do i need strut mounts? Options

[latinomasfino]

im about to instll KYB GR2 gass struts with Tom's springs..i just wanted to know if i need to replace my strut mounts cause they are freakin 60 for a pair or can i just use the stock ones???

[mr_dude]

Yeah, one of my rear sway bar links was bad, and now one of the fronts is. The Toyota part is like 60 bucks, whereas a third party set of sway bars is a little more than the price of four. Oy.
The sway bar is the metal bar under your car that attaches to the strut mount via the link. It's a piece of metal with two lubricated joints.

It's the thing on the left of the strut just above the ratchet.

As far as the mounts go, they're a pretty beefy part. Even if they've rusted they'll still be the strongest point in your suspension. Just file away the rust and apply a bunch of paint coats.

It might save you some time and energy to replace the strut mounts because getting the old strut inserts out and putting the new ones takes some muscle. And when you apply the muscle it's with a pipe wrench so don't squeeze too hard. Oh, and it saves half the spring compressor process which is the most annoying part of the swap.

More details -- my site linked below. It's long, just search for what you're looking for.