I'm just wondering how the older strut design on the camrys are suppose
to pivot with the steering knuckle without the strut bearing and upper
spring seat. As far as I understand it, the strut design was changed
in '94or '95. I think my wife's 93 V6 XLE has the older design. The
old design does not have the upper spring seat (plate) and a strut
bearing as far as I understand. The upper spring isolator on this
design is sort of an integrated strut bellows with a rubber pad that
separates the upper part of the spring from the strut stationary mount.
Does this rubber isolator move against the upper mount as the strut
and spring rotate with the sterring knuckle while turning? Or does the
spring rotate underneath this pad? And does this mean that this
design causes a lot of wear on this isolator and needs to be changed
when changing the strut mount as well?

dave mc

Inside the rubber doughnut is a ball-race.After long service, what typically
happens, is the race starts to move inside that rubber thingo you are
looking at,..which causes the strut to lean slightly when subjected to
side-load on cornering.

The race allows radial movement of the strut and the rubber doughnut around
it allows anguler movement of the strut when the spring loads up and down
over bumps. On some cars the race and rubber housing are at the very top of
the tower and the race is visible under a plastic grease-cup,..but this is
only on cars which allowed some caster adjustment with the retaining bolts
of the whole thing in elongated slots,. which Camrys dont have.

Jason