Installed sway bars struts and springs ?

[badaboom]

So today I installed white line sway bars front and rear, new Tokico gas struts front and rear and Eibach pro spring kit 1"drop front and rear springs.
1999 camry LE Auto

Everything installed fairly straight forward.
Then the test drive generally everyting is doing well.
Although certain bumps I get a decent thud sound from the rear.
Haven't yet determined what is the cause.
Took a look over everything - appears tight and intact.

Thoughts / ideas / pointers?

[Mister_Perkins]

if everything is tight, I would suspect Strut Bushings if you re-used your old ones



These are something that commonly make noise.

You could try to make sure that the nut on the top of your struts are tight as well. sometimes if the nut isn't fully tight there will be a gap and it will make a thud noise as well

[badaboom]

Appreciate the pointers.
After further review the 1" spring lowering in the rear it appears the rear struts need one inch spacers to resolve the problem. This gap with the spring and strut tower is causing the thud noise to the rear.
Don't really want to buy another set of 1" lower struts.
So it seems that the spacers are the best resolution.
We will see.

[bigbird]

with a 1" drop you shoudl have no rubbing issues unless ya got a weird offset or really wide wheels.

99% of the time, sound comming from a post spring/strut install is from not replacing strut mounts. did you replace them?

[ONE_to_HATE]

- mounts mounts mounts mounts!

.. and make sure that the spring is properly seated and copious amounts of lithium grease on the fsb/rsb bushings.

good luck!

[badaboom]

Welcome to my NIGHTMARE
Purchased springs used. Seller stated -
I have an old set of Eibach lowering springs that I used on my 99 Camry.
Used for no less than 10k miles and it was only a daily driver.
These were previously on the corresponding generation Solara
(I think gen 1?) before being moved to my Camry.

Contacted local parts stores.
My application no such things as spacers for this applciation
probably WRONG REAR SPRINGS.

SO -
contacted Eibach support
They stated the front springs between the Gen1 Solara and the 1999 Camry
are the same common spring but the rear are NOT interchangeable
and are unique to the application.

Probably wrong rear springs

[tinman831]

Hey B. I sent you an email about the springs. The springs are interchangeable between Solara and Camry. Other members have already reported using them without issues.

Gen1 Solara Eibach on Gen4.5 camry?

As far as the 1" gap. Are you saying that the top of the spring is not touching the bottom of the suspension support? Are you saying the spring is sitting loose on the shock?

And as far as the thud, are you bottoming out or is this another type of thud noise? Let me know, we'll work something out.

[badaboom]

Appreciate the reply suspension installation investigator -

Latest TV show SII

Eibach stated the rear springs are not interchangeable – Correct.
The rear springs you provided are 8258.002 this is for a Solara 99-03.
I just now was able to visually inspect the springs you sent me
Currently installed on my 1999 Camry and that is the part number 8258.002

Per Eibach correct spring number is 8249.002 for the 1999 Toyota Camry.

Per original link item on TN
FS: Eibach Pro-Kit for 99-01 Solara
part number (8258.140). Is a kit for a Solara 1999- 2002
The rear springs are not interchangeable.

Also referenced per the linked item the 1.6 drop might be for the Solara but its 1.2 for the camry possibly

______________

Per Eibach the load in the rear springs are different
And in a modified suspension application the 8258.002
the rear spring may work.

But not for a standard suspension upgrade.

I have traveled many paths today.
__________________

Appreciate the follow up

[tinman831]

As far as compatibility is concerned. Other members have reported using the Eibachs interchangeably without problems

Gen1 Solara Eibach on Gen4.5 camry?

After talking with badaboom, he states that he's been hearing a thud every now and then when going over certain bumps. I wonder if this is an issue with bottoming out?

His concern also is that the rear springs did not need to be compressed when being installed onto the Tokico shocks. I can't remember when I put these on my car, did anyone else who installed these need a spring compressor or no?

badaboom seems to think that the spring may too short and causing the thud during rebounding and the spring is too short and thus clunking around when the shock returns to normal. Anyone have any insight?

[bigbird]

they are interchangable, the only issues anyone has is when they mix up 4cyl and 6cyl spruings. i didnt have to compress the springs on my tokicos either, in the rear and i only had a .8" drop with the Teins H-techs. bottoming out with the eibachs avalible for our cars is next to impossible. you will hit the bump stops before hitting the ground. we NEED the fallowing information from you to confirm your issues:

1. Did you buy and install new strut mounts?

2. How low is the rear? is the drop uneven by a large amount?

you claim of wrong rear springs is a first unless your seller had them wrong and didnt tell ya. to varify this, look up the seller's information and look into any posts he may have made with pics of the car WITH the springs. if the drop is fine there...the springs are not the issue.

[tinman831]

Originally Posted by bigbird

they are interchangable, the only issues anyone has is when they mix up 4cyl and 6cyl spruings.

Eibach doesn't differenciate the part numbers between 4vs6 cylinder engines. For whatever it's worth the springs were installed on my 4 cylinder and the Solara that they were in previously was a 4 too.

Originally Posted by bigbird

i didnt have to compress the springs on my tokicos either, in the rear and i only had a .8" drop with the Teins H-techs.

So not having to compress the springs in the rear is normal then?

Originally Posted by bigbird

bottoming out with the eibachs avalible for our cars is next to impossible. you will hit the bump stops before hitting the ground. we NEED the fallowing information from you to confirm your issues:

Maybe my terminology was bad. I assumed bottoming out meant hitting the bump stops. I figured hitting the bump stops may have been causing the thuds badaboom was experiencing.

