Toytec install quote....high or low???

Thanks for all you suggestions. Yes, please list you directions on how to do this.

I hope the links at the bottom of the first post in the link below will help!

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/suspension/31862-how-front-shock-spring-removal.html#post495956

 

Actually that's pretty good. I do it a little different but basically the same thing. He also has different (but close) torque specs than I do, I'll have to look into that.

I'll write it up here in a min. Gonna get some coffee first.

 

These might be redundant details, but I don't know how much you know. Plus I do one complete side at a time, not both at once so just repeat for the other side. If you are doing spacers and need to go somewhere to get your springs compressed, do both sides at the same time. so you don't have to make 2 trips.

Prep: Remove wheel and supporting.
1. Take your spare tire tools out of the truck: bottle jack, lugwrench and extensions.
2. Go to the Front Driverside wheel and with the lugwrench 'break' the nuts, just loosen them a half turn basically.
3. Get a thick block of wood and put it under the bottle jack and jack the truck up on the frame as close as you can towards the front but still where the frame is flat. Keep going up until your tire is about 3-4" off the ground.
4. Now set your jackstand as close as you can behind the bottle jack. Lower the bottle jack until the frame is held up by only the jackstand (match the jackstand height to the frame height as closely as possible); set the bottle jack aside.
5. Finish removing the wheel, take the lug nuts off by hand or lugwrench and take the wheel off, set it flat (shiney side up) somewhere under the front drivers side where it is easily moveable, out of your way, but where the truck could fall on it if something happened.

Next we'll start taking the OEM strut out. Gonna get lunch, we'll start the lift here in an hour or two.

 

^^ Rep for above post.

To the OP. You could subscribe to alldata.com for your truck for a year. All the information and torque specs are there for you on the vehicle. Pictures too

Edit that, you may need to pick 08 because the lame ass company does not have the 09 fully updated yet.

Come ON AllData! I pay over 200 a month for my subscription, you would think they could keep it current!

 

+1

 

Ok, onto the dismantle.

1. Take that bottle jack and just loosely set it to support the lower control arm close to the wheel end of it, dont actually jack anythng up, just adjust the b-jack until it is set there and won't move around. We'll come back to that soon.
2. Now locate the sway bar and follow it to the very end where it bolts through the spindle. Remove that nut. If the bolt spins just grab it with the pliers without damaging it's threads. Then push/tap that bolt out of it's hole in the spindle.
3. Now follow the sway bar to where it meets the underside of the frame and is held inplace by a bracket with 2 bolts. Remove those bolts (they are long so just keep spinning them till they are out). Now your sway bar is free, it can get in the way a little later so feel free to move it around as needed, it's not fragile.
4. Dropping spindle from upper control arm UCA: loacate where the top of the spindle is bolted to the UCA, there is a large bolt/nut pointing down, it also has a clip through the nut. Remove that pin first, I can take mine out bare handed so look at how it sits and manuver it out carefully.
-Now you need to loosen that lagre nut down about 1", it will probably be on there pretty tight but once you 'break' it it should come right off. Don't completely remove it yet, again, only loosen it down like 1".
-Now back to that bottle jack under the LCA, lower it back down about 3/4" below the LCA so there is a small gap.
-Back to that bolt on the UCA: to get your spindle off that bolt (actaully your ball joint) you'll need to give the top of the spindle a good hit with your hammer. Hit the top of the spindle on the sides (make sure to not miss and hit the threads of the ball joint! and don't hit the actual UCA either)) I usually give it 2 taps on the front, 1 tap on the side, then tap the back etc until it comes loose. It will just drop! until it is stopped by the nut you left on the end of the bolt or the LCA hits your b-jack, whichever comes first.
5. Now locate the black electric looking wire that is clamped to your UCA, gently pull the wire out there. Now follow that line down to the wheel and unbolt the next mount on the side of the spindle, and if you want you can unplug it at the wheel (i don't).
6. Now go to the top of the strut/shock/coilover or whatever you call it. there are 3 nuts on the top around it and one in the middle. Remove the 3 nuts (the one in the back can be a pain), don't touch the one in the middle.
7. Now back to that b-jack, if it isn't already touching the LCA, adjust it now so that it does.
8. Finish removing the nut off the ball joint. Take it all the way off. Now begin lowering the b-jack, as you do this, the spindle will slide off ball joint and the strut will start to lengthen and start to drop as well. Go all the way down until the jack supports no weight. As you're doing this the spindle may want to 'flop' towards either side or whatever, not to worry but try to keep it from pulling on your brake line too hard.
9. Now your strut should only be attached by a large nut/bolt at the bottom. Remove that bolt. Take the nut off, then tap the bolt out the other way. I tap mine through with a 1/4 socket extension but you can use whatever, old screwdriver etc.
10. Now that the strut is free, just wiggle/pull/manuver it out. Remember, if the swaybar is in the way move it around as you go.

Done with removal.
I seriously should have made a video last time I did this, it would be so much easier!

