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No apology necessary man, you gave me a heads up that the parts might not be compatible which I appreciate. You're totally fine man!
I think I'll consider the KYB's since I dont want to spend over $500 for fixing something that's not exactly broken to begin with. I'll do more research here on the forums as well to confirm KYB comfort and reliability. $300 for four new struts that are comparable to OEM is a pretty good deal.
01-03 struts work just fine on 04-06 models. I've done it personally on my 2004, using 04-06 coils.
I believe the difference is that the strut changed to monotube in 2004, but the older style still fits perfectly.
i researched this myself and numerous folks on the board corroberated that these struts fit 04-06. I took the plunge and they are a perfect match. My vehicle is an 06.
i researched this myself and numerous folks on the board corroberated that these struts fit 04-06. I took the plunge and they are a perfect match. My vehicle is an 06.
Good to know! Will definitely reconsider OEM in this case. Only problem is that when I reinstall the old spring from the front struts I will need the spring from the 01-03 model correct? Since the 04-06 is McPherson style strut rather than a shock style? Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I don't believe the springs are any different from a fitment perspective. I did change my springs, but only because I wanted something a little firmer/lower. Maybe others can chime in on this as well.
As I said above, the 01-03 strut fits the 04-06 springs. Mounting hardware is the same. Any changes to the strut between 01-03 and 04-06 are internal to the strut and do not affect mounting.
Sorry I didn't catch that, thats great news! Will look into the sport suspension struts.
I just replaced min at 126k. I went with OEM Sport struts as opposed to the KYBs. They are more money, but not that much considering that you'll keep them forever and they were made for our car. Additionally, they feel great and have definitely made the steering feel tighter, and the dampening over small/medium bumps is ultra smooth.
I replaced my rear shocks with OEM sport rear shocks. To my surprise, the rear had KYB GR-2s on it. As I manually tested them side by side, the OEM sport shocks, also from KYB, seemed to be identical to the GR-2s. They seemed to have the same bounce and rebound damping.
Now I have a pair of rear GR-2s I need to get rid of, if you're interested.
I replaced my rear shocks with OEM sport rear shocks. To my surprise, the rear had KYB GR-2s on it. As I manually tested them side by side, the OEM sport shocks, also fromKYB, seemed to be identical to the GR-2s. They seemed to have the same bounce and rebound damping.
Now I have a pair of rear GR-2s I need to get rid of, if you're interested.
Did you install an aftermarket KYB strut or a genuine Toyota / Lexus strut?
On my ‘01, after 228k and looking for an ‘05-06 unsuccessfully, decided to keep the car I knew and invested in new struts all around.
Went with KYB over OEM struts and used the price differential to replace the leaking LCA “donut looking” front bushings (with the liquid filled OEMs versus the solid aftermarket versions at the advice of the shop I use).
Parts and labor (5+ hours) it ran $1700. Best investment as the ride and feel ha been outstanding.
The KYBs have been fine but the new LCA bushings have been a factor. Good luck with your selection.