Camry Shocks / Struts

[aa2033]

So my 99 camry with 125k needs it's shock mounts, shocks, and struts replaced. on all 4 sides. sigh.

here are my estimates so far

full OEM replacement: 1400$ WITHOUT labor.
full eibach replacement: 1600$ WITH labor.

sooo. i'm looking for cheaper alternatives.
i was told to go with the kits that have the mounts,struts, and shocks all already put together, because it's cheaper labor wise than buying them all separate and having to have the installer put them together.

there are no-name aftermarket brands on ebay that sell the front for 400, and the back for..200 or 300, i forgot now. so that's going to be cheaper by far.

does anyone recommend a brand, or alternatives? any and all advice is welcome.
thanks!

[bdy0003]

It depends what you want in your suspension, whether you want OEM, lowered, stiffer...

I replaced my shocks a few weeks ago, got some KYB GR-2s for 260 from ebay for all fours. I did not replace any of the lower insulators seeing that they are just the rubber layer between the spring and the shocks. Bump stops dont need replacing, replaced the back insulators (30) seeing that they were torn up, reused strut mounts and bearings. I had 25 year old grease for the bearings that worked just fine, no problems. All in all, I spent 300 for this project not including tools, cleaners blah blah blah.

Its alot cheaper when you do it yourself. Just make sure your hub is back into your axle ,bolts are all torqued, AND use spring compressors.

Originally Posted by aa2033

So my 99 camry with 125k needs it's shock mounts, shocks, and struts replaced. on all 4 sides. sigh.

here are my estimates so far

full OEM replacement: 1400$ WITHOUT labor.
full eibach replacement: 1600$ WITH labor.

sooo. i'm looking for cheaper alternatives.
i was told to go with the kits that have the mounts,struts, and shocks all already put together, because it's cheaper labor wise than buying them all separate and having to have the installer put them together.

there are no-name aftermarket brands on ebay that sell the front for 400, and the back for..200 or 300, i forgot now. so that's going to be cheaper by far.

does anyone recommend a brand, or alternatives? any and all advice is welcome.
thanks!

[haux]

My Tokico struts were about $400 I think. Eibach springs were $200, and I believe the KYB mounts were another $200 or so. I got my struts/springs from shox.com, and rockauto.com has good prices on mounts.

You might also need new front boots if yours are torn (rear mounts come with boots, fronts don't). I bought OEM ones because of the combined seat/boot design. Someone on this forum recommended I do that. Good prices on OEM parts: 1sttoyotaparts.com, toyotapartsoutlet.com. You'll need part numbers, which you can get from toyotapartszone.com.

[aa2033]

Originally Posted by bdy0003

It depends what you want in your suspension, whether you want OEM, lowered, stiffer...

I replaced my shocks a few weeks ago, got some KYB GR-2s for 260 from ebay for all fours. I did not replace any of the lower insulators seeing that they are just the rubber layer between the spring and the shocks. Bump stops dont need replacing, replaced the back insulators (30) seeing that they were torn up, reused strut mounts and bearings. I had 25 year old grease for the bearings that worked just fine, no problems. All in all, I spent 300 for this project not including tools, cleaners blah blah blah.

Its alot cheaper when you do it yourself. Just make sure your hub is back into your axle ,bolts are all torqued, AND use spring compressors.

i wish i could do it myself, but i don't have the tools or equipment to do this kind of job on my own.

[aa2033]

Originally Posted by haux

My Tokico struts were about $400 I think. Eibach springs were $200, and I believe the KYB mounts were another $200 or so. I got my struts/springs from shox.com, and rockauto.com has good prices on mounts.

You might also need new front boots if yours are torn (rear mounts come with boots, fronts don't). I bought OEM ones because of the combined seat/boot design. Someone on this forum recommended I do that. Good prices on OEM parts: 1sttoyotaparts.com, toyotapartsoutlet.com. You'll need part numbers, which you can get from toyotapartszone.com.

i'll check out these websites, thank you, appreciate it.

[Mike Gerber]

"i was told to go with the kits that have the mounts,struts, and shocks all already put together"

They are talking about the Monroe Quik Struts, which is a good alternative for an everyday driver, IMHO. They will be just a bit stiffer than Toyota OEM. On the 97-99 cars it is a must to replace the upper strut mounts when replacing struts, since they are a know problem area on these cars. Toyota redesigned the mounts twice after the problems with these year cars. Whoever recommended replacing the upper strut mounts knows what they are doing, and that also makes the Monroe Quik Struts a good choice.

Mike

[bdy0003]

Maybe you would consider buying your components from a cheaper place and then hiring a mechanic to install them for you. They most likely will not find the best price for you, just the most convenient for them. Just a suggestion.

But yes, it is better to replace everything. I hear the Monroes are OEM and the quickstruts would go a lot faster in terms of installation. I recommend them if you dont want to do anything fancy to your car.

Originally Posted by aa2033

i wish i could do it myself, but i don't have the tools or equipment to do this kind of job on my own.

[haux]

^

Yes, unless it was an emergency repair situation, I would never let them use their own parts. They'll overcharge, and often use crappy brands.

Buy everything yourself and just pay them for labor.

[Mike Gerber]

The downside to bringing your own parts is if one of the parts turns out to be defective. You will pay double the labor to have that part replaced again. If the shop supplies the parts, the labor to replace a defective part is their responsibility. Just something to think about.

Mike

[Cartang]

Tokico + eibach

[LynchburgCSI]

tokico + H&R!!!

see my ad below if you want midly used, OP.