Question on changing rear coils

[1985taylor1925]

This may be a dumb question, but I have never changed my rear coils. Only the fronts. And to my surprise theres nothing in the tutorial page about changing suspension. Is there anything holding them in? It looks like if you lift the frame high enough the coils will just pop out.

 

[econhonda]

Just extend the axle far enough away from the frame and they will fall out. Sometimes it helps to unbolt the sway bar, but I've done it without as well.

EDIT: Actually, sometimes you'll need to pull them out, but they'll be free enough that you can do so without too much trouble.

 

[Elton H]

short and sweet unbolt the shocks sway bar end links and the trac bar lower the jack and they should fall out

 

[JohnsD90]

It's in your best interest to remove the sway bar link bolts, i still got a run for my money getting the coils out with that removed.

 

[LittleCaesar]

1. Chock the front wheels, jack the frame up (use 6 ton jack stands to hold up the frame), take off tires, lower jack.

2. With jack under pumpkin (diff) now, but not with enough pressure to raise the axle, undo the sway bar links from the top and then lower the axle to where the rear brake line is almost stretch out. Here I put a 3 ton jack stand on each side of the axle. Now take off the shock bolts with 17mm since there is little shock compression or rebound (I did put on HD Billies months before installing my 906s). Axle is free to articulate except for old springs.

3. Use the bottle jack or another floor jack and jack up the side of the axle opposite of to the side in which you are taking the spring out of (ex: take out left, jack up right). I kept the 3 ton jack stands under the axle to give me a better pivot point as well as for safety since I was working solo.

4. Turn the spring about 270 degrees counterclockwise to take it out. I was amazed just how low the axle had to droop. Keep an eye on the brake line. Let the secondary jack down to where the axle is straight or nearly straight again. Do the other side.

5. Keeping the axle low, reattach the shocks (17mm, 47ft/lbs) by using the jack to slowly bring up the axle in line with the lower shock bolt mount. Then with jack under pumpkin, jack axle up until reattaching sway bar links. If original, this is a good time to check them as well as replace the bushings. Tighten nut to 14lbs with 12mm and 14mm wrenches to 14ft/lbs or in reality 3/4 ~ 7/8 of an inch between the top of the screw and the threaded end of the link. Lower the 4runner and enjoy.

Hints:
I had to spray lube on the top and bottom of the old springs before taking them out, for time and rust were keeping them in.
I took the spare tire out to give me more room to work.
The track bar doesn't have to come out, but if you do put in some tall coils, it would most likely help.
Work on a flat driveway that is level.
Take out the driver's side spring first.

I am waiting for someone at the airport, plane is late as usual. Hope this helps. I did this in 2009.

 

[SRSRunner]

1. Chock the front wheels, jack the frame up (use 6 ton jack stands to hold up the frame), take off tires, lower jack.

2. With jack under pumpkin (diff) now, but not with enough pressure to raise the axle, undo the sway bar links from the top and then lower the axle to where the rear brake line is almost stretch out. Here I put a 3 ton jack stand on each side of the axle. Now take off the shock bolts with 17mm since there is little shock compression or rebound (I did put on HD Billies months before installing my 906s). Axle is free to articulate except for old springs.

3. Use the bottle jack or another floor jack and jack up the side of the axle opposite of to the side in which you are taking the spring out of (ex: take out left, jack up right). I kept the 3 ton jack stands under the axle to give me a better pivot point as well as for safety since I was working solo.

4. Turn the spring about 270 degrees counterclockwise to take it out. I was amazed just how low the axle had to droop. Keep an eye on the brake line. Let the secondary jack down to where the axle is straight or nearly straight again. Do the other side.

5. Keeping the axle low, reattach the shocks (17mm, 47ft/lbs) by using the jack to slowly bring up the axle in line with the lower shock bolt mount. Then with jack under pumpkin, jack axle up until reattaching sway bar links. If original, this is a good time to check them as well as replace the bushings. Tighten nut to 14lbs with 12mm and 14mm wrenches to 14ft/lbs or in reality 3/4 ~ 7/8 of an inch between the top of the screw and the threaded end of the link. Lower the 4runner and enjoy.

