- Lift the front of the Tundra using a floor jack. Use jack stands to support the frame after it has been lifted. Before continuing, make sure everything is solid and stable.
- Use a tire iron to loosen and remove the wheel nuts, then take off the wheels and set them to the side.
- Using a wrench and ratchet, remove the retaining bolt from the driver’s side strut. Pull out the strut after removing the mounting nuts once the bolt has been released. If you’re not sure where to look, you can watch this video to witness the procedure in action. On the driver’s side, repeat the procedure.
- To the upper mounting nuts on the frame of your Tundra, fasten the new strut. Each nut should be tightened to a 47 ft-lb torque, or until the wrench slips. Replacing the lower mounting bolt requires 100 foot pounds of torque. On the other side of the car, repeat the procedure.
- Reinstall the front wheels, making sure that all of the bolts are tightly fastened.
- Your Tundra’s front end can now be lowered by removing the jack supports.
- Visit a mechanic with your Tundra to have the alignment checked.
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The final word
It’s not difficult to replace the struts in a Toyota Tundra, but it’s also not a pricey repair; it typically costs between $300 and $400. It is preferable to take your truck to a professional if you are unsure about your abilities to complete the repair. While they’re doing it, they’ll be able to confirm your alignment as well.
However, if you’ve done any DIY repairs before, changing the struts won’t take more than an afternoon. You’ll have a smooth ride in no time if you just follow the above instructions.
Can I change my own front struts?
Driving on old struts actually results in higher costs since the unregulated bouncing quickly wears out expensive suspension parts like ball joints, control arm bushings, stabilizer bar end links, and tie rod ends. It also swiftly damages your tires. In addition, worn struts increase your stopping distance from 60 mph by roughly 10 feet and cause steering instability, which is dangerous, especially on curves at higher speeds.
It used to be dangerous for a do-it-yourselfer to replace struts. While hoping the spring wouldn’t let go and rip out an eye or a limb, you had to compress it and remove the strut. Furthermore, if the internal hex pulled out, removing the rusty nut at the top of the strut might become a nightmare. However, you can now purchase a full strut assembly that does away with the need to disassemble the strut, spring, and mount. With these assemblies, you may quickly and easily replace both of your front struts. Even though you’ll need to have an alignment afterwards (costs roughly $100), doing the work yourself will still result in a $300 save. You’ll also need a thin piece of plywood, pin punches, large screwdrivers, wrenches, and rust penetrant. You might need to purchase a breaker bar and a couple large sockets. These are the procedures.
How long do tundra struts last?
Most suspension struts and shocks have no set date for replacement, however they will eventually need to be changed on many vehicles. Rough driving practices could reduce the lifespan of these components. A shock or strut may need to be replaced after 50 to 100 thousand kilometers.
Do you require an alignment after strut replacement?
Here are the responses to the query in brief
After changing shocks and struts, do you require an alignment? Yes, if the automaker advises an alignment following a replacement. Yes, if you made any modifications to your suspension that did not adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions.
What is the turnaround time for front strut replacement?
Is the stop of your vehicle taking longer than usual? Is it strangely bumpier? The symptoms definitely indicate that your struts have failed, thus I believe it is time to replace them. Fortunately, you can either do it yourself or hire a professional to replace them.
Most professional mechanics agree that changing struts typically takes one to two hours. As long as you have prior mechanical experience and perform the procedure correctly, the expected time is the same even if you choose to replace them on your own.
The ability to manage and control the vehicle may be compromised if struts are not replaced in a timely manner.
Do I need to adjust my struts with a spring compressor?
Shock and strut replacement might be risky if you don’t know what you’re doing. Before attempting to disassemble your car, please read these guidelines to ensure the project’s efficiency and safety.
Spring Compressor
Many automobiles have integrated springs inside the shocks and struts, which, if removed improperly, could cause you harm or damage your car. In these situations, you’ll need a spring compressor to safely disassemble everything.
Your neighborhood auto parts store may rent out spring compressors, but it’s crucial to know how to operate them. You must exercise caution because this step is crucial to changing shocks and struts. If you’re unsure about removing the springs, you might want to think about taking your car to a repair.
Raise the Vehicle
When all of your components and tools are prepared, you should use a car jack to raise your vehicle one side at a time. To maintain stability once it is upright, put a jackstand behind the front wheel. Otherwise, a lift is available.
Prior to trying to loosen anything or climbing beneath the vehicle, just make sure it is secured.
Remove Old Shocks and Struts
You must first remove the wheels. Next, using your spring compressor, search for the three bolts holding the shock or strut in place at the bottom. These bolts should be loosened, but not yet totally taken out.
Another bolt inside the engine compartment secures the top of the shock or strut. To loosen it, use an impact wrench with a socket extension. Your shock or strut should come free once you’ve managed to get this loose and finished removing the other bolts.
