new struts, old problems

[Jefferson]

Hello
I had all four struts on my 92 V6 Camry replaced with new ones from KYB ( whole assembly on the rear and cartridge on the front). Somehow the ride is not as smooth as it was before. I don't know if this is normal or caused by poor quality or defective parts?
There was this creaking sound from the front. It was gone for about a week after I replaced the struts. Now it's coming back and even more annoying than before! A friend of mine suspect the sound comes from the cracking springs, not from the struts?
Any advice and/or tip to help me address these problems is greatly appreciated.

[Nick]

well i can't tell you about your creaking, i'd check the rubber insolators and the stopper thing on the strut rod

but the kyb gr2 are stiffer than your run of the mill monroe sensatrac, they're sport shocks

[spills1969]

I got a general question bout strut cartridges. Can I eplace em myself without having to seld them back in? Cuz I looked on my Gen 2 when I replaced the springs and it looked like they were welded in. Is there ne way I can replace them without having to go to a shop and have em welded in? Cuz mine need to be replaced badly, and I wanna do it myself (save money and gain experience), but Im not sure bout em being welded in...

[threedom]

Originally posted by spills1969
I got a general question bout strut cartridges. Can I eplace em myself without having to seld them back in? Cuz I looked on my Gen 2 when I replaced the springs and it looked like they were welded in. Is there ne way I can replace them without having to go to a shop and have em welded in? Cuz mine need to be replaced badly, and I wanna do it myself (save money and gain experience), but Im not sure bout em being welded in...

I did struts on our G3.5 1995 and it's like this:
You can get inserts, but I got whole struts, mounts included, from TireRack for only $72 ea front and $57 ea rear. KYB GR-2. They are stiffer than stock and really improved the ride. And there was no messing with inserts, you just throw the old ones away!

I am going to have to do the rears again, because I neglected to order new covers, they are integrated into the top spring pad, and the springy rubber covers were shot.

They were only $12 ea for the rear and I sure wish I had them when I first did the job because now I ordered KYB replacements, probably cheaper and than OEM and I am going to do it again. The second time should be a charm, I expect less than 2 hours now that I know how to do it.

I spent ~4-5 hours including brakes around for front and rear last weekend.

[spills1969]

So do they have to be welded in? And how do I know if I have servicable struts or not? Im guesin if they welded in then they not servicable. But How do I know if I have servicable or sealed struts? And if I have one on mine, can I get the other? Like if I have sealed, can I get servicable?

[threedom]

I don't know where you would get housings for servicable, but you can replace the whole thing, that is for sure. The KYB I got are also not servicable, but I don't think it's a big deal for that kind of money. However, if you have lowering springs, I don't think KYB is good over 1.5" of lowering, you may want Tokiko. I am not sure if they are available in sealed sets, Tire Rack could definitely help with questions, though, they are very knowledgable and helped me a lot!

[threedom]

Originally posted by Jefferson
Hello
I had all four struts on my 92 V6 Camry replaced with new ones from KYB ( whole assembly on the rear and cartridge on the front). Somehow the ride is not as smooth as it was before. I don't know if this is normal or caused by poor quality or defective parts?
There was this creaking sound from the front. It was gone for about a week after I replaced the struts. Now it's coming back and even more annoying than before! A friend of mine suspect the sound comes from the cracking springs, not from the struts?
Any advice and/or tip to help me address these problems is greatly appreciated.

The not as smooth ride is to be expected, you also have a lot less brake dive, and less body roll, much less chances of bottoming out and klunking on harsh bumps. The sportier ride is no accident, it is very slightly less comfortable IMO, but also more predictable and it settles better after undulations in the road.
As for the noise, how did hte spring pads look when you changed the struts? Mine didn't look great and we only have 36k miles of driving on very good paved roads and very mild winters.

[88 LE]

Originally posted by spills1969
So do they have to be welded in?

Cartridges / inserts are not welded in.

And how do I know if I have servicable struts or not? Im guesin if they welded in then they not servicable. But How do I know if I have servicable or sealed struts?

Pic of serviceable strut on my gen 2:



What your looking for is the nut that screws into the top of the strut housing.

If you don't see the nut and its welded shut on top you have sealed struts.

By the way I have Tokico cartridges / inserts and Intrax springs.

And if I have one on mine, can I get the other? Like if I have sealed, can I get servicable?

You would need the serviceable strut housings.

[88 LE]

Originally posted by spills1969
I got a general question bout strut cartridges. Can I eplace em myself without having to seld them back in? Cuz I looked on my Gen 2 when I replaced the springs and it looked like they were welded in. Is there ne way I can replace them without having to go to a shop and have em welded in? Cuz mine need to be replaced badly, and I wanna do it myself (save money and gain experience), but Im not sure bout em being welded in...

You got 2 choices if you want to use cartridges / inserts with sealed struts.

1. Get a set of serviceable strut housings for your car (gen 2).

2. Convert your sealed strut housing into a serviceable housing.

What you have to do is drill a little hole through the bottom of the strut to vent the gas (dry strut) or liquid (wet strut).

Use a big pipe cutter to cut off the top of the strut right below the weld. Then weld on a threaded sleeve (you can get them from Ground Control).

[Jefferson]

Thank you for your replies. I left my car at the shop to have the struts replaced so I don't know about conditions of other components. Guess I have to bring the car back to the shop soon for a thorough check. I'll post again when I find out what the problem is.

[Jefferson]

My mechanic said the creaking noise comes from worn-out sway bar linkages and each of that litle thing cost $112 CAD if buy from Toyota!! I don't mind to spend money to get rid of that annoying noise but I'm not quite sure that would be the right fix??
Any suggestion would be appreciated.

[Nick]

yeah, you might be able to ghetto something up with universal ones if you have the time, patience and tools (welder too)

i had to replace mine when i did my rear suspension last spring, damn expensive....