5100 Install problem

[Runer4Life]

Been too lazy to try again. haha

 

[DEERUNNER]

I was worried the axle would come out.

The upper parts move upward because there is no longer as much attached that is forcing them downward. There are several inches of downward movement available. Might be just the amount you were missing. When you do get someone to do this for you, tell them this is one of the tricks they should try for you. haha

 

[Runer4Life]

OME Install - No Spring Compressor

I installed a new set of OME shocks this weekend, to go with my OME springs.

Most people seem to use a spring compressor to assemble their front struts, if they are not already assembled. Spring compressors are difficult to use and dangerous.

Here is the process for installing the unassembled front struts, without a spring compressor.

Be careful not to damage any of the CV boots in this process.

First: Jack up the frame to the top of the highest setting on your jackstand. I placed mine under the bolts for the crossmember supports.

Also place a jackstand under the opposite rear corner, to stabilize the frame. If you dont do this, the action of jacking up the suspension, will compress the opposite rear suspension, and not allow the shocks to compress enough to be assembled.
(This photo was taken when doing the passenger side strut, so the stands are shown in the opposite corners as would be done for the driver side strut work).

Remove the tire, and you now have your suspension at full extension, with room underneath for a floor jack.
(There is no sway bar in this picture, you may need to remove that too.)

Remove the nut, washer and rubber bushing from the upper shock mount (arrow).
This will allow you to remove the shock, when you lower the A-arm. Do not remove the three bolts holding the upper spring mount to the frame.

With a floor jack tight against the lower A-arm, remove the two lower ball joint bolts (arrow points to one of the two bolts).

When the bolts are out, you will need to support the hub and brakes. I used 20" 2X4 under the wheel studs (upper in the bolt circle), instead of trying to tie it to something. It may also help, to screw a linger piece of 2x4 to the base of the vertical 2x4, making the system more stable. Or, you could add an eye-bolt & washer through the wheel well, and tie up the hub. (Note: this photo was added for visual understanding of the 2x4 support. Notice the OME strut is already in place.)

Then lower the floor jack and let the strut and spring extend to their full length. Remove the lower shock bolt.

I had to use a lever arm to help push the lower A-arm down far enough to get the bolt out. The lower A-arm bushing are causing the resistance. I used the jack handle over the ball joint fitting, and under the A-arm. I leaned on it with my knee, to free both hands for removing the bolt.
(Note: The lower A-arm bushings can be relaxed, by loosening the adjuster bolts that hold them to the frame. This will eliminate the need to use a lever on the lower A-arm. Make note of the eccentric positions before loosening them. When the struts are back in place, re-set the eccentrics to these positions and tighten.)

This is how the bar fits in the lower LCA.

Now, the spring pressure is relaxed, and you can wiggle the spring and shock out of the suspension. You will need to continue holding the lower A-arm down, to make room for this removal.

Now put your new shock and spring back in the same way. Don't forget to put the big bushing & washer on top of the strut, before installing everything.

As you lift t he spring and shock into position, you need to align the top of the shock and the top of the spring, into their proper positions. Push down on the lower A-arm, to place the lower end of the shock in it's seat. Install the lower shock bolt.

Now jack up the lower A-arm, while making sure the top of the spring, and upper shock are properly aligned. The shock stud will come up into its final position. Install the rubber bushing, washer, and nut.

Now the shock can hold up the suspension, so you can release the floor jack (or not).

Now you need to bring the hub back into position on the lower balljoint, and install the two large bolts.
Note: These use the Red LocTite, and factory torque specs of 166 lb-ft.

Make sure you don't have any spare parts that you forgot to install, tighten all of the bolts, re-install the swaybar if you took it out. And don't forget to set and tighten the eccentric bolts, if you loosened them.

And you are done!!!

 

[commbubba19]

I had a dream a few nights ago. In that dream, I was installing my struts and realized the spring seat was upside down and that flipping it over would fix my issue.

The next day I found a assembly diagram of the 5100 and I was right.

DOH!!!!

Struts are installed and look/perform great.

God I'm an idiot.

 

[bjohnston115]

Hi guys,
No matter what we did, we couldn't get the spring/strut assembly to actually compress to bring them together. I had a jack under the lower arm and the whole truck was being lifted but the strut/spring wouldn't compress.