Installing New Shocks and Struts
You can just swap in the new shocks and struts after removing the old ones. Make certain that all of the bolts are tightly tightened. To perform this, you most likely need a torque wrench.
What else has to be done when struts are replaced?
It’s crucial for driving safety to replace your shocks and struts when they become worn out in order to avoid harming other parts of your car, such as the tires and suspension.
Various safety features are included in today’s cars to help with control, stability, and accident prevention. You are kept safe by a combination of systems including automated braking, anti-lock brakes, stability control, and traction control. In an emergency situation, your shocks and struts may not function effectively if they are in bad condition.
Getting Your Shocks & Struts Replaced
Whether you observe any of the aforementioned symptoms, get your alignment checked, or put on new tires, the best way to know when to repair your shocks and struts is to have a skilled technician check your suspension. Get your car’s suspension inspected at the very least once a year.
Replace front or rear axle shocks and struts in pairs at all times. It is even better to replace the shocks and struts on all four wheels at once. This keeps the vehicle’s handling and responsiveness on both sides uniform and dependable.
We always advise obtaining an alignment as well, following any suspension work. Wheel alignment of your car could also vary if your suspension is altered. Additionally, even little adjustments to wheel alignment can have expensive long-term effects (accelerated tire wear, more suspension problems, difficult handling).
How are front struts changed?
Strut Replacement in 10 Easy Steps
- Assess Your Struts in Step 1.
- Pick up replacement parts in Step 2.
- Measure the camber angle in step three.
- Remove the end link in Step 4.
- Remove the nuts and bolts in Step 5.
- Remove the Knuckle from the Strut in Step 6.
- Remove The Mount Nuts in step 7.
- Remove the old strut in step eight.
How can I tell if my struts need replacement?
Although several factors (hello, potholes) affect the lifespan of your shocks or struts, Reina claims that if you experience any of these seven signs, it’s time for replacements.
- erratic behavior at motorway speeds. On the highway, your car never feels entirely solid and is always going up and down. Despite how little the movement may be, you may feel it.
- Vehicle “In turns, it leans to one side. Your car leans or slides when you exit a ramp or make a sharp turn “It seems unstable and tips to the outside of the turn.
- During forceful braking, the front end drops more than is normal. You might not realize this until you have to use the brakes quickly.
- When accelerating, stoop from the rear. You’ll observe that the front of your car is rising while the back “during rapid acceleration, squats.
- severe bouncing of the tires. You can feel a tire (or tires) reacting or moving after hitting a bump “bouncing briefly. There can also be a clunking sound.
- uncommon tire wear The tread wears unevenly instead of wavy because the tire isn’t being held tightly to the road.
- leakage of fluid from shocks or struts’ outside surfaces. This indicates that the internal fluids necessary for proper operation are escaping because the seals have cracked.
Shocks or struts are there on a tundra?
Although the Toyota Tundra’s shock absorber and strut assembly both serve as motion-dampeners, the shocks themselves are independent of other suspension elements like springs, housing, etc. Struts, on the other hand, combine all of these components of suspension into a single piece.
How durable are Toyota OEM struts?
What is the size of your budget? Will you do it yourself or hire a professional to do it?
Any vehicle’s original shocks and struts should be changed after about 75,000 kilometers. in certain circumstances, earlier.
At 162,000 and with the front already taken apart, I would at the very least replace the ball joints and think about replacing the tie rod ends as well.
There are several good “cheap” shocks and struts available, but it doesn’t cost much more to obtain a reputable brand.
There will be roughly 100 branded front struts per piece. A new mount that is 20 to 30 on each side is what you would need. Reusing the old spring is a challenging and perhaps dangerous task. However, they now provide “ready struts,” which are brand-new, pre-assembled struts, springs, and mounts that you can install in your driveway for approximately 200 each side.
Rear shocks are simple to replace; they cost around $50 for a branded OE replacement and around $100 for a premium. You may easily accomplish this in your driveway.
100 ball joints per side, divided between the upper and lower. You desire the easier but more expensive assembly for the lowers.
Therefore, you can rebuild the suspension yourself for $775 in your garage using branded, warrantied parts from your neighborhood AutoZone, NAPA, Oreilly, or whatever.
Do brand-new struts enhance ride?
Although we would anticipate shock absorbers (or struts on vehicles with strut-type suspensions that incorporate the shocks into an assembly with springs and other suspension parts) to last at least four or five years unless the vehicle has been subjected to extreme use, those variables make it virtually impossible to assign a number of years or miles as a broad stroke. On a car that has spent the majority of its life on smooth pavement, it’s also not uncommon for shocks and struts to survive 10 years before needing to be replaced.
