Front preloaded strut replacement

I would suspect there is an answer to my question but I sure could not find anything exact to my question. I replaced my rear shocks (RockAuto KYB closeout Excel-G for $13 a pop, with shipping cost me $35 total, deal of the year so far.). And then I found Preloaded Monroe Quick Struts for $92 a side with a $40 rebate. Lifetime warranty on both so I am hoping the front does as much for that change as the KYB's did for the rear. BTW, just got rid of clunk in the rear with the recall rear spring change out. Truck is much smoother ride and what was a somewhat mysterious clunk has disappeared. FWIW, I have bout 80,000 miles.

Anyway, my question is this, after examining the front end, I am not sure what needs to be removed to get the preloaded strut/spring out and the new unit installed. It looks to me like if you removed the sway bar completely, you might be able to sneak the strut assembly in/out with no other disassembly. But I didn't get the wheel all the way off the ground when looking so I am not sure if the lower A frame will drop enough. I am thinking if it does not, I might be able to compress the spring 1-2 " so there won't be a giant hazard with that approach. Anybody got experience with this (preloaded strut) replacement approach? What do you need to take apart to get it out and the new in?

One other question: On the driver side, especially, the brake lines have some corrosion. Not real bad but enough to get my attention. Two questions; are these corrosion prone and what is the fitting thread/type on the line ends? If they need replacement (look like 3/16") I will replace with cupronickel lines and I'd like to make them up having new parts to have the replacements ready.

 

Can anybody help out with the question? What needs to be removed to replace the front strut/spring/shock assembly? If possible I'd like to avoid need to get alignment by dropping lower control arm. Is that necessary?

 

I'm not for sure on what all needs to be removed to allow for the strut to be removed but you will definitely want to get an alignment. I think I remember reading that until bolting the sway bar will help. You might want to try reading some threads on installing front 5100/spring assemblies.

 

First off, don't buy Monroe Quick struts, they are G A R B A G E! It is widely experienced that they clunk and make noise. I installed them on my wife's Camry and I can attest that they are junk! They are lifetime guaranteed and I can replace them again, but that's a lot of work and sends me to the alignment shop again.

If you absolutely must use them, disassemble them and reuse you're OEM top bearing plate, that's where most of the issues stem from.

 

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

 

1. Unbolt sway bar link from both wheels and swing sway bar out of the way.
2. Separate the steering tie rod from spindle (aka knuckle). Tie rod joint stud is taperd, so use either a $20 pitman arm puller or a lot of hammering on the spindle to release.
3. Pry down on the lower control arm until you can release the strut's bottom joint from its receptacle on the control arm.

The whole point to buying a preloaded strut is to avoid having to compress the spring.

 

I prefer to remove the entire strut and then use a spring compressor to disassemble the strut.

To get the strut out, I would suggest:

1. Loosen the upper ball joint nut and disconnect the spindle from the upper control arm.
2. Disconnect the sway bar from the spindle.
3. Loosen the upper control arm through bolt and push the UCA up out of the way of the strut, use a bungee cord or something to hold it there.
4. Remove the strut assembly.

I've thought about this and finally did it when I installed my Fox coilovers. Our UCAs are not adjustable, and even if you have ones that are, as long as you don't mess with the adjustment (usually on top), disconnecting and reconnecting the UCA/spindle won't change your alignment. In your case, you're installing new struts, so you'd have to get it re-aligned anyway. No additional trouble there.

A tip:
To dislodge the spindle from the UCA, loosen the nut but do not remove it, then strike the spindle (where the bolt passes through it) with a ball pein hammer to shock it loose. Spray with PB blaster if your truck is old or has a lot of buildup in that area.

 

You have an 09 Tacoma in Massachusetts, you're going to run in to a ton of corrosion issues. You best bet for replacing your struts is to pre treat bolts and nuts before removal. So any bolt that has exposed threads that you plan to remove, attack it with a wire brush, then any other nuts and bolts, blast with lube continuously for a few days.

 

did this not too long ago on my 16 which shouldnt be too different. detach sway bar links, brake line holders and upper ball joint. gave me room to squeeze a 6112 setup in there. did require 2 people, one to lean on pry bar because of the way the strut sits in lca, its cozy. if you not too far from seacoast nh, i could give a hand

 

I am going on a 2 week vacation so the strut work will wait a bit, but I have been soaking every exposed nut every couple of days with PB Blaster (my favorite anti rust stuff) A couple of comments, my idea of a slight compression on the springs was not that its necessary with preloaded struts, but sort of shortening the whole assembly to get it out of the mounts without removing as many other components as otherwise might be necessary (what a sentence). 6 new nuts thinking about it though, might be more stuff in the way with any spring compressor you used.

One other question, if you do not disconnect the control arms, why do you need an alignment? The struts appear to more of less bolt back into the same position?

One more question: what is the thread/size on the top of the strut mounts? Seems like a small investment to buy 6 new nuts rather than trying to mess with the old rusted stuff. Probably easier to just cut them off then wrench them. When I did the rear shocks, I had to cut off the nuts, Texoma is quite right about our New England rust.

 

Hey, KenLyns, my truck didn't come with one of those. Is that some sort of special order?

 

Finally got the change out completed. One thing that seemed to me, working alone, worked out for me. When I went to reinstall, I hung the tops of the assembled shock-strut, loosely, and to get the bottom in, used a relatively smallish(16-18") wrecking-pry bar to pry(down) on top of the upper CA and leveraging against one of the 'convenient' coils on the spring to pry upwards. That way you are pushing the spring up ( probably not much real movement but its in the right direction) and down on the CA's , connected by the spindle. When I did that, the bottom had lots of room to get into the mount. I needed that working alone. Truck rides like new, wife says do not even talk about getting a new truck for at least 5 years.