Too much friction...


Glad you got it fixed.

 

[KP Texan]

I installed a new set of OME shocks this weekend, to go with my OME springs.

Most people seem to use a spring compressor to assemble their front struts, if they are not already assembled. Spring compressors are difficult to use and dangerous.

Here is the process for installing the unassembled front struts, without a spring compressor.

Be careful not to damage any of the CV boots in this process.

First: Jack up the frame to the top of the highest setting on your jackstand. I placed mine under the bolts for the crossmember supports.

Also place a jackstand under the opposite rear corner, to stabilize the frame. If you dont do this, the action of jacking up the suspension, will compress the opposite rear suspension, and not allow the shocks to compress enough to be assembled.
(This photo was taken when doing the passenger side strut, so the stands are shown in the opposite corners as would be done for the driver side strut work).

Remove the tire, and you now have your suspension at full extension, with room underneath for a floor jack.
(There is no sway bar in this picture, you may need to remove that too.)

Remove the nut, washer and rubber bushing from the upper shock mount (arrow).
This will allow you to remove the shock, when you lower the A-arm. Do not remove the three bolts holding the upper spring mount to the frame.

With a floor jack tight against the lower A-arm, remove the two lower ball joint bolts (arrow points to one of the two bolts).

When the bolts are out, you will need to support the hub and brakes. I used 20" 2X4 under the wheel studs (upper in the bolt circle), instead of trying to tie it to something. It may also help, to screw a linger piece of 2x4 to the base of the vertical 2x4, making the system more stable. Or, you could add an eye-bolt & washer through the wheel well, and tie up the hub. (Note: this photo was added for visual understanding of the 2x4 support. Notice the OME strut is already in place.)

Then lower the floor jack and let the strut and spring extend to their full length. Remove the lower shock bolt.

I had to use a lever arm to help push the lower A-arm down far enough to get the bolt out. The lower A-arm bushing are causing the resistance. I used the jack handle over the ball joint fitting, and under the A-arm. I leaned on it with my knee, to free both hands for removing the bolt.
(Note: The lower A-arm bushings can be relaxed, by loosening the adjuster bolts that hold them to the frame. This will eliminate the need to use a lever on the lower A-arm. Make note of the eccentric positions before loosening them. When the struts are back in place, re-set the eccentrics to these positions and tighten.)

This is how the bar fits in the lower LCA.

Now, the spring pressure is relaxed, and you can wiggle the spring and shock out of the suspension. You will need to continue holding the lower A-arm down, to make room for this removal.

Now put your new shock and spring back in the same way. Don't forget to put the big bushing & washer on top of the strut, before installing everything.

As you lift t he spring and shock into position, you need to align the top of the shock and the top of the spring, into their proper positions. Push down on the lower A-arm, to place the lower end of the shock in it's seat. Install the lower shock bolt.

Now jack up the lower A-arm, while making sure the top of the spring, and upper shock are properly aligned. The shock stud will come up into its final position. Install the rubber bushing, washer, and nut.

Now the shock can hold up the suspension, so you can release the floor jack (or not).

Now you need to bring the hub back into position on the lower balljoint, and install the two large bolts.
Note: These use the Red LocTite, and factory torque specs of 166 lb-ft.

Make sure you don't have any spare parts that you forgot to install, tighten all of the bolts, re-install the swaybar if you took it out. And don't forget to set and tighten the eccentric bolts, if you loosened them.

And you are done!!!

Hate to resurrect a thread this old, but thanks for the nice writeup! I'm pretty much set on getting some 5100s and am in the process of debating whether or not to do the install myself or have a shop do it.

One question: people sometimes mention messing up the ABS harness while swapping shocks, so I was wondering why you didn't disconnect it. Is that simply a safeguard in case the hub/brake rotor/brake caliper drop under their own weight and stretch the ABS harness/connector?

 

[kevinmai712]

Hate to resurrect a thread this old, but thanks for the nice writeup! I'm pretty much set on getting some 5100s and am in the process of debating whether or not to do the install myself or have a shop do it.

