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280K Corolla. What suspension parts to refresh for not many pesos?

928 views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  Pete Suhman 
#1 ·
Hi guys,
Family has a 97 corolla with 280K KMs on it.
Suspension is really noisy. Clunks all around when going over bumps.
Also if it goes over a bump while turning the whole back end sways around like its going to fishtail. What needs to be replaced for not many shekels?

I'm thinking struts. What else?
 
#2 ·
That's not a ton of miles (KM's), so it's impossible to say what's bad based on that. Also, what has, or hasn't, been replaced recently comes into play. Do you have a way to check that? If the moolah is the big issue, then it would be most cost effective to check each component, rather that just replacing things at random.
 
#3 ·
Also if it goes over a bump while turning the whole back end sways around like its going to fishtail. What needs to be replaced for not many shekels?
I'm thinking struts. What else?
Correct. Rear struts.

If you can get under the car with a pry-bar, you can kind of test bushings by prying in the right spots and observing and listening.

I had a noisy ball joint which I only identified after replacing the knuckle and hub (with ball joint attached), and missing the familiar old clunk. Don't overlook them.
 
#4 ·
Privet Oleg!

Easiest way is to put car on jack-stands so that the suspension and sway-bars aren't under load. This makes finding loose parts easier. Then tap various parts with a rubber/plastic mallet and listen for looseness and rattling:

- check all the A-arm attachment bolts.
- sway-bar end-links
- sway-bar D-bushing brackets
- crossmember bolts
- motor-mount bolts
- strut spindle-clamp bolts
- push spindle laterally and longitudinally to check for ball-joint play
- tap steering tie-rod ends
 
#5 ·
If you have a front sway bar you can disconnect it by removing the sway bar links. You don't HAVE to remove the sway bar. Mine stayed put by just pushing it out of the way. Sounded kinda like I was driving on a gravel road before I removed them on my car. The sway bar bushings are easy and cheap.

My control arm(A-arm) was loose and made a LOT of noise. It's a good idea to check everything is tight even if you're not going to replace it just yet.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Thanks guys. Lots of good advice.
Parents are scrapping it.
Engine is still good, and under the hood everything looks pretty legit.

The suspension is crap.

I'm thinking of cannibalizing it for parts but I don't know how interchangeable the parts are between a 97 and a 95. It should mostly be the same I figure, unless they did a mid year refresh or some chit like that.

Also, I do have a garage space for a part out. I'm wondering if there is any money in the parts themselves. My 95 needs a door, muffler, drivers door handle, and I guess I can take the rims/tires for summer/winter swapping.

Scrapper said 80-120 bux. They can go pee up a rope.
 
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