Suspension Trouble, need help QUICK.

[Chris Crash]

Alright, so my Tokico Blues and my H&R springs arrived so tonight I put the fronts on.

After doing so, I took it for a ride and noticed when steering there is a loud pop and you can feel it through the steering wheel and the whole car.

I removed the wheels. Made sure everything was torqued and looked legit, and put them back on for another test drive. It got better, but was still noticeable. I removed the tires and ran the car with it on jackstands, and while turning it made no noises.

Then with the tires back on the ground, it started making the same noise again. After looking in between the wheel and the fender while it was being turned right and left, I noticed that the spring itself was kind of slipping in the strut.

I took a very, very crappy video, but if you concentrate on the white writing on the red springs, you'll notice the slippage. It makes an audible pop near the end, as well.

Here's a picture of how it was all setup, in case I did it wrong:



I am gonna try to fix it tomorrow, though I was planning on working on the engine I just pulled earlier today...

But I need to be able to drive this thing on Sunday 150 miles on the highway.
Here's the video, don't know how to embed it sorry:

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/2752/file26738.mp4

[projektvertx]

That spring doesn't look like it's well seated at the top, that piece of rubber should be much thicker than that. And also, is it just me or are you missing a metal plate there? Picture of mine for reference, notice how thick that upper spring seat is and the presence of the metal plate between the mount and the spring.

[zppeacock]

Is the spring correctly aligned on the top mount?

[Chris Crash]

Yeah I was reading on the FSM about the metal plate... but mine didn't have a metal plate on the struts that came on the car....

[jtex2717]

maybe your mount nut isnt tight enough....this normally happens when that top nut is loose.

[projektvertx]

Originally Posted by Chris Crash

Yeah I was reading on the FSM about the metal plate... but mine didn't have a metal plate on the struts that came on the car....

It's what the spring insulator should sit on and ultimately what supports the spring up top I dunno if you got to the rears yet, but ultimately it sits flat at the top as well. I believe the metal plate can be purchased seperately from Autozone/Oreilly's. Here it is at advance auto parts.

[N/A Camry Sleeper]

Originally Posted by Chris Crash

Alright, so my Tokico Blues and my H&R springs arrived so tonight I put the fronts on.

After doing so, I took it for a ride and noticed when steering there is a loud pop and you can feel it through the steering wheel and the whole car.

I removed the wheels. Made sure everything was torqued and looked legit, and put them back on for another test drive. It got better, but was still noticeable. I removed the tires and ran the car with it on jackstands, and while turning it made no noises.

Then with the tires back on the ground, it started making the same noise again. After looking in between the wheel and the fender while it was being turned right and left, I noticed that the spring itself was kind of slipping in the strut.

I took a very, very crappy video, but if you concentrate on the white writing on the red springs, you'll notice the slippage. It makes an audible pop near the end, as well.


But I need to be able to drive this thing on Sunday 150 miles on the highway.
Here's the video, don't know how to embed it sorry:

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/2752/file26738.mp4

Chris,

I have the same problem with my springs when I did my drop a couple months back but I haven't done anything about it(yet). Have driven almost 3000 miles on them even through the I-40 corridor from TN/NC last month - no problems whatsoever. Mine did make that same popping sound like yours do - and I can't really figure it out either. Doesn't seem to be doing it anymore - to me it seemed like it fixed itself

Sorry I couldn't be more help here - I DID NOT change my strut mounts or struts when I got my springs - waiting on the right time to get some Tokicos myself

Anyway you should be fine with your Sunday Drive IMO...

[JohnGD]

Projektvertx is right. You are missing a few parts there. It's amazing that you've been driving it for all this time!!!!

The spring rotates with the strut, but the mount stays stationary. So you have an upper rubber spring insulator/dust boot, strut bumper, a metal upper spring seat (sometimes called a bearing plate), a strut bearing, then it's the strut mount.

