mm.and torque to 76 ft-lb (103 Nm).
Yes. The strut-to-knuckle joint sets front camber, and it shifts slightly no matter how carefully you mark it. Get a four-wheel alignment right after the job to avoid inner-edge tire wear.
You can, but then you need a proper spring compressor and you should also inspect the upper mount bearing and dust boot. For most DIYers a complete loaded assembly is safer, faster and only slightly more expensive.
Not if you buy complete (quick/loaded) strut assemblies — the spring and mount come pre-assembled and preloaded. A compressor is only required if you are reusing the original spring on a bare strut.