fuelstuff
12-09-2012, 01:27 PM
I recently bought a used 1996 Previa DX (AWD; supercharged). Admittedly, I bought a lemon and now I'm making lemonade. Luckily I have a great mechanic who feels my pain and doesn't rape me on parts and labor cost. Albeit, he is not a toyota previa expert. So between this site, Toyota Nation, and zenseeker.com, we plan to restore my Previa to its honorable place in the sun. These are the latest issues we are currently addressing:
Overall the van drives smooth. But sways deeply if I aggressively turn the wheel in either direction. Moreover, when I drive over any bumps the Previa makes a loud clanking sound. I searched the forums on Toyota nation and discovered that others have had the same issue. The conclusion is that its typically not the struts. Instead, the common problem is that whomever installed the new struts forgot to install the "spring bumper." I checked underneath my van with a flashlight, and from I can see, I don't think the spring bumpers were installed.
Question: Should I be able to see the spring bumpers from underneath the van or are they hidden by the spring seat (or anything else)? I ask so I don't have to break down the struts unnecessarily or order parts prematurely.
Second issue: I have no front sway bar. Seriously. The previous owner had new struts installed but for whatever reason the front sway bar was not re-installed. That said, I have to install a new (or used) one including sway bar links, bushing, etc. Question: Are all Previa sway bars universal for all years, makes, and models? If not, what are the distinguishing characteristics for sway bar compatibility (the year? Model? Whether they are supercharged or not; or have AWD or not)? I ask because a new OEM sway bar specific to my year, make, and model (OEM part number: 48811-28100) costs $140 +/-. I have not found an online distributor who sells OE sway bars (which I assume would be cheaper). So plan B is to find one at my local scrap yard. But if the sway bars aren't universal for all makes and models, then it just a waste of time and money to try to find a used one at my local salvage yard if their inventory doesn't satisfy the necessary compatibility characteristics. Question 2: Are all sway bar LINKS universal for all years, makes, and models? There are a ton of OE sway bar link kits selling for as cheap as $14 apiece. OEM is $70 +/-. If they are universal then I can save some money by buying OE. Anyone have any recommendations on quality OE link manufacturers? Or online distributors who sell quality OE parts at a fair price?
I also have the dreaded EGR (Code 0401) issue. But I think I found enough info on Toyota nation to solve that problem. My mechanic is going to take apart and clean the entire EGR system. Much cheaper than spending $300 in labor to have a complete diagnostic (as suggested by Toyota service manual), plus the added cost of fixing the actual problem. But if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.
Overall the van drives smooth. But sways deeply if I aggressively turn the wheel in either direction. Moreover, when I drive over any bumps the Previa makes a loud clanking sound. I searched the forums on Toyota nation and discovered that others have had the same issue. The conclusion is that its typically not the struts. Instead, the common problem is that whomever installed the new struts forgot to install the "spring bumper." I checked underneath my van with a flashlight, and from I can see, I don't think the spring bumpers were installed.
Question: Should I be able to see the spring bumpers from underneath the van or are they hidden by the spring seat (or anything else)? I ask so I don't have to break down the struts unnecessarily or order parts prematurely.
Second issue: I have no front sway bar. Seriously. The previous owner had new struts installed but for whatever reason the front sway bar was not re-installed. That said, I have to install a new (or used) one including sway bar links, bushing, etc. Question: Are all Previa sway bars universal for all years, makes, and models? If not, what are the distinguishing characteristics for sway bar compatibility (the year? Model? Whether they are supercharged or not; or have AWD or not)? I ask because a new OEM sway bar specific to my year, make, and model (OEM part number: 48811-28100) costs $140 +/-. I have not found an online distributor who sells OE sway bars (which I assume would be cheaper). So plan B is to find one at my local scrap yard. But if the sway bars aren't universal for all makes and models, then it just a waste of time and money to try to find a used one at my local salvage yard if their inventory doesn't satisfy the necessary compatibility characteristics. Question 2: Are all sway bar LINKS universal for all years, makes, and models? There are a ton of OE sway bar link kits selling for as cheap as $14 apiece. OEM is $70 +/-. If they are universal then I can save some money by buying OE. Anyone have any recommendations on quality OE link manufacturers? Or online distributors who sell quality OE parts at a fair price?
I also have the dreaded EGR (Code 0401) issue. But I think I found enough info on Toyota nation to solve that problem. My mechanic is going to take apart and clean the entire EGR system. Much cheaper than spending $300 in labor to have a complete diagnostic (as suggested by Toyota service manual), plus the added cost of fixing the actual problem. But if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.