Hi everyone. I live in the UK and have just bought a 97 V6. These are rare cars here only about 4000 sold each year so not much free advice about. Car has done 131000 and looking through the postings I think I may have the usual top mount rattle although it sounds more like its coming from the wheel area. I have jacked it up and cant simulate this noise by rocking the wheels, bouncing it up and down or any other method, only by driving over rough ground slowly. Its a sort of hollow rattle which you only hear because the rest of the car is so quiet. Am I on the right lines and should I take the suspension strut off to investigate? Will it be evident if the top mount is shot? Thanks
Dave

 

It is the strut mount. they didnt make them very well and they have to be replaced bout every 70k miles. i have the same year did the front, and i should have done the back then also. and have needed to do the back for bout the last 30k miles. and you might as well replace the struts at the same time, since you have to remove them to remove the strut mount.

 

I've got a 1999 Camry V6, 150k miles and have exactly the same problem. Hard to tell where the rattle is coming from. I pulled the right rear strut assembly (getting the two lower bolts off was tough. Definitely needed a cheater bar.) Anyway, after I dissasembled the strut, I found the shock was marginal at best but more importantly (I think) was that the bushing/collar between the shock arm nut and the strut mount was very loose around the shock arm wrist. I'm assuming this is the real cause of all the knocking I was hearing.Anyway, I'm buying a new bushing fromlocal Toyota dealer: $11US.

I'm very surprised that this isn't a very common problem with all Camrys of this vintage. I'm not particularly rough on my car. Thoughts?

 

I think like Jace said (cool name, I used to go by Jase) I think its just that the strut mounts suck. Im gonna have to do the same to mine, I get a hollow knock it sounds like something is jumpin around near my trunk area Iat first I thought my amp was bein tossed [sm=smiley5.gif]

 

Also check the sway bar bushings.

 

I pushed/pulled and jerked as hard as I could on:

1. The 4 rear suspension arms,
2. The 2 strut rods, and
3. The two sides of the stabilizer(sway)bar and stabilizer bar links

and got no knocking or looseness. Problem has gotta be the struts/shocks.....

I bought KYB struts and strut mounts (left and right mounts are exactly the same by the way) and will put them on tomorrow night. I'll let you know how they work out.

 

does this sound like a knocking noise?

 

Oay, so I finished replacing the rear right and left: Struts, strut mounts and the spacer/collar (below the nut).
Biggest hassle was getting at the strut mount bolts that go through the body frame. One has to pull apart way too much of the interior to get the three nuts off and back on. Thethree bolts on the KYB mounts were way too long as well.

Bottom line: Knocking sound was the shock. Ithad just gone bad.One shouldprobably espectedto change shocks/strutsafter 150k miles. Camry back end is fine now.

My front rightstrut knocks as well. I'll probably changeright and leftout next weekend. I understand the front struts have a bearing (rear struts don't havea bearing) I've got to buy as well. Job should be much easier than the rear end struts.

Weird that thefront and backRIGHT struts went bad (knocking sound) while the left front and backwere fine......