Toyota Avalon Suspension Questions

oilcan2

You have to remove the spring to change the strut anyway,
why dont you price new stock springs,you could also measure
the length of the unsprung spring and compare it to the
length of a new one,get the length from a manual.All of the aftermarket springs will probably lower the car so thats
why I would stick to stock.If you replace the struts it is
very important to replace the mount also.

jtabasz

I bought the car with 70K miles. The previous owner swapped out the tires with slightly lower profile 215 60 15 tires. This encouraged the car to bottom out at the least provocation. The OEMs are 65 profile tires, which raise the body by a touch. This was enough to reduce the conditions under which the body would bottom out. This is what is on the car now. I want to reduce body roll and bottoming out potential. I want to know if my springs are shot as well as the struts. The car doesn't bounce when doing the "bounce the fender" test.

abfisch

I can only give you my experience. I have 85K on a 02 Avalon. It never bottoms out, with either 205/65 H 15 or 215/55 H 16's. It is not really the tires anyway. It is the struts for sure. Replace them, with superior aftermarket struts with new Toyota OEM hardware mounts for the struts. I put TokicoHP's in mine a long time ago, but KYB GR2 are just as fine. They will relieve most of your bottoming out, most of the front end dive under hard braking, and much better control in cornering. If you want to kick it up another "notch" you can change the bushings on the sway bars from rubber to polyurethane. This will make things even more stable albeit at the expense of transmiting a bit more vibration through the car. That is all that is needed really.

abfisch

jeffmccombs

I had a problem with my 97 camry after a number of years where it I had a rattling noise every time I would drive over bumps... easier to hear on "quiet" roads or while in parking lots. Mechanics said it was upper strut mount issues... about $700-800 to fix... but they said it wasn't a safety issue. I had a hard time spending money for aesthetics especially on an 8 yr old car. SO...

I read one of the camry posts that talked about how someone had had their front struts replaced, but that it was making the noise (that I recognized.) They took it back to the mechanic who simply needed to tighten the upper strut mount nut (visible from the top) to resolve the problem. I thought "hey.. what if I tightened that nut on my Camry?..." So... I happened to have a deep socket that was the right size (same as the lug nut) and gave it about a 1/4 turn to tighten. Well... after that, the problem disappeared... it's been several days and about 140 miles... I'd say I'm on to something.

I understand that Avalon suspensions may rattle the same way.

Food for thought... Keep in mind that I'm not a car mechanic. Just an average guy who doesn't like to spend money on needless "repairs".

55396

"here's a link for 4 KYB GR-2 (2 front, 2 rear) for only $218. S&H is about $30"

The link no longer works. Who was the supplier selling at this price? I just paid $209 for a set of KYB GR2's from Performance Parts for my wifes 03 Avalon. $330 for installation, $50 for alignment. It had pulled to the left, and the best we could do on camber was right on the edge of spec, so we installed an adjustment 'kit' which is an eccentric that allows further adjustment, for $60. Many shops won't install struts that they didn't sell, but I had Fleet Farm do mine - after I explained that they were new and upscale from stock. I could have had them done by the mechanic at a local junk yard too, for a bit less due to a lower hourly rate.

I had installed Energy performance front sway bar bushings first. These brought quickness to the steering and eliminated much of the vague, sloppy feel. For 30 bucks you can't go wrong. I installed them myself. EZ. Check your sway bar size though. I've seen 18 & 19 mm listed, but mine were 17 mm.

The struts improved steering more yet. Yes, it rides stiffer, but that is to be expected. I installed large super duty shocke on my wifes 67 Fairlane way back when, and it was stiff. But we took it on a trip from MN to AZ and back. That broke them in, and it was just about perfect. So, I expect the edge to come off these with use too. The Av. had taken speed bumps with out much effect before, but better slow down now, as they definitely are noticeable, as are rough streets, but not objectionable. A good trade off for the improved driveability. The quick response to steering wheel input still surprises me. That's when you know you have improvement - when something unexpected pops up. Nice. So far, I can't find bushings for the rear. Energy lists them (16mm. I'll need to modify to 17mm), but no one can get them, and apparently they don't intend to make them any time soon. Anyone know of any availability (P/N 8.5120), or another brand?

