Author Topic: Tacoma shocks today  (Read 3276 times)

Offline DeadNutz

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Tacoma shocks today
« on: July 31, 2019, 09:48:09 PM »
I had bought some new shocks for the 2002 Tacoma including the front coil over shock package as they are much easier to do rather than with messing with spring compressors. The neighbor across the road was going to help but he called in sick. I started with the right rear and found the exhaust pipe and hangers are in the way of the top bolt so had to work around those but got it done.
Started on the front and the lower shock bolt is torqued to 101lbs but I got the nut loose with a trusty long Plomb 1/2 breaker bar but the bolt would not come out due to pressure from the shock and spring. So I started removing the 3 top nuts that hold the shock/coil spring assembly in. I ran into problems here as the bolts protrude above the nuts too far to use a standard 3/8dr CM socket with no room due to the inner liner on the fender to use a longer 1/2dr socket on 2 of the nuts. Into the shop to look for a solution and after searching through tools I was getting frustrated when I spied a socket rail with a socket that worked perfectly. I have to give the GNAP a big thank you for sending me that Kobalt 3/8dr spline socket set several years ago. I was able to fit the 9/16-14mm on a CM breaker bar into the tight space to get the nut loose. The socket was just deep enough to get a good grab on the nut. No such luck on the new assembly as it required a 15mm socket and there is not a spline socket that size in the set. Due to a longer taller nut I was able to run it most of the way down with a CM socket but had to torque it to 47ftlbs with a wrench and cheater bar.

Oh yeah as I was pondering how to get the lower shock bolt out after trying to pry up the bottom shock eye and that failing, I realized if I put a long prybar through the upper A-arm and lifted pulled the arm down it slacked the shock enough to get the bolt out. I had enough after I rotated the tires on that side and got it back on the ground. Those delays ate up a bunch of time but it was still only a one bandaid day. I'll do the left side tomorrow morning and it will go much quicker. In the pic of the problem nut and the solution you may notice a total lack of rust. This truck has lived in SoCal and western NV for it's whole 17 year life. While it gets driven in the snow every winter they don't use much salt here but mainly brine on the major roads before it snows which dries pretty fast. 

Also got the left side done today (Thurs) and it took about 3 hours.
« Last Edit: August 01, 2019, 03:45:02 PM by DeadNutz »

Offline GNAP

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Re: Tacoma shocks today
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2019, 11:22:19 AM »
Super glad they work for you, I gave away about 50 sets of those sockets, this is the first actual documentation of them actually being used............ :)


Originally they were part of the 3/8” drive Kobalt gearless ratchet sets, which I really liked and through various people and deals, bought close to 100 of them. I have somewhere around 75 of the 3/8” drive ratchets and about 25 of the 1/4” drive versions. And somewhere around 20 sets of the sockets.
jack

Offline J.A.F.E.

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Re: Tacoma shocks today
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2019, 11:56:19 AM »
Not to derail the thread but I was the recipient of a set of those sockets from the GNAP.

I have not had a specific need like the OP but I have used them for general stuff and they work quite well. Definitely a useful addition to the tool box.

Now back to shock talk.
People who confuse etymology and entomology bug me in ways I can’t put into words.

Online goodfellow

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Re: Tacoma shocks today
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2019, 12:43:25 PM »
Good job! glad you found a solution DN.  .... and Jack, you're generosity is paying dividends; good Karma!!

Offline slip knot

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Re: Tacoma shocks today
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2019, 04:07:44 PM »
Good to see you found a solution to your problem. I was a recipient of GNAPs socket sets and have used them for a few things. They stay in the truck box mostly.

I recently bought a couple of sets of mid depth sockets for project such as this, but in the past have been known to put a deep socket on the chop saw to get what I needed.  :o

Online goodfellow

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Re: Tacoma shocks today
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2019, 04:45:41 PM »
Don't forget "pass-through" sockets. They are cheap and very handy in many situations


Offline DeadNutz

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Re: Tacoma shocks today
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2019, 06:26:18 PM »
I can see how useful those pass through sockets can be. A ratchet wouldn't fit in that tight space and the small head on the Craftsman flex head was all that would fit. It allowed me more turning radius than a wrench. Thanks also for the suggestion of deep socket and chop saw Curtis. Now I'm going to have to dig through the bucket of import sockets and save some sacrificial deeps to have on hand.

Offline fatfillup

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Re: Tacoma shocks today
« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2019, 07:03:50 AM »
I too received a set of sockets and  Ratchet from GNAP.   I used them to start a tool Box for my shed.  They come in quite handy for the quick mower adjustment without having to run back into the house.  Thanks Jack