2003 Toyota 4runner - shock Bolt Removal - Photo 16172548

Back to Article

With the 4Runner secured on a vehicle lift and the wheels removed, Brian started by loosening the top shock bolts from the coilover bucket. The nuts were stubbornly tight, so Brian tapped a urethane mallet on the end of the wrench to break the nuts loose.

0903 4wd 01 z+2003 toyota 4runner+front driverside angle

0903 4wd 01 z+2003 toyota 4runner+front driverside angle

The rod end at the bottom of the shock rod is configured to clear the CV axle shafts. The shock shaft is made with NitroSteel, a hardened finish that makes the shafts extremely resistant to pitting due to rust and rock chipping. Sharp eyes will spot the urethane bump stop ring on the shock shaft. This ring is in addition to the stock rubber bump stops, which remain fully functional.

Before starting the installation, Sway-A-Way's Brian Bell took ride-height measurements at each corner of the 4Runner. The front S.A.W. coilovers are adjustable from 0 to 3 inches of lift, and fit on both 2WD and 4WD '03-or-newer Toyota 4Runners. To keep the CV boots and joints happy and alive, front shocks on 4WD 4Runners should be adjusted to no more than two inches of lift.

The top of the front coilover is configured to bolt straight in to the factory coil bucket.

0903 4wd 05 z+2003 toyota 4runner+sway a way kit

Here's the stock suspension. Even though the stock shocks are cross-linked and carry additional damping fluid in the XREAS hydraulic lines, the Sway-A-Way shocks have much greater fluid capacity and thus are much more fade-resistant than the stock system.

With the 4Runner secured on a vehicle lift and the wheels removed, Brian started by loosening the top shock bolts from the coilover bucket. The nuts were stubbornly tight, so Brian tapped a urethane mallet on the end of the wrench to break the nuts loose.

0903 4wd 03 z+2003 toyota 4runner+coilover

The lower shock bolt was easy to access and remove. The stock coilover is now unbolted and loose, but it cannot be removed from the vehicle without disconnecting either the upper control arm from the steering knuckle or disconnecting the tie rod from the steering knuckle. Brian opted to disconnect the tie rod.

Tie rods can be stubborn to unseat from the tapered bores they tighten into, unless you know a trick or two. After removing the cotter pin, loosen the castle nut, flip it over, and thread it partially onto the tie rod end. Flipping the nut over protects both the nut and the tie rod end as you tap on it with a brass hammer. After a few good smacks, the tie rod end should pop loose.

The upper shock mount bolts into the stock mounts. It's easier to install the coilover starting from the top.

Brian used a pry bar to force the A-arms to droop far enough to get the coilover out.

0903 4wd 11 z+2003 toyota 4runner+unseated tie rod

It turned out that the lower mounting tabs were pinched in a little, preventing the Sway-A-Way rod end from sliding into place. This is where an adjustable wrench was employed to tweak the tabs open just far enough to get the S.A.W. into its new home and slide the mounting bolt through.

Once the top of the Sway-A-Way coilover was secured, the trusty pry bar came back into action. Brian moved the shock's lower mount into position on the lower control arm.

0903 4wd 15 z+2003 toyota 4runner+rod end

0903 4wd 22 z+2003 toyota 4runner+sway bar spacer

0903 4wd 19 z+2003 toyota 4runner+stock mounting bracket

The sway bar spacer bolts to the stock mounting holes, and the sway bar mounts to the holes in the spacer. Too easy.

Done. After the front coilovers were bolted up, the tie rods were re-fastened to the steering knuckles. Don't forget about the cotter pins; new ones are always best.

The spring preload, which determines lift height, is adjusted using the supplied wrench. This should only be done with the vehicle supported on stands; never with the vehicle weight resting on the springs.

After the desired adjustment is obtained, it is locked into place using an Allen-key setscrew. Turn the set screw 1/4 to 1/2 a turn past snug. Gorilla-style over-tightening is not necessary.

With the front end done, it was time to get the rear shocks and springs replaced. The XREAS system was already drained, so disconnecting the shocks from the XREAS plumbing didn't spill any fluid. Non-XREAS 4Runners won't have to worry about this because their shocks' fluid is self-contained.

Save the lower shock bolts; they're application-specific and need to be re-used.

The XREAS accumulator, and all the other XREAS hardware and hydraulic lines, can be removed and disposed of.

0903 4wd 29 z+2003 toyota 4runner+stock rear spring

The rear sway bar needs to be disconnected in order to drop the axle far enough to remove the coil springs. This can be done at one of a few attachment points. Brian chose to remove the axle bracket hold-down bolts.

Once the sway bar is disconnected, the axle droops far enough and the spring can be removed. It should be noted that spring tension is what holds the coil in place on its upper and lower seats. The shocks act as the limit straps, holding enough tension on the coils to keep them in place.

There's a conical bump stop with an integrated coil-to-coil bucket insulator. This needs to be re-used with the Sway-A-Way coil.

0903 4wd 35 z+2003 toyota 4runner+coil placement

The Sway-A-Way coil goes in place of the stocker and installs the same way. Be sure to get the lower end of the coil rotated into position against the stop on the axle.

The lower shock eye bolts in place on the stock mount. Sway-A-Way includes spacers to be used on either side of the spherical bearing. As mentioned earlier, you'll need to reuse the stock fixing bolt.

Since there was now tension on the coil springs, the best way to get the upper shock mount in place was to compress the coils using a floor jack and a block of wood. Don't compress the spring too far, or you could upset the vehicle on the lift. The spring only needs to be compressed far enough to let the pin-top upper shock mount glide its way home.

0903 4wd 39 z+2003 toyota 4runner+shock install

From the sandy washes of Gorman to the rocks of Sedona to all the pavement in between, we've been pleased with our red suspension. The benefits go well beyond the mild lift height. Sway-A-Way's race-bred shocks offer control and consistency that's simply out of reach of the stock items. This is truly a transformed rig. We wanted to cover the custom Desolate Motorsports front bumper and the Mickey Thompson tires and wheels, but there wasn't space enough to properly cover it all. More next time.

0903 4wd 42 z+2003 toyota 4runner+lift