Although shock absorbers don't always fail or wear out simultaneously, it is advisable to replace both front shocks at the same time to prevent handling peculiarities and abnormal ride quality. Begin by loosening the front wheel lug nuts, raising the vehicle, and securely supporting it on jackstands. Remove the wheel and place a floor jack under the lower control arm. Next, remove the upper control arm, followed by the stabilizer link mounting nut to separate the stabilizer bar from the link. For models equipped with Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension, select the SPORT mode on the switch, remove the actuator cover retaining screws, and lift the actuator from its mounting bracket, disconnecting the electrical connector and removing the bolts. Loosen the three upper mount-to-shock tower retaining nuts without removing them completely, and if the upper mount is to be removed from the shock absorber/coil spring assembly, also loosen the center nut. Remove the shock-to-lower control arm nut and bolt, then separate the shock absorber/coil spring assembly from the lower control arm. Remove the shock tower-to-upper mount nuts and take out the shock absorber/coil spring assembly from the vehicle. For installation, if the upper mount was removed, place it over the top of the new shock absorber/coil spring assembly and install the nut. Guide the assembly into position in the wheel well, pushing the upper mount studs through the holes in the shock tower, and install the three nuts, tightening them to the specified torque. Attach the shock absorber/coil spring assembly to the lower control arm, ensuring the nut is tightened securely. Reinstall the upper control arm, connect the stabilizer link to the spindle, and tighten the upper mount nut and the three upper mounting nuts to the specified torque. For models with Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension, attach the actuator to the mounting bracket, aligning the flats on the actuator rod with the slot in the shock absorber, ensuring the actuator position is horizontal to the alignment holes. Finally, remove the jack from under the lower control arm, install the wheel, lower the vehicle, and tighten the lug nuts to the specified torque.
