I need some help please. I have a 2001 xls with 69000 miles on it. The car feels somewhere between out of control and unpredictable. If I drive on a grooved road or like a metal grated bridge, the car wants to pull back and forth. It also seems to get wild on some bumps in the road but not on others. The car has excellent rebound when you press on a corner. Doesn't appear to have worn out struts. I also have a clunking noise over about any bump. I have gotten under the car a couple times to check if anything was loose or broken, but I can not find anything. The car really feels like the sway bars are missing, but everything is tight. I would rather find something wrong than find everything appears to be ok. I don't know if the strut mounts could be doing this or if the sway bar bushings need to be replaced. Puzzled because of the mileage on the car.
I need some help please. I have a 2001 xls with 69000 miles on it. The car feels somewhere between out of control and unpredictable. If I drive on a grooved road or like a metal grated bridge, the car wants to pull back and forth. It also seems to get wild on some bumps in the road but not on others. The car has excellent rebound when you press on a corner. Doesn't appear to have worn out struts. I also have a clunking noise over about any bump. I have gotten under the car a couple times to check if anything was loose or broken, but I can not find anything. The car really feels like the sway bars are missing, but everything is tight. I would rather find something wrong than find everything appears to be ok. I don't know if the strut mounts could be doing this or if the sway bar bushings need to be replaced. Puzzled because of the mileage on the car.
Sway test is a very problematic test. If you are getting a clunk noise over bumps, you need to replace struts. Do the front first, back may not be as bad! Probably want to replace mounts also.
About 10 years ago, I had the struts replaced on one of my cars. Driving home from the shop, experienced much the same symptoms--on some bumps, it felt like one of the wheels was bouncing of of control. Turns out, the right front strut (Monroe Senseatrac) had no gas pressure. There was no other indication of trouble, and the push test was firm. I don't think the old trick of pushing a corner of the car and testing for rebound works on any vehicle w/McPherson struts.
About 10 years ago, I had the struts replaced on one of my cars. Driving home from the shop, experienced much the same symptoms--on some bumps, it felt like one of the wheels was bouncing of of control. Turns out, the right front strut (Monroe Senseatrac) had no gas pressure. There was no other indication of trouble, and the push test was firm. I don't think the old trick of pushing a corner of the car and testing for rebound works on any vehicle w/McPherson struts.
So, how do we check it then? I bounced all my corners just the other day, and thought I was in good shape.
^^^ Leaking oil, poor tire wear, diving during stops, and poor handling are the only ways I really know to determine if the struts are bad. One general rule floating around out there is that they should be replaced at about 50K miles. Of course there are probably alot of people who consider that too aggressive.
About 10 years ago, I had the struts replaced on one of my cars. Driving home from the shop, experienced much the same symptoms--on some bumps, it felt like one of the wheels was bouncing of of control. Turns out, the right front strut (Monroe Senseatrac) had no gas pressure. There was no other indication of trouble, and the push test was firm. I don't think the old trick of pushing a corner of the car and testing for rebound works on any vehicle w/McPherson struts.
I was going to go after the struts first, I was hoping to have more options with quick struts though. I just don't have the tools to compress the spring and I hate paying a shop because frankly, I don't trust any of them.
no, noise over bumps does not automatically mean struts...thats what the dealership told me when they billed me with a $750 bill, only for me to get back in the car and still hear it! It took me a while to replace all the bushings and the thing that fixed my clunk noise over bumps was a set of $20 bushings for the sway bar? or stabilizer bar? the bushings that i replaced are for the most inside bar bushings. Fixed the problem and havent heard the clunk noise again.
I'm telling you its those bushings! So many people told me that it was the struts and they were ALL wrong because like i said i listened to them and wasted $750!!! buy the bushings, take 30 mins to put them on, enjoy your new quiet ride!!!
no, noise over bumps does not automatically mean struts...thats what the dealership told me when they billed me with a $750 bill, only for me to get back in the car and still hear it! It took me a while to replace all the bushings and the thing that fixed my clunk noise over bumps was a set of $20 bushings for the sway bar? or stabilizer bar? the bushings that i replaced are for the most inside bar bushings. Fixed the problem and havent heard the clunk noise again.
I'm telling you its those bushings! So many people told me that it was the struts and they were ALL wrong because like i said i listened to them and wasted $750!!! buy the bushings, take 30 mins to put them on, enjoy your new quiet ride!!!
I agree, it could be one of the bushings. I should have said "probably" the struts in my earier response. And "GreatAvalon" should say it is "probably" the bushings, because it could be the struts. No substitude for getting underneat and looking.
I was going to go after the struts first, I was hoping to have more options with quick struts though. I just don't have the tools to compress the spring and I hate paying a shop because frankly, I don't trust any of them.
eurobob: I understand not trusting a shop. You can buy the new shock tubes, remove the struts yourself, and take them somewhere just to swap out the tubes. The Kaufmann Tire dealer here does it for $25 each.
I decided 2 days ago I was going to go after the sway bar stuff. My gut always said this felt like a sway bar broken or such. Everytime I went against my gut on a toyota I went on a wild trip and came back full circle to the initial solution to the problem. I appreciate the input. I will post any fixes or not.
Eurobob, I don't know how you made out with this, but I have a 2000 XLS with 140,000 miles and I can tell you with some degree of certainty that it's the rear sway bar bushings. They've been replaced at least twice, and seem to wear out every 40,000 miles or so. As soon as they're replaced, there is no more problem when you go over the bumps. It's also an inexpensive repair.
The Following User Says Thank You to 4303tpr For This Useful Post:
I grabbed some beck arnley bushings for $11 for the pair in the rear. Two bolts per side holding in the bracket. Mine are fairly rusty but came out ok. Not the same for the front. I am going to see if this fixed my problem on the way home in about 45 minutes. I also did the links in the rear and links in the front. I can tell you that the diameter of the original bushings were twice the size of the replacements. I could see how that could make the thumping noise I have been hearing.
NO MORE ANNOYING THUMPING FROM THE REAR!!! The car appears to be more stable as well. I just wish I could have done the front today, but those bolts are not coming without a fight.
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1997 Toyota Avalon
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