However, uneven roads that bounce the car and are marked by potholes, wide fissures, and sharp ridges that run across the pavement will hasten shocks’ deterioration (also known as dampers because they dampen the bounce). Excessive wear can be brought on by carrying heavy items frequently or by driving on unpaved roads that have deep divots or big boulders embedded in them. And if you have a devil-may-care attitude toward road conditions and bumps, your shock absorbers will eventually suffer the consequences if you drive over them at the same pace as newly paved roads. By causing corrosion, winter weather and road salt can also reduce the lifespan of a car’s shock absorber and strut.
Use these as guidelines for when to get your entire suspension evaluated for part wear, damage, and leaks rather than utilizing time or miles to determine when to replace shocks and struts (shocks contain fluid). Some makers of shock absorbers advise replacing them after 50,000 miles, however this is more for their advantage than yours. It is advisable to have the shocks and suspension components tested at 40,000 or 50,000 kilometers, then annually after that. What components, if any, genuinely require replacement should be discovered after a comprehensive evaluation.
The majority of the shock damping is performed by the springs in your car’s suspension. So that you don’t go boing-boing down the road, the shocks and struts enhance the ride and lessen the bouncing brought on by springs compressing and releasing. If you see that your automobile is bouncing or swaying more than usual, a “The shocks may be worn out or leaking fluid and need to be replaced if the vehicle is porpoising over waves, bottoming out over railroad lines, or leaning more heavily when turning.
Even if your initial instinct would be to attribute those issues to something else, longer stopping distances or sudden responses through the steering wheel are changes that can also be brought on by old shocks. The same is true with uneven tire wear: even if none of those problems exist, the shocks may still require repair. metal and rubber bushings “It is possible that the cushions at mounting locations and connections are worn, causing irregular suspension movement or vibrations that could hasten tire wear or increase stress on other suspension parts.
But there are numerous more suspension system parts and components that could be to blame for strange noises, poor ride quality, or handling concerns, including worn-out ball joints, tie rods, and control arms. If new shocks are on sale at the repair shop, don’t immediately blame the shock absorbers or purchase a new set of replacement absorbers. For a smoother, safer ride, have a competent mechanic thoroughly inspect the entire suspension and fix with replacements as necessary.
Affect struts have on steering?
Shocks and struts, like the majority of safety-critical chassis parts, deteriorate gradually over the course of regular operation, making the negative effectsreduced steering precision, stopping capability, and/or vehicle stabilitypossibly difficult to notice while driving normally. Numerous factors, including road and environmental conditions, your driving habits, and the weight of the vehicle, affect how quickly something will wear out. Learn how to spot worn shocks and struts by reading on.
Signs of Worn Shocks and Struts
While shocks and struts deteriorate over time, your car might give you some warning indications that anything is wrong with the parts that determine how it rides. Shocks and struts that are worn out can negatively affect your car’s stability, stopping power, and steering. Make an appointment with your service provider for a Safety Triangle Inspection of your suspension system if your car is exhibiting any of these symptoms.
- when braking, the nose dives Do you experience a sudden dip in the front of your automobile when you use the brakes? The nose dive motion is a sign of worn shocks and struts. It is risky since it can result in a longer stopping distance.
- Unsteady ride
- If your car bounces a lot when you hit a bump, your shocks and struts may not be functioning properly. When your car hits a bump, it should settle and not bounce again. Shocks and struts that are worn out can’t efficiently absorb hits from the road and smooth out the bump.
- Vehicle sways or rolls during turning.
- It is uncomfortable to feel as though you are not in control of your car when you sense that your car is swaying or rolling when making a turn. A greater amount of steering effort may be required to traverse turns as a result of shocks losing their capacity to control the pace of weight transfer when turning.
- Uneven tire wear – When the shocks and struts in your automobile are worn out, the car can bounce, which lowers the holding force on the road. Additionally, this bouncing may speed up tire degradation, resulting in cupping or scalloping of the tires (when pieces of rubber are gouged out of the tire).
- rear squat when speeding up
- When accelerating, suspension movement is stabilized by properly working shocks and struts. When you press on the gas pedal, a car’s rear end may squat excessively if its shocks and struts are failing. The transfer of the vehicle’s energy to the back leads the front end to rise, which contributes to motion sickness in passengers and an unduly high loading of the rear suspension components.
- the steering wheel vibrates
- When traveling on a bumpy road, it is normal to feel some vibration in your steering wheel. Similar vibrations on flat surfaces could indicate damaged shock absorbers, struts, or steering stabilizers.
- strange noises
- You might hear a clunking or knocking noise when shocks and struts are worn out. Upon the shock or strut bottoms out when encountering a bump, metal-to-metal contact results, which produces this sound. Additionally, worn shock or strut mounting components may be the cause of these noises.
- Fluid seeping from shocks/struts’ exteriorIf you observe a lot of hydraulic fluid dripping from your shocks or struts, it may be a sign that they need to be replaced. The fluid required for your shocks and struts to operate properly is escaping if the seals break.