Thanks guys The HBS instructions said too lol. It allowed the axle assembly to swing completely out of the way also, giving me a little more room to work with.
Remove the tie rod so you can move the knuckle out of the way just to get the strut assembly out easier. Unbolt the sway bar link to push the lower A arm lower to get the taller strut back in. It just makes the job easier.
that makes sense. being that i installed mine the first time w/out removing my tierod/sway bar i guess i just learned the hard way.
Maybe after you've done a couple and are using power tools... Removing the sway bar takes 2 minutes and gives a lot more room to work.