Does anyone have a reccomendation for a good Toyota Camry (1991)shop manual? I'm new to Toyotas. Where can I get a factory shop manual from, (other than the dealer)?
How can I tell if my struts are the rebuildable kind or not without first removing them?
I did a search on this group and someone said that springs can wear out?? I know springs can sag over time, but the spring rate should not change. The right rear makes a horrific clunk sound when I hit bumps. Should I be looking at something in addition to the struts themselves? Someone suggested that the shock mounts or the springs themselves may need replacement too.
techinfo.toyota.com has on line access to factory service manuals for 1995 and later vehicles for $10/day. Otherwise, you might want to try e-bay.
A "rebuildable" strut is one where you can change the strut cartridge. Check on line for strut cartridges for your application. If you can buy a strut cartridge, then the strut is rebuildable.
IMO, replacing struts or strut cartridges is one of the most dangerous operations on a vehicle. Do-it-yourself strut spring compressors can slip, and the spring will fly. I do not recommend trying to replace struts without a professional wall-mounted strut compressor. Besides, you will need to have the vehicle re-aligned afterwards, and I suspect that most people do not have personal four wheel alignment machines at $25,000 a pop.
If you are hearing a groan-clunk, then I would start by removing and lubing the rear sway bar bushings. Look at the black rubber blocks that hold the rear sway bar to the undercarriage. If you are fairly thin, you can do this without jacking up the car. They are held in place with 12 mm bolts. Remove the bolts and brackets that hold the black rubber block (bushings) in place, spread open the bushing and pull it off of the sway bar, wipe off all of the gunk that has accumulated where the bushing contacts the sway bar. The best stuff to use is suspension bushing lube that comes in a tube and is sold by Ford dealers. It is clear and is the consistency of molasses on a cold day. Otherwise, use lithium grease, and put everything back together and see if the noise goes away.
If it does not go away, check the spare, jack, etc. in the trunk, check the exhaust hangers, check wheel bearings, fuel tank, etc.
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