I had just about 60k on the car, and the float was very noticeable with someone in the back seat, or a load. We plan a trip to AZ with a full load. That will tell the story. They said that they usually didn't replace the strut mounts unless the mileage was really high, and did not change mine. Wife likes the improvement.

55396

KYB GR-2

BTW, if any of you want to improve your old strut performance, you may get a boost by replacing the sway bar bushings with Energy polyurethane units for abott $30 if you do it yourself. The reason for this is that they better tie the strut action together so rather than one wheel moving up and down fairly independently, a stiffer bushing makes the other strut to contribute more. I may not have replaced my struts had I done this before I ordered new ones. It may not be night and day, but I could tell the difference. The tech that replaced my struts did say that my originals seemed good yet though. So, if your budget won't handle a grand right now, try $30 to get by til it will.

Jerry

alanrmui

I have a 2000 Avalon with 65K on it. I just replaced the tires as I didnt like the performance and it was time for new tires. I live on a road that is bumpy in places with lines that go across the road. I cant stand the thunking in the front end. I never thought a Avalon would ride like this. It is a loud thunk with every line that you go over. It rides beautiful on smooth highways. What could this be? Any ideas? Alan

havalongavalon

Make sure the tires are not over-inflated. If they are OK, I'd suspect the shock absorbers. I hope it's just the tire pressure...

alanrmui

The tire pressure is perfect at 32 lbs. Is this normal for an Avalon to ride this way over a bumpy road. It doesnt bottom out or bounce like worn out shocks do. Maybe im just not used to this sort of ride. Thanks

alanrmui

Well, i just brought the car to a import mechanic, he drove it and said that the suspension is fine. He thinks it my new tires giving me a rough ride. Im clueless as to what the problem is. Im disappointed in this Toyota. It is my first and so far, im just disappointed. Alan

abfisch

I am going to try and help here. Thunking is a term that is a little vague. It is vibration into the cabin that you are feeling or hearing or a sound of the tires hitting the expansion joints on the road??? There are a couple of things it could be. Some tires do, even at the correct pressure, ride harsher than others, struts, bushings in the suspension arms could be worn, and mounts. That is it.

Not sure what you are hearing. Wish we had audio to this forum but check all of these levels and I am pretty sure you will find the area if it is abnormal. Road surface you cannot change.

abfisch

alanrmui

Abfisch, Thanks for your replies. The thunking is not a vibration, it is a noise that comes from the tires hitting the expansion joints in the road. Today I was cruising down the highway, and it was super quiet, but this smaller highway that I live on, is a different story. It is a pounding experience until it gets to a smooth part of the road. I am beginning to wonder if this is just a normal ride. The mechanic who test drove it last night said he didnt think there was anything wrong with the suspension. Believe it or not, the Toyota service guy in my town encouraged me to stuff rubber vacuum hose into the top of the strut mounts. I did go and try it, but it doesnt really make an improvement as to what I am hearing a feeling. Thanks for all of your input. I also have a 30 day satisfaction warranty on the new tires (Bridgestone Turanza LS-H. I checked air pressure last night and they were around 29 lbs cold. I did go and top them off to 31 lbs. Thanks again, any other ideas from you Abfisch? Alan

steve326a

If it thunks on rough road spots it's definately strut, strut mount, or suspension related. Another thought. Check the brake calipers. You may have a loose caliper or brake pad rattling. Also if you have a moonroof, open the roof lid but keep the glass closed. As you ride down the bumps and you hear the clunking, push up on the glass. See whether or not it stop. What do you think Art, sound close?

Steve :shades:

alanrmui

The brakes were all just gone over, new pads, rotors, etc. This thunking is not new, it has ridden this way since i bought the car in October. I havent tried the sunroof. What do you think about the Toyota service guys suggestion about the vacuum hose? Alan

steve326a

I can guess their names. Idiot, Moron, etc. What lamebrain came up with that?

55396

"Some tires do, even at the correct pressure, ride harsher than others,"

In general, the higher the speed rating or the lower the profile (60 vs 70), the firmer the ride. Probably more road noise too.

55396

"The thunking is not a vibration, it is a noise that comes from the tires hitting the expansion joints in the road. It is a pounding experience until it gets to a smooth part of the road. I am beginning to wonder if this is just a normal ride."

