So front strut assembly swap.

Tools needed:
6mm Hex
17mm wrench
22mm socket (6 point, not 12)
Optional: 22mm deep socket (6 point, not 12)
14mm socket
Ratchet for above
Punch and/or long screwdriver
breaker bar (optional: with cheater bar, I used my floorjacks handle)
torque wrench (up to 214ftlbs, or use one that goes to 150 and then breaker bar it from there like I did)

Alright, first have to remove the wipers and cowl cover to get access to the strut mounts.

I'm copying this from my sparkplug DIY, but it shows how to do it.

Here we go again:

1) Grab a beer...your gonna need it

2) Make sure the wipers are in the fully off position. Then use some kind of tape (I used electrical tape because it was handy, painters tape would be better) to mark the position of the windshield wiper on the window. Its to align the wipers when you re-install them later.

3) Remove the wiper arms. There is a single nut at the end. Just remove the nut (its a 14mm nut) and the wipers pull somewhat straight off. You kinda have to push down on the spring in the arm (push the wiper toward the window) to get enough pressure off the screw threads to pull it off.

4) Next you need to release a small trim panel on each side of the vehicle (I don't know the name of it, but its this below)

All you have to do is pull that peice up toward the hood, then in the direction of the top of the window. It will release the clip/pin that holds it in place. Don't fully remove it as it uses some adhesive to hold it in place at the edge. You can let go and it will stay in place on its own.

5) Remove the top of the wiper/cowl box. There is a single push pin on each of the box that needs to be released. Depress the center of it with a small screwdriver, and it will disengage from the body panel.

To prep it to be re-installed, pull the "arms" of the pin back, and push the center "post" up till its above the surface. That way when you install it again, you press the center post to be flush with the rest of the surface.

Next you remove the entire top cover. It hooks under the windshield at one side, and clips into the wiper/cowl box at the other. If you undo those clips, it will slide away (toward the engine) from the window. (blue circles are where the clips are located on the panel. They will be on the engine side edge when it is installed. Your looking at the bottom of the panel)

There is a small space between the top panel and lower portion of the wiper/cowl box. To undo the clips, use a screwdriver, pushing it into that gap, to depress the clip's arm to allow it to come out.

Leaving you with this

Jack up the car and put it on jackstands.

Take the wheel off and turn the steering wheel so the back side of the strut is facing out.

You don't have to do this, but I went ahead and broke these nuts free. Not fully removed. Don't take off the piston nut all the way, otherwise the spring is going to shoot off which will ruin your day, just loosen it.

Now its time to remove the main bolts that connect the strut to the front knuckle. They are 22mm nuts and bolts. Get a 6 point socket, you can round off a 12 point super easy on these. They are torqued to 214ftlbs from the factory, add rust/corrosion on top (have fun northerners ), it'll be tight. Luckily the bolt didn't spin when I tried to remove the nut on the front. The rears however free spun. You may need a 22mm wrench or another socket/ratchet to hold the bolt still if it just spins. I used a 2' breaker bar with a swivel head (pretty much a must to get around the rotors) and was able to get these free, the rears however took a cheater bar.

If you use a deep socket on the lower strut bolt, it gives you a little more room around the rotor.

And a cheater bar is your friend. I used the handle of my floor jack over the breaker bar. I used it to tighten those nuts (more later) on the fronts, but did need it on the rears to break those bolts free.

Time to get the anti-roll bar link. Its a ball joint bolted to the strut. You have to use a hex wrench to hold the center bolt of the ball joint then use a wrench to spin the nut off. Otherwise the ball joint will just rotate in its socket and it won't come off. 6mm Hex, 17mm nut on the front.

If yours is like mine, its rusted stuck, stack another wrench on the 17mm one to get more leverage.

Now the brake fluid line and ABS sensor wire bolt to the strut. Its a 12mm , remove it.

The ABS bracket is sandwiched between the brake line bracket and strut.

Now the ABS line has a plastic bracket that holds it to the knuckle/strut. Just grab it and pull it off, it kinda clips into holes between the 22mm bolts.

