How to get to the top nuts on rear strut mounts?

[greylock]

Replacing stock springs on a gen 5.5 SE with TRD springs. Front's gonna be easy/no probs. What I want to know, if anybody knows, is how/where to get at the top nuts for the rear strut mounts. I want to get an idea which panels in the trunk/back seat area I need to remove to minimize mistakes and doing uneccessary work.

[greylock]

Ok, I looked in Autozone but the latest online manual they had was for 83-96. It required removing the rear package tray/deck. Does this still apply for the 05, or is there a way around it?

[Eye8Pussies]

it's most likely the same thing.

the rear deck usually covers the access to the rear strut mounts.
BUT possibly, (don't know about the gen5) you can access it by just removing the rear seats and some trimming....

just look around and experiment

[terrastrife]

you can fold down teh seats, remove the front bolts to the parcel shelf and jam a driver in there blidnley and reach... a bit tight but you dont need to remove the shelf :

[mkII]

you don't have to fold down the seats. in the back seats, those side bolster cushions to the right and the left need to be removed. get inbetween the cushion and there'll be a nut. unscrew it, lift up on the cushion and pull out. on the top will be the nuts you need to remove to take out the strut and springs.

[greylock]

Thanks for the info. Will be working on it this Saturday. Will post pics when finished and I get some new/bigger wheels.

[atobe]

get an air impact gun too... cause those nuts are hard to take of by hand because the strut spins along with the nut if you do it by hand.... this was my case

[xpeed]

The trunk area. You'll notice a bar at the top of the trunk, near the speakers. The covers at the side is where you want to look. So you might have to take the cover off to get to the nuts.

[YESCA]

Originally Posted by atobe

get an air impact gun too... cause those nuts are hard to take of by hand because the strut spins along with the nut if you do it by hand.... this was my case

Good luck getting the gun in that space.......a hand ratchet is even tight in that space. If you wanted to use the gun you would have to take out the back window. Any way remove the bolster and use a ratchet and a breaker bar to remove the bolts. Use a touqre wrench to put them back on.

Didn't mean to flame atobe

[mkII]

Originally Posted by xpeed

The trunk area. You'll notice a bar at the top of the trunk, near the speakers. The covers at the side is where you want to look. So you might have to take the cover off to get to the nuts.

i've taken it apart before. you don't have to remove the cover.

[terrastrife]

Originally Posted by atobe

get an air impact gun too... cause those nuts are hard to take of by hand because the strut spins along with the nut if you do it by hand.... this was my case

you dont take the strut nut off when its still on the car... easier to take teh plate top off

[greylock]

I'll be working in the auto hobby shop at MCAS Miramar in San Diego. Just pay a stall/lift hourly rental fee ($3-$6 per hour) and all tools free to check out. Even has a wall mounted strut compressor. Just put the whole strut in, put the hooks on the springs, crank the handle to compress spring, drop the strut out, crank handle other way to release spring. Reverse process to install new springs. Very nice.

Also made appointment for Sunday morning to re-align the car at the Toyota dealer.

[greylock]

Originally Posted by mkII

you don't have to fold down the seats. in the back seats, those side bolster cushions to the right and the left need to be removed. get inbetween the cushion and there'll be a nut. unscrew it, lift up on the cushion and pull out. on the top will be the nuts you need to remove to take out the strut and springs.

Thanks, that did the trick. Easy to get at now.

[mkII]

cool. glad to help. it took me forever to figure that out.