Shocks-maryosep! Need your help guys.

**IMm29** · May 27th, 2007 02:30 PM

Hi Guys,

Need your help. Have a problem with my '03 Camry's shocks. They've all failed, just yesterday. And this just after I had my H&R lowering springs re-installed (went back to stock for about 6 months). They were still ok when I drove out of my friend's shop, but about a km down Sucat road, I was beginning to feel all the bumps on the road. I had them inspected at another suspension shop nearby and there was no more play in them.

I asked around for shocks. Toyota OEMs would set me back about P32K for a set of 4. I was thinking, with that money, could I get aftermarket shocks with better performance, ride and durability? Any brand suggestions/shops I can contact? Also, any feedbacks/price range on Koni.

Would appreciate any inputs. Thanks.

**mbeige** · May 27th, 2007 04:14 PM

Bilstein. May be expensive, but better in all aspects. Some will suggest KYB, and I've tried KYB. They're stiffer than the Bilsteins and hence offer a harder ride. But as with all questions regarding opinions about suspension parts like shock absorbers and/or springs, they will most likely be biased. See if you have friends with the shocks you want for your car that are installed on theirs and see how it rides.

Lowering the car with lowering springs but keeping stock shocks will ruin the shocks because they're not rated for each other.

**wildthing** · May 27th, 2007 07:01 PM

KYB is a good cheap OEM type brand.

**orly_andico** · May 27th, 2007 07:25 PM

well i just got quoted 45K for bilsteins for the 626. i would suspect the camry is in the same price range.

kung 32K vs 45K for bilsteins, i'd go with the damn Germans

OTOH, KYB shocks for that would only cost perhaps 15K tops. but.. according to the Speedlab person, stock or replacement shocks will suffer shortened life when coupled with lowering springs.

**wildthing** · May 28th, 2007 03:08 AM

definitely yes, kasi the load is actually controlled by springs and not the shocks... the shocks actually dampens the return para hindi maging bouncy ung spring actions.

I don't think the KYB is that poor-a-brand... if you can get ones that fit your car and are actually designed for pick-ups maybe mas tatagal din yung kahit na lowered.

Further, isn't lowering springs have the same tensile strength than the normal ones except that it was designed to be shorter (unless of course your lowering springs were actually "CUT" springs)?!?

**niky** · May 28th, 2007 03:33 AM

Lowering springs usually have stiffer rates to keep the car from bottoming out. Since there's less travel distance, if they were of stock stiffness, they'd bottom out more easily.

I think your lowering springs have well and truly killed your shocks... that's happened to me, too, on previous vehicles. Some vehicles have very stiff shocks, and can withstand lowering springs (the Focus springs to mind), but Toyota cars often have soft shocks, for comfort, and the Camry's shocks, in particular, feel pretty buttery.

Don't go for OEM replacement, anymore... KYBs aren't bad shocks, but if they're OEM replacement, they're too soft to pair with lowering springs. Get a good set, like Bilsteins or whatever other "sports" shocks are available for your ride.

**IMm29** · May 28th, 2007 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by mbeige

Bilstein. May be expensive, but better in all aspects. Some will suggest KYB, and I've tried KYB. They're stiffer than the Bilsteins and hence offer a harder ride. But as with all questions regarding opinions about suspension parts like shock absorbers and/or springs, they will most likely be biased. See if you have friends with the shocks you want for your car that are installed on theirs and see how it rides.

Lowering the car with lowering springs but keeping stock shocks will ruin the shocks because they're not rated for each other.

Well that's the thing, most of my friends are riding on OEM everything so, from them, I really can't get any references. But thanks for the inputs, I'll do more research, and get a second opinion from another shop.

Originally Posted by wildthing

KYB is a good cheap OEM type brand.

Yep, that's what I hear. Would you have a contact shop for KYB? Thanks.

Originally Posted by orly_andico

well i just got quoted 45K for bilsteins for the 626. i would suspect the camry is in the same price range.

kung 32K vs 45K for bilsteins, i'd go with the damn Germans

OTOH, KYB shocks for that would only cost perhaps 15K tops. but.. according to the Speedlab person, stock or replacement shocks will suffer shortened life when coupled with lowering springs.

