Here you can find information regarding repairs to the Toyota RAV4 rear end system. These repairs include the
rear control arms installation, the rear swaybar information and bolt torque specs,
the rear diff fluid change procedures, and the rear end watts system installation. All of these repairs and
procedures include in depth details on how to perform the replacement and or repair. They
also contain all the detailed torque specs needed for each bolt involved in the repair.
Rear Shock Installation
The rear suspension of the Toyota RAV4 is an independent control arm and spring suspension. The suspension uses a shock absorber to reduce
the amount of vibrations and bounce in the rear end of the car. This shock absorber uses a lower bolt which attaches it to the axle and
a bolt on top which attaches the shock to the vehicle frame. To install a new rear shock you will need to remove these 2 fasteners and remove
the old part from the vehicle. To install a new one simply put it in place of the old one and tighten down the lower shock bolt to 59 ft-lbs.
The top bolt and the shock absorber bracket can also be torqued down to 59 ft-lbs.
Toyota RAV4 Rear Shock Bracket Torque Specs : 59 ft-lbs
Rear Control Arms Torque Specs
On the Toyota RAV4 rear suspension there is a series of control arms which help support the rear hub to the vehicle. The
rear control arms have 2 fastener locations being the frame of the vehicle and the knuckle itself. At the frame side the
control arms can be tightened down to 66 ft-lbs and at the knuckle side to 75 ft-lbs. The rear shock does contain a mounting system that
bolts up to the knuckle. These mounting bolts can be tightened up to 59 ft-lbs. I recommend using some blue or red loctite to
ensure these bolts do not loosen up and cause problems.
Toyota RAV4 Rear Control Arm Knuckle Side Torque Specs : 75 ft-lbs
Toyota RAV4 Rear Control Arm Frame Side Torque Specs : 66 ft-lbs
Toyota RAV4 Rear Shock Bracket Torque Specs : 59 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub Installation
The rear wheel hub on the Toyota RAV4 is held to the knuckle of the vehicle through the use of 4 bolts. To remove the old wheel hub you must
jack the vehicle up into the air and remove the wheel from the car. From here we can disassemble the braking system. If the rear brakes are disc
brakes you just have to remove the rear brake bracket and remove the rotor from the vehicle. If the rear brakes are drum brakes you will have to
pry off the rear drum and access the hub that way. Once you have the brakes off the car you can move the hub and use the access holes to remove the 4 bolts.
With all the bolts removed the hub should pull away from the car easily. The new hub can then be placed into position and the bolts can be tightened down
to 66 ft-lbs. Once all bolts have been tightened you can begin to reassemble the braking system and tire for the vehicle.
Toyota RAV4 Rear Wheel Hub Torque Specs : 66 ft-lbs
Rear Swaybar Installation
The rear swaybar on the Toyota RAV4 consists of endlinks that connect the rear strut to the rear stabilizer bar. The endlinks have 2 joints which
connect through the use of nuts. These nuts need to be tightened down to 33 ft-lbs.
Toyota RAV4 Rear Swaybar Endlinks Torque Specs : 33 ft-lbs