You talk about thunking and ride. So, is the problem noise, or ride? Or both? Lower profile tires high performance/speed rating will Probably give you more road noise and firmness.

55396

We have an 03 Avalon with 50k on it. The suspension always had a vague feeling, although it had a great ride. We tried out a BMW 530 & 545 at the Susan Komen BMW Test Drive. There was an intersection where you were going down hill into the intersection. When turning right onto a 4 lane street, the BMW would turn tightly into the right, or outside lane with no effort. Same corner, same speed, with the Avalon and I would end up in the inner, or left, lane. Never liking this characteristic of the Avalon, I replaced the front sway bar bushings with Energy performance bushings - about $20 if you do it yourself. (Make sure both wheels are on the same plane. If you jack up one side, you will pre-load things) Replacing the front bushings only made a very noticeable difference. (I had trouble getting the rear bushings) Not slap you upside the head difference, but very noticeable. Next, we replaced the stock struts with KYB GR2's. Another big improvement. My wife loves it. My rear bushings should be in as I write this and I will be anxious to get them on before we leave for Arizona with a full load. I had to run 40 PSI in the tires on this trip before, to keep it firm enough to be driveable. Anyway, we were near my test intersection the other day, and I just had to try it again. It stayed in the right lane with no problem. What an improvement. Then, my wife picked up some tapes from a friend. There is a narrow back road there that drops rapidly down and across an old bridge between 2 hills. The handling was very vague here in stock form. As she said, "it flops all over". Well, she came home all excited. She went across the bridge and the suspension was taut with excellent control. It really surprised her as she was not thinking about it, but the difference just shocked her. Now, women not usually paying much attention to things like this, makes for a very telling story. She is probably more attuned than most though. Some gals are, but it still confirms what AB and I experienced. I highly recommend this upgrade unless you still insist on the old American float in place of a car that handles. I would recommend the bushing upgrade to anyone. You just can't beat the bang for the buck. I finally found the rear set through NAPA and Autozone. NAPA wanted a $5 special order fee plus $6 shipping. Autozone was slightly higher on the part, but no extra charges. I bought there.

abfisch

Good. Very good. Glad you and I got to the same point. Don't replace the CAB until they are real bad. Not worth the hassle along they make things even tighter.

Have 86K on the 02 now. Never ran better. Washer pump made me mad, but took my time and fixed it myself.

For the post that is having trouble with road noise, "thunking", expansion joints do that to all cars. The noise is a product of tires, pressure and rebound from the struts. Yes, I agree some tires are more comfortable than others and I think yours CR rated very high, and if the pressure is normal 31/32 65/60 series tires, I got to think the struts could be a potential cause. They all contribute.

I also saw a posting recently about intermittent functioning of the heated seats. I just am shaking my head. The more electronic componetry, the more stuff can go wrong. Rather stick to the suspension upgrades.

Again, great to here success from others.

abfisch

shughes

I have a '98 Avalon with 95,000, with a front end noise. A year or so ago, I started hearing a thunk when I drove over a bump. It seems to get much worse since it has turned colder - now I get a kind of a squeeky noise along with the thunk. It really makes a racket - can be heard over the radio! An old boyfriend looked at it & said there was nothing wrong with it. I recently took it to a mechanic I trust who told me he was pretty sure that the struts need to be replaced ($850). I'm a little reluctant to spend that much money on it without being fairly certain that replacing struts will fix the problem. Any ideas?

abfisch

Yes I do. The strut mounts are probably making that noise. Avalon and Camry know for that. Front probably. $850 is a little steep for just that. Find another competent mechanic, buy your own KYBGR2's and strut mounts, have it aligned. You should be good to go.

abfisch

alanrmui

Are the KYBGR2's as good as the other brand that is talked about, Tokiko or whatever? Alan

abfisch

The OEM struts, IMO, are a weak point in the Avalon. Don;t buy them again. They are the exact same strut used in the Camry and Solara. Same part number. Only the Avalon weight is different as well as the geometry of the suspension and the struts they put in were never made for this exact model. You would think, Top of the line model, Top of the line shock/strut, no so. Just not so. All about the saving money on the assembly line.

Tokico and KYB make an excellent aftermarket replacement strut. They are the exact match to fit, and in addition they are twin tube(not monotube) low pressure (not high pressure)gas struts. The KYB are priced more reasonably from these posts. I personally put in Tokico's but it makes little difference in the end. I have about 65K on these struts with remarkable differences. There are starting to wear but that is normal for any hydraulic device.