Now put something under the lower control arm to support the knuckle. It'll drop once you unbolt the strut and you don't want it pulling on the brake or abs lines. I used my floorjack as it made it easy to lift it up and down, comes in handy when reinstalling.

Now its time to punch out the bolts holding the strut to the knuckle. Mine on the front was under tension and needed persuasion to come out. Use a punch or sacrificial screwdriver. Don't try to use your fingers. As soon as it comes free, things move and its a finger masher.

Once its free, be careful of the abs wire (in my hand), there isn't much slack. Keep an eye when taking out the strut.

And just lower the knuckle out of the way and its time to remove the strut.

Now go back up to the top, and remove the 3 14mm nuts. These are the only thing holding the strut on. It will drop after removing these.

Now be careful. The cowl sits on top of the strut towers. The 2 inner most 14mm nuts actually bolt to the cowl where as the outside one sits on the strut tower itself. Because of that, the outside nut is longer than most. The new struts and mounts come with new nuts, however for the outside longer one, I reused it. This is what I'm talking about.

Now those inner nut...there are 2 ~1/4" washers that sit between the strut tower and cowl. They get sandwiched when installed. You can't see them, but they are there. Be careful when reinstalling to make sure if they are still there. If they are not, structurally the strut won't mount correctly.

Now install your new strut or swap the components (will cover below). Reverse to reinstall.

Start with the top mounts.

Just snug them up. DO NOT torque them now. Wait until you have the wheels on the car and it sitting back on the ground. You need the weight of the car to compress/settle everything. THEN torque. Again, this is only for the top mounts. If you bought a preassembled strut assembly, don't mess with the top piston nut.

However obviously torque the 22mm bolt and anti-swaybar links before you put it all just back together.

22mm bolts - 214 ftlbs
anti-rollbar link - 55ftlbs
abs/brake line bolt - 14ftlbs
upper strut mount - 63ftlbs
upper piston nut - 52ftlbs (these are nylock locknuts)
wiper nuts - 18ftlbs


I didn't have a torque wrench that went up to 214, mine stops at 150. So I just torqued to 150, then used my breaker bar + cheater bar to get it stupid tight.

And Boom, new shiny strut on all the old components.

Random, but after 10 years and 166k miles, the anti-swaybar links were still ok. Ball joints moved fine and the boots were in good condition. Lower control arm bushing was showing wear but should last till 200k easily.

 

Ok rear swap time, I'm going to just hit the biggies as a lot was covered above.

Alright, go inside the car and we need to remove the strut covers. Lower the 2nd row seats, use a small screwdriver or panel tol to remove this small cover.

There will be 10mm bolt under it. It won't look like the picture below unless you've stripped the snot out of the OEM bolt like I have in the past. Remove it.

At that point it swings up (takes some force)

And boom, strut mount. Ignore the black mat, that's the sound blocker (closed cell foam + MLV) I installed.

Remove the black cap to expose the piston nut.

Alright, like before I went ahead and broke everything free, but not fully removed.

Alright strut time.

The ABS and brake line is a little different. 10mm bolt holds the ABS line on and 12mm bolt holds the brake line. 22mm bolt is the same as the front. Remove the 10mm and 12mm. Wait to get the 22mm later, this way you get mroe room for tools.

Remove the anti-sway bar link, similar to the front in technique. 14mm nut and 5mm hex this time though.

Now remove the 22 mm nuts. These took my breaker + cheater bar, they were stupid tight. Also they freespun, so you can see my ratchet and 22mm socket on the other side wedged against the car body. The lower one sits lower than the front's, a deep socket + 3" extension allowed me to clear the rotor.

Like the front, put something under the hub assembly to support it, then remove the bolts. Then go back to the top and remove the 3 mounting nuts. the strut will drop. Install the new one in reverse.

Like before, torque the 22mm bolts and other lower strut components before putting the wheel on.
22mm bolts - 213ftlbs
anti-swaybar link - 29ftlbs
10mm ABS - its weak, be careful. I snapped the head off mine. Just snug it.
12mm brake - 14ftlbs

Put the wheel on, put the car back on the ground, now torque the top mounts and piston nut (If you bought pre-assembled strut, don't touch that nut).

