Sorry, but a dumb shock question...

[nashrunner]

I need to replace my rear shocks and have been looking to doing that, but some places I've been have told me my 4runner...a 1999 V6 Limited 2WD has shocks in the front and back...others say there are struts on the front. What is right? Just trying to make sure if I buy something online, I get the right parts. Thank in advance.

 

[004Gunner]

You should have shocks for the rear and struts for the front. And you should be able to see the suspension by just looking under the wheel wells in the front. There is a lot of information on suspension in this forum from stock to aftermarket, street and off road so do a search for a wealth of info. Good luck!

 

[nashrunner]

Thanks Gunner. I have looked underneath the 4runner as well as in the wheel well, and it doesn't look like a strut to me. It looks to be a shock, but it is surrounded by the spring. Maybe my thought of what is a strut is off base. I know when I was looking around online, Tirerack seems to be selling front and rear shocks and another seller I saw on ebay had stated in their listing for shocks: "Front Shocks are the special design Shocks that looks like a strut."

The part numbers I've seen listed for KYB Monomax shocks are:

564002/Front X 2 565002/Rear X 2

Thanks for the reply.

 

[druuu88]

a "shock surrounded by a spring" would be a great basic description of a strut!

http://www.monroe.com/tech_support/tec_struts.asp

 

[druuu88]

ps- you can still replace the front shock without buying a new spring. in most cases you dont really need to buy a new spring unless yours are real worn or your looking to lift/really upgrade your 4runner

 

[bgmac]

a "shock surrounded by a spring" would be a great basic description of a strut!

http://www.monroe.com/tech_support/tec_struts.asp

:biggrin2: :biggrin2:

 

[crigo]

My understanding of a strut, and evidently Monroe's as well, is an active suspension AND steering component. A strut replaces the need of an upper control arm and includes a bearing for it to rotate as the wheels are turned left to right. A shock only dampens shock, up and down and only has a bushing on the top. The 4runner suspension has an upper control arm and has a coil over shock suspension. You could take a shock out of a vehicle, it would still sit on the ground normally. If a vehicle has struts and you remove one, the wheel would fold into the wheel well.

 

[techno]

... A strut replaces the need of an upper control arm and includes a bearing for it to rotate as the wheels are turned left to right....

Struts have nothing to do with steering. Just ride dampening and structural support. If you remove the STRUTS from the front of the 4Runner it will collapse.

 

[jrs2]

Right, but if you remove the shocks from a vehicle, you can still drive it. Struts are more integral to the suspension.