Another tip: you can just take that nut off the ball joint and free the spindle and just let it drop, I like to lower everyhting together real slow with the bottle jack but that's mainly just my prefrence and a good practice, but there is a faster way.

 

Damnit! I just was almost done with the install and I lost it. Try again...

 

Install.
I have currently left the torque specs out because the ToyTecs seem to have different specs than my Sway Aways and I'm sure the Fox's etc are different too. The ball joint nut, swaybar end, and lug nuts should all be the same however. I'll post those in a bit. If your coilovers do have unique torque specs they should come with the instructions.

1. Maneuver the new coil over or spaced strut inot place. If you have an external reservoir pay attention to its orientation. first get the top 3 studs/posts through and into place and barely thread their respective nuts on the posts.
2. Now maneuver the bottom of the strut into place and thread that large bolt through it from back to front; thread it's nut on but do not tighten yet. ( this can be harder since your new strut is longer, I use my foot to push the LCA down to make more room)
-Snug up all the nuts on the strut, top and bottom but don't tighten yet.
3. Now you need to raise the LCA/spindle so you can attach it back to the ball joint on the UCA. Use the bottle jack to lift the LCA up and use a hand to push the UCA down until you can get the ball joint bolt to go through it's hole about 1/4" through the bottom and quickly thread the nut on the end of it.
(Note1: CAUTION: as you lift the LCA up with the b-jack it can actaully lift the truck frame off of the jackstand. Keep an eye on the frame/jackstand contact)
(Note2: when threading the nut onto the ball joint bolt there must NOT be any weight on the nut. Trying to raise the spindle via the ball joint nut will just cause the ball joint to spin and you'll never get anywhere. Keep pushing down on the UCA so that you can easily tighten the nut up by hand. Tighten this as much as possible all the way by hand)
4. Torque the ball joint nut to spec and reinstall the retainer pin; if the pin will not line up with the hole just tighten the nut slightly until it will line up.
5. Torque all the strut nuts: 3 on top and 1 large at bottom.
6. If you are using a swaybar relocate kit, install that now. It mounts in those holes on the underside of the fame where you earlier removed that bracket.
7. Torque those bolts that secure the swaybar to the frame.
8. Reattach and torque the swaybar end to the spindle.
9. Reattach the wire to the UCA and spindle (plug it back in if you unplugged earlier)
10. Tripple check that everything is good and put your wheel back on. Torque wheel to 75-80 ftlbs.
11. using your b-jack and wood block, lift the frame off the jack stand and once the jackstand is free move it out from under the vehicle. Lower the truck to the ground and remove bottle jack. = Done

Now repeat on the other side.

After you have both sides installed go for a slow speed drive to make sure everything is good. Once you have some confidence in your work go to a parking lot and do some quick left-right turns to help settle the suspension. Once you are sure about your work, dirve the truck however you want for about 100 miles and then adjust adjustable coilovers to exact desired height and even it out. Then get an alignment done. There is a good chance you will have to readjust the height on your adjusable coilovers in a few months as the springs break in and settle, or in my case just one to fix the taco lean.

 

WOW! Thank you for writing all of this! I need to read all of this a few times, study it and maybe ask some questions. I wish you had pics or a video like you said but this is the next best thing. Thanks again for taking the time to write all of this!

 

I put way more detail than is needed but why not, I think most people can do this and you've got however many forum members willing to help. Most of these steps are just a few seconds of work but I know sometimes it helps to have stuff broken down in detail. It's all those little tricks and techniques that make this kind of work easy, or hard if you have to figure them out yourself.

Hope it helps.

 

I just did my OME lift yesterday. Do the pre 09's have that extra thick piece of steel in the wheel well where you need to bend for the UCA bolt? I dont remember seeing that on here and damn if the driver side didnt make me want to rip my face off.

 

Thanks for being so detailed. The more detail the better...it never hurts! Thanks again!

 

Ok, here are those torque specs. As mentioned before double check the torque specs for your shock (3) top bolts, and shock lower (big 1) bolts becuse apparently some aftermarket c/o's require different torques.

Upper Ball Joint Nut (the one with the pin in it): 81 ft.lbs

Top shock/coilover/strut (3 nuts): 47 ft.lbs

Bottom strut to LCA (big bolt and nut): 61 ft.lbs

Swaybar at spindle: 52 ft.lbs

Swaybar at frame (2 bolts w/ bracket): 30 ft.lbs

Damper rod to suspension (ONLY for coil spacer lift): 20 ft.lbs

UCA to frame (ONLY if you add aftermarket UCA, again check for unique torque value) OEM: 85 ft.lbs

Lug nuts/ wheel: 85 ft.lbs

Now go buy a decent torque wrench. Get the same drive size as your socket set, or get an adapter.

 

I say high as well due to simple install yourself, especially with the ULK from toytec being preloaded already! and also the UCA's not hard at all. you could probably find someone near you to help out with the install!