What gen is 2001, plus suspension questions

[mlbex]

I have a 2001 Camry, V6 auto. Is it Gen4, Gen5 or something else? It has 40K miles on it.

I'm getting heaps of apparently conflicting information about my suspension.

First: I've read about people using Tokico Blue struts. All I can find for my car on any site that sells Tokico is Gray (#GRnnn). How do I find (can I fit) Tokico Blues on my car, and if so, where do I get them? And how are they better/different from grays? Should I replace any mounting hardware or other parts when I change struts.

Second: I've seen posts that indicate that (at least some) Camrys come stock with sway bars, but I can't see one on mine. I looked at the rear -- no sway bar. Do they look like other sway bars? If not, what do they look like. Does Toyota make one? (I know about Whiteline; I'm looking for stock or alternatives). Are they standard, optional, non-existent on stock Camrys?

Third: I had a dealer put on TRD springs without changing the struts -- a $500 mistake because now I seem to need struts. The car is WAAAY too reactive in front, although it cured the 'floating' that caused me to do all this in the first place. Does anyone share my observation about TRD -- that they'll happily sell you a part, but they make no observations about whether it is appropriate. Also, it was the only suspension part they had listed for my car.

So I'm thinking, keep the TRD springs (they're Eibach, according to other posts), put on the best Tokico shocks I can find, and (maybe) get a rear swaybar. I'm hoping it still feels like a Camry (not too stiff), but will have better control/cornering.

How much should a Whiteline rear sway bar cost me? Do you have to R&R the struts, or can it simply be bolted on later?

Sorry, lots of questions. Thanks for any help you can give me.

[89SV21]

1. Your car is a gen 4.5, gen 4 camry's are 97-01 and because you have the last model year of that body type its a 4.5. They updated the grille and tailights slightly before the gen 5 came out in 2002.

2. Not all camry's come stock with sway bars. Unless they changed the design of the rear sway bar since the gen 2 then it should look like any other sway bar. Being that your car is a v6 its pretty suprising that it didn't come with a rear sway bar but then again toyota does like to cost cut. I'm not a gen4 expert so i'm not sure which models came with the rear sway bar. You can always check tap auto recycling to see if they have any crashed gen4's with rear sway bars for sale.

3. As for struts, i've got kyb gr-2's on my car and it gives it a real nice even ride. If you get the new struts you'll have to take your old struts apart, take the springs off, put them on your new struts and then put the suspension all back together.

Hope this gives you some new info and not more confusion

[89SV21]

Oh forgot to tell ya that you can just bolt on the rear sway bar w/o taking off the struts. on the gen 2 you have to take off the wheels, drop the gas tank, and take off the rear section of the exhaust to get enough clearance for the bar to snake its way in. It's definitely worth the hassle and makes the car corner much flatter. I just put the stock gen 2 bar on mine cause it didn't come with one either. I hope that's what you wanted to know.

[mlbex]

So does my car use Gen4 parts (other than the body trim that they changed on the last year)?

[89SV21]

yes sir, your car is identical to other gen4's except for its new grille and tailights. you can use any suspension parts from 97-01.

[augcam]

alot of people seem to like the tokico/ h&r spring set up. ive got an 01, and mine is a CE so im pretty sure it didnt come w/ a sway bar. let me know how your set up works out, cause i still need some shocks and a sway bar. do you have rims, other mods?

[mlbex]

I have the TRD springs -- I think they're really by Eibach (according to another post). I'm considering the Tokico shocks
and (possibly) a rear sway bar.

I have the stock alloy rims, and no other mods.

[BLUEMEANIE]

Get the Whiteline rsb, its well worth it and the Tokicos are as well.
ctmotorsport.com has everything you're looking for. Its run by a forum member and he knows his shit.