Sturt mount - 43ftlbs
piston nut - 43ftlbs

And boom, again, new shiny strut on old components.

 

If you bought pre-assembled struts, ignore this. I was replacing everything but the bump stops and springs so I had to take it all apart.

Rears first, they're easy. The fronts are...special.

You need spring compressors, you can rent these from an auto store.

Alright this is what your starting with.

Best way I found to mount the compressors is upside down on the left and right (if looking at the outer side).

The rears take very little compressing to get the spring free, hardly any. Once you see this, your good. Now spring compressors are like loaded bombs if they come off. The rears are hardly compressed so its fairly safe. The fronts are super sketchy, more later. Just be mindful where you put your hands, keep in mind, if something comes off, things are going to be moving quickly with a lot of force.

Spin off the top 19mm nut.

Now pull off the mount and the bump stop on the piston. Yours may not be in this condition, my other rear mount was shredded in 3 pieces.

Now take your new one and cut the piston free.

Take your new lower isolator, it has a lower notch in one spot, line it up with the spring seat.

Reinstall the bump stop, pay attention to orientation. Shown below is correct. Don't worry about where it is on the piston, it'll go where it needs to as the suspension cycles.

Remember that lower corner on the spring seat? The end of the spring sits in that spot, like below.

Now put the upper mount on, the piston is notched at the top to fit a notch on the mount. It'll only go on 1 way. The side of the mount with 2 studs face the inside of the car.

Now, the upper mount, its suppose to mount 3.5* toward the FRONT of the car off center. Just get it close, you can rotate it to get the final alignment when reinstalling the strut onto the car. The piston can rotate within the strut itself.

Alright the strut and mounts come with new nuts/hardware.

The washer/collar goes on first on the piston.

Now put on the 19mm nut, just hand tighten it till it gets to the nyloc. You'll torque this when reinstalled on the car. Its a nyloc locknut, you don't want to run it in/out otherwise it looses its effectiveness.

Remove the spring compressors and your done, go reinstall it.

 

Soo....I didn't get a whole lot of pictures of the front, I was extremely pissed off at the springs.

So first off the springs are shaped so they kinda stick out in the middle.
This is the kind of compressor I got.

Because the springs stick out, they hit the screw of the compressor when....compressing...them. Because the springs are hardened steel and the compressors aren't, it pretty much destroyed the threads on the compresor. You need to have one kinda like this.

That way it stays clear of the center of the spring. And also the front springs take a LOT of compressing. Like I nearly burnt out my electric impact trying to do it as the amount of force it took was ridiculous. (I went through like 4 batteries on a single strut. I was using my freezer to cool the impact and battery packs that were overheating) Honestly the fronts were bad enough, I consider suggesting you taking your front struts to a shop that has one of those hydraulic wall mounted compressor to swap the spring in about 2 minutes. This was a pain.

I don't have any pictures of how I got the compressors on there as I was semi-furious and not taking them.

But disassemble the strut like I showed in the rear. Compress the spring, remove the top piston nut (19mm), remove the bump stop , remove the spring, remove the top mounts.

Now take the new strut and install the lower isolator, it only goes on 1 way. It has a deep notch like the rears did. Line it up.

Reinstall the spring and bump stop (mind its orientation, below is correct). The spring end sits in that lower notch on the bottom mount.

Now take the top mounting plate and the upper spring seat/boot. I reused my old top plate but bought a new seat/boot. OEM gear has a triangle that points toward the outside of the car. Both the boot (on the top) and plate have it. The fronts must be installed correctly, so try to get it right.

Now I bought a new upper mount from KYB, it comes with a new bearing. It comes pre-greased, but I put a little more grease on the mounting plate where it sits. In just sits on there like below. The top plate just sits down on top of it. I drew a little diagram in MS paint showing its orientation it has to be installed in. It doesn't have the triangle OEM gear has, orient it like I showed. Also notice how the piston is only sitting even with the bearing? That's because I couldn't compress the spring enough after basically destroying the compressor. Don't be me, get the right gear. I fought with that for 30 minutes trying to get it high enough to get the piston nut on.