I hope this helps you.

abfisch

alanrmui

Ok, so today I take the Av in to get the tires rebalanced for the 2nd time since getting them new 1 month ago. I told them specifically to torque the lugs to 76 lbs. They agreed. They also were checking out the front end and found a inside tie rod that needs replacing. He said he could wiggle my tire. Could this be causing my loud thump over expansion joints. Oh man i hope so, I'm about ready to sell this great Toyota that everyone brags about. I'm just frustrated. So, i will probably have the tie rod end replaced. He said the other side is fine. He also said that could be making the steering wheel vibrate at certain speeds. Any ideas Abfisch? Thanks in advance. Alan

Mr_Shiftright

I don't think the tie rod has anything to do with the noise. As for the vibration at certain speeds, also doubtful that the tie rod is the culprit, but one should always replace a loose tie rod regardless....

abfisch

Agreed. The rods are usually not what goes anyway. It is the rubber bushings, again that go, but they replace them as a unit.

abfisch

toyota12

Hello. Here is my experience with my 1996 Avalon XL that I bought new. My problems started over 2 years ago with a clunking noise over certain surfaces, be it a pot hole, uneveness in the road or even ridges. It occurred the first two winters and then would not be heard again. Last year it persisted through the winter and I had my mechanic take a listen and look. Naturally, he couldn't hear the noise as well as me and at that time was best heard in more quiet areas and his shop bordered a busy highway. He felt it was the strut mount however since he just had a Camry and Lexus 300 series with similar problems although involving the front strut mount. At that time I was a bit naive about the anatomy of the car but it sounded correct. After replacing it this seemed to help but slowly got worse. Then I came upon this Forum and the next step we did was for him to replace the anti-sway bar bushings and the left swaybar link was slightly bent so that was replaced. This seemed better afterwards. By the way, he had to order the parts and he left the left antisway bar unattached on the left to see if this could isolate the problem. When making a right hand turn over a depressed entrance into my complex, this created a very loud clunk. This was eliminated pretty much after reconnecting it and the new bushings placed.

Then I had moved out of town and the streets in my new area were rougher in general. This was August. The clunk and rattle in the left rear slowly became worse and there were some parts of town with the bad roads that caused me great cringing and quite embarrassing as it felt like the entire rear was loose or a buckle full of bolts. I had checked everything and took everything out of the trunk for the 5th time and tested the car with empty and full gas tank as well as the spare tire removed. No difference. Finally with the colder weather approaching, this annoyed me so much and during my times of tire rotation and alignments, I would ask the mechanic about it. Nobody could see anything but they all suggested new struts as this was the only thing I had not done. I checked around and after spending about $300 already and not getting anywhere, the price of new rear struts was generally around $500-550 and $850 from the dealership. The strut prices weren't too bad but the 4+ hours of labor was pretty much average. I checked online for prices, ebay being a good source but found that most shops would not put on products that were not bought from them; the few who did would not guarantee them, and I was also not knowledgeable enough to know if Monroe or Gabriel which many of the places normally recommended and carried would be any good or "tuned" as well to the Avalon as some people online felt they were of low quality with poor efficiency and lifetime compared to the more expensive Tokina or KYB which some noted a more stiffer ride. I was looking to eliminate the noise first but a ride comparable to the original ride. At last since I couldn't take the noise any longer, I had Sears put in Monroe Sensatraks back in Oct. as their labor costs were only $112 (although they run a half price installation often) and the struts were about $95 each (a little higher than what can be had through parts stores). But I figured $300 and some change a bargain. This seemed to help a few days and then the noise returned. In fact it was worse and I figured it was that the struts were stiffer and whatever was causing the noise, this amplified it. I took it back in in Dec. They noted the left rear strut was "shot" and replaced it. That seemed odd but unfortunately this did not fix it. Then recently with this cold weather, I was hearing noise from the right front--this was a belt or alternator or bearing noise and it was noted that the seals to the rack and pinion were broken and the power steering fluid was leaking. At this time I had pulled the rear seat out completely since this was a new mechanic I was trying out and wanted yet another opinion of the rear noise. They repaired the rack and pinion (long rack) and replaced the left CV axle as the boot was also broken (the right side being done within the year). With the seat removed, it was much more obvious the knocking noise from the left rear as well as outside road noise, etc. The mechanic had gotten in the back seat area with another driving and saw the strut moving excessively over rough surfaces as well as making a racquet. He noted it was the strut mount that was recently replaced 8 months ago. I confirmed this and put a hand over the upper assembly and this eliminated the noise while the car was moving. By the way, I had even gotten into the trunk several months ago to isolate the noise. Did not hear it but a scary experience and very noisy otherwise. Since then it is against the law to ride in the trunk, mainly due to kidnappings and kids being put in there for a quick transport. Good law by the way!!

