New struts, sway bar links and tires, car rides like S@!*
04-17-23, 09:51 PM
#1
Rookie
Thread Starter
New struts, sway bar links and tires, car rides like S@!*
I've worked on my own cars for over 20 years, but because of my age and fragile hands, I'm at the mercy of mechanics and feel like I might have to give up on my beloved ES now that it's riding so poorly that I got car sick today for the first time ever.
I got new Michelins 4 months ago and they've been great. 6 weeks ago, the car started to feel like it was bottoming out over potholes, and the car would rock back and forth over uneven surfaces that it used to float over. A mechanic said that none of the struts were leaking, but that he felt the nose dive on breaking was a little excessive. He also said that if a bushing was bad, there would be some type of noise coming from the suspension. He didn't push the struts on me too hard, but it seemed like the best place to start. Sway bar links are easy, so I did those myself. The struts are KYB, and yes, they are very stiff, but I don't think that the car should be rocking back and forth the way it does. The car used to feel planted to the road, but now it feels like I'm skating on concrete. The struts have 2,000 miles on them.
I've done some searches on bad sub frame bushings and LCA bushings, and they all mention noises, uneven treadware and an inability for the car to drive straight, but I'm not experiencing any of that. Any advice before I take it to a 2nd mechanic would be appreciated. Thanks
I got new Michelins 4 months ago and they've been great. 6 weeks ago, the car started to feel like it was bottoming out over potholes, and the car would rock back and forth over uneven surfaces that it used to float over. A mechanic said that none of the struts were leaking, but that he felt the nose dive on breaking was a little excessive. He also said that if a bushing was bad, there would be some type of noise coming from the suspension. He didn't push the struts on me too hard, but it seemed like the best place to start. Sway bar links are easy, so I did those myself. The struts are KYB, and yes, they are very stiff, but I don't think that the car should be rocking back and forth the way it does. The car used to feel planted to the road, but now it feels like I'm skating on concrete. The struts have 2,000 miles on them.
I've done some searches on bad sub frame bushings and LCA bushings, and they all mention noises, uneven treadware and an inability for the car to drive straight, but I'm not experiencing any of that. Any advice before I take it to a 2nd mechanic would be appreciated. Thanks
Last edited by Ottodrum; 04-17-23 at 09:54 PM.
04-17-23, 10:23 PM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
Are the struts actually KYB? Bottoming out generally means only one thing the strut is not doing its job.
04-17-23, 10:35 PM
#3
Rookie
Thread Starter
04-17-23, 11:52 PM
#4
Pole Position
Hello,
What's the mileage on the car?
Just to verify - you did get the struts from a reputable place, like RockAuto?
Did you replace just the shocks, or complete strut assemblies, including the Spring and Mount?
This kind of behavior can actually be a sign of the some bushing starting to fail, as if the rubber started cracking or torn off the inner metal bushing completely. This can cause the wheel to move excessively forward and backward during the acceleration and braking, as the torque on the wheels pushes them one way or the other, and since the rubber is still present, there may not be any noise present just yet.
The only way I know of to verify it is to actually go under the car with a long pry bar and pry at all the bushings in all directions, both in the Front and Rear suspension, pushing the wheel itself as well. This can be quite tricky to spot, especially if you don't know what the new bushing is suppose to feel like, so aside from feeling for any motion, also pay attention to the movement of the bushings as well, look if they are cracked or otherwise damaged, if pretty much all the bushings show cracking, that could be the cause.
It could be just the age of all the bushings, such that they are not torn just yet, but also lost their elasticity, it depends on the mileage you currently have. After all, the cars have a finite lifespan, even if it is a Toyota. I had to replace all the Control Arms in my 2000 ES300 about 5 years back, it was pretty close to 200,000 miles at that point and all the control arms were still original.
Hope this helps and best of luck!
What's the mileage on the car?
Just to verify - you did get the struts from a reputable place, like RockAuto?
Did you replace just the shocks, or complete strut assemblies, including the Spring and Mount?
