Hey guys,

I had a bad strut and when I went to swap it out I noticed that my strut housing that's under the hood where the top of the strut pops out was a little wallowed out. I'm going to replace the housing but I want to see what all is involved with the removal. It looks like just a few bolts but I want to make sure...

 

Thats all part of the strut/shock assembly. DO NOT remove that without having spring compressors on the springs. All the bushings can typically be bought at the local auto parts stores. And for what its worth, replace BOTH front shocks at the same time. Especially with the age and miles these cars have now days.

 

No, I'm talking about part number 15 in this pic...

 

So, what caused the damage ?
Was it the shock's top mounting base that got rammed up into the surrounding metal housing ? Man, that puppy must have taken a real pounding !!!

Try removing the shock assembly as normal, then access the wallowed distortion. Ya said that ya thought it looked like only a matter of a couple of bolts, hmm ....did'nt see any retaining bolts for #15 on the last diagram. May want to consult your local auto body shop for some tips.