Rattling Suspension?

[Orangedragone]

Quick intro, I'm more of a honda guy, but i signed up for this place because i herd it was the 'honda-tech' of toyota. AND because pops made the desicion to get bro and MR2 turbo.

So when we got the car it was pretty clear that the ride was bouncy. Now in my experience with hondas that more than likely meant that the struts are blown. Now what I haven't encountered before is this rattling noise coming from what sounds like the front passenger side suspension.

My question(s): that IS a product of blown struts gone worse, right? & would replacement struts fix that noise? and if so any preferences?

thanks

[asifmbadar]

Most likely? Yes, but is there a possibility it wont? Yes, get down there and take a good luck. Sometimes the strangest noises are the most obvious. However, mr2 suspensions are very picky, so in my opinion it's 90% chance of being blown shocks, or squeaky springs..

[Gairloch]

If the suspension hasn't been replaced chances are extremely good that the dampers are causing the bouncy ride. If your suspension is anything like mine was before I replaced it you might be riding on the springs with no damper support at all.

You would be well served by putting the car in the air and going over everything from the undertrays and fender liners to the swaybar endlinks with a fine tooth comb to track down that rattle before doing anything else. There is a good chance that you'll find other stuff that will need to be addressed when you change out the dampers. One thing that you might want to count on replacing is the front strut mounts. They are infamous for splitting then rusting out and shedding their bearings.

What you should get for dampers will depend on what kind of driving your brother does. If he sticks to street driving he might like some KYB GR2s and stay on the stock springs for a smoother ride that is still athletic enough to be fun.