Gen4 strut assembly?

[vincentfox]

Hi,

1997 Camry LE 2.2L (American). Thinking to replace my own struts, and to keep things simple/quick for me get a complete assembly. Ideally looking for best highway ride quality and not scraping the ground when I put 2 adults in the back. Price is not my #1 priority I want a good set that will last the next 100K miles no problems.

The area over my front struts doesn't look to have a cover piece like I see in some videos. Sort of a dust cover over all the nuts should I expect to have had one? Would an assembly typically include this piece?

Also I browsed RockAuto and under the assemblies I see Monroe, KYB, and a few others. Any recommends here?

Thanks!

[tjdean01]

I'm doing mine right now. I'm actually online figuring out how to pop off the rear panel of a '97 without damaging anything. On RockAuto the Monroe QuickStruts are about $125 each ($500 for all), which is the best price you'll find even if you're a dealer. You'll need Monroe part numbers 171678-171681. I bought mine cheaper on ebay, though. They are not Monroe but are called "Monroe Replacement." I trust the quality because the guy (uss_autoparts) has 23,000 positive feedback and I paid $360 for 4 with free shipping.

[vincentfox]

Hmm, unless I'm reading wrong, there's a rebate going on for Monroe. 4 for the price of 3 after rebate.

So that puts the price closer to your EBay deal. Think I'll stick to RockAuto.

Any pointers to best DIY?

Thanks!

[tjdean01]

Well, I think I'm going to have to take my car in and have someone else do it. You see this sway bar link? The allen wrench stripped the bolt. On both sides. I need to replace them. I'm going to have to cut them off or something. While I was trying to undo the two lower bolts I SNAPPED A ONE HALF INCH PIECE OF HIGH QUALITY CRAFTSMAN STEEL. Snapped right in half. I did get the other one removed though.

So, if I continue to push on myself I'll need to buy a hacksaw, new sway bar links, a stronger ratchet extender, and better rust penetrating oil. Or just have someone do it.

[Tom 2000]

I've used KYBs on the past 3 cars (2 Camrys and a Maxima) and was very pleased with the ride.

[Mike Gerber]

"I'm actually online figuring out how to pop off the rear panel of a '97 without damaging anything."

You don't have to remove the rear panel. The 3 nuts holding the upper strut mounts in to the car are accessable after the rear seat bottom cushion and the 2 side bolsters (1 bolt each and lift up) have been removed. It is tight in there, but take your time and you can remove the 3 nuts and reinstall them that way. I did it this way some years back on my 98. IMHO it's a lot easier than having to remove the rear panel.

One othe tip I can give you is to jack up the car and remove the wheels and spray a good penetrating oil (not WD-40) on all the bolts that will have to be loosened from under the car. Then reinstall the tires and drive it this way for a day or 2. The vibration of driving the car will allow the penetrating oil to work it's way in to the rusty threads. Do this 2 or 3 times on 2 or 3 days prior to attempting to remove the struts. Also, you will need at least a good size 1/2 drive breaker bar to remove the 2 large nuts and bolts holding the bottom portion of the strut to the car. A 1/2 drive impact wrench would be best, if compressed air is available.

Last, I believe the Monroe Quick Struts are a good choice. By the time these cars need struts, the springs are usually gone too, not to mention all the rubber pieces.

Mike