What effect does springs have on an 07 camry? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

illatwill · 10-10-2007, 11:41 AM

I know this may sound kind of silly to some, but I was wondering what kind of effect springs have on the car (and which kind)?

It is a big difference in rie from my girls 05 accord to her 07 camry. The steering wheel seems to vibrate a lot at high speeds (65+).

Im trying to make it a "softer" ride, and not so responsive to ever bump in the road.
Can/will the springs help this? And which brand?

Or are springs just meant for lowering purposes? I always thought the lower the vehicle is, the more you feel everything in the road. All the bumps.

I'd like to possibly lower it just a bit, but I don't want to do anything if it will take away from ride quality. Thanks

desentrix · 10-10-2007, 12:01 PM

change the suspension and shocks.

illatwill · 10-10-2007, 12:05 PM

I dont want to go through all that mang...

Im just wondering what changing the springs will do....
I know some people say that spring feeling varies from company to company....

So Im really looking at the input I could get from the people who have already installed springs on their 07, and what type of effect did it have.

Personally, I like the "soft" feel commonly associated with luxury cars and trucks.
So does she.

Any suggestions.

***Punks_Not_Dead5*** · 10-10-2007, 12:10 PM

use the search feature, there's tons of threads about springs, and a lot of reviews from people who have installed them.

As for me, on my 02 SE, I lowered it and the ride is a bit harsher, but the handling is much better than stock.

If you want that "comfy" feeling, i'd stick with stock, or get the LE or XLE springs (you never mentioned what model Camry you own). I don't know of any aftermarket springs that will make your ride softer.

***wireless*** · 10-10-2007, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by illatwill

I know this may sound kind of silly to some, but I was wondering what kind of effect springs have on the car (and which kind)?

It is a big difference in rie from my girls 05 accord to her 07 camry. The steering wheel seems to vibrate a lot at high speeds (65+).

Im trying to make it a "softer" ride, and not so responsive to ever bump in the road.
Can/will the springs help this? And which brand?

Or are springs just meant for lowering purposes? I always thought the lower the vehicle is, the more you feel everything in the road. All the bumps.

I'd like to possibly lower it just a bit, but I don't want to do anything if it will take away from ride quality. Thanks

Too many variables still unanswered...

1) Trim level (CE/LE, SE, or XLE)?
2) What sort of shaking in the steering? Is it only when braking from highway speeds, only on certain roads, or all times on all highways even when coasting, etc...?
2) What type of springs are you asking about installing? The car has springs already, do you want to lower the car and soften it, or just soften the ride?

illatwill · 10-10-2007, 02:09 PM

Thanks for the replies.

The "shaking" in the steering wheel occurs on any road, especially 70 and above. The car does not drift one way or the other, but the steering wheel just shakes, it can be solved by tightly gripping the steering wheel, but if you let go completely for example, you can just watch it shaking (with no veering).

I haven't contacted the dealership yet, because my dealership isn't exactly friendly. And I'd like to have a good idea of what it is before I go.

The overall ride of the car is decently smooth. The 05 accord coupe had a much more luxury feel to it. The inside seemed to be quieter and the ride smoother.
Im trying to make this car somewhat like that.
I plan to get some 18by8 rims later on down the road. And a nice set of wide tires that will grip better.

Im not exactly sure of her model. I know its the basic 4cly package with cloth seats and all that.
Has a one disc cd changer...auto locks, windows, no sunroof, and nothing fancy. Its the basic model I believe.

I'd like to lower it an inch or so.....depending upon how the tires fit up under there.
But most importantly is the ride quality. Its not that its an exceptionally bad handling car....its just not exceptionally good either.

So, to better answer your question, I'd like to lower the ride an inch, and soften it up just a bit.
But I guess anytime you lower it, you make it more responsive...which means you feel more bumps......

???

I know there are several companies who makes springs....and I was just wondering the effects of installing them, and lowering the car an inch.

