Hiro

Shocks do not affect ride height.  The vehicle's weight is born solely by the springs (hence the term "sprung weight") - they deflect a certain amount for a specific applied FORCE.  A 10kg/mm spring will compress 10mm when you apply 100kg of force to it, regardless of how fast you apply it.

Shock absorbers on the other hand are dampeners, which resist MOTION - they apply a resistance in proportion to the SPEED that the spring is compressing.  No speed = no resistance.  Apply a 100kg force to a spring backed up by a shock absorber and it will still compress 10mm, but it will take longer to do so than if the shock wasn't there.

The main purpose of a shock absorber is to dampen the motion of the spring and stop it bouncing around.  Note that you can move the rod of a brand new shock up and down by hand with very little force (compared to the weight of a car), just slowly.  A blown shock you'll be able to pump it up and down quickly with relative ease.

This is a graph of the step response of an undamped, underdamped, critically (perfectly) damped and overdamped system, analogous to a car spring/shock combo suddenly having the mass of the car applied to it (you've literally dropped it off the jack-stands).  Note that the end result is the same regardless of how damped the system is, just the underdamped system (ie a blown shock) will pogo around before finally settling - hence the "bounce test" to determine if your shocks are blown.  Push down hard on each corner of your car and release - if the car bounces up and down a bit then the shock is blown, if it quickly and smoothly returns to level then it is fine.

Thus, a car sitting "static" (a step-response system after an infinite time) will always sit at a ride height determined by the spring rate (all other things being equal) - springs do have some slight dampening built in to them due to friction, energy loss, inertia etc.   Apart from static vehicle weight all the forces a car's suspension sees are impulse-loads, ie off-on-off rather than off-on step loads, which is where the performance of a shock absorber becomes relevant

What people see as a change in ride height after installing new shocks is most likely either a placebo affect (because they expect it to ride higher, especially after seeing a blown shock side-by-side with a new one), the suspension hasn't re-settled after installation, or the spring hasn't been re-installed in to the seat properly (most springs sit in a pocket which can easily be 10mm deep compared to the rest of the seat).  Additonally, new shocks means new spring seats/top hats/eye-bushes etc, all of which will have worn over the years and causing a "sag" in ride height.

Even Monroe (ie one of the largest automotive shock absorber companies) states that blown shocks do not directly affect ride height, however they are often symptomatic of a suspension system that is worn

http://www.monroe.com.au/what-are-shocks/shock-absorbers-explained.html

Despite popular belief, shock absorbers do not support the weight of a vehicle

and

http://www.monroe.com.au/monroe-gus/Monroe-GUS-full.pdf

Worn shock absorbers do not affect the ride height of a vehicle, but the general condition of the suspension does. So if the vehicle is sagged in the rear or in one corner, the shocks are probably worn too!

16 hours ago, blakzr6 said:

Yes i plan on driving the car.. just after some nice looking wheels for a good stance.. not going to lower i.. just after rims to fill the guards.. sorry im no wheel fitmet pro...just after some advice befor i spend 3k +  on some wheels.

You won't achieve anything remotely close to "stance" or "filled guards" without lowering it, it'll just end up looking like a monster truck

On 6/21/2017 at 9:36 AM, bwalker12 said:

Great guide SuperDave, thanks a lot and sorry to bring this topic up again but- I'm just fitting Repco "Thermo Quiet" disc pads to the rear of my 2006 Corolla. The Repco instructions say "this advanced brake shim technology ....eliminates the need for conventional shims". Would you recommend leaving the shims out or fit them anyway.

BTW Repco pads are generic Federal-Mogul OEM (ie Ferodo but not the expensive race stuff) pads.  I've run them a couple of times when I just wanted a cheap pad to throw in (front and rear of the Corolla, front of the Camry) and I've always re-used the stock Toyota anti-squeal shim (fairly sure the pads still have the notches for the shims to grip on to anyway)

Latest acquisition - AE102 Sprinter 3-dial dash cluster.  Unlike the JDM BZ Touring and FXGT 3-dial clusters, this one has the correct tacho for the 7AFE (8000rpm vs 9000rpm) AND retains the Aus-spec 200km/h speedo (vs 180 for JDM).  Also doesn't have the superfluous dash lights for cat temperature, rear light failure module etc (although since the ADM Sprinters were all pre-facelift, there is no seatbelt warning light fitted).  Still requires a bit of wiring magic but I'll most likely palm that off to someone who likes electrons more than I do in exchange for some beer or something.

42 minutes ago, Spazmor said:

Evidently non statutory write offs must be pretty rare. I guess everybody must be after them.

Wreckers charging around $800 plus freight for a good condition but written off one.

$1200 for the transplant

Possibly could use 4x4 space-cab (If I can find one) and have the cab mounts moved & then certified by an engineer.

