How to Replace the Front Struts in a Toyota Tacoma 4WD
- 1). Lift up the front of the vehicle using the jack and secure it on jack stands. The vehicle should be completely secure on the jack stands before you crawl underneath it. Remove the front wheels using the tire iron and place them to the side, out of the workspace.
- 2). Unbolt the bottom of the strut from the lower control arm using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket, then unbolt the top of the strut from the frame using the same ratchet. Pull the shock out of the front suspension and place it on the ground.
- 3). Clamp the spring compressors on the strut so that they are spaced evenly around the spring. Tighten down the spring compressors using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket, alternating sides on the compressors so that you evenly tighten down the spring.
- 4). Place a hex-head key into the hole in the center of the strut by the cap, then loosen the nut on the top using an open-end wrench. Remove the strut cap from the strut and slide the strut out from under the coil. Slide the replacement strut into the coil and tighten the cap back onto the strut using an open-end wrench and a hex-head key.
- 5). Loosen the spring compressors using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket, then remove them from the strut. Mount the strut back onto the frame and the lower control arm using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket. Reinstall the front wheels and lower the vehicle off the stands using the jack.