Thanks

***Punks_Not_Dead5*** · 10-10-2007, 02:19 PM

H&R Springs lower your car about 1.4" inches front and rear. TRD/Eibach lower the I4 about 1.4 front, 1.2 rear. Those are the most reputable brands. If you increase the wheel size you may lose some of that soft feeling as well, but that depends on the actual tire size too.

In the end it's personal preference, you're going to have to give up some to gain more in another area. The 05 Accord and 07 Camry are two different cars, so keep that in mind as well.

***lammydi*** · 10-10-2007, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punks_Not_Dead5

H&R Springs lower your car about 1.4" inches front and rear. TRD/Eibach lower the I4 about 1.4 front, 1.2 rear. Those are the most reputable brands. If you increase the wheel size you may lose some of that soft feeling as well, but that depends on the actual tire size too.

In the end it's personal preference, you're going to have to give up some to gain more in another area. The 05 Accord and 07 Camry are two different cars, so keep that in mind as well.

Punks (Justin) and I lowered our cars pretty much at the same time (we even share the same thread) so yeah, with the 18" you can go with 45 sidewall or even 225-50-18 if you really want to feel less bumpy after lowered.
About the "shaking/virbration" at the steering wheel. I remember a few members here had the same vibration issue and it turned out that the tires were defected. (yes they were brand new tires from 07 Camry)
If you have aftermarket wheels that cause vibration then it's a different story.
So have the dealer check it out about the vibration since the stock wheel/tire should not give you any vibration.

TRD VVTi · 10-10-2007, 02:40 PM

Lowering springs will give you a firmer ride, so that doesn't fit into what you described as favorable.

The vibration at 70 MPH is almost certainly faulty tire balance.

IPDaily · 10-10-2007, 02:52 PM

i'm assuming it's an LE i4? if so, there's not really much you can do to make the ride smoother... lowering the car is only gonna make the ride more harsh as will increasing the rim size... i dunno i guess you could get smaller rims w/ higher profile tires, but that'll be detrimental to handling... if you wanted such a soft mushy gushy ride, you should've gotten a lexus...

***lammydi*** · 10-10-2007, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPDaily

i'm assuming it's an LE i4? if so, there's not really much you can do to make the ride smoother... lowering the car is only gonna make the ride more harsh as will increasing the rim size... i dunno i guess you could get smaller rims w/ higher profile tires, but that'll be detrimental to handling... if you wanted such a soft mushy gushy ride, you should've gotten a lexus...

But the vibration from the steering wheel is not right. Like TRDVVTi mentioned, it more likely the issue with faulty tire balance or even defected tire.

illatwill · 10-10-2007, 03:36 PM

Thanks for the info guys.

Im not sure what to do now....I probably will just get some rims and keep the stock springs.

Ohh and BTW, Ive been meaning to ask, where did you guys get your spoilers, and are they hard to install?

And ...who in the heck doesn't want a lexus? But a $500 a month car payment isn't an option.

reprod · 10-10-2007, 03:46 PM

I actually had an issue with a vibrating steering wheel and it turned out to be a different problem. The wheels were perfectly balanced but I had wheel locks on my wheels and the weight difference made a drastic effect once I went above 70-75 mph.

Now I have Rays lugs and no vibration whatsoever.

Mr. Miyagi · 10-10-2007, 03:49 PM

Punks_Not_Dead5 the drop specs you got are backwards the drop in the front is 1.2 and the rear is 1.4. My camry in lowered with Eibachs and the steering response is a lot better but you do notice the bumps more. With the steering shaking getting non of that.

***wireless*** · 10-10-2007, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Miyagi

Punks_Not_Dead5 the drop specs you got are backwards the drop in the front is 1.2 and the rear is 1.4. My camry in lowered with Eibachs and the steering response is a lot better but you do notice the bumps more. With the steering shaking getting non of that.

A'la the other steering thread....please expand on how your lowering springs improved steering response as opposed to handling/cornering.