The Toyota Tundra’s struts are rather expensive to fix. The repair process is expected to cost between $751 and $794. There are two elements to the price. The labor costs range from $106 to $207, and the total cost of all the necessary accessories is roughly $587. So you can see, doing it yourself will allow you to save some money.
In This Article...
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 Toyota Tundras have struts or shocks?
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.
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.
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.
- Tires bouncing heavily. 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.
How can I determine whether I need new struts?
The car will frequently make up for worn or damaged struts in other ways. While braking, you could experience a “nose-diving sensation” as well as instability. You should have a mechanic examine your struts and shocks if you experience a lurch forward when braking.
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.
When should OEM struts be replaced?
Many different things affect this. Shocks or struts can be compared to tennis shoes. They will last a lot longer if you only use them on the weekends to go shopping than if you ride a skateboard, wear them every day, and constantly use the brakes on your shoes!
This means that if you drive less frequently, on smoother roads, don’t drive aggressively, and don’t haul a lot of weight in your car, your shocks or struts will last longer.
The maximum lifespan of most shocks and struts for the ordinary driver is 7 or 8 years. On average, if your car has been “babied,” you can expect your shocks/struts to live approximately 10 years. If you have really worked your car like a workhorse, 5 years is probably all you can expect.
How are front struts removed?
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.
What else should I change when I repair the struts?
Conduct a complete inspection to boost profitability. Bumper to Bumper and Auto Value are the sponsors of this video.
When changing a strut on a car, you should check the sway bar linkages to see whether there are cam bolts that allow you to modify the camber. After the strut is changed, the sway bar links will ensure that the suspension is silent, and they are likely in need of replacement owing to wear. The knuckle’s cam bolts, which secure it to the strut, may accommodate camber changes for the duration of the vehicle. Bumper to Bumper and Auto Value are the sponsors of this video.
Do brand-new struts enhance ride?
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.
How long does a strut assembly replacement take?
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.
What noise does a worn strut make?
Bad strut noises are sometimes reported as hollow pounding or clunking noises. The noise is often made when a car crosses a rough patch of pavement. The top of the majority of front strut assemblies also houses a bearing.
What occurs if you have faulty struts while driving?
Shocks and struts deteriorate over time, much like many other components on your car. Your service technician will probably advise replacing the worn item whenever it starts to negatively affect your car’s performance and ride quality. You endanger your ability to steer, brake, and maintain stability if you decide to put off checking worn shocks and struts. Driving with damaged shocks or struts can have a range of negative effects, from annoyance to serious safety concerns:
- more abrasion of other suspension components Shocks and struts that are worn out might harm the suspension, steering, and braking systems that they are connected to. As the shocks or struts deteriorate, greater suspension movement is permitted, which increases the likelihood that other steering, braking, and suspension components will experience the same problems. These associated parts may wear out more quickly as a result of the added wear and tear. Additionally, this may result in higher repair costs.
- decreased braking effectiveness
- Your brakes’ performance can be negatively impacted by worn shocks and struts. It’s possible that your car’s stopping distance will grow, which is crucial in emergency braking situations. On slick roads, you run a higher danger of sliding. Don’t delay to have your worn shocks or struts inspected in order to prevent jeopardizing your safety as well as the safety of other drivers.
- loss of control and handling
- Your ability to drive your car is directly impacted while you are driving with damaged shock absorbers or struts. When making a turn, you can notice that your car bounces excessively, rolls or sways suddenly, or that you feel out of control when a crosswind hits. You may experience a lack of control over your car if shocks and struts have lost their capacity to govern weight transfer over time. This could be hazardous since it would be challenging to control your car in an emergency if your tires lost touch with the pavement.
- bald tires
- You might assume that tire tread deterioration is typical, but old shocks and struts could be to blame. Examine your tires carefully; if they exhibit cupping or rapid wear, your shocks or struts may no longer be able to assist in preserving tire-to-road contact. Due to the increased potential of hydroplaning, this may become a safety concern, especially on rainy roads. Simply replacing a tire with excessive tread wear won’t solve the issue; you’ll only be treating the symptom. Ask your mechanic to check your shocks and struts, as well as your steering and suspension system, to determine the cause of the problem.
How much should new struts cost?
Although these figures are simply estimates and the actual mileage could be less or more, shocks and struts are typically dependable for 50,000 to 100,000 kilometers.
It is suggested to replace both of them on the same axle when changing shocks or struts.
Shock absorbers are simpler and less expensive to replace than struts because they don’t impact the wheel alignment, steering, camber, or caster angle.
On average, you’ll spend between $250 and $600 on parts and between $150 and $350 on labor to replace the shocks on the same axle.
They cost significantly more when it comes to struts. The entire cost, including wheel alignment, is between $400 and $1000 to replace a set of struts.
The price of a single strut assembly ranges from $150 to $350, while the cost of labor for a pair is between $100 and $300.
To save between $40 and $80, you can decide to merely replace the struts (instead of the entire strut assembly). However, replacing the entire strut assembly when changing struts is likely to provide you with higher value for your money as well as better performance.