Yep, I would go for the bilsteins in this case, thanks to much positive feedback. But then, it's still 45K

argh!

Originally Posted by wildthing

definitely yes, kasi the load is actually controlled by springs and not the shocks... the shocks actually dampens the return para hindi maging bouncy ung spring actions.

I don't think the KYB is that poor-a-brand... if you can get ones that fit your car and are actually designed for pick-ups maybe mas tatagal din yung kahit na lowered.

Further, isn't lowering springs have the same tensile strength than the normal ones except that it was designed to be shorter (unless of course your lowering springs were actually "CUT" springs)?!?

Nope, lowering springs I have are H&R. Although with the way the shocks died out, I surely felt like I was riding on cut springs.

Originally Posted by niky

Lowering springs usually have stiffer rates to keep the car from bottoming out. Since there's less travel distance, if they were of stock stiffness, they'd bottom out more easily.

I think your lowering springs have well and truly killed your shocks... that's happened to me, too, on previous vehicles. Some vehicles have very stiff shocks, and can withstand lowering springs (the Focus springs to mind), but Toyota cars often have soft shocks, for comfort, and the Camry's shocks, in particular, feel pretty buttery.

Don't go for OEM replacement, anymore... KYBs aren't bad shocks, but if they're OEM replacement, they're too soft to pair with lowering springs. Get a good set, like Bilsteins or whatever other "sports" shocks are available for your ride.

Yeah, I knew they'd get killed sooner or later, I'm just surprised at the chronology: on new OEM shocks -> 1.5 years lowering springs, .5 year stock springs, .5 hr back with lowering springs = failure.

**mazdamazda** · May 28th, 2007 09:48 AM

Bro... mahal nga ang OEM Toyota Shock Absorber... I was quoted 10+K per piece for my Rav4 a few months ago. :shocked2:

Speedyfix came to the rescue by sourcing KYB replacements for the Rav4! The KYBs are a bit stiffer than the OEMs, but hey - it's cheaper by more than 50%!

**IMm29** · May 28th, 2007 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by mazdamazda

Bro... mahal nga ang OEM Toyota Shock Absorber... I was quoted 10+K per piece for my Rav4 a few months ago. :shocked2:

Speedyfix came to the rescue by sourcing KYB replacements for the Rav4! The KYBs are a bit stiffer than the OEMs, but hey - it's cheaper by more than 50%!

Thanks for the inputs. Yeah, that's the quote I got for my rear shocks, P10++. Tapos left and right front, P8K ++. What's weird is that the front left and front right shocks have different prices pa. Perhaps coz they're shared with other vehicles?

I'll give Speedyfix a ring about those KYBs. If there are half-the-price-of-OEM shocks for my ride, and they're gonna end up being too stiff on my H&Rs, then I might just abandon the H&Rs altogether. Gloomy day for the "stock is evil" movement.

Btw, isn't Tokico more of a Honda-OEM brand? Those are what are installed on my ride now. I asked Toyota, and they said it's usually KYB (made in Thailand) that they install as OEM. Hmmm....

**mazdamazda** · May 28th, 2007 11:06 AM

You can try googling for the KYB shock absorber line-up PDF (from their site). You'll get an idea of whether your car is sharing parts with other Toyotas.

As for the ride getting stiff, maybe the Camry's overall suspension design can handle the stiffer KYBs & H&Rs. The Rav4's OEM setup is already stiff that's why ramdam na ramdan ko ang difference - hehe.

Tokico does cater to other brands too... you can try asking Speedyfix if they can source out Toxico shocks for you though.

Edit:

Here's KYB AU's website, the parts available there are also the ones here in the PH:

http://kyb.com.au/part.htm?http://ky...der/shocks.php

I tried looking for your Camry, but wala for your model...

For the US available KYB... here are the part numbers:

SM5423 (front) & SM5175 (rear)