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Cracking and thumping sounds from the front ends...

Hi All,

I hear squeaking, cracking and thumping sounds from the drivers front (DF) and passengers front (PF) sides of my 1998 Toyota Camry LE (4 cyl). The sounds seems to go away when the weather is warm/hot and it comes back when the weather goes below 50. Steering quality is good without any resistance. I don't feel any play on the steering either. I am thinking the strut mounts and/or bearing are shot and need replacement. Any other thing that could be causing this situation? I was thinking about replacing all the 4 struts with Monroe Quick Struts. What is the quality like on those struts. These quick struts are available on the cheap from strutmasters in NC as compared to other places. I am thinking of doing them myself. Considering that I have done all brake work, starter replacement, engine tuneups including spark plugs and wires, oil and coolant changes etc. myself, is there any hindrance to doing this myself? Any tips, gotchas and things I need to be careful off?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks

stony

Reply to
Stony Peat
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10 year old struts are likely worn. I suggest KYBs, not Monroe. Check Tire Rack for pricing. Might want to check suspension bushings before doing the struts.
Reply to
ACAR

For that generation of Camrys the front strut mounts are defective (if the noise aren't from struts and ball joints). The next generation the rear strut mounts are defective.

People have complained that the aftermarket KYB mounts look real cheap, like old mounts painted over (google). I personally would go with Spicer Professional series. Spicer is a Tier-1 supplier. In the tuner circle, KYB means "Keep Your Bilsteins". I'd stay away from KYB.

The only thing I don't like about the Monroe Quickstrut is the SensaTrac strut they used. These older designs have a groove cut into the piston rod (who came up with this kind of design?) and are being slowly phased out in favor of the new Reflex. For this reason I would go with Gabriel Ultra at Autozone (they also carry the Bilstein for other cars), with 9 stages of inertia sensitive valving. It's good for typical driving.

See how Gabriel hinted at the cheap SensaTrac "position sensitive" design, heeheehee:

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Reply to
johngdole

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