How do you change front shocks on a Toyota 2001 echo?

Answer 1

well the front suspension assembly does not consist of shocks but struts. and is a easy to moderate job. must lift vehicle off the ground and support on jack stands. NEVER USE A HYDRAULIC JACK TO SUPPORT VEHICLE WEIGHT. pop the hood and lift it. remove wheels. disconnect brake line from brace on strut. remove two bolts from the strut and spindle. wiggle strut from spindle (may need pry bar to assist). remove three nuts from strut tower inside the engine bay (on the last nut , support the strut with one hand and remove the nut with the other, you may need help the strut is a little heavy.

Now if you did not get what i call quick struts, which is the coil spring and strut together no need to remove coil spring. now if you did NOT get quick struts i recommend taking your struts to an auto service shop and have them put the coil springs on the new struts. you can do it yourself with coil spring compressors. but if not done correctly it can cause severe injury or death. coil springs have massive energy if they get released from the spring compressor. reverse steps for install. Enjoy

I would always replace the springs at the same time. The job is not too bad, first time it could take 2 hours on each side but really should not take more than one hour. You can borrow a spring compressor for free from most auto parts stores (Advanced, Autozone, etc). Yes they can be dangerous, but if you use the proper tools there is little chance of an out of control spring. You may want to also replace the linkages at the same time as well since they are cheap and they are in the same general area (this is one of the main things state inspections fail cars for in my area after break pads, tire tread, and window wipers).