With the top plate on, put the piston nut on, again like the rears, hand tighten till the nyloc then stop. You'll torque when the strut is installed on the body.

And your done with the most annoying part...

 

S
That's because I couldn't compress the spring enough after basically destroying the compressor. Don't be me, get the right gear. I fought with that for 30 minutes trying to get it high enough to get the piston nut on.

Very thorough write up, SP!

Some things I've found to work well; better to use a large bench vise to clamp the bottom of the strut in. If the compressors slip or fail, it launches into the ceiling not your face, chest or car. Heard of some who get two lengths of 2x8, a pair of large c-clamps and clamp the strut between so it will stand up on the bench.

For odd shaped springs or SUV front springs--my Honda Pilot front springs were a BEAR to compress-- consider renting TWO sets of compressors and use 3 or 4 compressors on the springs. I use three evenly spaced. Clamp the springs as you show, only by the largest coils, to minimize contact with coils. You'll be able to compress the spring more easily, evenly and enough to release tension on the strut rod, so you can get the nut back and threaded without standing above it to to push down on the spring assy.

You can also slide a short a piece of masonite or other expendable between the compressor rod and spring coil.

I have a Harbor Fright version of the clamshell type spring compressor. It's basically worthless on heavy gauge springs, as the center threaded rod just bears too much tension and tends to gall its threads.

I also use white finger polish and make vertical lines from the upper strut mount across the rubber isolator and down the first spring coil, and the at the bottom coil seat and spring. It reminds me of the original orientation of the all the parts.

Last, a Harbor Fright $100 air compressor and one their $70 500 ft. lb impact wrenches makes quick work of the compressor rods, not to mention disassembly and assembly of the attachment bolts.

 

Great write Sweeney. It is a lot of work...especially those fronts. Did you need to replace sway bar links ? My HL is also early build - 10/2007. My links were rusted, so I replaced them as well. When all is said and done, the ride is great. Thanks again for the post.


Sent using Tapatalk Pro

 

Links were good. The exposed part of the thread was rusted a bit, but the ball joint itself, body of the link, and boot were in fine condition. One benefit of living in the south

Great write up. I just did my wife's 08 HL back at the end of Dec. with over 200k on them.
Time frame : both rear = 2.5 hours, right front = 2 hours, left front = 5 hours
Rear went fine. I would suggest to anyone in salt areas to replace the anti sway bar links while your at it. Right front took some work to get it off, left front needed to be cut off.
I used a similar spring compressor that you used for the rear, that I have had for years. I was able to use it on the front also, does take some fiddling to get it right.
But wondering if you had same issue what it took me three hours just to get the left front strut bolt off? I used impact gun, breaker bars, etc but eventually came off just before I took out the torch to use. Toyota should have designed some type of cover over it to protect it better from the elements.

My front lower bolts came off rather easily. Just a 2' breaker bar and fairly minimal effort. The rears though had me putting a 4-5' pipe on the breaker bar and using every bit of advantage I could get. Those didn't want to come apart and those bolts were definitely rusted. The fronts were just corroded.

 

Great write up. I just did my wife's 08 HL back at the end of Dec. with over 200k on them.
Time frame : both rear = 2.5 hours, right front = 2 hours, left front = 5 hours
Rear went fine. I would suggest to anyone in salt areas to replace the anti sway bar links while your at it. Right front took some work to get it off, left front needed to be cut off.
I used a similar spring compressor that you used for the rear, that I have had for years. I was able to use it on the front also, does take some fiddling to get it right.
But wondering if you had same issue what it took me three hours just to get the left front strut bolt off? I used impact gun, breaker bars, etc but eventually came off just before I took out the torch to use. Toyota should have designed some type of cover over it to protect it better from the elements.

 

As always, a very thorough DIY @sweeneyp.

Thank you!


