Quote Originally Posted by CROSSBOLT View Post
Do the tops of the struts rotate with steering inputs? Check for "spring back" with both front wheels off the ground, turn steering wheel full left and let go....
As with all cars this size made in the last decades ever seen, yes. Yes the top of the struts does rotate with steering input. The center shaft does not. Its a bit difficult to explain, but a look at the pix and wording in the FSM explains it better!
The top rests on a bearing which also rests on the cup shaped part inside the motor compartment above the strut. That bearing carries the weight of that wheel and eases turning. If you took off the little nuts, the strut including bearing and also the spring under tension could be pulled out from below with the lower two bolts holding strut to knuckle already off.

NB: The centre nut of the strut should only be loosened with the spring securely compressed by special clamps. To do it without would be extremely dangerous.