This kind of behavior can actually be a sign of the some bushing starting to fail, as if the rubber started cracking or torn off the inner metal bushing completely. This can cause the wheel to move excessively forward and backward during the acceleration and braking, as the torque on the wheels pushes them one way or the other, and since the rubber is still present, there may not be any noise present just yet.
The only way I know of to verify it is to actually go under the car with a long pry bar and pry at all the bushings in all directions, both in the Front and Rear suspension, pushing the wheel itself as well. This can be quite tricky to spot, especially if you don't know what the new bushing is suppose to feel like, so aside from feeling for any motion, also pay attention to the movement of the bushings as well, look if they are cracked or otherwise damaged, if pretty much all the bushings show cracking, that could be the cause.
It could be just the age of all the bushings, such that they are not torn just yet, but also lost their elasticity, it depends on the mileage you currently have. After all, the cars have a finite lifespan, even if it is a Toyota. I had to replace all the Control Arms in my 2000 ES300 about 5 years back, it was pretty close to 200,000 miles at that point and all the control arms were still original.
Hope this helps and best of luck!
04-18-23, 08:25 AM
#5
Rookie
Thread Starter
Hello,
What's the mileage on the car?
Just to verify - you did get the struts from a reputable place, like RockAuto?
Did you replace just the shocks, or complete strut assemblies, including the Spring and Mount?
This kind of behavior can actually be a sign of the some bushing starting to fail, as if the rubber started cracking or torn off the inner metal bushing completely. This can cause the wheel to move excessively forward and backward during the acceleration and braking, as the torque on the wheels pushes them one way or the other, and since the rubber is still present, there may not be any noise present just yet.
The only way I know of to verify it is to actually go under the car with a long pry bar and pry at all the bushings in all directions, both in the Front and Rear suspension, pushing the wheel itself as well. This can be quite tricky to spot, especially if you don't know what the new bushing is suppose to feel like, so aside from feeling for any motion, also pay attention to the movement of the bushings as well, look if they are cracked or otherwise damaged, if pretty much all the bushings show cracking, that could be the cause.
It could be just the age of all the bushings, such that they are not torn just yet, but also lost their elasticity, it depends on the mileage you currently have. After all, the cars have a finite lifespan, even if it is a Toyota. I had to replace all the Control Arms in my 2000 ES300 about 5 years back, it was pretty close to 200,000 miles at that point and all the control arms were still original.
Hope this helps and best of luck!
What's the mileage on the car?
Just to verify - you did get the struts from a reputable place, like RockAuto?
Did you replace just the shocks, or complete strut assemblies, including the Spring and Mount?
This kind of behavior can actually be a sign of the some bushing starting to fail, as if the rubber started cracking or torn off the inner metal bushing completely. This can cause the wheel to move excessively forward and backward during the acceleration and braking, as the torque on the wheels pushes them one way or the other, and since the rubber is still present, there may not be any noise present just yet.
The only way I know of to verify it is to actually go under the car with a long pry bar and pry at all the bushings in all directions, both in the Front and Rear suspension, pushing the wheel itself as well. This can be quite tricky to spot, especially if you don't know what the new bushing is suppose to feel like, so aside from feeling for any motion, also pay attention to the movement of the bushings as well, look if they are cracked or otherwise damaged, if pretty much all the bushings show cracking, that could be the cause.
It could be just the age of all the bushings, such that they are not torn just yet, but also lost their elasticity, it depends on the mileage you currently have. After all, the cars have a finite lifespan, even if it is a Toyota. I had to replace all the Control Arms in my 2000 ES300 about 5 years back, it was pretty close to 200,000 miles at that point and all the control arms were still original.
Hope this helps and best of luck!
I think I'll take it to a different mechanic and ask them to put the car on a lift and inspect every bushing that could cause a rough ride. I had a 1981 Mercedes 300SD that I got up to 295K, and I gave up on the car once it showed the symptoms that the ES is showing right now. Too much money to replace sub frame bushings and trailing arm bushings on some cars.
04-21-23, 06:04 AM
#6
Moderator
Check the new struts for leaks. Someone on the RX forum bought what he thought were KYB struts on Amazon that started leaking after a 2 months and were apparently fakes with KYB labels.
