Where to go for suspension diagnostics?

[sn1cko]

Hey guys,

I live in socal and want to know where I can go to get my suspension system diagnosed. I lowered the car with TRD springs on my '02 Camry about 1.5 years ago. The front clunks when turning and going over little dips and bumps. I just put on a new set of tires so I want to get this fixed and aligned asap.

The ambiguity of suspension components and possible problems is enough to convince me to go to a shop, but I just need to know where. I asked the dealer during an oil change, and they told me it'd be $90; that fee could then be counted towards the repair if I chose to have it done there. Who knows how hard the dealer will try to find the problem before sending me on a chasing journey of pointless re-visits.

[septicdeath]

I'm sure someone will chime in with a possible location in SoCal. It might be pretty easy to figure out on your own. When the tires are turning, the coil springs are also turning. When the bearing between the spring plate and the top strut mount is bad, installed upside down, the spring makes the clunk. I just jacked my car up on one side, put jack stands on the frame, and started turning the tire by hand, I heard my spring make the clunk with just moving the tire through its range by hand. Maybe you can do the same thing. I also just lowered my gen3 and took a chance putting the bearing in because I couldn't find the correct placement, knowing that 1 of the two sides was going to be wrong. Unfortunately when I pulled the suspect strut out and compressed the spring and pulled the strut mount off, having the bearing upside down, allowed the mount to rub into the spring plate as well. (just a fyi, I flipped the bearing and re-assembled to have 90% of the clunk go away, but I believe I damaged the bearing initially as well as the top mount (the round opening has a slight egg shape now).

Just some thoughts, since you said you lowered it yourself, I figure you have the tools, and the cost your gonna pay a shop could be used for new parts (if you can hear the noise from turning the tire while up so you at least isolate the side making the noise).

SD-

[sn1cko]

Originally Posted by septicdeath

Just some thoughts, since you said you lowered it yourself, I figure you have the tools, and the cost your gonna pay a shop could be used for new parts (if you can hear the noise from turning the tire while up so you at least isolate the side making the noise).

SD-

Hey there,
Thanks for the feedback. I actually moved apts so I no longer have a garage to work in. When I did have the garage, I tried to take the strut assembly apart, inspected everything and put it back together but no luck. Now I neither have the time nor the place to work on my car, that's the only reason I'd resort to a shop

[septicdeath]

maybe someone can suggest something then, I trust dealers to over charge and jump to conclusions usually, as they are right, you can replace the entire strut to fix this, however, you only need to check 1 simple piece of it, thats how I used to get dealt. I bumped into my friend from elemantary school only to find him with a 8 man shop, so I can get honest work done, if your looking in San Diego, I can point him out. Otherwise, one of the many LA/OC people on the site might be able to help point you to someone then.

Good luck...

SD