Good morning

This Saturday I started my axle and suspension swap. I removed the axle without any issue, and was able to remove the top 3 bolts from the strut and also remove the bolt that connects the strut to the LCA. I also removed the sway bar for extra clearance. I haven't messed with the cam bolts on the LCA yet since I think I have enough room to remove the existing strut, but the thing is stuck on the strut bucket/housing. All the videos I see, after removing the top 3 nuts, and the LCA bolt it just slides out easy, but mine seems frozen. Am I missing something, or should I just try to pry it out? Im also considering going thru the engine compartment and bang on the one bolt to try to free it, but just would like to verify this with 4runner gurus before I get medieval. I'm installing some ICONs i purchased back during black friday. The truck is a 03 4runner limited with XREAS.

Thanks for the help!

-Jose

[Yeah I had the same issue. I ended up doing a combo of hammering in a flathead screwdriver between the strut and the tower bracket, and hammering a pipe that was resting on the top-through the engin bay. All while heating up the area with a torch. Gotta break that rust weld. Sucker was really on there!

You're not angry enough yet. Break out the hammer and hearing protection and have at it.

don't forget the hearing pro.... start banging on metal stuff under there without it and your ears will be ringing for a while. Ask me how I know...

Did you pull the 2 bolts (48068M/48069H) out of the control arm bracket (48625/48626)? That helps, support the UCA and caliper with a bungee cord or something...so you don't kill the ABS wire.

I guess if you have the axle out you already did this.
You can force the LCA down with a breaker bar or some bar like device.

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Thanks for the help!

I did remove those two lower bolts, so I guess its time to get "angry".

Mark the alignment cams with a grease pencil so you can set them back to somewhat drivable, and loosen them. No reason to have to force the LCA down, it should easily hang on its own.

Step (with your big old foot) on the LCA near the shock and force it down. Should drop a good 3-5".

Air hammer on the bucket that holds the top hat of the dampers

And/or persuasion bar on your pry bar


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I had the same issue an d banged the crap out of it for an hour. Finally decided to try and bang a 1" wide chisel between the top of the strut and the bottom of the mount and it came out in less than a minute. When I got to the other side, I skipped all the banging and went right to the chisel and it again was less than a minute to get out.

I had a bad day at work this morning, so at lunch time I got it out ;)

Screw driver + hammer + frustration = success

thanks again for all the help!

-Jose