will i need lowered shocks absorbers? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Unco · 03-10-2007, 01:57 AM

hi all, i'm planning to get some lowered springs for my gen3 in the next month or two. they're only around 1 inch lower than standard. i'd like to know if i'll need lowered shocks, or will standard shocks do the job?

Tuner571 · 03-10-2007, 08:58 AM

My friend lowered his car over the summer and kept the factory shocks for a short while. Although it wasnt that bad the ride was rough and bouncy until he bought some aftermarket shocks as well. So IMO I would get aftermarket shocks but its up to you.

***DAMON*** · 03-10-2007, 09:03 AM

The struts will not actually lower the car at all, that is what the springs do. You can try to get away with running stock shocks for a while, but it is likely that they will fail due to the added stress of the lowering springs. I recommend doing it right and picking up a set of KYB or Tokico struts to go with your new springs.

Try searching to see what others have said, but usually it is along the lines of my response. Good luck!

***eyeball96*** · 03-10-2007, 09:17 AM

^^Thanks! I'll need that information, hopefully soon!

bigbird · 03-10-2007, 11:22 AM

i must have had little gardian angel hoverin over my old camry, i had the stock XLE shocks on that bitch for about 3 years with a nearly 2 inch drop, and when i switched to the coupe i just wanted the added performance of the hps, the shocks were still good.

IMO, id go with the tokicos, little more performance then the KYBs so ive herd.

Unco · 03-10-2007, 05:04 PM

cool. thanks for the replies. i'll need to change the shockies anyway as the front ones are starting to leak, so i'll get lowered ones to suit the springs.

amerikim · 03-10-2007, 06:43 PM

Unco, lowering shocks don't exist. Springs lower a car. What the shocks do is help with compression and rebound - that is how how it will handle.
If you went with coilovers, thats a little different but costs a whole bunch more.

If I can make recommends, go with the Tokico. I don't know what they charge for Konis out there, but consider them if close in price.

Unco · 03-11-2007, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amerikim

Unco, lowering shocks don't exist. Springs lower a car. What the shocks do is help with compression and rebound - that is how how it will handle.
If you went with coilovers, thats a little different but costs a whole bunch more.

If I can make recommends, go with the Tokico. I don't know what they charge for Konis out there, but consider them if close in price.

i'm not saying that i'm planning to lower my car by putting shorter shocks in it.

by using lowered springs you're automatically affecting the shock absorbers/struts designated travel area. i am well aware that to lower a vehicle i need to install lowered springs. the minute you attach a lowered spring to a standard shock/strut, you're compressing the shock/strut more than what it's intended for.

are you saying that there is no such thing as a lowered/shortened shock absorber/strut assembly for a toyota camry?

Unco · 03-11-2007, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dysk8forlife

The struts will not actually lower the car at all, that is what the springs do. You can try to get away with running stock shocks for a while, but it is likely that they will fail due to the added stress of the lowering springs. I recommend doing it right and picking up a set of KYB or Tokico struts to go with your new springs.

Try searching to see what others have said, but usually it is along the lines of my response. Good luck!

i just re-read your post. it looks like my post was misunderstood by a few. sorry if i was not specific enough. i did not mean to imply that i need shortened shocks/struts to lower my car. it sounds like you did understand my question though as this was what i was worried about: You can try to get away with running stock shocks for a while, but it is likely that they will fail due to the added stress of the lowering springs.

so yeah, if there's no such thing as a lowered strut for the camry, then it sounds like the answer is to get aftermarket KYB or what have you instead of OEM struts.

thanks all for the replies. i did a search and pretty much found what you said.

the reason i asked was because i remember helping a friend lower his holden gemini many many years ago. we put lowered springs in the back with the standard shock absorbers. the thing was that hard that it was literally BOUNCING off the road every time it hit a small bump. the fix was to put shorter shock absorbers in it.

while i will not be lowering my car that much (only 1 inch) i was just trying to make sure i get all the right parts. i have to get new struts anyway as my front ones are leaking, so i'll take your suggestion and look up KYB and Tokico.

thanks also to amerikim

cheers

***DAMON*** · 03-11-2007, 11:26 AM

yeah I understood, all we are saying is your terminology is wrong- there is no such thing as something called a "lowering shock." Tokicos and KYBs are simply oem replacement struts, people just use them when lowering because they can handle the added stresses of a lowered car. They arent for lowering applications only though, you could throw them on with stock springs and they would fit fine, but only putting on tokico struts for example with stock springs would not lower the ride height at all...

thats all we are saying

Unco · 03-11-2007, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dysk8forlife

yeah I understood, all we are saying is your terminology is wrong- there is no such thing as something called a "lowering shock."

sorry, but i really think you're wrong. "lowered" or "shorter" shock absorbers for lowered vehicle applications do exist. maybe not common for the camry but they do exist.

thanks for the help all the same.

***DAMON*** · 03-11-2007, 05:07 PM

im sure youre right, i only know the camry, I apologize if Im wrong- there is a reason Im a camry mod and not an all car mod

Unco · 03-11-2007, 05:09 PM

no worries. i do appreciate the help though. and i'll look up the suggested brands. cheers.

***Eye8Pussies*** · 03-11-2007, 06:19 PM

if you're doing the labor yourself and don't want to spend the money for aftermarket struts, then your stock struts will do fine for quite a while- especially with a 1" drop

if you're paying for labor, do it all at once to save money in the future

renmike · 03-11-2007, 06:28 PM

I've heard of 'lowering shocks'. It was when I was into modding pickups. I didn't know they had similar applications for struts, but I guess it makes sense. Most people on here have ran a couple of brands of struts with lowered springs, I think the sticky at the top of the general discussion section mentions them. But I would agree with above, if you're only dropping around 1" I can see the stock struts being okay. Hell, my rear springs were way worn out and I was riding smooth on oem struts, I didn't have to compress the springs when I took the strut apart, lol.