Hints:
I had to spray lube on the top and bottom of the old springs before taking them out, for time and rust were keeping them in.
I took the spare tire out to give me more room to work.
The track bar doesn't have to come out, but if you do put in some tall coils, it would most likely help.
Work on a flat driveway that is level.
Take out the driver's side spring first.

I am waiting for someone at the airport, plane is late as usual. Hope this helps. I did this in 2009.

X2... Following those steps you'll have no problem- should be able to do it in about 30 min- check your sway bar links- if they're rusted up badly chances are they'll snap when start wrenching on them. Your bar doesn't have to come out. Being as you only have to unbolt one side of it, you might as well do it. Pay attention to the break line- there's enough play in them to do it, but being a solid line instead of rubber or braided they're not the hardest thing in the world to break either..

 

[Gerdo]

AND...
Loosen all 8 control arm bolts (upper and lower links). this will allow the axle to droop without any binding. You will not need anyone to push down on the axle nor a jack to push it down. I will say that you will need to keep your jack under the diff to keep it from coming down too fast.

You do need to be aware of the flex brake line (lines on 2001-02) and the e-brake cable.

After you get everything back together and back on the ground, re-torque all of the bolts. This will reset the bushings to the new ride height. They were torqued at the factory with the stock height springs.
(Lower control arm bolts,107 ft/lbs)
(Upper control arm bolts, 64 ft/lbs)

***There is nothing holding (bolts or clips) the rear coils in except the length of the shocks.***

 

[1985taylor1925]

1. Chock the front wheels, jack the frame up (use 6 ton jack stands to hold up the frame), take off tires, lower jack.

2. With jack under pumpkin (diff) now, but not with enough pressure to raise the axle, undo the sway bar links from the top and then lower the axle to where the rear brake line is almost stretch out. Here I put a 3 ton jack stand on each side of the axle. Now take off the shock bolts with 17mm since there is little shock compression or rebound (I did put on HD Billies months before installing my 906s). Axle is free to articulate except for old springs.

3. Use the bottle jack or another floor jack and jack up the side of the axle opposite of to the side in which you are taking the spring out of (ex: take out left, jack up right). I kept the 3 ton jack stands under the axle to give me a better pivot point as well as for safety since I was working solo.

4. Turn the spring about 270 degrees counterclockwise to take it out. I was amazed just how low the axle had to droop. Keep an eye on the brake line. Let the secondary jack down to where the axle is straight or nearly straight again. Do the other side.

5. Keeping the axle low, reattach the shocks (17mm, 47ft/lbs) by using the jack to slowly bring up the axle in line with the lower shock bolt mount. Then with jack under pumpkin, jack axle up until reattaching sway bar links. If original, this is a good time to check them as well as replace the bushings. Tighten nut to 14lbs with 12mm and 14mm wrenches to 14ft/lbs or in reality 3/4 ~ 7/8 of an inch between the top of the screw and the threaded end of the link. Lower the 4runner and enjoy.

Hints:
I had to spray lube on the top and bottom of the old springs before taking them out, for time and rust were keeping them in.
I took the spare tire out to give me more room to work.
The track bar doesn't have to come out, but if you do put in some tall coils, it would most likely help.
Work on a flat driveway that is level.
Take out the driver's side spring first.

I am waiting for someone at the airport, plane is late as usual. Hope this helps. I did this in 2009.

Well, thats about as thorough as it gets. Thanks for the replies guys. I will most likely be doing this thrusday. Then you can go to my thread http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/97217-check-out-my-new-coils.html to see how it turned out. Thanks

 

[LittleCaesar]

Unlike myself, take your time and take some pics.

As tall as those coils are, I probably would undo the track or sway bar.

Good luck.

 

[Phx994Runner]

LittleCeasar's instructions look pretty much complete. Something that helped my son and I do this a couple of weekends back was this thread with pictures:
OME Suspension Install on 4Runner - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum

The one thing that guy didn't do was use the bottle jack on the opposite side of the axle that you're working on - jack it up to drop the opposite side.

Good luck!