(EDITED FOR CLARIFICATION)

I'm in Mississippi visiting my brother, and I've got some kind of problem with my passenger side rear shock. I don't have my repair manual handy, and I've never done work on my shocks before, so please bear with me.

The truck was banging (metal on metal) on every minor bump by the time I got here. I'm here to interview at a job, so I haven't even looked at it until today. Looks like my right rear shock was the problem (part 'x' on the image). The upper part, where it fits into the circular area on the frame (arrow), was completely detached and broken loose. I was able to pull down the shock by hand and pop it back into the hole it came out of, but obviously I can't drive it like this.

I was also getting the parking brake light on the dash coming on and going off this morning. The shock was jammed up against the rear brake line and apparently bouncing against everything when I hit bumps, but I don't see any evidence it ruptured the line.

I'm 350 miles from home, and I really want to fix this thing and get home tomorrow. I've got hand tools available, but no repair manual and I'm in an apartment parking lot staying with my brother. I'm also pretty broke, so if I can fix this myself, I really need to do that.

Please help me narrow down the problem and get this fixed. If I can remove the shock and drive home without it, that would be fantastic, but otherwise I'll repair it here.

 

Sounds like the nut on top of your shock rusted off. You probably need new rear shocks. I can't see a pic. Sometimes the pictures load slower than text.

 

Fixed the photo. If you guys think it's the rear shocks, please recommend some for a 1999 4WD 4runner. The truck is mainly driven on highways, so no need for anything fancy. I just want a nice ride and to spend as little as I can get away with safely.

 

Technically, it's not safe to drive on the highway without rear shocks. However, if I was in your situation the first thing I would do is remove the damaged shock(s) and see if you are comfortable driving without them. My guess is that your ride would be too bouncy to be controlled. If you need new shocks your best best is to try an auto parts store that can install new ones. Maybe Sears auto or Midas. As you are painfully aware, your options are limited away from home.

I'm pretty sure your problem is the top of the shock mount and you just need new shocks. New rear shocks should fix it. Maybe it's easiest for you to find a local place and have them install new shocks. It's an easy job but you are probably limited with no tools or garage.

 

Can I drive with only one shock, or would I have to remove both? And can I do the job with only hand tools and what I can rent from autozone?

Recommendations on particular shock brands would be appreciated.

 

you can drive with only one shock. just be careful and make sure the
busted one doesn't flap and break an important line. and emergency lane changes
may suffer or induce a roll. do NOT drive too fast and be super careful.


just throw any old cheap auto parts store compatible shock in there if it
doesn't really matter. do in pairs only

 

I agree with this. In fact, you are probably better off with three good shocks rather than two. Lots of people have one useless shock and barely know it. That said, heed the warning above. You only need to take off the lower bolt to remove the broken shock and I suggest you do so. Pulling the other one is a bigger battle, as the top nut is a MPIA. Sawzalls are often used. I used a 17mm deep socket and breaker bar on the nut and a monster pair of ChannelLocks on the top cover and just broke the nut off. Faster than a Sawzall. Won't work on all shocks but perfect on the stockers.

Installing is pretty easy. 17mm flex head GearWrench is great for the top as it is really tough to get to.

 

Hi guys,

We got the broken shock off. The top head of the shock was already broken off (rusted) and was still in the shelf where the top of the shock attaches. The bottom bolt came out and we pried off the shock.

We're off to the store to see what our options are for replacement shocks. I'll keep y'all posted. Thanks!

 

I ended up picking up one gabriel brand shock from autozone. I'm probably going to swap out both rear shocks at some point, but my reasoning behind just going with the single shock is that I just want to get home and deal with this problem there. My brother and I will install it tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the help, y'all.

 

Make sure to check the brake fluid level, just to be sure since the light was coming and going.

 

Will do.

 

I like the thought of having 2 good mismatched shocks better than having only 1 or no shocks. I have seen cars with bad/no shocks and it is pretty scary. Long as you are diligent to replace the mismatched set asap, I think you made the right choice to go with a cheap temp replacement.

 

I made it back home safely tonight (350 mile trip) and the mismatched shocks did a fantastic job, particularly on some of the crappy, rural highways. Thanks for the advice.

The bloody OEM shock had rusted halfway through the threaded rod, then the rod snapped in half, which is the reason it failed in the first place. I can only imagine the state of the other one, so at some point relatively soon, I'm going to rip it out as well. Really, all three remaining shocks probably need to be replaced.

I'm just so relieved that the repair was relatively simple. Having the top of the shock already broken off was actually pretty helpful, as I've heard removing the nut on the old shock is the hardest part. As rusted as it was, I believe it. No wonder folks just sawzall it off. lol

For the record, I ended up reusing the lower bolt and washers from the original shock install, as the kit I bought didn't include those parts. If you're doing this too, make sure to retain all the original parts and record their orientations, at least until you've installed the new shocks.