Ok, I need some advice, Suspension/Strut Bars Options

[CastrolCelica]

Ok, so everything on my car is running beautifully. There's just one main problem with the car, and that's that the shocks are pretty much on their last legs. I don't know how hard it is to do myself.. all I know is that I've never done it haha. I don't know what brand is best, or exactly what the heck I need to buy.

Also, on a slightly related note, if anyone knows about good strut bars and who I should contact that would be great. I have a VIS hood though, which will NOT go down if there's ANYTHING even slightly hitting it. So I guess I'm just trying to see if all the engine bay struts will not arch too high for my style hood.

Thanks for the help in advance.

[SwissFerdi]

KYB GR2.

[808celica]

shock replacement is easy. having a friend with you makes it easier.

[richee3]

KYB GR2's are good struts to have. They are OEM replacement, yes, but they are warratied to be lowered up to an inch and a half, if you ever feel like dropping the car later.

[CastrolCelica]

While I could be wrong, according to my friend who rebuilds Sunbeams, unless you lower a car or your spring goes (you'd notice the car sagging on one side), springs rarely have to be replaced. He's saying that it's most probably the struts. I'll have to look up KYB GR2's. Is that a company or a member here? Sorry for the stupid questions.

Btw, any clue on the strut bars?

[Spider77]

KYB is a brand dont know anything about the strut bar though

[samir0189]

suspension is fairly simple. If you are just looking for an OEM strut replacement, your options are monroe, kyb, and maybe gabriel makes some too. Some argue that KYB is the best out of these but idk. i have monroe and never had kyb, or anything else. (there are the more expensive upgrades like koni's or bilsteins, or full coilovers. )

For springs there are quite a few options. do a little searching if you are interested in those, there are tein, megan, eibach.. etc. You are right, you dont have to replace the springs really unless you want to lower.

If you are hearing noises, like metal on metal, kinda weirdness coming from the top of the struts, you need to buy new strut mounts as well. those run about $50 a piece, one for each strut.

The job of struts is really simple, unbolt the 3 bolts for the mount for each strut, and there are two lower bolts to get it out, then just make sure you use a spring compressor to safely remove and install the spring. A friend does come in handy.


Make sure you get your alignment checked when you do struts, or you will chew up your tires. If you decide to lower, invest in a camber kit. Hope this helps you buddy!!

This post has been edited by samir0189: Nov 18, 2009 - 5:07 PM

[96stgreendemon]

hey when you decide to do this i would be willing to help, havent done it before but im a union plumber ha ha, i learn quick

[Euphoria]

Its fairly self explanatory but it would help having someone there thats done it before, once you've done it once you can do it again especially with macpherson strut.

If I were you I'd go KYB, monroe and gabrielle are fairly cheap, ive never used them myself but I know they are a cheap shock.

You can go bilstein and koni which are better than kyb but you will have to do some modding on the rear as they come with just the inserts and not the entire assembly, so youd have to cut your existing shock.

[Stambo]

I'd try to get ahold of a trd 3pt. strut bar. Mine fits pretty snug in my bay. Plus if it doesn't fit I'm sure someone on here would want it from yea

[windowlicker]

I'd try to get ahold of a trd 3pt. strut bar. Mine fits pretty snug in my bay. Plus if it doesn't fit I'm sure someone on here would want it from yea

yeah, the stock or trd strut bar might be the best option since he has an aftermarket hood. i know my cheapo front strut bar hits my hood.

my only suggestion though to the op is that if you get the tri point strut bar, and if you end up trying out rallycross later like we talked about, you would want to take it off whenever you go out. #1 that kind of part would bump you out of stock class, #2 a softer chassis in the front and stiffer rear helps rotate the car better in the dirt, and #3 tri point strut tower bars have been known to crack windshields after taking jumps and hard bumps in the front. a guy i talk to at work that used to do stage rally was telling me a lot about the first and only time he had a tri point strut bar and countless other people that had their windshields crack while running a stage. i had not taken that into account, so thats why i went with the cheap neon strut bar with the holes re drilled.