=============
Accidentally tagged you AND mentioned you in a reply. YAY! Blane

 

Great writeup, my aunt is about to buy one of these so it'll come in handy.

Say, I have a suggestion to replace your Ridgid impact driver. If you find one on sale, I'd pick up https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2763-20

They usually run about $200 for the tool, but I've seen them go as low as $175 on sale (battery separately, or buy the kit...expensive). I realize that once one starts buying power tools, battery interchangeability prevents mixing brands.

I've got one and it's failed once...on a very very stuck 1MZ crank bolt. Heat fixed that!

 

Say, I have a suggestion to replace your Ridgid impact driver. If you find one on sale, I'd pick up https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2763-20

They usually run about $200 for the tool, but I've seen them go as low as $175 on sale (battery separately, or buy the kit...expensive). I realize that once one starts buying power tools, battery interchangeability prevents mixing brands.

I've got one and it's failed once...on a very very stuck 1MZ crank bolt. Heat fixed that!

I rarely need something with more torque than what that rigid can provide. I have a small air compressor, so I can get a cheap harbor freight impact if I need it next time. Its a lot cheaper than $200 :lol: Those big 1/2" elec impacts just aren't as easy to fit in tight areas as that smaller one I have.

Very thorough write up, SP!

Some things I've found to work well; better to use a large bench vise to clamp the bottom of the strut in. If the compressors slip or fail, it launches into the ceiling not your face, chest or car. Heard of some who get two lengths of 2x8, a pair of large c-clamps and clamp the strut between so it will stand up on the bench.

For odd shaped springs or SUV front springs--my Honda Pilot front springs were a BEAR to compress-- consider renting TWO sets of compressors and use 3 or 4 compressors on the springs. I use three evenly spaced. Clamp the springs as you show, only by the largest coils, to minimize contact with coils. You'll be able to compress the spring more easily, evenly and enough to release tension on the strut rod, so you can get the nut back and threaded without standing above it to to push down on the spring assy.

You can also slide a short a piece of masonite or other expendable between the compressor rod and spring coil.

I have a Harbor Fright version of the clamshell type spring compressor. It's basically worthless on heavy gauge springs, as the center threaded rod just bears too much tension and tends to gall its threads.

I also use white finger polish and make vertical lines from the upper strut mount across the rubber isolator and down the first spring coil, and the at the bottom coil seat and spring. It reminds me of the original orientation of the all the parts.

Last, a Harbor Fright $100 air compressor and one their $70 500 ft. lb impact wrenches makes quick work of the compressor rods, not to mention disassembly and assembly of the attachment bolts.

Vice? Who's got time for safety :lol:

Yeah, I was kicking myself for not getting 2 sets, but I already had the car taken apart and no way to get to an auto store short of Uber.

That harbor freight version can't be any worse than what I had, it basically became useless. The threads rubbed up against the spring and completely flattened the threads. It was ugly.

Does anyone sells complete coil overs for the rear (2011 AWD)? My wifes HL rear suspension is worn and I'm thinking of replacing the struts and the springs. If someone sells a good coilover replacement, that would be the easiest solution.

I was towing my #2500 ish boat a couple weekends ago and it was squating more than it should. Plus the ride has been pretty lousy in the rear, especially in the winter.

thanks for any info.

PS I checked rockauto and they only sell struts, no strut/spring combos (preassembled).

Rockauto sells some by FCS, and you can get them on ebay. Problem is, its usually brands you haven't heard of. KYB doesn't sell total assembled struts unfortunately.

 

I have clamshell compressor. If you want to buy one, get it off ebay, it is significantly cheaper and works as well. I got mine for like $40. Yeah, it's a bit better to work with but has it's drawbacks too.
As of struts. I'd suggest Quick strut or its equivalent from KYB hands down. I am very content with mine on my TCH. Very small price difference, huge time saving plus you get ALL new parts. Insulators, bearings, springs, everything.

 

Wondering if you still are happy with the Quick Strut? This sounds like the right path for me, too.