Originally Posted by bigbird

1. Did you buy and install new strut mounts?

badaboom states that he did not use the new ones that came with the Tokicos he installed. He used the OEM ones.

Originally Posted by bigbird

2. How low is the rear? is the drop uneven by a large amount?

badaboom can answer this one.

Originally Posted by bigbird

you claim of wrong rear springs is a first unless your seller had them wrong and didnt tell ya. to varify this, look up the seller's information and look into any posts he may have made with pics of the car WITH the springs. if the drop is fine there...the springs are not the issue.

I am the seller. badaboom is the buyer. I'm just trying to clear up some issues that he had brought up in this thread. I never bothered to take any pictures of my car with the springs installed. I had the exact same setup that badaboom did... these Eibach springs on Tokico's. badaboom states that there is a gap between the top of the spring and the suspension support whenever the car bounces (he had a couple friends bounce the rear and another person stated they saw a 1inch gap form when the car bounced. I believe another member here posted a similar situation with some different lowering springs but never followed up as to the cause or solution to his problem.

[bigbird]

thanks for the clarification, but these are anwsers, like ya said, we need from him. issues like these are unherd of for the most part and if you didnt have any issues, then it is either installation or lack of new strut mounts. the latter being the cause of issues most of the time. if teh spring was shifting, he would likely feel a lot more then just some thumping over certain bumps.

thats good to know about the Eibachs and the 4/6cyl issue, that rules that out.

most of teh time "bottoming out" is considered interaction with the ground. if your hitting the bump stops, then ive just herd it that way.

i didnt have to compress my springs, the rears went on without any issue and if i were to lift the rear wheels off the ground, a gap between the top of the strut and the mount would be present. but when the car was on the ground, id have to get the car airborn to get the spring to seperate from the strut. did you have any issues like this?

the reason im so presistant on this is because i had the SAME issues, and strut mounts were my cause. that doesnt mean there isnt anything else wrong, but, especially on the gen4, no strut/speing swap should be done without new mounts.

[KiDGiB]

Did you shorten the bump stops? I know that spare tire compartment sticksout, since i hit that a bit when im coming out of a driveway. My suggestion would be to go slow over the speed bump and go a little bit at an angle, not straight on.

[badaboom]

Did you buy and install new strut mounts?

No new strut mounts - Original factory strut mounts Please describe to me strut mounts.

How low is the rear? is the drop uneven by a large amount?

Rear lowered 1” maybe a tad more from stock
Front ride appears at stock height or maybe a tad higher than stock Toyota spring - no real lowering noticeable in the front

you claim of wrong rear springs is a first unless your seller had them wrong and didn’t tell ya. to verify this, look up the seller's information and look into any posts he may have made with pics of the car WITH the springs. if the drop is fine there...the springs are not the issue.

Here is the link provided by tinman831 to me regarding the kit
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=243386&highlight=solara+springs+o n+camry

read the thread from the original spring kit
(8258.140). This is for a 99-01 Toyota Solara but should fit a 97-01 ES300 and Camry V6 also (Chassis code: MCV20). It lowers the car 1.6" front and rear.

BIGBIRD
the only issues anyone has is when they mix up 4cyl and 6cyl springs.

This would put a curve in bigbirds theory about 4 and 6 cylinder models spring kit.


I again reiterate the statement from Eibach I note above: that the front spring is interchangeable but the rear springs are NOT.

Check over the part numbers and you will understand.
Eibach stated the rear springs are not interchangeable – Correct.
The rear springs you provided are 8258.002 this is for a Solara 99-03.
I just now was able to visually inspect the springs you sent me
Currently installed on my 1999 Camry and that is the part number 8258.002

Per Eibach correct spring number is 8249.002 for the 1999 Toyota Camry.


It was never stated by Eibach that new strut mounts are required.

New Tokico struts do not come with strut mounts.
The preload between the two rear springs for the camry and the solara
are completely different. (Per Eibach)

Its not that it’s bottoming out it’s under load compression and release that a gap is recognized during spring load and unload conditions that a gap is occurring in the loaded strut tower under driving conditions causing a thud from the rear suspension.

If I get a person or two and have them push up and down on the rear of the vehicle while parked The condition is recreated and was validated during load and unload of the rear suspension compression/de-compression - release. The same noise was created that occured during test driving conditions. During visual inspection of the spring compression/de-compression and release a noticeable 1” gap is occurring with the spring and strut during this load and unload of the rear suspension -function.

[badaboom]

If you check the Eibach site
and the link above referring to the kit there is confusion on the lowering of 1.6 or 1.2

The seller also notes that the kit is for a for a 99-01 Toyota Solara.
The kit per the Eibach site is for Solara 1999 - 2003 and would have the 1.6" drop for that application.

The correct kit for the 1996 - 2001 carmy will provide for a 1.2" inch drop.

Eibach stated the rear springs are not interchangeable – Correct.
The rear springs you provided are 8258.002 this is for a Solara 99-03.
I just now was able to visually inspect the springs you sent me
Currently installed on my 1999 Camry and that is the part number 8258.002

Per Eibach correct spring number is 8249.002 for the 1999 Toyota Camry.

Eibach -

the rear springs have different preload and capacities and are not interchangeable

Also Strut Bushings ??

Side notes:
Are only on the front struts utilized for turning.
I'm writing and working with rear struts and springs.