Replace Front Struts - Toyota Rav4
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Date: 2020-08-05
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Comments and reviews: 10
adam
I recently had a tire replaced at Pep Boys and started hearing this sound like the tire hitting the wheel well, so I went back (a few weeks after dealing with the sound. They told me today it's the front struts that are completely shot and that's why I hear the sound (like I'm driving over plastic bottles when I cut the wheel and back up. I had them quote the job, 867! The parts are way more affordable. I'm not sure if I'm going to attempt this myself or not, but this video is awesome. Very helpful, so thanks for posting it. So far my skill set is most of the electrical stuff in the car (2009 Rav4 V6 Limited, things like cabin and engine air filter, oil change, coolant flush, transmission flush and filter, I did the rear differential fluid and transfer case fluid, I changed one f my o2 sensors that was bad, I can do my own brakes, discs included, although I haven't changed the calipers and don't know how to bleed the brakes, but I'm sure that's fairly easy. Is my skill set good enough for this job, or should I get help?
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I recently had a tire replaced at Pep Boys and started hearing this sound like the tire hitting the wheel well, so I went back (a few weeks after dealing with the sound. They told me today it's the front struts that are completely shot and that's why I hear the sound (like I'm driving over plastic bottles when I cut the wheel and back up. I had them quote the job, 867! The parts are way more affordable. I'm not sure if I'm going to attempt this myself or not, but this video is awesome. Very helpful, so thanks for posting it. So far my skill set is most of the electrical stuff in the car (2009 Rav4 V6 Limited, things like cabin and engine air filter, oil change, coolant flush, transmission flush and filter, I did the rear differential fluid and transfer case fluid, I changed one f my o2 sensors that was bad, I can do my own brakes, discs included, although I haven't changed the calipers and don't know how to bleed the brakes, but I'm sure that's fairly easy. Is my skill set good enough for this job, or should I get help?
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Tim
Great video. used it to help do my 2009 front struts. Bought the kits from Rock which comes with the sway bars. Forget doing this without air tools. yes, it can be done with muscle, but the Empire State Building can also be built without a crane. but I wouldn't recommend it. On the sway bars, forget the 6MM Allen Wrench trick he shows. go straight to vice grips. Of 4 times I tried, 3 spun out so I gave up on the fourth and just went straight to the vice grip trick. Also, when your trying to get the sway bar nuts off, even with vice grips, I found I had to first back them off, then tighten, then back off, then tighten. took about 4 or 5 tries rocking the nuts before they came off. First one took 4 hours as I was going slow and being careful, but second took about an hour.
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Great video. used it to help do my 2009 front struts. Bought the kits from Rock which comes with the sway bars. Forget doing this without air tools. yes, it can be done with muscle, but the Empire State Building can also be built without a crane. but I wouldn't recommend it. On the sway bars, forget the 6MM Allen Wrench trick he shows. go straight to vice grips. Of 4 times I tried, 3 spun out so I gave up on the fourth and just went straight to the vice grip trick. Also, when your trying to get the sway bar nuts off, even with vice grips, I found I had to first back them off, then tighten, then back off, then tighten. took about 4 or 5 tries rocking the nuts before they came off. First one took 4 hours as I was going slow and being careful, but second took about an hour.
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Shad
This is a GREAT Video. It's very informative and thanks to this video I was able to replace mine myself saving me 880. I always look for South Main videos first. Question: Once I put it all together with the new strut I now have a clunk noise. Upon further investigation I noticed a small gap around the top piece that pokes through the hole in the engine compartment. It's like the strut nut isn't tighten enough. I tightened it to 35ft lb (maybe a little tighter) which what the specs say. It doesn't really go any tighter. I took it all apart again and re-did it thinking I missed something and the same outcome. Ideas?
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This is a GREAT Video. It's very informative and thanks to this video I was able to replace mine myself saving me 880. I always look for South Main videos first. Question: Once I put it all together with the new strut I now have a clunk noise. Upon further investigation I noticed a small gap around the top piece that pokes through the hole in the engine compartment. It's like the strut nut isn't tighten enough. I tightened it to 35ft lb (maybe a little tighter) which what the specs say. It doesn't really go any tighter. I took it all apart again and re-did it thinking I missed something and the same outcome. Ideas?
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West
At this point is a good idea to change the rubber boot-bellow that protects the strut from sand. In fact, my struts are OK, but the bellow is gone. At 8: 08 you showed strut compressing bolts from Autozone. I used them before on other cars. These will not work on Rav4, because the spring has only 3 turns. When you connect the bolts with hooks, they compress only a small fraction of the spring, and do not release the pressure on the 19-mm bolt on top.
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At this point is a good idea to change the rubber boot-bellow that protects the strut from sand. In fact, my struts are OK, but the bellow is gone. At 8: 08 you showed strut compressing bolts from Autozone. I used them before on other cars. These will not work on Rav4, because the spring has only 3 turns. When you connect the bolts with hooks, they compress only a small fraction of the spring, and do not release the pressure on the 19-mm bolt on top.
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Gabriel
Do you still recommend that IR air ratchet? A friend owns a garage and lets me use his lift and tools. Id like to get him something nice as a gift and that air ratchet looks the thing. Any chance of a link for it if you still think its a good product? Or just the model number by chance? Thanks!
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Do you still recommend that IR air ratchet? A friend owns a garage and lets me use his lift and tools. Id like to get him something nice as a gift and that air ratchet looks the thing. Any chance of a link for it if you still think its a good product? Or just the model number by chance? Thanks!
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tim
Used to own a rav4, darn good vehicle. One big problem is if you get rear ended, even if minor, the spare tire sticks out farther than the bumper so the whole door has to be replaced. The new rav4's though do not mount the tire on the door.
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Used to own a rav4, darn good vehicle. One big problem is if you get rear ended, even if minor, the spare tire sticks out farther than the bumper so the whole door has to be replaced. The new rav4's though do not mount the tire on the door.
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Karl
Thank you for the video. I have a 2010 Rav and was able to do mine. Saved me 400 of labor. You weren't joking about air tools making it easier. I had to stand on my wrench to break loose those 22ml bolts.
Edit: I used loaded struts.
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Thank you for the video. I have a 2010 Rav and was able to do mine. Saved me 400 of labor. You weren't joking about air tools making it easier. I had to stand on my wrench to break loose those 22ml bolts.
Edit: I used loaded struts.
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VortechBand
15: 00 Any idea what could cause the pinch bolt to snap in two just one week after installing, even after it was torqued to spec? The car didn't hit any bumps and was driven on a highway 90 % of the time.
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15: 00 Any idea what could cause the pinch bolt to snap in two just one week after installing, even after it was torqued to spec? The car didn't hit any bumps and was driven on a highway 90 % of the time.
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fw1421
I just had to replace my front wheel bearings on my 2011 RAV4 and noticed both sides boots were torn up. Are they attached at the top and bottom or do they just hand down from the top?
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I just had to replace my front wheel bearings on my 2011 RAV4 and noticed both sides boots were torn up. Are they attached at the top and bottom or do they just hand down from the top?
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abirsanu
No torque wrench on the 19mm bolts when installing? Accordingly Toyota service manual it should have about 177 ft lb or 240 Nm. That air tool is not giving you the exact force.
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No torque wrench on the 19mm bolts when installing? Accordingly Toyota service manual it should have about 177 ft lb or 240 Nm. That air tool is not giving you the exact force.
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