Taking out front struts (assembly) - 2012 4x4

All,

I've done this before on a 1st gen, but having trouble on my 2nd gen. Trying to get the whole front strut/spring assembly out on my 4x4.

Can it be done without disconnecting sway bar? Does the ball joint need disassembled? I don't recall doing either on my 1st gen.

I've got the shock/strut jammed up in there pretty good and struggling to get it out...

Thanks!

 

Put my lift on today, i dropped the sway bar and the tie rod ends, 5 mins can save hours of time wrestling with it

 

Thanks. I think the shock is jammed up against the sway bar. I'm going to start by taking the end links off and swinging it out of the way. May give me just enough...

 

Good luck

 

Found out there is no swinging the swat bar. Need to remove the mounts as well.


Sent from my mobile device.

 

It will drop down and you can swing it up out of the way

 

Loosen the LCA cams, and move the arm down. Mark your cams first. No need to remove sway bar.

 

I've done this the 2 times I took out my front struts. To be honest, next time I'm removing the sway bar and tie rods, then I'll loosen the cam bolts if necessary still. Like @jigga4032 said, 5 minutes here will save you an hour of dicking around getting frustrated and scratching up your new shocks.

 

just tryin to help. I had no problems, didn't scratch the shocks up, and wasn't frustrated. I figure the less things taken apart, the less bolts and nuts to torque. Million ways to skin a cat.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbsTJgb6S_c

 

Not knockin' your method, just puttin in my 2 cents. Yes, million ways to do it. Removing UCAs is another.

 

Ultimately I needed both the sway bar and tie rods disconnected.

Somehow I threaded the sway bar under the tie rods while they were disconnected. Reconnected the tie rod ends first and couldn't get the sway bar back up. Had to disconnect to maneuver it.

Not a bad job, but definitely not as easy as I remember on my 1st gen.

Thanks for the help all.