How to: Front shock/spring removal

Pictures are on page 8.

 

http://youtu.be/w58_1Ugk4KY

these guys looked like they just removed the two lower ball join bolts and the shock mount bolt….i was gonna follow this write-up and do it in my drive way but i feel like this way looks easier so should i just take it to a rent-a-bay shop?

 

disregard that last post..lol

 

I am going to do UCAs the same time as putting on COs. At what point do I do that? First get the strut out then install UCA?

 

subd

 

Sure. strut out first make sense, then UCA then the new CO, but the strut is not an impediment either way. May give you more working room, but the real PIA part is getting the long bolt out on the UCA.

 

Can you not just buy something cheap to compress your shocks and do it yourself..?

 

The cheap spring compressors are dangerous. Spring rate is around 600lbs/in. The truck's weight, and amount of travel is much more than a small car.

 

Makes sense... Thanks

 

Chris I called the local dealership today for new washers and bushings-actually they call them retainers and cushions-and they told me I needed (3) retainers and (2) cushions for each side and quoted me $108 so I was going to buy the set that Wheelers sells but their set only has (2) retainers and they told me they will work on a 1st gen. Who's right? I want to assemble my new struts before removing the old so I want to get it right the first time.
Thanks-you are the Tacoma professor!

 

Do you happen to have photos of when you removed the strut mount to see the order that the bushings and washers were in? Toyota says it has (3) washers and (2) bushings but Wheelers set has only (2) washers?

 

I just replaced struts on my 99 tacoma. Rented a compressor from advanced auto took me 20 min per. I am uncertain how much torque is needed on the top nut the nut that's part of the strut.anyone know?

 

There isn't a torque per say, once the bushing is compressed that nut wont move because of the pressure against it. I watched the guy at the shop put them on and he just tightened them until the bushing flattened out a bit.

 

Oh cool,the bushing compressed quite a bit. The old ones were probably original I was guessing how much to tighten based off where the nut was on old ones. Not sure if I want to tighten them all the way. I installed kyb gas adjust if that makes a difference

 

Don't know if your still looking but the bushing config is : metal washer/grommet/grommet/metal washer....nut/tighten to about 35-40 ft.lbs

 

Just completed front spring/shock replacement. Rented spring compressors from advance for $50 deposit. The ones provided are a real challenge to install properly, kinda scary but survived it! For the other side I used a jack at the lower control arm to decompress the spring and install the new shock. Worked like a champ. Stoked to have saved some money and really interesting to be in there understanding how it all works! Thanks to all the posters on here with great tips and links.

 

Just did this last night in my garage for both sides. After reading about other guys going this route and watching a video, I decided there was no need to pay for a compressor. Worked great and I didn't even disconnect my swaybar, just let the shock drop out from inside the coil, pulled it, then pulled the coil, no issues. Super easy reinstall as well.

 

Wanted to give my method for installing my pre-assembled coil overs from Wheelers. They were OME884 with Bilstein 5100s.

I had a buddy who is a body man(for 30 years) help me. I explained to him the several different ways of doing the front coil over removal and install from here on TW. I liked the method of loosening the cam bolts and removing the two bolts from the LCA and ball joint "knuckle".

We did a little bit of each method in this thread. By a little bit we basically did one step only from each method.

First: We removed the sway bar brackets to allow the sway bar some room to move out of the way. Only the brackets not the joint.

Second: We removed the two bolts holding the LCA to the ball joint area(sorry, not sure of the term) like shown in the video earlier in this thread. We did not loosen the cam bolts for the LCA.

Third: I took a 2x4 and slid it between the portion of the LCA nearer to the cab and then pushed down with my foot to force the LCA down and out of the way while he removed the factory coil over then slid the new one in. When we did the first side I had a pry bar and a shorter 2x4 then on the driver side we couldn't quite get enough distance down with that combo and we realized a longer 2x and no pry bar was the ticket and this worked perfect and was easy. Lots of leverage. Just watch the axle boot so you don't rip it or pinch it with the 2x4.

Overall was an easy process, yes bigger jack, bigger jack stands and air tools help but still pretty straight forward. Glad I didn't take it to a shop and pay 300 or 400 to get it and the AAL installed.

Here is a pic I took while pushing the LCA down.

Sorry, its the only pic I took while we were doing it but its the only thing that is slightly different than has already been shown in the thread.

 

Where is this video earlier in the thread? I'm going to be changing shock in the next couple days possibly