How To Replace Your Toyota Shocks
When one of your shocks wears out, you'll notice an obvious difference in your Toyota's ride quality. The best course of action to take as soon as you notice the symptoms of a bad shock is to replace both of them.
Why Replace Both Shocks?
Image Credit: Jalopnik/Peter Monshizadeh
Even if you've got one good shock and one bad shock, it is still wise to replace both shocks at the same time.
This is because a new shock has different damping characteristics from those of a worn (but still functioning) shock. So if you put a brand new shock on your car and use it along with your old and worn one, you'll experience an adverse effect on the ride and handling of your vehicle. Also, if one shock has gone bad, the other is soon to follow.
Buying two shocks instead of only one may put a dent in your budget. But the good news is that you can easily replace shocks on your own if you have the right tools and equipment. This will save you hundreds of dollars in labor.
How To Replace The Shocks
This guide offers step-by-step instructions on replacing the shocks on a Toyota vehicle. While this guide is based on older Tacoma models, it's still easy and straightforward enough to follow with another Toyota model.
- Jack up the rear (or front) of the vehicle equally on both sides.
- On one side, remove the lug nuts and wheel.
- Remove the bolts at the top and bottom of the old shock.
- Remove the old shock.
- Put the new shock into position.
- Tighten the nuts and bolts.
- Repeat on the other side of the vehicle.
The whole process should take under an hour. The hardest part is removing the nuts and bolts. If you live in a place where cars get rusty, it is a good idea to get new mounting bolts and nuts when you get the shocks.
Finding The Right Replacement Shocks For Your Toyota
It's important to get the right OEM replacement shocks for your Toyota model. It's so you'll have the peace of mind that the shocks on your car are designed to work optimally with it.
Luckily, finding the right shocks for your car is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
- Visit our catalog of genuine OEM Toyota shocks.
- Look up your Toyota model to find the right part number.
- Order the replacement shocks. We offer wholesale pricing for all OEM Toyota parts, including shocks.
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need assistance finding the correct shocks for your vehicle.