Well, I've got 53k miles, now needing my third set of tires at least before rainy season starts.

My front hubs have been warped for some time. A high frequency vibration on high-speed haul down led me to change the rotors recently. But the hubs are a known problem on this car, there are boat-loads of aftermarket hubs coming from China.

Also my struts are going bad, but more importantly, it seems like the upper strut mounts are shot too. Any time I turn into a drive way or go over a bump there is an annoying click/clunk from both front strut towers.

Has anyone else done this work yet?

I'm thinking that Tires, Hubs, Mounts and Struts will set me back around $1,200 - $1,500 if I do the backs too.

That would be cost on the parts, while I would do the work in my driveway, hopefully once the weather goes below 100F.

If you've done this work or had it done, any advice is appreciated.

 

Please explain what you mean by front hubs.

thx

 

It's the round chunky metal thing your wheels bolt on to.

Typically they last the life of the vehicle. Lately some OEM's have been saving money and warped hubs are turning up on newer cars. They 07-up Camry's are known for this problem.

 

Thanks, Tom. After I posted that I realized what you were talking about....I still remember Hub caps! I just didn't know there had been a history of them warping on Camrys...I suspect this is related to improper torquing by unprofessional tire changers....There are specified pattern and torque requirements.

 

I will hit 40,000 miles before replacing my FIRST set of tires!

 

 

Tires, originally were Bridgestones, horrible tires, I got rid of them at 22k/mi for a set of S8's, now with 25-26k/mi. I tend to drive, vigorously, dodging in and out of multiple locations where big trucks and heavy equipment rule the land. And since California is now bankrupt, even the freeways are in disrepair, so I'm driving on a lot of defective pavement. Also, I park it outside so the sidewalls are starting to weather-crack.

I knew about the upper cushion issue from my 99 Avalon, and my 87 Nova/Corolla. You'd think they would have fixed it by now.

The hose fix would probably work OK, but honestly the big part of that job is pulling the strut assembly and compressing/dismounting the coil spring. If I am going to that trouble at over 50k/mi, might as well put in some fresh components. These are wear items anyway.

The hubs are what is irritating me. I guess they are still safe, but the front end shudder when braking lightly at highway speed is bothersome. It is something that complicates my life in foul weather too. Never pulled Toyota hubs before. Not sure if the new ones come with bearings, or if I'll need an H-press.

 

Except for one tire place where I watched them use a torque-stick, I have been the only one to put a wrench on that car and I always tighten the lugs by hand with a calibrated torque wrench. At least in my experience, it is typically the rotors that get damaged first from over-torquing lugs.

Yeah, the hub issue is turning up everywhere. A good barometer of component failure trends is Chinese exports. Those guys simply won't tool up unless they are guaranteed to sell millions of units. And they are currently flooding the aftermarket with gen 5/6 Toyota hubs.

 

First, I haven't had any experience with Toyota hubs, but have replaced alot of them on my previous GM vehicles.

One thing to keep in mind is that torque settings are CRITICAL. Find out what the torque settings are for anything that comes in contact with a bearing or the rotor, use a torque wrench, and follow the torque specs EXACTLY. By far the most critical nut is the one that attaches the axle to the hub bearing. Overtightning here will almost guarantee premature failure.

Next, I would go by a Toyota dealer's service department and have a talk with an experienced service writer or the parts department. Ask them what is the difference between the 07,08 and 09 models on the parts you are replacing. Did Toyota modify the design? If so, will the upgraded parts from an 08-09 work on an 07? Did Toyota come up with new specs for the bolt holding on the hub bearing? If they dropped the spec and you are using the old spec, that could be a problem.

As for tires, I have the Bridgestones, and at nearly 16K miles, they look like brand new tires. Did Toyota do something, such as alignment, to make the tires last longer on newer models?

Also, I would recommend a four-wheel alignment at an alignment shop. It won't be cheap, but it really sounds like something is way out of spec, causing premature tire wear.

Finally, pay attention to the warranty on the parts you are buying. If one brand has a 90 day warranty on a hub bearing assembly, and another brand is warranted for a year, there is probably a reason why.

Good luck!
Joe

 

I have almost 70,000 miles on my 08 and I am still about halfway thru the tread on the second set of tires. Are you taking these off of your TCH and running a road course with them on your race car on the weekends???

The struts only take about 30 to 40 minutes each to take off and replace (I replaced mine not long ago) and if yours are starting to go they might be the cause of (or contribute to) your high speed chatter as they will oscillate due to the lack of dampening power. Your tires may also add to this problem.

As for torque sticks used at tire stores, they are good when new and but to be checked often. They are generally worn out within a year, depend on a constant psi and a consistent air wrench to be effective. I have seen a 90 ft-lb torque stick vary from 150 ft-lbs to less than 50 ft-lbs when checked by a good torque wrench. And yes, I used Snap-on clickers and CDI electronic torque wrenches to check them.

As for the hubs, the bearing might go bad over time and if they do, replace the bearing and the race. I rarely see a hub go "bad" without another problem causing an issue to start with that was not corrected early enough to prevent damage to other parts.

Here is one of struts in the compressor being changed out on the back porch:

FrontStrut.jpg