You can only get the metal upper spring seat from the dealer that I know of. While there pick up the upper spring insulator/dust boot. This integrated piece is better than the separate pieces shown in the Monroe picture below. The white conical thing is the strut bumper. It prevents the strut from hammering the spring seat when you hit a bump.

Here is another picture of the complete assembly. When you turn, everything below the upper spring seat rotates together.
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2215666

[jtex2717]

and honestly....I would take that bottom pad off the lower part of the spring....I never put that back on and I have never had a problem w/ my springs....

[Chris Crash]

Originally Posted by jtex2717

maybe your mount nut isnt tight enough....this normally happens when that top nut is loose.

Yep. Triple checked, it's torqued to spec.

Originally Posted by projektvertx

It's what the spring insulator should sit on and ultimately what supports the spring up top I dunno if you got to the rears yet, but ultimately it sits flat at the top as well. I believe the metal plate can be purchased seperately from Autozone/Oreilly's. Here it is at advance auto parts.

Yeah, but all the stores don't have them in stock around me...Could I just get all the metal pieces from a junkyard? I'm thinking that's the best option right now...Because it looks like there's also a metal piece on the bottom too...

Originally Posted by N/A Camry Sleeper

Chris,

I have the same problem with my springs when I did my drop a couple months back but I haven't done anything about it(yet). Have driven almost 3000 miles on them even through the I-40 corridor from TN/NC last month - no problems whatsoever. Mine did make that same popping sound like yours do - and I can't really figure it out either. Doesn't seem to be doing it anymore - to me it seemed like it fixed itself

Sorry I couldn't be more help here - I DID NOT change my strut mounts or struts when I got my springs - waiting on the right time to get some Tokicos myself

Anyway you should be fine with your Sunday Drive IMO...

Glad to see I'm not the only one, haha. Did yours still have the metal pieces/mounts on it? I don't know how great I feel about driving it to be honest...

[jtex2717]

If youre talking about the J-Vin....No I have never seen those metal pieces on any gen 3 or 3.5 Camry...Gen 4 or 4.5.....idk...

[N/A Camry Sleeper]

Originally Posted by Chris Crash

Glad to see I'm not the only one, haha. Did yours still have the metal pieces/mounts on it? I don't know how great I feel about driving it to be honest...

No - Mine came with springs only and no other parts. Should have bought a new strut mount for both fronts, but didn't. When I get the new struts it will all be new parts

Wow - I really did miss a few things on that one, eh?

[projektvertx]

Originally Posted by JohnGD

Projektvertx is right. You are missing a few parts there. It's amazing that you've been driving it for all this time!!!!

The spring rotates with the strut, but the mount stays stationary. So you have an upper rubber spring insulator/dust boot, strut bumper, a metal upper spring seat (sometimes called a bearing plate), a strut bearing, then it's the strut mount.

You can only get the metal upper spring seat from the dealer that I know of. While there pick up the upper spring insulator/dust boot. This integrated piece is better than the separate pieces shown in the Monroe picture below. The white conical thing is the strut bumper. It prevents the strut from hammering the spring seat when you hit a bump.

Here is another picture of the complete assembly. When you turn, everything below the upper spring seat rotates together.
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2215666

Couldn't have said it better myself! I couldn't remember what it was called for the life of me! That picture is great too, wish I had had that when I was buying parts... And yes, the unipiece rubber is infinitely better than the seperate pieces, which is the way all aftermarket stuff comes I believe, including KYB.

Chris, you can go to the junkyard and try your luck, but I would call in at all of your local parts stores or check availibility on their websites before going out there and trying your luck

[JohnGD]

According to the H&R spring part number, this should be a Gen 4 strut assembly.

Originally Posted by jtex2717

If youre talking about the J-Vin....No I have never seen those metal pieces on any gen 3 or 3.5 Camry...Gen 4 or 4.5.....idk...

[Chris Crash]

It's a gen 3. The PN are the same gen 3/gen 4.

I've checked advance near me, they're not available. I'll check autozone and o'reilly before I go to the junkyard...