Well, this mechanic wanted to get the major upfront stuff fixed first but now I could tell it was the strut mount (again). Since this sits behind the seat and not very well exposed, mechanics do not see anything nor typically hear anything and unless they are aware of the strut mounts, are not likely to diagnose it correctly. Also one mechanic had suggested it was the seat making noise and not the suspension at all on a test drive and knowing the seat had been removed and replaced three times, I was looking for anything plausible.

To make a long story short (LOL)--I then figured since Sears worked on the struts I would see what they had to offer and it was a Sunday and very few others were open. The mechanic was very nice and explained it was the strut mount most likely and commented that he knew I was serious with the rear seat out! Having the rear seat out also was not ideal but I was determined to get it fixed. He replaced the strut mount with a Monroe brand and this eliminated all noise and for the first time I can appreciate the overall improved suspension. The car is now quiet and since I had been hearing so much noise for over 2 years I had forgotten how the car was suppose to be and this also affects the ride as the strut moved around in the mount.

I cannot say why the strut that was initially installed did not work properly. ? defective, perhaps not put in right? At least that mechanic had the right idea. This column also helped as I pretty much knew that it was the mount all along despite my limited mechanical and car experience and knowledge. But I was sidetracked as well as all the others after having a new mount installed initially.

I would certainly go along with a strut mount being the problem with such noises and of course the bushings and struts themselves. Other undercarriage things like the exhaust and other links and even the wheel and brakes should be considered. BTW, I have 168,000 miles on the car and hope to get a little more use out of it.

pat

Welcome to CarSpace! Thanks for reporting your firsthand experience.

rbw57

The problem on the Toyota Avalon and Camry is simple. The mounting nuts on the Struts work loose after many miles and need to be retorqued. This will fix the rattle thunk on the cars at no expense if you do it yourself. I gurantee this is the problem. The nuts do not have a lock washer on them or any way to keep them tight. They are supposed to be self locking. But they will loosen up, all it takes is a bout 1/8 to 1/4 turn to fix this. Torque the nuts to about 90 ft lbs. The nuts are under the hood on top of the strut. There are 3 nuts on each strut. Tighten them and the noise will go away.

toyota12

That certainly makes good sense. In fact, the two mechanics who replaced the strut mount noted it was not cracked or anything really visible could be seen.

I thought it was quite odd that the second strut mount that was replaced some 8 months prior could be bad or "defective."

Too bad the mechanics did not have enough sense to try this simple measure. I would have certainly saved a lot--and perhaps this will help others. I have noticed an early rattle noise on my right rear strut so I will try to tighten the nuts down and hopefully this is the fix. I did look and attempt to tighten the nut on the other side and they did appear tightened before having it replaced and wouldn't budge. As with such nuts and bolts, I don't have any air compressor power tools and not too familiar with how much torque I am delivering (by hand) so what seems to be tight or with no obvious appearing looseness, may not be.

Thank you for your input again and I believe it is as you have noted all the problems. I did inquire however after the first mechanic replaced the strut mount and it still continued to make noise if he did tighten it properly and he said he did. Again being a layperson and being it was covered by the back seat and reluctant to take that out (which I finally did on my own and wasn't difficult), but you have to have some trust in those in the business-- it is that initial curve of going through the whole thing as being the most educational of course unfortunately.

I look forward in getting the back seat out again and attempting to tighten the other side now!!

toyota12

I seriously doubt that even at the Toyota dealership they would have just tightened the strut mount retaining screws.

They would have most likely recommended replacing the struts with a car with high mileage on it. It is not something they can visualize. It is also a "problem" they are not too commobly aware of it seems.

