Redoing my suspension. Making a list and checking it... well, more than twice.

[Goodfello]

Well, I just bought a new (to me anyway) 1996 Camry DX 4 Cyl a few months ago. It has 193k miles on it and the suspension is, in technical terms, kaput.

Now, I'm going to be replacing it myself and have just finished getting all the tools that I will need. So, my next step is to actually get around to ordering the actual parts. This is my daily driver, so I need to get all my ducks in a row beforehand to get this done at one time, so I don't end up with a one and a half ton paperweight while I wait for more parts.

BUT... as per usual, I have a few questions and would greatly appreciate any advice I can get (and BOY do I need it.)

My current to buy list is as follows:

4 Struts - KYB or Tokico (Though I'm leaning toward the Tokico Blues)
4 Strut Mounts - KYB (2 Front SM5174, 2 Rear SM5133)
4 Strut Boots - KYB (All SB101)

Now, since the car does have 193k miles on it, I was thinking I should just suck it up and replace these parts too, but since I can't check them without taking the struts apart, I want to ask if these parts tend to need replacing or not, because if they don't, I would have the $150 that I would have spent on them to put toward something else. New springs, perhaps?

4 Lower Coil Spring Isolators - Monroe (2 Front, 2 Rear)
2 Upper Coil Spring Seat and Isolators - Monroe (2 Front)
2 Upper Coil Spring Isolator - Monroe (2 Rear) (The only pictures of this that I can find make it look like a strut boot with a funky top. )

Now, I haven't been able to find the upper coil spring seats for the rear struts, but I believe I remember reading in another thread here that those come with, or are a part of, the rear strut mounts, please correct me if I'm wrong.

If there is anything that is missing from my list that should be there please, oh please, let me know so I can get this job done right.

Beyond my shopping list, I was wondering if brand mattered for the strut mounts, strut boots, and the coil spring seats and isolators. I would like to know this for two reasons.

The first is that I can only find the upper spring seats and isolators by Monroe, I can find the front lower isolators by KYB, Spicer, and MOOG, but not the uppers or the seats.

The second is because I can get some no name OEM replacement strut mounts through ebay for about half the price of the KYB mounts. Though I prefer to pay extra if the quality warrants it.

That's about all I can think of at the moment. **Looks up at rest of post** Whoa, that's a lot of stuff I've asked, but I've been lurking through Toyota forums for a couple of months and this one seems to be the one with the people that know what they're doing.

Thanks in advance for your help,

Goodfello

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I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.

Hunter S. Thompson

[Venom_5]

maybe i missed it, but what springs are you getting?

[Goodfello]

Actually, I didn't mention springs at all. Right now I'm on the fence about replacing them. I would like too, but the price tag on replacing a suspension the right way is pretty steep and I don't think that they are completely gone yet.

I currently am looking into some cheap Eibachs that a guy bought and never got around putting into his 4cyl 95 Camry, but if that falls through, I will probably wait to replace them until a few months down the road.

If it is heavily recommended to immediately replace my current springs now, then I figure I'll try the Tokico Kit that comes with struts and springs. I found them for about $440 shipped at RMS Distributing Online.

http://www.rms-usa.com/ProductDetail...PK355&CartID=1

Anybody ever heard of them or done business with them?


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I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.

Hunter S. Thompson

[camry man68]

the tokico hpk's are great, im getting them really soon

[Sniperdude]

I have a setup right now with KYB GR2s all around, stock springs, with a TRD RSB in the rear with new endlinks and the car handles quite well. I need new wheel bearings though, so I can't be a complete ass and drift with it... then again, I've learned that you shouldn't do such things with a Camry.

[Venom_5]

if youre not going to replace the springs, dont do anything....

its not worth it to put on shitty springs and have brand new everything else - at least get new OEM springs

[Sniperdude]

I'll be putting KSports on when I can afford them.

[BlueFusion6851]

I got new struts and my car went from handling like shit and bouncing everywhere to being very buttoned down. I'm still running original springs BTW. The Technician at St.Cloud Toyota said that they were fine.

[Goodfello]

So, back to one of my original questions. Do the coil spring seats and isolators need replacing after 11 years, or are they pretty much good unless something corrosive gets on them? I live in Southern Oregon and the car has spent its entire life in the area. It tends to rain instead of snow here, so the roads are not salted or treated with anything that can cause severe corrosion like some places in the Eastern US.


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I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.

Hunter S. Thompson

[lordstarwind]

if aftermarket suspention is your ultimate goal and it fits into the budget, (its the top thing on my list to get eather before or after a laptop, duno if i wanna keep goin to the public libary to use the comps... ) then i say you go for it and do it like the pros, if you want a low ride, make sure you get the adjustable coilovers so you can decide which rideheight is best for you and your driving style and once you have that your golden. (mines got 17'' rims on it and itlooks like crap so i gotta get somethin to lower it if even just a little, and the fact that the struts are basicly going out i think its fine to save up for some aftermarket ones, apparently there are a set of the KSports and the Tokico blue's for sale on the classifieds section... they seem like great deals, look into it.)

-LSW

[camry man68]

Originally Posted by Goodfello

So, back to one of my original questions. Do the coil spring seats and isolators need replacing after 11 years, or are they pretty much good unless something corrosive gets on them? I live in Southern Oregon and the car has spent its entire life in the area. It tends to rain instead of snow here, so the roads are not salted or treated with anything that can cause severe corrosion like some places in the Eastern US.

11 years is a long time for a vehicle, especially if its a daily driver, i'd replace them

[Sniperdude]

My car is a 96 and I reused all the spring seats. They were all good, and we have winters and all that happy shit over here. The only thing you might need are boots, but it depends. My rears were completely obliterated but the fronts were fine.

[geoff5093]

Originally Posted by Venom_5

if youre not going to replace the springs, dont do anything....

its not worth it to put on shitty springs and have brand new everything else - at least get new OEM springs

I agree. Even if the springs are still ok for now, it would be pretty pointless to do all that labor, only to have to re-do it to install new springs later down the line.

[DAMON]

personally I dont feel like you will ever need to replace the oem springs during the time the car will be actually running... springs dont really tend to just wear out IMO. However, if youre going to install nicer struts, you might as well install some quality lowering springs... unless you dont care about modifying the car at all, then it makes sense just to do struts.

[EL SUPREMO]

Originally Posted by Sniperdude

I'll be putting KSports on when I can afford them.

i might have some "affordable" ksports for you pretty soon, if i can find a cheap tokico strut/spring set up online. RMS looks the best deal so far. my ksports fit 97-01 i think, let me kno.

ill post them in the sale section when i get them off the car.