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i give up... trd rsb doesnt fit

5346 Views 62 Replies 19 Participants Last post by  NEME5IS
my trd rsb came in today. everything went smooth until it was time to fasten the brackets. the bar would match up with the endlinks fine, but the brackets... were too far apart for the bar to reach (by like 1/4 to 1/2 inch). i tried for 4 hours, and it just wouldnt reach. i would do one side and the other wouldnt reach, and vice versa. i tried reversing the bushings, swapping bushing/brackets from one side to the other, nothing worked.

it was starting to get dark, and i was exhausted, so i replaced the stock rsb (in a flurry of curses and cusswords). i managed to scratch up the trd bar in the process.

i dont know what went wrong - i researched and followed everyone's procedures step by step. i guess it just came down to the bar not fitting.

for anyone out there hoping a gen4 bar would fit a gen3... heres one sadly disappointed gen3 owner, telling you to think twice.

i will decide tomorrow whether or not i will sell it. unless you guys can tell me what i can do to make it fit, i will probably put it up in the for sale forums here and at the other camry forums.

damn. i was really excited too. :headbang:
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damn sorry dude that sucks, good luck with that
I heard it DOES fit though from many people. I hope it fits because I have a TRD Solara RSB that I'm planning on installing in my 3rd gen Camry when I get some time.
i know many people have said it, and thats why i bought it, but it doesnt fit... what can i say.
talk to ratko- it fits.
btw there was little grease oozing out of the stud in the endlink... is this bad? i heard a seal may have broken... what could potentially go wrong with me running with this? how much might it cost to fix?

i pmed ratko. just gotta wait for him to reply i guess. it was his word that pushed me to buy it, i know he knows what hes talking about - maybe my car is just wierd. i wouldnt be surprised if it was.
you used gen4 brushing/brackets? or gen3s? i read that it can only fit using gen4s but im not sure since i dont own a gen3 :p:
did you jack up one side of the car and tried to install it, or did you jack up the entire rear?

i have a gen 5 and when i was installing the trd rsb i would only jack up one side of the car and do the install. i attached the bar to the side that had the wheel touching the ground first. then to do the lifted-wheel side i would use another jack to prop up the wheel assembly until the bar and bracket fit into place.

i know that's what i did for a gen 5 for a trd rsb made for the gen 5. i'm not sure of the fittings for you car.
It does fit man, like a glove. I've even seen a Gen3 and Gen4 bar side by side in person and their lengths and dimensions are identicle except for thickness.

Are you sure the bar is perhaps not upside down?? This is VERY common.

It also sounds like you are attempting this yourself in your driveway. I would highly recommend you get the job done on a hoist with some airtools. My 2 cents.

Anywho, keep us updated.
im pretty sure the bar wasnt upside down... i oriented it exactly the way the stock one was, with the ends of the sway bar pointing down, and middle of it going around the top of the exhaust shroud [area]. i used ramps to lift the entire rear end. and yes the brackets i ordered were gen4, and fit the bushings exactly the way they did in ratko's pic.

the thing is... i would take it to a shop, but i dont wanna waste money if they cant make it fit. plus theyre gonna have to charge me since this bar isnt even made specifically for my car, and i dont think theyll trust me that itll fit. i already got quoted 30 bucks at one shop, to me thats kind of expensive. this should have been like a 30 min. job, w/airtools and a lift and stuff.

btw whats the chassis code for the gen3, on the cover of the instructions it says the bar fits mcv20, and i know the gen3 code starts with mcv...

the wierd thing is... the bar i have doesnt have an item number on it, nor does it say trd on it like the ones ive seen in pictures.

when i could almost get the 2nd bracket aligned, the other bracket would shift closer to the bend in the bar and would budge no more. i tried to muscle the bar in but it just wouldnt go. man i dont know what to do.
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when i could almost get the 2nd bracket aligned, the other bracket would shift closer to the bend in the bar and would budge no more.
I'm not understanding your problem exactly. The brackets and bushings can slide along the swaybar, so how can they be the "wrong" distance apart from each other? That doesn't make any sense, unless you are saying that when one bracket is aligned, the other is siting ON THE BEND in the bar? If thats the case, then it sounds like its the wrong bar.

Maybe you can elaborate.

The Gen3 chassis code is xxV10.
xx is either SX, MC, or VZ, depending on the engine.

Thanks.
Ratko said:
I'm not understanding your problem exactly. The brackets and bushings can slide along the swaybar, so how can they be the "wrong" distance apart from each other? That doesn't make any sense, unless you are saying that when one bracket is aligned, the other is siting ON THE BEND in the bar? If thats the case, then it sounds like its the wrong bar.

Maybe you can elaborate.

that is exactly the problem. when i try to align the 2nd bracket, the hole on the chassis sits off to the side. so, i pull the bar closer, but still wont reach. when i actually do align it, the bushing is pretty much on the bend and expanding itself, and the bracket wont reach the mounting point.

goddamn it if this is the wrong bar... im screwed. but the instructions that came were for the 1999 solara. the part number on the reciept is also correct.

it also looks just like this one, minus the part number and logo:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=38631&highlight=0060248830010
Hey hey! Same problem here! I did get mine installed, but the bushings are right where the bar starts to bend. Now it apparently knocks on something when I hit bumps, I don't know what though, because I can't see anyplace that shows evidence of contact. I have it situated like it is in the picture

This is the correct way, right?

Edit: The bar came with instructions for a Gen1 Solara, and my car is a Gen3 with 3VZ-FE... don't know what chassis that is.
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Here is a picture of my bar, that is currently installed on my car, with zero problems (no squeaks, rattles, knocks, etc). I ordered it last summer, so I highly doubt its from an early batch or something.

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yea, mine looks just like those. despite that, is it still possible that this is the wrong bar?

ratko & siver - when you installed yours, how far were the bushings from those stoppers on the bar?

siver - how much did you get yours installed for, and did the shop have any problems?

btw i really appreciate your guys' help here... i really dont want to sell this bar. i want it in my car! hey that rhymes...
When I said I got it installed, I meant I was successful in getting it on the car, not that I paid someone to do it. This was a jackstand & driveway installation all the way. My bushings are not close to the stoppers. Both bushings are resting on the start of the bend.

I did take it to a shop to have them figure out what was knocking. They said it was the RSB contacting the unibody, and that it would have to be removed. He said it looked like it wasn't for the right car.
ryuji16 said:
for anyone out there hoping a gen4 bar would fit a gen3... heres one sadly disappointed gen3 owner, telling you to think twice.
ok wait a minute nathan, u got a gen4 TRD RSB or the solara TRD RSB???
cuz it seems like your saying you got the gen4 TRD RSB, so that gen4 supposedly fits the gen3 as well??? :confused:
Gen4 & Solara are the same chassis, therefore same RSB.
Siver_Cartel said:
Gen4 & Solara are the same chassis, therefore same RSB.
ahh ok... silver :slap: a94auto
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