Feels like there's no rear shocks

[TJM]

My replacement 2002 feels like there's no rear shocks but they're brand new. It rides really loose in the back and bumps feel like boulders. There is some serious rust damage to the undercarriage I'm looking to have fixed, and one shop said something about the rear shock arm mounts being rusted out, or something to that effect. Any idea what that means and if it's fixable? How labor intensive would that be? Might have a pile of scrap on my hands :scared:

 

[mark21742]

The rear shock mounts hang down off the rear axle and top mounts to the frame rails. These can rust out and either break off or bend back and forth toll they break off if they are rusted really bad basically making your shocks useless.

If you can get under there and look at everything really good because if anything does break loose it can be REALLY dangerous and cause you to wreck!

Also even with new parts you can get bad ones so you might have just blown your shocks out.

 

[mark21742]

If you have access to a welder or a friend that does all the rust under there can usually be cut out and replaced with new metal pretty easily

 

[TJM]

The rear shock mounts hang down off the rear axle and top mounts to the frame rails. These can rust out and either break off or bend back and forth toll they break off if they are rusted really bad basically making your shocks useless.

If you can get under there and look at everything really good because if anything does break loose it can be REALLY dangerous and cause you to wreck!

That's my concern, especially since the back end is so squirrely. So is it possible to replace/repair the top mounts where they attach to the frame (part of the frame, as I think you're saying)? It's going in for an estimate soon but I was hoping someone here might know if it's possible and what kind of ballpark figure we're talking about. Thx for replying!

 

[TJM]

If you have access to a welder or a friend that does all the rust under there can usually be cut out and replaced with new metal pretty easily

That's what I'm hoping, but we don't weld, so that work will be farmed out. Hopefully it's not too costly.

 

[EMC 4Runner]

Get under the truck, grab the shocks and give them a good yank. Do they move at all?

 

[TJM]

Get under the truck, grab the shocks and give them a good yank. Do they move at all?

I'll have to check tomorrow. What would movement equal? Poor installation or rotten mounts?

 

[EMC 4Runner]

I'll have to check tomorrow. What would movement equal? Poor installation or rotten mounts?

They shouldn't move at all buy hand. You should be able to shake the entire truck without them moving in the mounts.

 

[psraff]

Try to get a few pics while you're under there. Maybe we can see something that doesn't look right, or make suggestions.

 

[TJM]

The shocks don't move by hand, and the rust isn't all that bad from what I can tell. I have someone cleaning that up for me but I can't believe that would be the issue