bak3rme
Senior Member
LMAO use the force.hahaha
Rear shock bolts are a M*@#%#^%$#ker
- Thread starter maxspeed96ct
- Start date
LMAO use the force.hahaha
maxspeed96ct
New member
Thats what I started to do, But the area between the two bushings where the shock actually bolts is pretty rusty on my truck.
I was affraid that was going to break before the shock did. Then I would of had a huge hole and nothing to bolt the shock to..
Sawzaw had the force with me :thumb3:
And yes you will get dirty, If you have a good set of safty goggles use them! I had some safty glasses on but rust still fell behind them.
I also had to put mine on some jack stands , I couldnt get my arms in there without lifting it .
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YotaZach85
New member
Do yourself a favor and drop the spare tire out.
2002_thundercloud
New member
My hero!
TheDurk,
Dude you are my hero. Just last night I replaced my original rear shocks (at 79,500 miles) with a set of Bilstein HD's. I read your advice yesterday which basically equates to ripping them off the truck... and to my disbelief, it worked! If I had been half way into that job and had NOT read your post, i'm not sure what method I would have used to remove them, but obviously removing the top nut is not an option as they are welded on with rust.
I'll add (or confirm) two points: go ahead and remove the wheels even if it is not absolutely necessary, you will end up removing it when you align/install the new shock. Get a 3/8 breaker bar, the typical 3/8 rachet I used is about 2 inches short of optimal length. Once I got the rachet bearing down at some point on the frame up there... I took a hugh pair of vice grips and just started squeezing and colapsing the metal dust boot about mid way, when it was fully colapsed and I got a good solid lock on it, just twisted about 180 and the darn thing snapped... just like you said!
Have to agree with th O.P. Man what a ^&&#%$@!@(!@^?. This job takes some serious patients when you get ready to put that top nut on the new shocks and Toyota didn't do us any favors by passing a brake line and ABS wire across the left side tower. Augh!
Anyway, if your 3rd Gen still has the original shocks on it, you will fall in love with it all over again if you install some new Bilsteins on it... only one day's worth of driving and I love them!
TheDurk,
Dude you are my hero. Just last night I replaced my original rear shocks (at 79,500 miles) with a set of Bilstein HD's. I read your advice yesterday which basically equates to ripping them off the truck... and to my disbelief, it worked! If I had been half way into that job and had NOT read your post, i'm not sure what method I would have used to remove them, but obviously removing the top nut is not an option as they are welded on with rust.
I'll add (or confirm) two points: go ahead and remove the wheels even if it is not absolutely necessary, you will end up removing it when you align/install the new shock. Get a 3/8 breaker bar, the typical 3/8 rachet I used is about 2 inches short of optimal length. Once I got the rachet bearing down at some point on the frame up there... I took a hugh pair of vice grips and just started squeezing and colapsing the metal dust boot about mid way, when it was fully colapsed and I got a good solid lock on it, just twisted about 180 and the darn thing snapped... just like you said!
Have to agree with th O.P. Man what a ^&&#%$@!@(!@^?. This job takes some serious patients when you get ready to put that top nut on the new shocks and Toyota didn't do us any favors by passing a brake line and ABS wire across the left side tower. Augh!
Anyway, if your 3rd Gen still has the original shocks on it, you will fall in love with it all over again if you install some new Bilsteins on it... only one day's worth of driving and I love them!
Nelsonmd
New member
It's only a pain if you struggle with it. Give up quickly and cut it off. There are always other things you can spend your anger on.
TheDurk
Elite Member
When will you saw freaks get it? Breaking is faster than cutting. When I did mine, I had my DeWalt Sawzall lying on the deck ready to go. I never touched it.
Nelsonmd
New member
Well, for me, the angle grinder was already under the vehicle with me. Also, I just didn't think breaking it off would have been easier. I have visions in my head of working the dang thing back and forth cussing and screaming, then just getting the angle grinder anyway. If I'd known it was so easy for at least one person to break it off I probably would have tried.
Oh well, it was still cake.
TheDurk
Elite Member
Hey whatever works....it just seemed like a really awkward place to use a power tool when I could break it standing up.
Oh, and good job 2002 T-cloud. For putting them on, a flex head GearWrench made a huge difference in being able to tighten the top nut. A regular ratchet just never seemed to fit so that I could turn the nut.
Oh, and good job 2002 T-cloud. For putting them on, a flex head GearWrench made a huge difference in being able to tighten the top nut. A regular ratchet just never seemed to fit so that I could turn the nut.
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maxspeed96ct
New member
Ya, i guess theres always a way..
Bottom line I wish toyota made this alittle easier to reach.
On a good note my coil spacers come in tomoro .
Cant wait to finsih my lift project :girl:
Bottom line I wish toyota made this alittle easier to reach.
On a good note my coil spacers come in tomoro .
Cant wait to finsih my lift project :girl:
Ghostrider
Registered User
I locked the nut with a socket wrench and used a Stilson wrench on the body. Luckily Austin doesn't salt roads so little corrosion. I don't know if this will help but I put some plastic tubing over the top stud on the new ones to keep water off the threads. I also have said this before but maybe some engineer from Toyota will read it for future models. WHAT were you thinking with this design?
Every car engineer should be forced to actually replace what they design - it might make them choose a different solution. In this case Toyota could put cut a hole in the sheet metal above the top nut. Putting a rubber grommet on it would have sealed out water and made changing the rear shocks trivial since you could get a socket on the nut from the top. Instead the engineer decided that changing the shock wasn't part of the design and we have to go at it with sawzalls, PB blaster , pipe wrenches etc. Also a bolt thru design like the lower bolt would have just as easy. This is one area that my Jeeps have Toyota beet by miles. Changing all 4 shocks on my Cherokee took maybe one hour.
Every car engineer should be forced to actually replace what they design - it might make them choose a different solution. In this case Toyota could put cut a hole in the sheet metal above the top nut. Putting a rubber grommet on it would have sealed out water and made changing the rear shocks trivial since you could get a socket on the nut from the top. Instead the engineer decided that changing the shock wasn't part of the design and we have to go at it with sawzalls, PB blaster , pipe wrenches etc. Also a bolt thru design like the lower bolt would have just as easy. This is one area that my Jeeps have Toyota beet by miles. Changing all 4 shocks on my Cherokee took maybe one hour.
drichardson90
New member
Where/how were you able to get your sawzall up top to cut under the top nut? It looks tight to get even a wrench up there, let alone a big ass sawzall...
StreetCreeper
New member
I'm not sure, but I believe they are cutting below the actual mount.
A.Wilson013
New member
Correct.
The first time I removed my rear shocks I had a LOT of trouble getting that nut off... Once I got it though, I never had issues after that. I used a ratcheting wrench, not a socket.
Then I moved my shock mounts to the outside of the frame... It's a non-issue now.
drichardson90
New member
I just cut off the shock below the mount, right under the bushing. Still having trouble getting the rest of it off, since the shaft nub keeps spinning when I ratchet the top nut. What do you do after cutting the shock off under the mount? I've tried hammering, prying, and ratcheting but with no luck
drichardson90
New member
Nevermind, I figured it out. This thread is not clear on where exactly you need to cut. I first cut right under the lower bushing/washer underneath the mount. That was too low. I then cut right thru the bushing/shaft under the mount and it came right off. It's a bit smokey with sawing the bushing, but it did the trick