The rear seat has to be out and two people have to test drive it--one driving and the other in the back seeing and hearing the strut loose in the mount!!

Most places take it out for a test drive, either hear nothing or very little in their limited drive and if they do hear anything, they recommend a strut and may notice some moisture around the strut to confirm their suspension. Most mechanics also are not bothered by some rattle and noise as it is not their car and with something of high mileage they consider this to be normal in many cases. To the owner, it is a very annoying, cringing experience that is anticipated over every uneven surface.

I think my rear struts had gotten a little soft with 168,000 miles on the car however and I guess this is consolation for it all--it seems to be doing much better now that the strut mount and screws are finally and properly placed on the left side. Now I am able to hear the beginnings on the right rear side but will certainly attempt to tighten the screws better before taking it again.

bigpaul35

I have a 2007 Avalon purchased in Sept 06. A couple of weeks ago the rear suspension made a "creaking/squeaking" noise when going over bumps. Sounded like the rear end was 20 yrs old.

Took the car to the Toyota dealer and they said that they had experienced this on one other Avalon and some Camrys, but that Toyota "doesn't have a fix". They claimed the noise may be coming from the strut supports, springs or something closely related. The only work-around that they said Toyota Engineering had was to dissassemble both sides (drvr/pass) stut/spring assemblies and put a piece of felt between the strut support and the body and then greased everything else.

I beleive that this is obviously a temporary fix and I will be back there at some point.

I also have a noise in the right rear of the passenger compartment in cold weather.

I'm a bit disenchanted with the new Toyota Avalon.

Anyone else have this experience, and if so, what have you been told?

kirkkempen

I'm planning to buy a new XLS, but don't like the stock suspension. (too soft, too uncontrolled)
I don't like the color choices offered on the Touring model.
Do you know of any simple upgrades available for the 05-07 Avalon that would bring it close to the Touring model?

abfisch

Go the the KYB strut site and Energy Suspension site for PU bushings. I would hesitate to do both at the same time. Get the color you want, and change the struts. You will need to get it aligned again. Immediate difference in control and braking.

abfisch

bigpaul35

You mention an alignment in your recommendation. I posted the message in #84, and they ripped apart the suspension on both rear sides from the struts to the strut supports and reassembled them. Should I have to get an alignment? I did ask that very question to the service team when this was going down, but they said I did not have to get an alignment.

abfisch

If it is on warranty, which I assume it is, then unless they are very very good and you are very lucky, how do they know that the rear wheels are sitting in the correct settings(camber, caster, etc)??? You must be lucky. They must be good. Or, they don't have an alignment machine or they don't want to take the time to do it.

I am not totally familiar with the 06/07 suspension, but on my O2, in an independent rear suspension espeically, taking down the links and arms, you need to make sure the alignment is at specs.

You'll know if the tires wear really fast on one side or the other, or the car pulls to one side or the other.

Hope they got your problem fixed anyway.

Enjoy the car.

abfisch

bigpaul35

So far it seems that the noises have dissappeared in the rear end for now. I'm weary that only time will bring them back. I have to follow up again on the alignment (too much business travel has distracted me).

jwadle1

Heloo, I just recently purchases a 2005 Avalon Limited, and whjile I love the car I too think the ride is a bit bouncy.. One of the first things I want to do is install new PU busings. Well I purchaed them and was about to install them, but thought i would ask if there is anything I should knwo about doing this my self.. I have the car on jacks stands now and I started to take the olts out, but thought I should check with one of you that has done it to see if there are any pointers.. Thank you in advance for any help

Jim

steve326a

Are the jackstands on the axles or body? If they are on the axles themselves or you use ramps instead, you should be ok. If you put them on the body frame, the struts and springs will put pressure on the swaybar that you want to change the bushings on and make it much more difficult. Hope this helps you.

Steve
97 XLS w/ all the toys!
Long live the avalon!
No, you can't have mine!

Mr_Shiftright

Stiffer sway bar bushings will assist in body roll but I don't know how much they will help excessive up/down motion. They might cut it down on sharp turns into irregular road surfaces..."waddle" in other words. But it's a simple and cheap way to start experimenting. If the bushings don't work you may have to go to a more sophisticated shock/strut setup.

jwadle1

Thanks to both responses.. I was using jackstands and it seemed a little diffivult to get the bolts out.. Looks like I am going to get a set of jackstands and try that out.. In case anyone else wants to do this int he future, I will try to take some pictures and document what I did.. Wish me luck..

