FYI: Strut/spring assembly diagrams, different configurations - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

DarkMastyr · 08-28-2008, 09:27 PM

I recently swapped out my Hotbits coilovers for some Tokico/H&R's for daily driving. Suspensions obviously pop up quite a bit around here and a while back I managed to grab one diagram online that simply didn't match what I had on my car. So I managed to get a printout from the dealer as to how my car looks and there are some significant differences, especially in the way the top mount is configured. My suspension corresponds to what you'll find in (B) and doesn't contain a strut mount bearing or an upper spring seat because the upper spring seat+bearing+boot are integrated into one unit, but most of the replacement parts you find online are for (A). This can get really messy if you start ordering parts for the wrong setup. I've provided both diagrams here for future reference.

Exhibit A.

Exhibit B.

cykaaro · 08-28-2008, 10:27 PM

Thanks! Diagrams like this are always great to have as a reference. I'll be having to do my struts probably next year so will definitely come in handy!

MyFreeCamry · 08-29-2008, 11:12 AM

I am assuming that diagrm a is for 1993-94 and diagram b is for 95 and up? I read somewhere that there was a year split causing the different parts. Somebody fill me in, this could be the reason from my strut/spring issue.

DarkMastyr · 08-29-2008, 11:32 AM

I don't think this is a split between Gen3 and Gen3.5. My setup was (B) and I've got a '94 (Gen3), although at some point there was a change from sealed to non-sealed struts and there's probably a diagram for that as well.

MyFreeCamry · 08-29-2008, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkMastyr

I don't think this is a split between Gen3 and Gen3.5. My setup was (B) and I've got a '94 (Gen3), although at some point there was a change from sealed to non-sealed struts and there's probably a diagram for that as well.

Hmmm... then that should me that since I have a 92, that my setup should be the same. In that case when I replaced my struts and springs I got setup A. Maybe thats my problem.

jaybur_racing · 08-29-2008, 12:41 PM

i recently got a good deal on some front struts out of a 96. they bolted right up in my 94 HOWEVER, the car was hardly driveable, not sure if the suspension design is a little different or something, but I had to put my old struts back in after driving around the block. Not sure why they'd make them able to be bolted right in if something is different.

I paid $50 for both from top mount to the ball joint including the wheel bearings. the price was a steal, but not really considering it didn't work.
they are now in a scrap metal bin. (I know should have kept them and re-sold them, but I had NO room for them.

DarkMastyr · 08-29-2008, 05:58 PM

What do you mean by hardly driveable? A lot of rattling? Popping? Car was dumped? Way too rough? Could've been a blown strut or worn mount.

jaybur_racing · 08-29-2008, 10:47 PM

struts had 75k on them. and the front end of my car sat higher, the wheels were fighting each other, and any smooth surface the tire touched, it would squeal like a pig (like the white lines on the road).

something was obviously not right. And I have worked on many cars, and many much more difficult projects, so it wasn't something I did wrong.

DarkMastyr · 08-30-2008, 01:01 AM

Well if you had the V6 assembly and yours is an I4, it would sit higher due to different springs, or it might sit higher if your original suspension has blown struts. As for wheels "fighting" each other, I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but it's probably due to a misalignment of the components (seats not sitting properly, etc.). No idea why it would squeal like a pig, unless again there was a misalignment issue with the components that caused your tires to rub against the suspension. Regardless it sounds like you got a set that were a bit worn out and needed to be reassembled properly.

jaybur_racing · 08-30-2008, 09:44 AM

reassembled properly? so toyota assembled them wrong? I unbolted them from the parts car and bolted them into my car. If I managed to mess up fastening 3 nuts on the strut tower, and 2 nuts and a bolt on the ball joint and 1 nut on the tie rod, then I give up working on cars.

it was a complete assembly from the upper spring seat, to the lower ball joint. (the strut was bolted to the spindle).

there was no engine in the car, but the guy said that it was a 4cylinder model.

the tires were NOT rubbing on the suspension parts, never said that.

the wheels appeared to have negative camber, and a bit toed in towards each other (explaining the tires squeeling).

its possible an alignment would have solved it, but if thats the case why did his tires look normal? If you could even deal with driving it as I mentioned, you'd have junk tires in a few days.

everything APPEARED to look the same, but I did not measure anything while it was sitting in the car, had no extra time that day.

is it possible the strut was damaged, possible that the car was in an accident? sure. but it did not appear to have been. (fenders and hood were straight as an arrow).

maybe its the spindle? as I said I swapped everything over. and everything appeared the same, but maybe there was a slight difference.

also when I looked up struts on a parts website yesterday, the cut off is 92-94. why would they say the cut off is 94, if it would work in a 96? Has to be something different about it.

xtremeskier97 · 08-30-2008, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaybur_racing

reassembled properly? so toyota assembled them wrong? I unbolted them from the parts car and bolted them into my car. If I managed to mess up fastening 3 nuts on the strut tower, and 2 nuts and a bolt on the ball joint and 1 nut on the tie rod, then I give up working on cars....

Or maybe the parts car you got them off of didnt have the original strut assembly on them, and therefore wouldnt have been assembled wrong by Toyota, but by some other company?

camry314 · 08-30-2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyFreeCamry

I am assuming that diagrm a is for 1993-94 and diagram b is for 95 and up? I read somewhere that there was a year split causing the different parts. Somebody fill me in, this could be the reason from my strut/spring issue.

Actually the diagram A is for the 95-96 model with sealed struts and diagram B is for 92-94 models with servicable struts.

I just did my suspension swap last weekend from the servicable to the sealed. It really wasnt that hard.

The parts that one will need to do the swap is strut, lower rubber spring isolator, spring, 95-96 upper spring isolator/dust boot(its one piece), 95-96 upper spring seat, 95-96 bearing, 95-96 upper mount.

I hope this helps someone.

DarkMastyr · 08-30-2008, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtremeskier97

Or maybe the parts car you got them off of didnt have the original strut assembly on them, and therefore wouldnt have been assembled wrong by Toyota, but by some other company?

Not necessarily assembled wrong to begin with, but who knows, after 75k miles, a really nasty bump or curb could have knocked something loose and out of whack.

Quote:

Originally Posted by camry314

Actually the diagram A is for the 95-96 model with sealed struts and diagram B is for 92-94 models with servicable struts.

And I've got diagram (B) with non-serviceable (sealed) struts, so that doesn't hold for all cars.

camry314 · 08-30-2008, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkMastyr

And I've got diagram (B) with non-serviceable (sealed) struts, so that doesn't hold for all cars.

I dont know how you have sealed struts with the servicable upper mounts. Its impossible(I am not saying your lying). I tried to make it work on mine and its a no go because, the bearing for the servicable struts are in the lower spring seats and with the sealed struts the bearing is in the top in between the upper spring seat and the top mount.

Now maybe the prior owner may have swaped over to the sealed struts. Thats possible.

jaybur_racing · 08-30-2008, 07:09 PM

the parts were not assembled wrong. I would say its more likely the guy hit a curb, and damaged something, if thats the case it wasn't noticeable to me, but that doesn't mean something wasn't wrong.

the guy had them in his car, and they were not shiny new, and he was driving the car before he parted it out, so why would they work for him fine, but not for me? Well, like I said probably smoked a curb, he never said anything (why would he) and he sold them very cheap, so maybe he knew they were F'ed up.

I am not saying you CAN'T swap them, just saying that my experience was not good. and cost me some money I could have saved.

I am a honda guy, I know what fits with hondas. this is my first toyota car (have a 4runner too),.so I apologize if I don't know the exact swappabilites for camry parts! I was basing it on my personal experience.

forgive me?