need new suspension

[thenoeltyler]

hey, i have a gen4 camry le with 130k miles and my suspension is pretty much shot. the suspension is stock, and needs to be replaced. during the winter it makes loud creaking sounds (especially when going over speed bumps or manhole covers) and wanders around the highway at speeds above 65mph. i have kumho ecsta 195/60/r14 tires and i check and maintain tire pressure regularly, so the "wandering" isn't due to that. i know it's pretty much at the end of life because i can press down on the car body with two palms on the front or rear and let go and the car bounces unnecessarily. if i press on it up and down repeatedly it will bounce like it's on a trampoline. it's pretty bad! it's even worse when i try to take a cloverleaf onramp at anything over 15-20mph when my friend in his acura TL can do it at 40mph+. all of my friends call it the "boat" instead of the "camry" and i'm tired of it! what parts do i need to replace? i want a sportier suspension that is stiffer than stock. what are good brands to look at? i've heard about TOKICO and found some struts on ebay but i'm not sure that's all my car needs. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[megamac83]

dude you have a great car, being that you want a sport tuned suspension and I am guessing u don't want to run coilovers, let me give you a lil run down on what you are gonna need for this transformation:


1. Tokico HP Blue Struts
2. Tower Strut Bar (front)
3. Eibach lowering spring (stiff and lowered)
4. Change all 4 strut mounts
5. Polyurethane bushings (This is extra)
6. Sway Bar link kit ( all four wheels) ( this is extra)
7. Performance Sway bars (This is extra)

and thats pretty much what you'll need to get a sporty ride out of your Camry, it doesn't look like much of a list but all adds up to be pretty expensive once your done, also if you are doing it yourself or letting someone do it for you? Well, I wish you the best of luck let me know how it turns out when u are done, I still have to do the bushings, sway bar and sway bar link kit. but my ride was like your it was like a basketball, horrible, but I love how my car goes around corners its sweet, so much tighter and under control

[thenoeltyler]

Originally Posted by megamac83

1. Tokico HP Blue Struts
2. Tower Strut Bar (front)
3. Eibach lowering spring (stiff and lowered)
4. Change all 4 strut mounts
5. Polyurethane bushings (This is extra)
6. Sway Bar link kit ( all four wheels) ( this is extra)
7. Performance Sway bars (This is extra)

hey, thanks for writing back. i'm familiar with tokico hp struts, but is blue just a color designation? the ones i saw weren't blue, but does the color designate a different kind of strut? also, is the tower strut bar necessary? i've also heard of the eibach lowering spring. are those the replacement for the current springs on my car? my camry doesnt need to be lowered anymore because i changed the tires from stock by a 10% aspect ratio. stock tires are 195/70/14 and i went down to 195/60/14. i'm looking at getting some lexus es330 rims which are 15s. what are strut mounts? thanks! i'm totally new to this whole suspension stuff.

[BlueCam]

just out of curiosity..how much will all that cost...not counting the extra stuff?

[AyzhenInvasion]

1. Tokico HP Blue Struts
- 345 ebay
2. Tower Strut Bar (front)
- 30 ebay (not of much use)


3. Eibach lowering spring (stiff and lowered)
- around 200
intrax springs
Tien springs..
many options for springs..


4. Change all 4 strut mounts
- 65 each front, 55 each rear
5. Polyurethane bushings (This is extra)
- 30 front, 30 rear
6. Sway Bar link kit ( all four wheels) ( this is extra)
- not sure..
7. Performance Sway bars (This is extra)
- 105 each

[OLDSURFER]

I have A 99' CAMRY LE with 120kmiles on it.I just bought TOKICO BLUES with stock springs rides alot better.Would love to get new springs also.

[AyzhenInvasion]

read up guys.. in the FAQ theres somethin on suspension options...

[thenoeltyler]

OLDSURFER, when you replaced your suspension, did you get new suspension bushings? is that required? thanks!

[pk_kk]

Sounds like you have a broken bushing for your rear sway bar. That causes the noise when going over bumps. Also your Struts are blown thats why when you press down on the car it bounces alot.

[pk_kk]

^ i got Tein S-tech on Tockico Blue. there good nice drop. If you should replace Springs and Struts. I would not just change either the Spring or Struts. the amount of pressue excerted on the Springs are different. Dead springs are dangerious.

[megamac83]

Yo thenoeltyler, the tires really doesn't do much with the ride height, I am running 17 inch Falken with, but it really didn't make a difference until I dropped the car, so dropping the ride hight will give you a better look and handeling among other things, so change the springs and struts at the same time, it just makes life easier, u wouldn't want to place the old springs on the new struts, just change them while u are at it.

[OMNI]

I'm stock height on tokico blues and I can take a corner pretty fast on them new tires I done got.

[1kdude]

I'd say you must replace the dampers, tokico blues or the tokico illuminas (white) are adjustable and more $ if made for you car. I'd replace the springs also, (save on labor of replacing dampers and springs at the same time) tokico may make them as well. You'll spend about $400-600 in parts + maybe $100-150 in labor (call around and watch ebay). See how you like it and then maybe swaybar busings (the rear should be cheap) or stiffer swaybars (replace the rear first if you don't do both) and a front shock tower brace. thats my 2cents

[MemphisR]

BTW changing your aspect ratio will mess up your odemeter especially if it is smaller overall, resulting in the speedometer being incorrect and taking on extra miles, it raise the aspest back up and lower the vehicle a bit if you want a solid ride.

[OLDSURFER]

thenoeltyler, I just replaced the struts no bushings nothing else.Should have I? I replaced the strut mounts at the same time put in tokico struts.