55396

"Stiffer sway bar bushings will assist in body roll but I don't know how much they will help excessive up/down motion."

It may help due to the fact that there will be a better, or more rigid connection to the other strut, forcing it to contribute more.

55396

"I have the car on jacks stands"

Make you have both sides on the same plane. If only one side is raised, you will preload the sway bar.

smith1

I have a 2007 XL (4000 miles) and am disappointed in the ride quality. I feel that minor road irregularities cause more disturbance of the car than they should. E.g. when one wheel encounters a small depression the entire car rocks from side to side for several seconds. I never expected Buick-like isolation, but I feel this Avalon is significantly inferior in this aspect to the B5 Passat I drove previously.

It seems to me this has something to do with the OEM struts being too sloppy, not being able to damp vehicle movements effectively or quickly enough. I'm not really looking for a "firmer" ride, just a more composed one with less rocking, porpoising, etc. when road imperfections are encountered. Would changing to KYB or Tokico struts help with this?

bigpaul35

I agree that the ride is less than spectacular. I tend to notice more of the road imperfections than i would like. As to your question on the struts, if you search back through this thread (i believe its this one), there is a short series of exchanges that deals with the strut issue and a recommendation on which ones to use as replacements.

abfisch

Yes.yes. yes. TokicoHP or KYB GR2's. Do NOT change the tire sizing. Have them change the mounts and bump stops too, either OEM or KYB.

Have had TokicoHP for 70K on an 02 Avalon, with Energy Suspension PU bushings, regular springs and Toyota OEM wheels. My other vehicle is a BMW 3 series with the sports suspension. While two different cars, you would be very very surprised. I took the BMW yesterday, but I took the Avalon today, more comfortable for a large person.

Not inexpensive to change, but worth it if you intend on keeping the vehicle.

Bigger sway bars I do not find necessary on this vehicle. The PU sway bar bushing, act the same as putting on a bigger sway bar, and the vehicle rides markedly well controlled while still balancing out for comfort.

abfisch

smith1

Many thanks for the information, much appreciated.

hawiianavowner

Aloha, all...been lurking but haven't posted in a looong time...I've reached the 120K mark on my 2000 avy, am considering changing sway bar bushings to PU. Am NOT clear on the support positions- where do the jackstands go? In the manual (page IN-8) it says the support positions are on the edge, same as 4 of the jack positions. I read here that doing so would load the struts and springs... Considered ramps, but manual says the wheels must be removed to remove sway bar.
So somewhere along both axles,Isee, but do I put them as near as possible to the wheels? Can they be put in the wrong (non-supportive) place?
Jwadle1, did you ever take the pics you promised?

To clarify, I am no mechanic, but I do change my own oil and struggled through a recent sparkplug change.

Mahalo,
hawaiianavowner

abfisch

hawiaanowner:

Haven't checked in in awhile. Sorry. The PU bushing replace the OEM rubber ones, and attach via a brace to the chassis. It is not necessary to take the wheels off, although the front ones are hard to get at, the rear ones are quite easy. The support jacks are suppose to go on the side of the car, you are correct at the jack positions. Their is also a jack position in the middle of the front and in the back. An easy way to have the wheels loaded while accessing the underneath, is to buy a 2x10x12 board, cut it on a diagonal into 4 pieces, place each before the tire, and then roll the car onto the boards. It gives you a little extra clearance for working under the car, or alternatively, you can lift the car up from the central lift points and put the either front or rear axle wheels on ramps. You can easily work on the bar mounts from there, it is safe,if the ramps are safe, and the suspension is loaded.

That is what I have done in the past, carefully, and it has worked well, using every safety procaution possible. Grease the bushing well. Do not over tighten. Using a stubby ended rachet wrench made things much easier in front.

Hope that helps.

abfisch

hawiianavowner

Thank you for replying, it is clearer now. I am going to recheck the diameter of the sway bars but I think the front was 17 mm. I do have ramps made from railroad ties, but may borrow some metal ones as I don't want to take chances beneath the car.

Thanks again!