changing rear shocks

marino

marino

New member
little help all...

i've got an '01 sr5 2wd, it's got 103k miles and i just picked up some rear shocks. my question though, is how in the heck do i get to the top of the shocks? the bolt on top seems to be between a large plate that i can't get on top of and the body behind the rear seats...

anyone done this before and have any words of wisdom? i checked on this site and yotatech for a possible write up on this, but no luck.

help! ...and thanks!
 
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Gotta get it from underneath! On my 2000, there was no way to spin the nut off so I took the sawzall to it and cut them off in about 30 seconds!
 
I have a 2001 SR5 4WD and I was going to put in new shocks myself but changed my mind when I found out the front were struts. I had a shop put in all 4 and they said the rear were a lot harder than the front. I guess they had to cut them out somehow but in any case it was worth the $150 to have them do it.
 
i have a BL and i cant get to it either

im gonna have to have someone do it for me i think, because i dont get how i can get to it without cutting.

i dont wanna cut these bils with only like 25K on em, i wanna sell em!
 
The ones they cut out were the stock shocks and I had bilsteins put in. I hope they last for a l-o-n-g time cuz I don't don't want to hassle with it again. What gets me is that every place in town wanted over $200 to install them but I found a decent mechanic that did them for $150.
 
just thought i'd post an update...

this past weekend i got my father to lend me a hand, and we got the rear shocks changed out.

the passenger side turned out to be pretty easy, but the driver's side was tricky what with the fuel lines in the way and all.

the way we got them out was to get a deep socket with wrench on the nut up top and hold the wrench in place, then the other person had a huge pair of channel locks and turned the upper part of the shock to loosen the nut.

fwiw, there's an incredibly dramatic improvement in ride quality with these $31 gabriel auto zone shocks....

thanks again!
 
I attempted to change the original rears on my '99 and after alot of scraped skin and four-letter words, I took it to a local shop and they did it for about $90.
Haynes manual said to just twist the shock because it's so difficult to get to the nut on top, but it was so rusty that didn't work at all.
I didn't bother asking how they got them off.
I did the front shocks. They weren't "real" difficult, just had to make sure they were lined up to the bottom bracket before tightening everything back up.
Monroe Reflex all around, ride and handling is improved, but not perfect.
 
I put bilstein HD's in even though my 2001 only had 67K miles. The handling is a little better but if I go over large bumps really slow the cab bounces back and forth a number of times before stabilizing.
 
even with the cheap-o's it's a world of difference. on the bumps i had to "crawl" over due to the severe bouncing of the cab i can now take at ~30-40 mph with no worry and minimal bounce.

if the rear's were that bad, i'm starting to wonder about the struts...

:D
 
I took my TR4 into the dealer for the recall on the rear suspension. Big difference. There is a dip going into the parking garage at my work. I used drive over it and the rear end would smack andbottom out bad. After the recal was completed it doesn't do this anymore.
 
Glad I found this thread. I thought i was going crazy when i tried to get em off :vader: I thought surely theres an easier way than this, apparently not. Haha so i guess im gonna look for a cheap shop to do them for me. Or cut them off bump that :D
 
I notice on the new models, I think 05-09 that that flange that holds the top nut for the shock is set on the out side of the frame, I'm just thinking if i cut out the top mount or just make a top mount and weld it to the out side of the frame would that work, has anyone tried that? I have a 01 also.
 
yeah, a few people have done it.. Me included.

Mine.
110_1056.jpg~original


Scoobydann's
DSC01680.jpg~original


City_Rider's
IMG_0806.jpg~original
 
Soak in PB Blaster several times over the weeks prior to the project. Ratchet with a deep well or short extension on top. Then hammer a big pipe wrench on tight to the metal dust cover.

I like the relocation ideas, should give better articulation with that higher mount out of tubing especially.
 
I only see people here replacing OEMs with either Bilsteins or OME...

The PO of my 4Runner had the OEMs replaced with Procomps. I kind of like the way it rides now, but I have never driven one with OEMs to be able to judge whether it was a good upgrade or not.

So, does somebody has something good or bad to say about Procomps?
 
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