 

Does anyone sells complete coil overs for the rear (2011 AWD)? My wifes HL rear suspension is worn and I'm thinking of replacing the struts and the springs. If someone sells a good coilover replacement, that would be the easiest solution.

I was towing my #2500 ish boat a couple weekends ago and it was squating more than it should. Plus the ride has been pretty lousy in the rear, especially in the winter.

thanks for any info.

PS I checked rockauto and they only sell struts, no strut/spring combos (preassembled).

 

SweeneyP has a complete detailed thread on rear strut/spring modifications to improve towing.

 

Great write up, sweeneyp! I especially appreciated the detailed pictures!

 

I appreciate that you took time to actually take photos and do a write-up of this. It took me almost 8 hours just to do the front when I did mine and I gave up with doing progress photos after about 20 minutes. I still need to do the rear.

 

Hi Sweeney,

I am planning on replacing the suspension system of my 2008 highlander Base. My goal is to bring back the new car ride. I want to replace all bushings and ball joints. I have created a parts list from Rock Auto:

KYB Excel-G Struts on all corners
ACDelco Stabilizer Bar Links for Front and Rear
Moog Stablizer Bar Bushings
DORMAN Control Arm & Ball Joint Assembly - Front Lower - Right & Left
DORMAN rear left lower and right lower control arms
Rear KYB Strut mount - This comes with Boot too
Front KYB strut mount. This comes with Top Isolator
Strut Boot for Front
Strut-Mate Front Left Lower monroe
ACDelco Steering Tie Rod End

Am I missing any parts? what is your opinion about Moog greasable stabilizer bar links? are they better than sealed units?

 

I've heard hit or miss thing on MOOG. I personally wouldn't use it though. Way I see it, OEM lasted this long, its a known reliability, I don't like to rock the boat. That is unless its a brand I know for sure, like KYB.

You got most of it, your missing a few rear link for the rear suspension (there are 2 link and a trailing arm). But I don't think you should need to replace any of those rear links/arms. I just checked the bushings on mine at 165k, they were perfectly intact. If its like mine, yous should still be ok. But my front control arm bushings were showing wear.

 

I'd avoid the Dorman control arms. Period. Same Xinese junk I used on my '02 a few years back. The rubber lasted a year.

Unless the original control arm donuts are cracked clear through the ribs, I'd leave them be. When you are ready to replace use, Toy parts.

 

Thanks AV. my goal is to bring the brand new ride quality. that is why i wanted to replace control arms. if dorman isnt good, would you suggest anyother brand or do you think i should buy toy parts?

 

Good write up, but looks like a pain.

I've swapped suspension in and out of my race Mazda Miata in 2 hours for all four corners. With the Highlander I'll probably just sell in a couple of years rather than go through this trouble.

Thanks for detailed pictures, very cool of you to share this.

 

Sweeney,

Excellent write up, pictures and information!! I purchased strut assemblies (spring and all) and it took me about an hour per side to replace the fronts. First time I ever did this. I have a 2006 Highlander Hybrid AWD and it's the same setup in all the pictures, except the top of the struts are exposed and don't require removal of the cowl and wipers. Trying to do this by myself was a little difficult, I highly suggest having someone there to help thread a nut on the first stud that pokes through when installing the new strut assembly. I had to lift the assembly with one hand and try to thread a stud with the other. From all the videos and sites that said to use a break bar, I used an impact and it broke the 22mm bolts free after soaking them in PB Blaster. The sway bar end links were a pain with using an Allen Key, it's much easier with a socket based 6mm Hex Key. Also, breaking the 14mm bolts on the top of the struts were a pain, I used the impact on those as well.

Merry Christmas!

 

Ok, that was a painfully great write up. Painful part is when the time comes in about 100K miles for me to do this!

What I'm still wondering about is why the 3rd gen doesn't have those cool lights yours has under the hood!

 

A couple of observations regarding the replacement of the struts in my 2008 Highlander Limited AWD. The factory Toyota struts installed in my car were made by Tokico.

