2003 Corolla Struts Need Fixing

desertbluesman

desertbluesman

New Member
#1
#1
Hi there,

I have a 2003 Toyota Corolla LE that needs struts. I ain't over paying a garage to do something I can do myself. So.....

I need a place to buy quality complete strut sets (Completely assembled) if any one has experience with an on line shop please post it.

I need the instructions breakdown on line if possible. If anyone has a link to that, please post it.

I am almost 71 years old but I was an auto mechanic back in the 1960's. I work out daily with weights 3x weekly and biking and walking 6 days weekly. So I think I can get'er done with a little direction.

Or if there is a decent discount shop in the Phoenix and west side of the valley that can do the whole thing cheap (But not so cheap as to be less than decent quality)

Thanks.
 
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desertbluesman

desertbluesman

New Member
#6
#6
Yes of course, but I need all assembled struts such as these

http://www.completestruts.com/cart.cgi

I don't know if Monroes come like those in the link above, if I could find them that way I would get them but I have no idea where to find all assembled struts like the link above other than those no name models on that site.

The link leads you to Camry struts, but as I navigate through the site and there are some for Corollas.

I am selling my Rav 4 and getting my wife a new Corolla or Honda Fit, I am taking her 2003 Corolla and I really don't need a car except for emergencies and may not even need to change out the struts for years to come as is for as much as I use the car. I am retired so I don't need a car for heavy use maybe the struts above may do the job for light use. Maybe I don't even need to change them the auto shop says they are leaking but I can't see a leak anywhere on any of the 4 shock assemblies.

Thanks
 
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Scott O'Kashan

Scott O'Kashan

Super Moderator
#8
#8
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desertbluesman

desertbluesman

New Member
#19
#19
Thanks Scott, I may call them up and see if they can fill an order for all 4 complete strut assemblies. I could not navigate the website to find the other three, kind of stupid of the webmaster not to have link to the other three sets needed to do the whole job...... And of course a front end alignment is necessary. That would be my first drive to the Toyota Dealer to get that done. They have a killer wheel alignment guy here in a Peoria Az Toyota dealer.
 
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Scott O'Kashan

Scott O'Kashan

Super Moderator
#20
#20
Glad to be of help.

The car will need a four wheel alignment and not just a front end alignment. Trying to align only the front end of a vehicle that requires a four wheel alignment wont be doing anything but wasting your money.

 
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desertbluesman

desertbluesman

New Member
#21
#21
Thanks I was once an auto mechanic, (long time ago) and in fact I was once the alignment guy at a Ford then a Chevy dealership, Back then we only did front end alignments but I do understand the suspension requirements on modern cars, and would go to my guy at the Toyota dealership near us. He did the 4 wheels on my Rav4 a few months back and did a sterling job for me. I read the readout they gave me (and understood it easily), against the specks I could get on the web and he was dead on to spec (if he & the machine were accurate in their report). That was unthinking typing above. I actually knew before typing that post the needs of modern car alignment.
 
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desertbluesman

desertbluesman

New Member
#22
#22
Thanks both of you

Here is my take. I sold my Toyota Rav 4 yesterday I got 13 hundred above high book in this area, I sold it to a nice lady and it was essentially a brand new car. My wife is in the process of picking out her new car, as I am taking her old Corolla and driving it myself. I think the struts are OK so far, as is for the miles I drive. I looked at them myself and did not see any major leaks anywhere. I also did not see the oil leaks the garage said were happening, so I am letting it stand pat until I actually can sense the problem. I am assuming the diagnosis I got from the garage is accurate but not at all imminently a problem, and probably a strategy to get some work into the shop in the slow season, & perhaps not as critical as they wanted me to think. I was also a salesman, and I could sense the garage's salesman's attempts to create an urgency with the "sale" that Monroe has going, but I can buy the same struts off the net at full net price and be a hundred fifty below "the deal" the garage is offering me. I am of course immune to sales techniques since I once sold vehicles myself, and know the same little tricks that they know. ;~)

If I drive that car a thousand miles in the next 2 years, I will be surprised. So I think it is put off until another day. I may purchase the Struts in a few months and attempt to put them in the car myself and get the job done with the Gabriel from Amazon which are cheaper and more complete than the Monroes, and will hold up to my lightweight driving schedule for many years to come. I have them saved in my wish list at Amazon which has always been a vendor that was customer service oriented in all cases with my purchases. I am retired and I do work as a masonry estimator in my home office, so the car is not that critical to my financial survival.

Thanks a bunch for all of your advice.
 
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desertbluesman

desertbluesman

New Member
#23
#23
Turns out it is leaking oil from somewhere, not the struts, the local shop says it is the timing chain cover, the Toyota dealer says it is the head gasket. And now we only have one car till she decides on which one she wants, so it just has to leak on the rubber mats I put under it until we get a new car. Fifteen hundred the Toyota dealer says for the head gasket repair. $300 Plus the local shop says it is.

Fun Fun Fun Til my daddy took my Corolla away.......
 
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