Front shock install, no compressor method.

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with this method, it is pretty much unassembling the coilover while it is on the truck. That will mean when you go to pull the strut out, the spring will fall out with it.
 
Not sure how much trouble this will be... However, monroe sells a shock/coil pre assembled for our runners that are $100 each. I'm going that way. It's a direct bolt on. Pull the assembly off and put a new assembly on.

It also depends on if you want to change your springs or not. For me it's getting kind of bouncy so I'm going to replace it all.

Just my 2cents!! Be careful with those springs. You can really get hurt if you aren't careful.
 
Changing your valve cover solo is one thing, but for this I would just remove everything and spend the $50 or so to have Midas or a local indy shop compress the spring to save myself time and a whole lot of grief. Rears, easy all day, except for the top nut.

On a side note, it is interesting how Toyota is now torquing those LBJs to 166ft/lbs on the 4th gens bolts from the paltry 59ft/lbs on our 3rds.
 
JonCor2577 said:
Not sure how much trouble this will be... However, monroe sells a shock/coil pre assembled for our runners that are $100 each. I'm going that way. It's a direct bolt on. Pull the assembly off and put a new assembly on.

It also depends on if you want to change your springs or not. For me it's getting kind of bouncy so I'm going to replace it all.

Just my 2cents!! Be careful with those springs. You can really get hurt if you aren't careful.
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They can charge that little because I ran that shock for about a week. I hated them. They are so soft that I had no control. They were like riding without shocks.

Buy quality shocks. Think long and hard about if it is time to do a lift too. You are doing the same labor.
 
pay the extra cash and go with bilsteins. i run bilsteins on all 4 corners. good stiff, high performance suspension. i wouldnt buy anything else! its price but well worth it
 
LittleCaesar said:
Changing your valve cover solo is one thing, but for this I would just remove everything and spend the $50 or so to have Midas or a local indy shop compress the spring to save myself time and a whole lot of grief. Rears, easy all day, except for the top nut.

On a side note, it is interesting how Toyota is now torquing those LBJs to 166ft/lbs on the 4th gens bolts from the paltry 59ft/lbs on our 3rds.
Click to expand...

FSM says 47 ft-lbs, not even 59.

Gerdo said:
Big difference in bolt size.
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After seeing the overtorquing of the LBJ bolts on HuntnFish's rig, I wonder if shops aren't paying attention to what year they are and actually did his to 166ft-lbs.
 
I actually have my FSM for my 99 in the protege 5 at work here. Let's see.

59ft/lbs according to my 99 FSM for the four bolts.

LBBBJ.jpg~original


But according to the is FSM off ncttora, which is for a 2002 4runner, these bolts are to be torqued down only to 37ft/lbs. Why the difference? I can not say.

I changed out a pair of LBJs on a friend's 2002 4runner last year and referenced the 37ft/lb number. Nothing broken on the new OEM LBJs so far.
 
Thanks LittleCaesar, since that VC gasket job I'm trying to anticipate issues I may run into. The truck was down for way too long while I figured out what to do.

I've had the shocks for awhile, they're Tokico Trekmasters.
 
As LittleCaesar said take the whole assy. out and have the springs put on the new shocks. It could save your life or someone elses. There is alot of load on those coils and if it came loose believe me your not going to hold it and don't want to be in front of it when it goes flying.
Just my 2c.
Good luck
 
JonCor2577 said:
Not sure how much trouble this will be... However, monroe sells a shock/coil pre assembled for our runners that are $100 each. I'm going that way. It's a direct bolt on. Pull the assembly off and put a new assembly on.
Click to expand...

Have a link to a vendor? I couldn't find anything that I thought was correct. Thanks!
 
So, as an update- I replaced the front shocks as planned and ran into no issues, never even used the compressor.
 
Just wanted to see if you had any further comments/tips in regards to replacing the front shocks without using a compressor. Was it pretty straight forward and exactly as described in the original link? Just disconnect the sway bar, then slowly drop the lower control arm carefully with a hydraulic jack after removing the one middle bolt holding the strut.

I plan on replacing my lower ball joints soon, so I figure while I am in there and the lower control arm is disconnected, that I might as well do the shocks too.

This method seems safer than using a spring compressor.
 
I tried this with no success.
It could have been my error, BUT when I tried this I found the lower A arm would not drop far enough to remove the shock without loosening the bolts attaching it to the frame. I do not have a torque wrench that will fit the in the confined space to access those bolts (and dont even know where to buy one).
So I was unable to use this method and had to go rent a spring compressor in the middle of my install.
I read a lot of very cautionary threads telling me that using a spring compressor would be extremely dangerous and probably lead to decapitation, dead puppies etc....
I found the compressor to be a fine method and not extremely scary at all.
Yes there are safer things one can do and you should use caution while using a spring compressor the same way you should use caution while doing anything! But it in NO way lived up to the tales of horror I had read prior to installing my lift.
I recommend getting two sets of spring compressors, they are a free rental for 48hrs from O'reillys but you have to go to 2 locations as each location will only give you one set. I only used one set and I am hear to tell the tale but if I did it again I would rent two sets.
Use caution and tighten the compressors in equal intervals as to not place lop sided forces on the spring. Also make sure the spring is fully compressed prior to installing the top nut ie: you should not need to place any downward force on the top of the strut while threading the nut and thread it BY HAND--- I cross threaded mine.
Good luck
 
Thanks for sharing your experience. I was hoping to not have to go through using a compressor, but if it's the only way...then so be it.

With the standard way of getting the strut assembly out (via loosening the 3 nuts), I am guessing you do not need to remove the lower ball joints or any other components connected to the control arms? Just unbolt everything and out pops the strut assembly?
 
nobb said:
I was hoping to not have to go through using a compressor, but if it's the only way...then so be it.
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Nobb,
Not sure if you have started the install yet. But I just realized I was installing Tundra 5100's and springs which are significantly larger. Based on the experiences others have posted in this thread, If you are replacing with stock parts it seems it will work to use the NO compressor method.
Good luck and let us know how it goes, take some pictures of the install as well.
 
I just had a tire place tell me I "ordered the wrong part" for the front, because they say "struts" where I just ordered the shock for the inside. Im thinking they dont want to do the extra work, but dont make me feel like I ordered the wrong part?! (2000 SR5)
 
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