When I decided to replace all the struts, I went with factory Toyota parts. For the rear rubber strut mount I used KYB. Price difference between using aftermarket KYB struts and Toyota struts was not that big so I went with Toyota. I assume there is a slight difference between the KYB and Tokico in terms of rebound and dampening etc. However in terms of feeling an actual difference, I could not tell a difference. More on this later.

The rear strut installation was very straight forward. No surprises. The explanation and pictures posted here are gold. For someone who has never replaced any suspension components of any kind, it took me 3 hours. I want to thank Sweeneyp for allowing us to learn from his install. I did not want to use spring compressors from Harbor Freight. So I found a place that allowed me to use a Branick 7600 strut spring compressor.

The front struts took me 4.5 hours. I spent a good amount of time trying to get the huge 22mm nuts off the strut and knuckle. Finally took a large breaker bar with a long pipe on the handle with a large amount of force to get the nuts to budge. Ended up shearing off a 6” extension. Note: Use impact rated sockets and extensions (usually black and not shiny chrome).

Now a bit of history regarding my Highlander. A few years ago I let my sister-in-law borrow my Highlander and to make a long story short, the front right strut had to be replaced, along with many other things on the front right side. Once I got my car back from this, the car did not drive the same. There was a persistent high speed vibration. The steering was jerky, not the buttery smooth effort when going from lock to lock. Lastly, there was a sproing or boing sound coming from the front right. Over the next two years I took my car to multiple shops and dealers. I spent a significant amount of money trying to chase this down. New tires, multiple wheel balancing, new control arms, swapping wheels etc. It was only after I disassembled the front right strut assembly did I find the answer to my problem.

Between the Strut Support (p/n: 486090-0E020) and the Upper Seat (p/n: 48471-41012) is the Strut Bearing (p/n: 90903-63014). This bearing has to be placed in the correct orientation or else your ride will suffer. If you look at the picture that Sweeneyp posted (6th picture on Post #5), it shows the bearing with the red seal facing up. This is the CORRECT position. If you look closely, you will see that the inner portion of the bearing is higher than the outer diameter. If you install the bearing with the red seal face down, then the higher inner portion is all that is supporting the weight of the strut and spring. If installed improperly, you will notice that the Strut Support and the Upper Seat have a lot of play between the two. If installed correctly, the two parts are more snug. Be very careful of the orientation of the bearing. It plays a critical role in the ride quality of your Highlander!

All of my problems were solved once I installed new parts in the correct manner.

• High Speed Vibration that no tire balance could solve? Fixed. Too much play between the Strut Support and Upper Seat due to upside down bearing.
• Sproing or Boing sound from front right? Fixed. The Strut Support and Upper Seat were binding, not moving freely. Causing tension on the spring. This can potentially break your spring if not corrected.
• Jerky Steering? Fixed. Now with the Strut Support and Upper Seat moving freely, the steering is now back to smooth and normal.

Going back a few years, during my chase to cure my suspension problems, I replaced the front left side strut because I could not live with just the front right strut being new. The shop I took it to replaced the front left with a KYB. But after my sister-in-law accident, the front right was replaced with factory Toyota made by Tokico. I did not know at the time the two struts were different, and quite honestly I could not tell a difference between the two, other than the aforementioned problems I was experiencing.

Now after replacing all the struts with new Tokicos, I drove for about 25 miles and then re-torqued the nuts on top. A few of the bolts needed a little more tightening after the struts had settled into position. Overall the ride is much better. Everything feels tight, no slop, and less float in the ride. This combined with new Michelin Premier LTX tires makes the car ride like new again.

Previously on a different car, I thought I would save money by purchasing many of the components from RockAuto and have it installed by a local mechanic. I used a lot of parts from Dorman, Moog, Mevotech, etc. While initially the ride was better, the quality of the ride went downhill quickly. I ended up replacing all the parts with factory parts. Cry once and buy once. Don’t buy twice like I did. KYB is one of several OEMs for Toyota so I am confident they make quality parts. However the other ones mentioned above, you may want to reconsider.

I want to thank Sweeneyp once again for his invaluable post regarding the strut replacement instructions. i do not think I would have been able to do this without his clear instructions.

