1) Loosen a few things up first. Pop the bonnet and slack a couple of turns the three (13mm) bolts that hold the top mount to the body and the 1 nut (19mm) that holds the top of the damper rod. (Don't use a 7mm crappy monkey-metal spanner to hold the damper rod still. It'll break and you'll have to scramble down to the tool shop and get fleeced 'cos you're buying a single quality replacement so the bloke you borrowed the 7mm spanner off doesn't go ballistic.
) As much as I hate the things, use a large adjustable spanner or something similarly substantial.
2) Slacken the wheel nuts (19mm, but on this car there were 21mm dome nut). Jack the car up and support properly, etc.,etc. Remove nuts and wheel and give the hub nut cap and few taps and pop it off. Slacken the hub nut (24mm). This might need to be unstaked first.
3) Remove the calliper carrier by undoing the two biggies (17mm) that hold the caliper to the strut and two (11mm) that hold the brake disc guard to the calliper.
4) After wrestling the calliper off and tying it out of the way to avoid straining the flexi-hose, remove the hub nut and remove the hub/disc assembly. Then undo the last two (11mm) bolt that hold the brake disc guard onto the strut. The slacken off (and wind almost all the way off) the nut (17mm) for the track rod end.
5) Leaving the nut on to protect the threads, give the track rod end a whack to split the taper and because you can't remember where you last left your ball join separator.
6) Don't forget that as this is the nearside to remove the speedo cable. It's just a push fit and once you have pulled it out check that the rubber wotsit (pictured) is removed from the strut and put back on the cable.
7) Then dive in for the bottom ball joint (19mm) and slacken it almost all off...
...only to discover that it's probably easier (without the ball joint splitter you can find) to undo the two bolts (17mm either side) that hold the ball joint to the bottom wishbone.
9) Have the jack ready under the bottom ball joint to catch it. It'll ping out sideways extending a couple of more inches. WATCH OUT!
10) Remove the top three bolts (13mm) and get ready to catch the strut assembly when undoing the last one.
Refitting is the reversal of removal. Aye right. It's probably easier to get the strut back in if you undo the lower diagonal arm and the anti-roll bar drop link from the lower wishbone. Re-stake the old hub nut on an unused portion of the lock collar. When refitting the 3 top mount bolts, use some Loctite 271 or similar blue thread locking goo.
Further dismantling of the strut can be done if you have a couple of spring compressors handy. This would be done for spring, damper, top mount, top mount bearing or top cup replacement.
I would bung it back together as it is and worry about doing a Nice Shiny Mac™ powder coat job later when back home.
