🔧 Highlander - Shock Absorber Replacement

Your Highlander uses different components front vs rear: the front is a strut assembly (spring + shock together) and the rear is a separate shock absorber. The steps, tools, and safety needs are very different—especially because front struts require handling a coil spring.

Difficulty Level: Rear: Intermediate | Front: Advanced | Estimated Time: Rear: 1.5-3 hours | Front: 3-6 hours

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Never disassemble a front strut without a spring compressor; the spring stores dangerous energy.
• ⚠️ Support your Highlander with jack stands on solid, level ground—never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ If you remove any suspension bolts, get an alignment afterward (especially front struts).
• ⚠️ Let the exhaust cool before working near the rear suspension.

---

🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Torque wrench (20-200 ft-lbs range)
• Socket set (10mm-22mm, 1/2")
• Wrench set (10mm-22mm)
• Pry bar
• Penetrating oil
• Paint marker
• Spring compressor (specialty)

---

🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear shock absorbers - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Front complete strut assemblies - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Upper strut mount hardware kit - Qty: 1
• Rear shock mounting hardware kit - Qty: 1

---

📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to P, and chock the wheels.
• Loosen lug nuts with a 21mm socket before lifting (do not remove yet).
• Spray suspension fasteners with penetrating oil and wait 10 minutes.
• Tip: Replace shocks/struts in pairs.

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Important question (reply with one):

• Do you want to replace the rear shocks or the front struts on your Highlander?

While you reply, here’s the safe plan:

Step 1: Lift and secure the vehicle

• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift at the correct jack point.
• Set the vehicle down onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Remove the wheel using a 21mm socket.

Step 2: Identify what you’re replacing

• Rear: you’ll see a separate shock bolted top and bottom.
• Front: you’ll see a tall strut assembly with a coil spring.
• Tip: If there’s a coil spring on it, it’s a strut.

Step 3: Do not proceed on front struts without the right parts

• If doing front: the beginner-friendly route is to buy complete strut assemblies (pre-assembled).
• If you only bought bare struts: you must use a spring compressor (specialty) and extreme care.

---

✅ After Repair

• Reinstall wheels and snug lug nuts with a 21mm socket.
• Lower the vehicle and tighten lug nuts with a torque wrench to Torque to 103 Nm (76 ft-lbs).
• Test drive slowly and listen for clunks or rattles.
• If you replaced front struts: get a 4-wheel alignment as soon as possible.

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$900 (rear shocks) | $900-$1,800 (front struts + alignment)

DIY Cost: $160-$400 (rear parts) | $350-$900 (front parts) + alignment

You Save: $250-$1,000+ by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5-6 hours.

---

🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.