How to: Front shock/spring removal

Great write up!

I myself am getting ready to install my OME shocks and 884s today, as well as a LR UCA.

Question: Just looking at the pictures, it seems that if I already have my UCA off, I wouldn't have to remove anything else (sway bar etc) to get the Coilovers out and back in... is this correct or will I have to go through the whole procedure anyway?

Thanks

 

i actually just removed the sway bar linkage, without fully removing the swaybar and I had no problems. I have a '10 tho. Just had to slide it out of the way for each side you were doing.

 

Thanks for the tip, I have a 10' as well but my swaybar did have to come off. The only shortcut I found was that I could get the swaybar off fairly easily without removing the skid-plate.

 

is there a how to write up for 1st gen (99)??

 

so does the upper ball joint get removed? and if you put a coilover in it with a lift, would it be herd to connect the upper ball joint to the spindle?

 

You don't do anything with the balljoints.

Here's a couple different writeups on a 1st gen truck - which is virtually the same on 2nd gen.
http://www.lieblweb.com/cornbredlift.html
http://www.lieblweb.com/daystarlift.html

 

See post #231

 

Installed front 5100s for my Prerunner today. Managed to get it done without a helper... well, unless you count our 5 year old daughter as a helper. She was more interested in making volcanoes out of play sand. If I weren't installing new shocks I might have joined her, looked pretty fun

Seems some folks have trouble getting the strut in/out without someone to stand on the LCA. I followed the steps at the beginning of the post to disconnect the stabilizer bar and UCA... that made removal very easy.

For putting it back in place I found it helpful to get the top of the strut seated and finger-tighten the three bolts at the top... that kept it from falling down when I put downward pressure on the LCA. With the top secured I put my chest against the brake rotor and used both hands to get the shock into place and bolted. With the thickness of the rotor it actually wasn't uncomfortable leaning against it. I wouldn't want to hang out there all day but 2-3 minutes at a time wasn't hard.

As for tying up the UCA to keep pressure off the brake lines I couldn't find any strong wire so I used a light-gauge chain and padlock I had lying around. Slightly redneck, yes, but it worked great

 

Hey Chris,
Are you referring to the (2) cushion retainers on the top and the (1) eyelet bolt washer on the bottom? My OME 9000 shocks came with (1) flat washer; where does this go?
Also, I noticed in the repair manual PDF that they do not consider the upper ball joint nut and cotter pin reusable items. It seems most folks are reusing these. Does it matter?
It really doesn't concern me in particular; I'll be installing TC UCAs. I am asking for the benefit others.

 

Sounds good...
What about those washers?

 

Your description sounds like the correct way, but...
The repair manual describes the order, from top to bottom as; nut, cushion retainer, support sub-assembly(aka; top plate), cushion retainer.
It seems wrong when I read the PDF.
At first, I was going to put it back together the way it came apart. But, I have since decided to get new plates and hardware so I won't be disassembling the old ones.

 

So;
The cushion retainer/washer actually goes here-green
The OME washer goes here-blue
A black washer goes here-red

Thanks a lot for the help, Chris.
I don't want to miss any parts when I order the new hardware. I wouldn't have known about that "black washer"; I wonder if that's included in the sub-assembly/plate?

 

Subscribed

 

I wish someone would put the pictures back up

 

http://www.lieblweb.com/cornbredlift.html