04-21-23, 07:16 PM
#7
Rookie
Thread Starter
I took the car to a reputable shop yesterday, and they spent a half hour with it, both driving and placing it on a lift. They said that everything looked good and I'm just going to have to get used to the stiff ride or replace the KYBs with OEM. It's frustrating because the last set of struts were cheap I.S.G. struts and they felt great, but I can't find them anywhere online.
I went to an online store called My L Parts, and they have the front struts for $205 a piece. Does anyone have experience with that store?
I went to an online store called My L Parts, and they have the front struts for $205 a piece. Does anyone have experience with that store?
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04-21-23, 08:41 PM
#8
Intermediate
I have KYB's on mine - installed 2016 - still working fine
They were stiff for the first 3 months then settled down. They will not ride like OEM, but I have gotten used to them
Reused OEM Coil Spring, Mount, Mount Bearing
Purchased new OEM upper and lower seat, insulator & bump stop
My L Parts - Dealership out of Roseville(?). I have had good luck with them. Prompt delivery, parts in good order when arrived. Use CL5 in the promo code section for a discount
They were stiff for the first 3 months then settled down. They will not ride like OEM, but I have gotten used to them
Reused OEM Coil Spring, Mount, Mount Bearing
Purchased new OEM upper and lower seat, insulator & bump stop
My L Parts - Dealership out of Roseville(?). I have had good luck with them. Prompt delivery, parts in good order when arrived. Use CL5 in the promo code section for a discount
04-21-23, 08:57 PM
#9
Rookie
Thread Starter
I have KYB's on mine - installed 2016 - still working fine
They were stiff for the first 3 months then settled down. They will not ride like OEM, but I have gotten used to them
Reused OEM Coil Spring, Mount, Mount Bearing
Purchased new OEM upper and lower seat, insulator & bump stop
My L Parts - Dealership out of Roseville(?). I have had good luck with them. Prompt delivery, parts in good order when arrived. Use CL5 in the promo code section for a discount
They were stiff for the first 3 months then settled down. They will not ride like OEM, but I have gotten used to them
Reused OEM Coil Spring, Mount, Mount Bearing
Purchased new OEM upper and lower seat, insulator & bump stop
My L Parts - Dealership out of Roseville(?). I have had good luck with them. Prompt delivery, parts in good order when arrived. Use CL5 in the promo code section for a discount
05-24-23, 06:02 PM
#10
Rookie
Thread Starter
Well, it took 3 months and 5,000 miles for the KYBs to finally settle enough for the ES to feel like a normal car. The ride isn't as soft as I would like, but at least the car feels planted to the road and isn't bouncing all over the place. I wanted to make sure to post my results for anyone searching KYB Break In Period. I'll post again in 3 months and give an update.
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BBQapple (08-25-23)
05-25-23, 03:06 AM
#11
I have those on my Sentra for 70K miles now and they really haven't broken in at all. The ride is borderline brutal, but the upside is the car handles great. I wish I could remember how it rode new (1993) for an accurate comparison. Though, I feel lucky because my set was made in Japan.
08-12-23, 06:39 PM
#12
Rookie
Thread Starter
Finally!
It's been 9,000 miles now on the KYBs, and the car is once again enjoyable. The car doesn't feel like a pillow on wheels like it did with the I.S.G. struts, but at least it feels like a luxury Sedan. My goal is to get this car to 275K, so hopefully I can get 40K more out of these struts. The timing belt will be due at 275K and the Michelins will probably be close to bald.
08-13-23, 06:02 AM
#13
That's good news! My '01 definitely has that floaty feeling too and bottoms out easily, but I just picked it up a few weeks ago and ordered the KYBs knowing it would make it stiffer. I've owned older Acuras and BMWs mostly so it will be fun to see what is considered "stiff" on this car. It does have 207k, but I got it for cheap and I like working on my own cars. I'll likely replace the entire suspension and most bushings over the next couple months as I suspect it will end up riding better than many new cars after that.
08-15-23, 08:12 AM
#14
Just installed KYBs on the front last night and I love the difference! I can't believe they're considered stiff though. I can't imagine the stock struts being softer. It would just feel like the blown suspension the car already had...
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