Infamous front click fixed with new mounting hardware? What's the bolt size?

I remember reading on here years ago that the infamous Tacoma front "click" noise you hear over speed bumps can be fixed by getting new bolts for the lower attachment point of the front shocks/struts. I was only able to find this post when I did a search: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ng-shocks-help-resolved.730249/#post-26956757

Is this a thing? I'm going to replace my front and rear shocks with Bilstein 4600's (I have an SR5 2WD) as a maintenance item and figured I try to get the new mounting bolts in as well if possible. Any suggestions?

 

Just go to toyota and order a 5th gen 4runner bolt for each side. Your stock nut and washer will fit just fine for it.

 

Bolt is M14. 9/16" (14.3mm) SAE bolt may fit. If you do any dirt/gravel roads, install a nylon locknut. The OEM non-locking nut backed out four times on my truck.

 

I did the bolt swap using 4Runner bolts and it did absolutely nothing to stop any clicking. I believe the clicking is at the spring perch and is from the perch slightly moving on the shock body.

 

Is the spring perch the strut mount?

 

I bought the bolts from 303, it was $25 and stopped the front end noise I was having.

 

With what shocks?

 

I know this was an issue with king shocks because of the way they do their bushings but is it an issue with bilstein, etc?

 

Were they torqued to spec?

 

^Yep. Four times were twice at the lower shock bolt, once at the UCA bolt, and once at the front leaf hanger bolt, all with the same size nuts. They're rotating joints subject to increased vibration off road.

I carry a few M14 nyloc nuts as trail spare in case the OEM nut comes loose at other locations - very common size in 2nd/3rd gen suspension.

(I've even had the sun visor screws loosen with vibration.)

 

That's a lot of bolts to just leave laying around the mall parking lot!!

I've had both my lowers come loose once, left UCA come loose once and one shackle hanger come loose once. All replaced with nylock nuts. You win on the sun visor though!

 

Give yer nuts an extra dugga. They'll stay on.

 

I would get a click when backing up with my Dobinsons shocks and when I installed my new Bilstein 6112 I changed out the bolts.
No noise so I assume it was the bolts since everything else was fully torqued. It was cheap and easy so why not

 

Do you remember what the size and length were,?

 

Sorry I should have said spring seat. The circle that sits on the shock c-clip which is what the spring sits on.

 

https://www.303shockservices.com/product-page/toyota-lower-shock-bolt-set

 

5100 for both Tacomas for 7 years and no issues!

 

Replaced my front struts along with the top hats and used these bolts for the strut. Click is GONE!

Used Bilstein 4600 struts,

$29 KYB SM5640 - Mount Kit

KYB SM5640 top hats, and just reused my stock coil springs. I think the click was solved with these bolts.

 

In my experience the bolts did absolutely nothing. And in theory, they shouldn’t do anything because the bolt is supposed to be clamping the sleeve so tightly that things can’t move at all down there.

Like I’ve said before, I believe it’s the lower spring perch/seat shifting on the shock body. You probably have a nice fresh connection there on your new 4600s. The factory shocks have a glue holding the perch still and that glue is known to come off. Then the shifting and resultant clicking starts.

 

Do you mean the ring towards the bottom of the strut body that the spring sits on? Even with the Bilsteins, the ring just sits there it's not even glued or anything.