need expert advise.

[jayl]

Hello,

I know this is the wrong place for this post, but the reason I ask the question here is in hope of getting info / insight on some shops in the area.

This is not for the Z (complete opposite of the Z), its for my other car. I dont need anything "high performance", I just want a better ride in the car....
Recently we have been feeling bumps on the roads a LOT more than 6 months back.. the car has about 55K miles.. (new tires < 5k miles).

From how much I understand if I was to upgrade the suspension it would help a lot with the ride..

Should I upgrade the following: (?)
- shocks
- struts
- springs

I was thinking of taking it to Toyota to get an idea on the expense (?) or a place like Midas?

Please provide some of your expert advise / knowledge for this..

Thanks,
jay

[eastwest2300]

Toyota will charge you a ton, I would take your car to a mechanic (someone you can trust) and start there.

[jayl]

thanks Dee, so you think I should replace the shocks/struts & springs to get a better ride? (less bumpier )

[Cmike2780]

55k miles isn't a ton a the original suspension. New shocks/struts may help, but the kind you get will depend on the type of ride you want. Stiffer shocks and lowering springs can increase handling, but the trade off is a bumpier and stiffer ride. It sounds like you're going more for comfort. The original springs are fine if you were satisfied with them before. They usually last the lifetime of the car. The shocks/struts are the first to go out. If you're after a softer ride, I'd look for the OEM shocks/struts or equivalent. You don't need to go to the dealership, they'll rape on everything. It's a pretty easy install and doesn't really require any dealer specific repair, so any place that does good suspension work is fine. Should be around $200-$400 for the labor for all four....depending on the shop....plus parts.

I think it might also be your relatively new tires. Some really cheap tires tend to wear out quickly and get noisy/bumpy the more you drive them. I'd check for proper inflation before doing anything else.

[jayl]

Thanks very much Mike! I wont look for springs then.. just shocks & struts.
I got very good tires... so I doubt its got much to do with the tires.. would a rotation help ?

[Cmike2780]

Originally Posted by jayl

I got very good tires... so I doubt its got much to do with the tires.. would a rotation help ?

Not really. For tires, just check for proper inflation and make sure they're balanced. If you feel bumps or vibrations on a smooth road, your tire(s) may just be unbalanced.

Rotating tires is more about getting the most life out of the tires. On front wheel drive cars, the fronts wear a lot faster than the rears. Since replacing all four at once is the best practice, you want all four tires to wear out at about the same time.

Also, after you install new shocks/struts, you'll need to have the car aligned, so I'd budget for that also.

[jayl]

ok, thanks I had planned to get an alignment done also..
I do not feel bumps on a smooth road at all generally when the road is bad.. but it seems to have gotten very bad..

[eastwest2300]

yeah mike hit it right on the nose.

[eastwest2300]

Do get with a mechanic you can trust though, so you're not taken advantage of, thats what I would do.

[jayl]

that was the main reason for me posting in the MAZOC section.. hoping to get some good references..

[eastwest2300]

Gosh, I havent had any need for mechanics as of late, maybe someone else can chime in.

[dmhenderson]

Check with Moore Auto. This is right up their alley.

[jayl]

Thanks I will give them a call.