One question: people sometimes mention messing up the ABS harness while swapping shocks, so I was wondering why you didn't disconnect it. Is that simply a safeguard in case the hub/brake rotor/brake caliper drop under their own weight and stretch the ABS harness/connector?

You can do it yourself with basic hand tools. I installed a few kits in the garage before, but if you're not sure you can always take it to a shop. In his pic he had the hub supported with wood blocks so I assume tahts probably why he didn't disconnect the ABS harness. I'm from DFW if you need any help installing.

 

[KP Texan]

You can do it yourself with basic hand tools. I installed a few kits in the garage before, but if you're not sure you can always take it to a shop. In his pic he had the hub supported with wood blocks so I assume tahts probably why he didn't disconnect the ABS harness. I'm from DFW if you need any help installing.

I really appreciate the offer! I'm quite inclined to do the install in my garage; I'm sort of one of those guys that believes "if you want something done right, then you've got to do it yourself". I think I've got most of the tools to do it (torque wrenches, etc.) so I'll probably give it a shot myself. That being said, I always like to be very well informed before jumping into something like that.

I think the most difficult part of the job will be trying to explain to my wife why I'm disassembling the suspension on a 2018 truck with about 1000 miles on it!

 

[DougR]

Now you need to bring the hub back into position on the lower balljoint, and install the two large bolts. These use the Red LocTite and a factory torque spec of 166 lb-ft.

166 ft-lbs seems high to me. A search for front end torque specs turned up a 118 ft-lbf spec: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/152966-torque-spec-help.html

 

[rector15]

The ABS harness is bolted in a few areas (3 or 4) and is a bit of a pain to disconnect on the engine side. I think it’s worth unbolting and disconnecting IMO. A small tug of the harness ruined it for my install - Christmas lights galore on my dash until the replacement came.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Drewfus_'13Limited]

166 ft-lbs seems high to me. A search for front end torque specs turned up a 118 ft-lbf spec: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/152966-torque-spec-help.html

That is interesting. I'm about to change out my shocks/struts and all of the write-ups that I've read show the torque spec to be around 160 ft-lb. I even bought a new torque wrench because of that spec.

I'll have to go check the repair manual on my other computer to see if it also shows the lower 118 ft-lb.

 

[Xring01]

I really appreciate the offer! I'm quite inclined to do the install in my garage; I'm sort of one of those guys that believes "if you want something done right, then you've got to do it yourself". I think I've got most of the tools to do it (torque wrenches, etc.) so I'll probably give it a shot myself. That being said, I always like to be very well informed before jumping into something like that.

I think the most difficult part of the job will be trying to explain to my wife why I'm disassembling the suspension on a 2018 truck with about 1000 miles on it!

Mine didnt even have 100 miles on it, when we put the Bilsteins on .... Superbowl Sunday, in the AM...


T4R is up on Jack Stands, both front tires removed, one lower A Arm hanging low, we are in the process of removing the spring from the OEM shock...

My wife opens up the garage door to see what my son and I are up to...
Quoting her... ARE YOU SERIOUS, REALLY... and shut the door..:yell:

I know where your coming from..

Today my NFab bars arrive... she will like those, because she is short, I might be forgiven for raising the truck... Hum..

 

[rmbertoldi]

Bilstein 5100 love

Great write-up and pictures [MENTION=132149]Runer4Life[/MENTION]! Thanks a lot!
Just picked up a cherry 2013 SR5 with 38k, first things first..lift before wheels and tires!

T4R.org saves the day again, love this group!

 

[Runer4Life]

Great write-up and pictures [MENTION=132149]Runer4Life[/MENTION]! Thanks a lot!
Just picked up a cherry 2013 SR5 with 38k, first things first..lift before wheels and tires!

T4R.org saves the day again, love this group!

Thanks, I'm glad it helped you! :cheers:

 

[CutthroatSlam]

Great thread. The install post with photos should be a sticky.

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

That is interesting. I'm about to change out my shocks/struts and all of the write-ups that I've read show the torque spec to be around 160 ft-lb. I even bought a new torque wrench because of that spec.

I'll have to go check the repair manual on my other computer to see if it also shows the lower 118 ft-lb.

The 160 you quote is nm; the 118 ft-lbs is the conversion as shown in the diagram in the other thread.