On the 11th-gen Civic the front struts are a straightforward MacPherson job: three 14 mm nuts at the tower, two 17 mm bolts at the knuckle, and a bracket bolt for the brake hose and ABS harness. If you buy complete (quick) strut assemblies you never touch the spring, which removes the only genuinely dangerous part of the job. Budget most of your time for the two knuckle bolts, which corrode into the knuckle bore and often need penetrating oil and a brass drift.
Everything is the same between the 2.0 L K20C2 and the 1.5 L turbo — only the damper valving and spring rates differ, so you must order parts by exact trim and model year. The Type R is the outlier with its dual-axis front suspension. The mistake people make most is final-torquing the knuckle bolts with the suspension hanging, which sets the bushings and geometry wrong; load the suspension to ride height first, and book an alignment.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum, low profile Lift the front of the car and support the lower control arm while unloading the strut. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 2 ton pair, under the pinch weld/subframe points Hold the car safely while both front corners are apart. | Safety | shop |
| Wheel chocks Block the rear wheels before lifting. | Safety | shop |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 18-24 in Crack the lug nuts and the strut-to-knuckle nuts loose. | Required | shop |
| Lug nut socket 19 mm, 6-point, 1/2 in drive (thin wall for alloy wheels) Remove the front wheels. | Required | shop |
| Socket set 17 mm and 14 mm 6-point, 1/2 in and 3/8 in drive, plus deep 17 mm 17 mm for the strut-to-knuckle bolts/nuts, 14 mm for the three upper strut mount nuts. | Required | shop |
| Combination wrench 17 mm Hold the strut-to-knuckle bolt head while turning the nut. | Required | shop |
| Socket 12 mm, 3/8 in drive Brake hose / wheel speed sensor harness bracket bolt on the strut body. | Required | shop |
| Ratchet and extensions 3/8 in and 1/2 in drive, 3 in and 6 in extensions Reach the upper mount nuts under the hood and the knuckle bolts behind the brake. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 25-150 ft-lb Set the knuckle bolts and lug nuts to spec. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench (small) 3/8 in drive, 5-80 ft-lb Upper strut mount nuts and the hose bracket bolt. | Recommended | shop |
| Penetrating oil Soak the strut-to-knuckle bolts, especially in rust-belt cars. | Consumables | shop |
| Brass or dead-blow hammer 2 lb Drive the knuckle bolts out and separate the strut from the knuckle without mushrooming threads. | Required | shop |
| Pry bar 12-18 in Spread the knuckle slightly and push the hub assembly down to clear the new strut. | Recommended | shop |
| Punch / drift Brass or steel, 12 mm Tap the bolts out once the nuts are off without damaging the threads. | Recommended | shop |
| Wire or bungee cord Hang the knuckle/caliper so no weight sits on the brake hose or CV joint. | Recommended | shop |
| Trim clip tool Plastic pry set Some cars have a cowl/weatherstrip edge near the strut tower that is easier out of the way. | Recommended | shop |
| Complete strut assemblies Front left and right, correct for 2.0 / 1.5T trim and ride height The replacement units, spring and mount preassembled. | Parts | shop |
| Strut mount nuts / knuckle nuts New self-locking nuts if the old ones are corroded Honda self-locking nuts are not meant for repeated reuse. | Parts | shop |
| Safety glasses and gloves Rust and debris fall from the wheel well during removal. | Safety | shop |
Tool sizes are identical between the 2.0 L K20C2 and the 1.5 L turbo — 19 mm lugs, 17 mm knuckle hardware, 14 mm upper mount nuts. Only the strut part numbers differ by trim (LX/Sport/EX/Touring and Si ride heights and valving). The Type R (FL5) uses a dual-axis front strut with an extra hub carrier and requires a different procedure.
| Front wheel lug nuts (M12 x 1.5) | 80 ft-lb (108 Nm) |
| Strut (damper) to steering knuckle bolts/nuts | verify in the service manual (high value, roughly 100 ft-lb class — do not guess) |
| Upper strut mount nuts to body (3x, 14 mm) | verify in the service manual |
| Damper shaft self-locking nut (if disassembling) | verify in the service manual |
| Brake hose / speed sensor bracket bolt on strut | verify in the service manual |
The 19 mm lug, 17 mm knuckle and 14 mm upper mount sizes match Honda's current Civic platform and the 80 ft-lb lug torque is confirmed, but verify the knuckle and upper mount torque values in the factory service manual before final tightening.
Not if you buy complete 'quick strut' assemblies — the spring, seat and upper mount come preassembled. You only need a compressor if you are reusing the old spring or mount on a bare strut cartridge.
The two strut-to-knuckle bolts take a 17 mm socket and a 17 mm wrench on the head, the three upper strut mount nuts are 14 mm, the brake hose bracket bolt is 12 mm, and the lug nuts are 19 mm.
Yes. Removing the strut from the knuckle changes front camber and can shift toe, so get a four-wheel alignment right after the job or you will chew up the front tires.
You physically can, but you should not. A new strut on one side and a worn one on the other gives uneven damping and braking dive, so always do the pair.