 

Afternoon All, is there a forum sponsor i can go to to purchase the struts & stuff?

 

https://parts.toyotaofcoolsprings.com

 

Thanks so much for this writeup and great job with the pics! Does anyone know of a reputable manufacturer that makes pre-assembled front strut assemblies for the 2010? I'll be replacing the front struts on my Highlander soon, and I'd like to avoid the hassle of compressing the springs myself.

Monroe only seems to make their quick-strut for the rears, and KYB doesn't seem to make their Strut-Plus for either front or rear. I've found some from a company called Detroit Axle but I can't find any reviews and I've never heard of them.

Thanks!

 

I'm having the same issue finding complete front strut assemblies for the 2012 model year. Are there any major differences between the 2008-2010 and 2010-2013 strut designs? The few manufactures that I've found specifically for the 2010-2013 model are completely out of stock.

Thanks!

 

Are there any major differences between the 2008-2010 and 2010-2013 strut designs?

EDIT: nevermind, I'm an idiot and was comparing a 2010 front strut assembly diagram to a 2011 rear. No wonder they looked different! That said, it does look like even the aftermarket vendors Monroe, KYB, etc.) use different part numbers for vehicles manufactured after 08/2010 (e.g. 2011 Model Year and up).

In my case, for my 2010 I think I'm going to just bite the bullet and buy the individual components from KYB and take it to a local shop with a commercial spring compressor to have it assembled. I'm told many shops will do this for about $20, at that point installing the struts is the same as using a pre-assembled unit (albeit a bit more expensive).

 

Hey all,

I was rotating my tires last night and found that my driver rear is lumpy/wavy/something. I have noticed more road noise back there the last few months, but didnt figure it was more than just where that tire was in its life.

I now see from reading that this issue is usually caused by failing suspension parts.

I have 100k miles on my 2012, so its probably time to do the struts anyway (at least the rears, i'm not brave enough to try the fronts so ill wait until I absolutely have to and swallow my 'I work on my vehicles myself' pride and pay someone).

SweeneyP, Thank You. The write up is superb and I am ready to give it a go.

My question is, is there a reputable brand of all-in-one strut kit or do I absolutely need to go OEM if I want longeviety? I know there is not OEM pre-built kit, so I am playing with springs and stuff then, and I'd love to avoid that, but if its best i will do what i have to do. I'm always up for learning something new.....

Also, the tread on the tire that came from the rear is still really deep on most of the tire, it is just deeper on some parts than others. If I put it on the front will that even the wear out or is that not safe? I am debating making it the designated spare or replacing it, but I would like to use it if I can safely do so.

Thanks in advance for any input anyone has.

Cheers.

j

 

Hey all,

I was rotating my tires last night and found that my driver rear is lumpy/wavy/something. I have noticed more road noise back there the last few months, but didnt figure it was more than just where that tire was in its life.

I now see from reading that this issue is usually caused by failing suspension parts.

I have 100k miles on my 2012, so its probably time to do the struts anyway (at least the rears, i'm not brave enough to try the fronts so ill wait until I absolutely have to and swallow my 'I work on my vehicles myself' pride and pay someone).

SweeneyP, Thank You. The write up is superb and I am ready to give it a go.

My question is, is there a reputable brand of all-in-one strut kit or do I absolutely need to go OEM if I want longeviety? I know there is not OEM pre-built kit, so I am playing with springs and stuff then, and I'd love to avoid that, but if its best i will do what i have to do. I'm always up for learning something new.....

Also, the tread on the tire that came from the rear is still really deep on most of the tire, it is just deeper on some parts than others. If I put it on the front will that even the wear out or is that not safe? I am debating making it the designated spare or replacing it, but I would like to use it if I can safely do so.

Thanks in advance for any input anyone has.

Cheers.

j

Hey MM34,
I'm thinking the same thing. I'm considering a complete KYB spring and strut assembly; but if the RIGHT way is to keep OEM parts, then I'll go that route. Did you hear/learn anything following your post?