When you're buying a kit, make sure it offers assembled struts.
A kit with assembled struts will incur a labour charge, but it's money well spent. Just make sure that wherever possible those struts are assembled by the manufacturer. The required inclusion of top hats or strut tops is another expense to allow for.
If needs to be this way in off road vehicles because coil springs fitted have a very high spring rate, which requires the use of expensive mounted spring compressors, which you probably don't have laying around in your garage, no matter much of a budding mechanic you are.