To try and stop the rebirthing industry NSW introduced some pretty harsh laws back in 2011 in regards to writing off vehicles, now there's basically no such thing as a repairable write-off that hasn't bought back by the original owner so basically anything that ends up at the wreckers or Pickles etc is statutory.

Throwing out the old Holden boat-anchor is a very wise thing to do.

14 hours ago, trentmeyer23 said:

You have next to no chance of finding one.

It's just a Harrop HTV1320.

I think you are vastly underestimating the work required to make it function correctly.

Eaton TVS1320 for those playing overseas

2 hours ago, Myxalplyx said:

No links?  

I am actually trying to find a 'junkyard' that may have this.  Do Australia have junkyards?       Been quietly looking for this off and on, on this site.  

Yes we have junkyards here, but remember that there were only ~600 TRD Aurions ever sold, so they're not exactly common

Spent all of Saturday afternoon and half of Saturday night on my back under the rear end installing my Ultra Racing rear swaybar, and what a pain in the ***** that turned out to be.  Fortunately didn't have to drop the tank, but both straps, filler pipe, breather pipe and the exhaust from the cat back had to come out, and even then it needed some wiggling to get it out past the jack stands on the cross-member and holding up the tank.

Stock 14mm vs UR 19mm (both solid)

Fortunately managed to work out how to get my sensor light to stay on permanently, otherwise I would have had to call it quits as soon as it got dark and pick it up in the morning.  Garage is too full of crap to get a car in these days, and chances are the light wouldn't have been much better in there since all underneath would have been in shadow.  As it was I still didn't get everything back in and buttoned up until after 9pm.

3 hours ago, Gen X said:

Poor FT had to say goodbye to his beloved SX6 but you can say Hi to its new owner. 

Scott needs to stop having so many kids, they're driving him away from all the cool cars.

It depends on how the remote interfaces with the central locking.  In the case of my '99 Camry the remote ONLY handled central locking, the immobiliser chip was in the key fob so pairing up a new remote was easy-as (probably due to remote central locking not being standard on all models or something).  On my '97 and '98 Corollas however the immobiliser was part of the remote, so you needed an already functioning remote in order to program new ones yourself, or you had to take it to a dealership.

Post up a photo of what your key and remote looks like and we might be able to tell which one it is (or if it's a newer system which is different again)

3 hours ago, Squalled said:

The 2ZZ's are identical between the Celica and Corolla. Main differences are the gearbox linkages, the ECU's and other smaller things (intake, engine cover etc.)

Not just the linkages, the boxes themselves are different - Sportivo is C64, Celica is C60 (Celica has a taller 6th)

1 hour ago, Toy2010 said:

while trying to start the car, the furthest icon on the left of the dashboard with the dripping oil icon glows red. 

However when i checked the dipstick it shows around 80% oil left

This is completely normal, oil pressure lights etc stay on during cranking and only go off after the engine is running and the oil pump is generating pressure.

Overdrive won't turn on in certain conditions, such as the car not being warm enough.  I'd also consider doing a full flush and filter clean/change of the transmission.

Have a browse through this thread, lots of info there

19 hours ago, phil19 said:

Hi, I would like to change my spark plug but have several questions:

• Some site and my Manual says Denso SK20R11, but when I check on amazon it says that this will not fit my RAV4 2010 model. Now I am confused.

Any ideas?

That'll be because Amazon (as an American company) would be looking at the US-spec 2010 Rav4 which runs the 2.5L 2AR engine, not the Australian-spec which still had the 2.4L 2AZ

18 hours ago, trentmeyer23 said:

Sounds like you had a ball! 😂

Fun on a bun.

I was planning to do the rear swaybar at the same time (as that requires dropping the fuel tank and the muffler) but after all that hassle I don't want to disturb the exhaust at all so might just bite the bullet and pay a shop to do it on a hoist....................man I wish I had a hoist.

After 18 months of pottering around with a stock exhaust, I finally got fed up of being bored to sleep and decided to pull the pin and install my old exhaust.  In theory what should be a ~2 hour job by a mechanic with a hoist turned out to be a 2.5 day marathon in my driveway on chassis stands - first I had to drive around the world to find a shop that was open on a Saturday that actually had 2" 2-bolt exhaust flange gaskets (everyone had 2.5" and 1.75"), then the factory bolts were a pain to get undone (not surprising since they're ~18 years old, but at least they haven't been copping salt or snow), then the hangers didn't want to slide off the pins (copious amounts of WD40 required), then the engine pipe didn't want to slide out over the subframe (had to take the front hanger off the subframe), then I had to loosen the alternator to get the last manifold nut out which THEN highlighted the fact that my alternator belt had discovered meiosis.

