Strut drop?

[Sniperdude]

Okay, so I just got done changing the rear struts today. I had a stuck bolt that took 2 hours to come off...

Anyway, the drop is seriously significant. I dunno if it's like placebo effect stuff or something, but I noticed that changing the stock Toyota struts in the rear with KYB GR-2s looks a lot lower than it used to be.

I am using stock springs still. I'll try and take a picture tommorow, but let me know what you guys think of the issue.

[-=]KaiN[=-]

unless the strut shaft is shorter than the factory strut keeping the stock spring compressed more than it normally would be. I've never heard of a strut changing ride height since all the weight of the car is supported by the springs.

[Sniperdude]

Maybe I have just too much crap in my trunk. I have another set of fenders and a impact bar in the rear seat. Also, there's a lot in the trunk as well.

[-=]KaiN[=-]

weight will definitely sink the camrys, just my two kids in the back of my wifes car sinks it pretty low, pull everything out of the trunk and seats and see if it sits with the correct ride height.

[moocow]

I have like a 70 to 80 pound subwoofer + box in my trunk over the past 3 years, I haven't noticed much drop in the rear at all, and the two rear struts are stock from the day we got the vehicle. Only the front struts were changed.

[bigbird]

i actually had the oppisite effect when i installed tokicos on my gen3. it actually raised eh car about a quarter inch. couldnt tell ya why.

[EvoFire]

I think replacing struts would actually raise the car instead of dropping it?

[Sniperdude]

Well, there was like a ton of shit in the car while the car was dormant in the garage for like three years. I'm thinking that the springs were relaxed over this time, and made them a lot looser, so the body comes real close to the tire.

[EvoFire]

wow.... free drop lol

[Sniperdude]

I will take a pic tommorow. I can seriously fit like two fingers in and that's it.

[ONE_to_HATE]

your springs are prolly sagging already from the age and the "dormant" stage also had a great effect on the springs weakening. My camry before I had done suspension work, it'd look like a tractor after a full tank- but it'd look like a hotrod if im on empty. LOL. So I did an overhaul.

[Sniperdude]

Well, it's really funny because the front is high, and the end is low, so it looks like some crazy mod or something.

[EvoFire]

You haven't seen weird.... Last time I went BBQ with friends at the beach. We managed to fit EVERYTHING in my trunk(yeah our trunks are HUGE), grill, coal, food, cooler, everything. Then sit a full car of people. I dropped like 3 inches on the back and I was like.... wow.... my car looks hot LOL. Then the front was dropped only around an inch.... this looks weird....

[Sniperdude]

Okay on Sunday, we started a little late and were only able to do the front left strut, and we left the stock one on the right side.

Now, when I accelerate now, I get a real heavy noise when I accelerate. It sounds like a much louder acceleration, but it didn't do that before the left front strut was put on.

I'm thinking that the car is leaning on the right strut that is older and putting more pressure on the right hand axle and making the transmission work harder, because when I hit the gas in neutral, no noise. When I engage the transmission, it makes that heavy noise.

What do you guys think? Will it go away after I change the right one?

[Venom_5]

i think u shouldnt change struts unless you do them all at one time .... it can make for severely uneven wear

however, theres no telling if you messed up an axle/joint/boot when you were working down there ... but i doubt the noise is from the fact that the car is sitting uneven