strut problem Options

[FSX_Celica94GT]

i recently had B+G lowering springs installed and a full realignment. When i got my car back, i noticed that it pulled to the right a little bit still and also that my rear suspension was making a rattling/popping noise. I took it back today and told them the problem, and they said the springs were on as tight as they would go and the noise that i was hearing was my struts because they were supposedly worn. I havent had these struts but a year, year and a half. They said that the struts dropped when they had it on the lift and that they're not suppose to do that and that the springs are the only things holding them up. They showed me that 3 loops on the springs were touching eachother on both rears like this

Are they suppose to do that? do i need new struts to get rid of the freakin noise?

[mikew04]

My sportlines do the same thing, haven't had any problems.

[Kwanza26]

They're supposed to do that.

[FSX_Celica94GT]

ok, but what about the rattling/popping? do you think my struts are really going out or is it something else?

[LewFX]

push your car down and if it pops up, they're fine, if they stay sunk, they blown.

[6gc_driven]

now that uve mentioned that poppin/rattling noise..ive had the same thing happening with mines too for about a month or two now, and it only started happenin after i dropped my car. I think its my struts..so i bought kyb's and started installing them today, I didnt finish cause i had to go to work, but i got a day off tomorrow so i should be done in no time. Hopefully i was right and it was the struts, and that poppin.rattling noise stops. If it stops after puttin in the kyb, then your problem having the same problem im having..and it probably is your struts. --anyone feel free to correct me if im wrong--

[presure2]

could be the mounts...are they still stock parts?

[FSX_Celica94GT]

no i replaced the mounts

[purplegt4]

it's not good to have the springs touch though. i had springs that touched before and i didn't pass safety inspection.

[playr158]

the springs are fine like that, thats how they are designed...you must have gone to one of the retarded shops around here....

but

They said that the struts dropped when they had it on the lift and that they're not suppose to do that

do you mean they fell to the floor or that the strut streched the length of its travel?
cause when you lift the car the brake/wheel/ect... makes the strut expand its full length from the force of weight+gravity...

the pop..try lubricating the top of your springs with bearing grease, where it meets the top hat..some times this binds and causes a poping noise, also a bearing product can be found for this on www.evilspeed.com if the greasing doens't work then its sumthing else!

[FSX_Celica94GT]

also when i take off in the morning i have to go real slow to get out of my driveway, and in the back left, i hear a popping noise that gets faster as i go faster, but eventually goes away as i go longer and faster and stops completely when i drive around a little while. Also i did the little test that LewFX told me, and it did pop back up, i can hear the gas in the strut when i do it.

[playr158]

check your bearings?

[FSX_Celica94GT]

i dont think it could be my bearings because none of this started until i had my lowering springs put on, so its gotta be something to do w/ them

[6gc_driven]

alright..i think i figured out what that popping noise is (or at least on my car)..and it wasnt the struts (although having kyb's feels alot smoother that the ol struts)...
now if any of yall know what this part is, let me know..cause i sure dont know what its called or what it even does..(im not that big on suspensions)

alright, so behind the strut is the bar lookin like thing that runs vertically, and it is bolted to the strut. Well that bar is attached by a bolt and some type of rubber piece to another metal bar that runs to the other side of the car. Well that bar vertically, at the point which it bolts on to the other bar, the rubber piece is wore out, make the bar loose. So the bar now moves from side to side making a loud pop every time it moves. So everytime u take the slightest bump, ur going to hear that pop. I wish i knew what that part is called..n i dont want to sound stupid but i belive that it is connected to the sway bar or somethin like that. If any of yall mechanics on here know what the part is, and can correct anythin i said wrong, please do so.

[playr158]

its called a sway bar end link here is a picture





the 2nd pic is the front sway bar end link, the rest are of the rear

[FSX_Celica94GT]

ok, i took it by my usual mechanics place, and all he could tell me is that my sway bar links are worn out 110% lol. He couldnt tell me what the rattling noise i hear is so i guess i'll let him take a look at it sometime. Anyways, thanx for helpin out guys

[6gc_driven]

thnx for the info playr..now i know the name of the part. thats what i was talking bout, and just like FSX, my sway bar links are also wore out. Now just two more questions..do I have to replace the sway bar link on both sides of the car or just that one side..n around how much does that bar go for?

[Batman722]

it is always best to replace both at the same time. They are about $60 each from Toyota.

[LewFX]

im gonna pick some up at kragen (aka partsamerica or shucks) for $42 Part No. is SL240

[6gc_driven]

hey lewfx..did u the sway bar end links yet?..i went to the local auto part and theyre $62 a piece..and i c i can save money buy ordering them off of partsamerica. But i was if u ordered and received them yet, jus so i could make sure they sent u the right ones?

[LewFX]

go to the store and tell them you want to order sl240, its 40 bux for 1 tho, not a pair. they should get em by the next day.

[6gc_driven]

c thats the problem tho..i cant go to the store..im from florida and we dont have kragen or partsamerica. We just have Autozone and Discount Auto parts..and the price for the end links is $60 a piece. So i just looked up the website for partsamerica and found the part there. I c i can order it online, and havd them ship it to my house. but before i order it, i want to make sure its the right part..since they dont state it as "sway bar end link"..they call it a "McQuay-Norris Sway Bar Repair Kit"..heres the direct link: http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail....artnumber=SL240

so i just want to make sure thats the right part before i order it. Think you can take a look at it and tell me..thnx for ur help

[LewFX]

ya it works fine, but thats for one link. so order 2 if you need both. srplayr helped me find it.

This post has been edited by LewFX: Jan 24, 2006 - 11:13 AM

[presure2]

if your paying 60$ ea for the end links, why not get the REAL toyota parts for basicly the same price?

[playr158]

cause it doesn't make a difference

[FSX_Celica94GT]

could i install the links by myself, even if im just a minor and have never done anything like this before?

[playr158]

yes

[LewFX]

try doing it without a jack and a lowered car, thats reallllll fun!

[FSX_Celica94GT]

so yea, reviving this thread. i took my car in to have the links replaced. 160 bux total. the mechanic said since my car was sooooooooooooo low,*B+G springs* that he said the links probably wouldnt stay on there very long. Still knocks just as much as ever, idk what the hell the problem is, maybe the mechanic just doesnt kno s*** cuz i dont think springs would cause that kind of problem. said that there was hardly any room for the strut to move up and down since the springs lowered it so much(which is bs cuz they're only springs, only dropped it about 1.5 inches)

[FSX_Celica94GT]

ok, i asked my mechanic and he said if i got a shorter sway bar it might put my links out of the bind they're in. Can anyone recommend a good cheap rear sway bar?

[presure2]

what brand mounts did you get?
i had a problem when i did my springs years ago with moog rear strut mounts.
they lasted about a week before they started knocking really bad, theyre really crappily (is that a word??) made, and basicly ate themselfs away within a week.
replaced them with toyota parts(and yes, they were expensive 110$ea, compared to the moog ones@ 40$ or so, , and its just like stock again. no noise.

[FSX_Celica94GT]

i got monroe, but the knocking was still there after i got them put on.

[LewFX]

why would you lower your car with monroe struts, they arent performance struts and cannot handle it.

[K-ESD]

i believe he was talking about the monroe strut mount

[FSX_Celica94GT]

yea, the mounts are monroe. i have bilstein struts, pretty sure those are performance lol