[Galcobar]

Good how-to guide, though of course the torque specs are different.

http://www.turbomr2.com/MR2/HowTo/Suspensi...ringStrut-1.HTM

The only disagreement I have with that walkthrough is on the brake lines. I preferred to disconnect my lines and thread them out of the guide on the strut (requiring bleeding upon reassembly) while the guide author hacksawed a slot out of the guide to free the lines.

One point I'd make is that on a 1995 car you'll want to replace the strut mounts. They run about $50 each. You'll also wan to replace the spring seat isolators, which keep the springs from rattling against the strut. You will almost certainly need to replace the stabilizer bar end links if they're originals, as they are near-impossible to remove without damaging the bearings. Unless you rally your car it's unlikely the bump stops will require replacement, but your boots might.

[playr158]

Bilstein replacement shocks

Front Strut Brace
http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...47&hl=strut

Rear Strut Brace
- Toyota Dealer - OEM GT4

sway bar end links - advanced auto/toyota dealer


how to:
http://www.6gc.net/howto/install_coilovers_or_springs/3

[easternpiro1]

Its fairly self explanatory but it would help having someone there thats done it before, once you've done it once you can do it again especially with macpherson strut.

If I were you I'd go KYB, monroe and gabrielle are fairly cheap, ive never used them myself but I know they are a cheap shock.

You can go bilstein and koni which are better than kyb but you will have to do some modding on the rear as they come with just the inserts and not the entire assembly, so youd have to cut your existing shock.

really? i thought they were direct drop in, glad you mentioned that, how hard is it to modify?

[CastrolCelica]

I think my springs are gone as well. When I go over speed bumps, I hear a loud "squeeeky squeeky squeeky" from the front, then the back as I go over them. The slower, the worse it is ironically.

Per the loud noise.. its gone. Maaco (the bastards lol) didn't put my rubber pads back on in the underside of my hatch lid, so the lid was banging on each and every nump on the road. It's fixed now.

I need to get my friend to look at the car this week. It could be struts, springs,.. or most probably both. I'm not looking forward to the bill lol, but eh...what needs to be done, needs to be done.

Per the rallyx thing, I wouldn't be doing that in this car, so it wouldn't matter . Good to hear about the TRD strut bars. I'll be sure to get those instead of the non-name brand ones to make sure it fits under my hood.

Thanks guys.

[terbear4god4life]

i got this ebay strut bar for our cars! yes!
its only around 80 shipped hold on let me find the link.

i have had it for about 3 weeks and it makes a difference it can corner sharper without putting you in the door.
HERE WE GO!


and yes you can use your stock bar no modding or cutting required hes very legit.
and i run my erabuni carbon hood no prob with it

This post has been edited by terbear4god4life: Nov 23, 2009 - 5:00 PM

[Galcobar]

Springs as a rule do not squeak -- but items around them do. However, I might point you in another direction: http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...mp;hl=squeeking

[Euphoria]

Its fairly self explanatory but it would help having someone there thats done it before, once you've done it once you can do it again especially with macpherson strut.

If I were you I'd go KYB, monroe and gabrielle are fairly cheap, ive never used them myself but I know they are a cheap shock.

You can go bilstein and koni which are better than kyb but you will have to do some modding on the rear as they come with just the inserts and not the entire assembly, so youd have to cut your existing shock.

really? i thought they were direct drop in, glad you mentioned that, how hard is it to modify?

Not too hard, there is lots of guides on the internet.

Also Im not sure bilstein are inserts, although I did hear that, however koni yellows are.

[windowlicker]

the sqeaking sound might be coming from a bushing. i see a lot of the time at work that its usually the sway bar bushings that attach to the subframe. we use this awesome grease from mercedes, but if you can get your hands on some white lithium grease, that should work well. just put grease in the hole that the sway bar goes through, on the bushing all the way around (where the d bracket contacts and where the bushing matches up with the subframe).

[CastrolCelica]

Springs as a rule do not squeak -- but items around them do. However, I might point you in another direction: http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...mp;hl=squeeking

You are a god send. Thank you so much for this link. The creaking is exactly what I'm getting.

[IBTINTN]

As far as the strut bar I would highly recomend the Jspeet 3 point strut bar. Made a big differance in the stiffness around corners.