What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

toytec 3/4" spacers on front, cooper ST Maxx 265/75-r16

 

Are you perfectly level front to back with he 3/4" spacer?

 

its level by eye. But to measure axle center line to fender, the front is 1/4" lower than rear

 

Did you have to tap out the strut studs and install the studs toytec send with that spacer?

 

Bumper looks great! Is that the expedition one front bumper and can you post some more photos??

 

I would assume so. They just pop right out with a hammer.

 

You need to compress struts and remove the mount. Knock out the stud with a hammer. I then pressed in the new, longer studs with a bench vice and a socket.

 

Don't you have to dissasemble the strut assembly in order to remove them? The last time I tapped studs out, I had to completely dissasemble the strut assembly, which I'm trying to avoid. Not that it's hard, just a PITA

 

Awesome, thanks for the info!

 

yes, the springs sit dirrectly under the studs. no way to get them out.

 

I was wrong. I did it on my 4Runner but obviously don't remember correctly.

If you haven't tried the floor jack compression method for compressing and decompressing the spring I highly recommend it!

 

Oh boy, that should be fun. Can you describe?

 

Yep! Thats how I installed my 5100s and it worked perfectly and wasn't sketchy like using one of those crappy spring compressors.

 

i'm waiting to be told to use the search function, but I'm assuming this is simply jacking truck up under lca, which compresses the strut spring enough to unbolt the top strut nut?

 

Truck looks good man. Are you happy with the bumpers and did you have to cut anything factory to make them fit. Where did you mount the light switches?

 

That's the benefit of working for a dealership. We have a wall mounted strut compressor

 

If you look it up theres plenty of videos on how to install struts like the 5100s using a floor jack to compress/decompress the spring on here and youtube. I highly recommend it, thats what I used and it worked perfectly and was extremely simple.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkVLBOnAifc

Safer and literally can save you hours if you struggle with the spring compressor. can get struts out and unassembled and back in in a couple hours using this.

 

Well once you have the truck up on jack stands you place the jack under the lca, remove the bolts from the lower ball joint, take the top nut off and loosed the cam bolts on the lcas so they will drop out of the way when you let the jack down. I also loosed the bolt that holds the strut in place on the lca before I let down the jack.