When to replace springs?

[Mel0]

I know my struts/shocks are shot. But should I change all of my springs too? Theres no sag but all the parts are original or at least replaced by the dealer. shocks say Tokico on them.....truck has 260000 on it so im not trying spend a whole lot. just want to see it hit 300000 and ill be happy.

 

[SteelRunner]

Im also interested in this question as I just bought new shocks for the front of my new-to-me runner and was wondering if I should find some new/better shape coils to install at the same time.

 

[Mel0]

So I measured the height from the hub center to the fender lip and each one is right around 21" give or take a 1/4". Would this mean that the springs are in decent enough shape to just leave them in? Is there another way of determining whether or not they are due for replacing? I'm leaning towards swapping the springs anyways since I'll have it all apart but I would rather not if there really is no point.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

21" is about right but droop is just one sign they are tired but it's more about how they are handling especially when turning tight corners and such. I generally would try to replace coils every 100k miles since they are getting tired at that point but you can milk them a while with no adverse effects.

 

[Morphyne]

Considering that I paid $309 for a set of bilstein shocks and only $138 for a set of four replacement springs. I would say get springs every time you get shocks.

 

[Buckaroo]

There is a specific test to monitor spring condition - it's called "ride height." You can look up the procedure in the factory manual or Mitchell. This will tell you if springs are sagging and need rfeplaced. But, if they are the same all the way around (called relative ride height) you are more than likely good to go. I would not replace them unless you have $$ to burn......

 

[War Sprout]

When they lose their springiness.

 

[Mel0]

While investigating my poor handling 4runner, I noticed the bushings and end links on the front and rear sway bars are badly cracked and have some play in them. How much stability are these components responsible for? My 4runner is my daily driver at highway speeds so stability has some importance to me.

 

[Buckaroo]

Some more info on the "poor handling" would help. Sway bar comes into play when you turn pretty aggressively. Loose sway bar links can make some noise when turning - if you don't have that symptom, I would not worry about replacing them. Had a front sway bar link that broke. Drove it that way until I figured out where the clunking was coming from, then replaced it. Did not notice any significant change in handling on regular highway driving while link was broken. For on road driving, I think this is likely a "nice to do", not a "gotta do" if money is tight.

FYI...just did my shocks front & back - 198,000 miles. Front shocks were original and were dead. Back shocks replaced ~6 years ago and they were still good. Did not replace springs but did replace front shock mounts as they were corroded to the point I was worried about their integrity. Used KYB gas-a-just shocks and front shock mounts.

 

[gmv4k]

Changing out my cracked front sway-bar bushing to grease-able Energy Suspension Poly made a huge difference for me. I was ready to change the roller bearing on the rack and change out my whole front end (LBJ, ITR, OTR, tack weld the steering column, etc) to fix a wondering steering feel. After the front sway bar bushing, it drove 100 times better. Which then made me consider getting the bigger Addco aftermarket sway bars.

I would change out cracked sway bar bushings. It's not that expensive ($27), but I had to sawzall the bolts out. The grease able's come with their own brackets.

 

[Mel0]

By poor handling I mean it seems to sort of wonder and drift a bit. Granted I do live near the coast and wind is almost always a factor. It just doesn't seem to be well planted but I feel like a lot of it could be contributed to worn out shocks/springs. Looking at old service records, the po said the "shocks feel mushy, please advise-appears ok" this was 60,000 miles ago so I know they're shot. I also have always driven cars and trucks, never owned an suv before so that may contribute to it as well.

 

[nodixe]

I am nowhere near an expert but my intuition tells me that new springs wouldn't alleviate the wandering/mis-tracking but probably still recommended at that milage...

 

[Buckaroo]

Shocks, springs or bad bushings on sway bar links would not be my go to for wander. Before I recently replaced my shocks, did not have wander but did have cupping on inside & outside edges of tires. Have you checked the ball joints? Tie rods? Also, have you checked bushing movement on the steering rack?

 

[Mel0]

Shocks, springs or bad bushings on sway bar links would not be my go to for wander. Before I recently replaced my shocks, did not have wander but did have cupping on inside & outside edges of tires. Have you checked the ball joints? Tie rods? Also, have you checked bushing movement on the steering rack?

Yes the front tires were worn on the outer edges. When I bought the 4runner I knew it needed ball joints and front rotors. New Lbj's, front rotors, pads and a tire rotation cleared up all of the vibrations I was feeling. When I did the lbj's I didn't find any play in the tie-rods. If they are supposed to just stay in place rather than fall straight down then they are probably due for replacing. How and where do you check for movement in the steering rack?

 

[Buckaroo]

FYI - I don't think those tie rods should fall straight down. I think they should stay in place or move down slowly.

To check bushings on rack, have someone in the car at the steering wheel slightly turn the wheel from side to side (so the wheels just start to turn) and watch the rack from the back side where the rack is attached to the frame. Can do it with engine off. See if the rack moves back and forth - you can see the bushings flex. Some slight movement is normal. At the same time, you can look for movement or binding in other components. Push, pull, tug on components. Binding can cause dartiness which can cause the truck to move around on the road as you oversteer to compensate. Bent components can case the truck to move around as you go over bumps.

Also, after the ball joint replacement, did you have it aligned?