So that was the first day.  The second day involved wrestling the extractors in to place (at which point I realised I had to fully remove the alternator to have a chance of getting the extractors around the oil filter and air-con lines), which added a few dings to the back of the radiator (I'll probably get a new alloy one at some stage anyway), then slowly piece-by-piece bolting the new exhaust up (with the new gaskets and bolts/nuts/antisieze), then wrestling with the muffler to get it on to the hangers.  Job done, fire it up and take it for a spin around the block to savour the sound.....................of a bloody rattle.

Bugger.

So that was the second day done and dusted.  Yesterday then consisted of jacking the car up on to stands AGAIN, then going about the task of finding the rattle - turns out it was the pipe between the hotdog and the muffler hitting the tunnel heat shield (initially thought it might have been the engine pipe over the subframe) as well as the left rear muffler hanger hitting the muffler heat shield.  Figuring that the only thing that could be affecting it was the engine-pipe hanger (as the bolt holes are slotted) I loosened them and wriggled things around for next-to-no improvement....

Bugger.

Next step was a niggling thought that I'd put the cat in the wrong way (as the flanges aren't parallel/aligned), so I went through the 3 other permutations of spinning and flipping the cat to see if things would line up better.  On the fourth permutation (ie upside-down and back-to-front to how I had initially installed it) it seemed to make everything clear the heatshields, until I noticed that the rear cat flange was hard up against one of the studs holding the cat tunnel heat shield on.....

Bugger.

So out came the hacksaw to shorten that stud down (I don't have an angle-grinder).  After an hour or so of sweating, grunting and swearing (not to mention sore arms) I had knocked off about 10mm from the stud, which then allowed the cat flange to sit high enough for the bloody rear pipe to start hitting the heat shield again....

Bugger.

So THEN I decided that maybe I had been right all along when I put the cat in first time, and things just needed to be wriggled around a bit.  So for the 5th time in as many hours I removed the cat and flipped it back around to the initial guess I had made as to its orientation.  Except this time I also loosened off the bolts on both the front hanger AND the subframe mount nut, then as I installed the cat I slowly did up each bolt/nut evenly all the while making sure to keep the mid- and rear-pipes centred in the tunnel.  And when that was all said and done, I finally had an exhaust that was fully tight and not rubbing on anything.  It would still kiss the heat shield if I kicked the tip of the muffler to each side, but a quick drive down to the post office to pick up a package showed that in day-to-day driving it wouldn't come close (if it crops up in the future I'll probably just rip that heat shield out, or at least bash it a bit more open).

Something missing?

Ahh there it is

Alternator belt discovering cell meiosis

8 hours ago, sportivo2007 said:

If your car is an import it wont work on Australian roads even if you get it to work ,rip it out and change it 

I'm assuming the OP is not in Australia as they have a LHD car...

There's a reason why there's a Facebook page called "When Camrys Attack"

As Trent said though there are tonnes of stereotypes out there when it comes to cars - if you drive a Falcodore you must be a VB-drinking bogan, if you drive a Euro you're an elitist snob (even if it's a Skoda or Seat, the bargain-basement Euros), Toyotas are whitegoods on wheels, everything out of China is made of tin-foil and folds up at the merest hint of an accident, anything Japanese is a rice-burner, Volvos are giant bricks driven 10k under the speed limit on the way to lawn bowls every Sunday (although "bloody Volvo driver!" has started to fall out of the lingo these days as they've had a bit of a coolness resurgence) etc etc.

On 4/6/2017 at 2:06 PM, virginia63 said:

Also, in the listing description it says the item is an engine transmission mount, which is confusing so I asked the seller if it's an engine (motor) or transmission (gearbox) mount. [waiting to hear back.]
 

"Engine mounts" are a general description used to describe all the mounts attaching the engine/transaxle assembly to the frame on a FWD car (RWDs it is a bit more obvious why there is a distinction between the two).  On a lot of Toyotas however 3 of the 4 mounts technically attach to transmission rather than the engine, but they're still "engine mounts" (if you get the drift).

Check your engine mounts, get someone to give the engine a quick rev whilst you watch it and see if the engine moves significantly

Leaving a few things aside until I get some time off over Easter, but did a trial fit of my genuine JDM Toyota weathershields the other weekend - still need to get the window frames painted black (and the power folding mirrors too) and some new 3M tape run but the preliminary results look nice and neat.  These are the good ones too that actually have clips that go under the window seal as well as the double-sided tape so much less chance of them flying off at 100 on the freeway.

Figured I should go back and update the original post with the current car state too

I've spoken to him a bit on Facebook recently, as far as I know he's still got the 86.

Is it the kind where you put the remote fob in to the socket in the glovebox or the later one?

Generally with remotes you only program one at a time - setting one shouldn't wipe the other out from the system (that generally only with aftermarket systems I have found)