Preface: I'm an engineer by profession but don't pretend to know much about cars. Also not into performance driving--just want the car to be reliable and act like it's supposed to.

I got a 2003 TL Type-S from my nephew a few months back and have been working my way through a variety of small(ish) things that needed fixing or replacing. (Gets spendy after enough of those!)

The mechanic I originally had look it over said, exact written quote, "Suspension is all fitting strangely."

More specifically, when I took it to a tire/suspension place, the rear strut springs have no bushings between the bottom of the spring and... whatever it is they sit on. Their database didn't show those bushings as existing, so that might be normal.

However, the springs are apparently slightly off-center, such that one edge of the spring is slightly hanging off of the edge of its seat. Further, somebody put a bunch of duct tape under the springs. It's not clear if the duct tape was done in a (failed) attempt to keep the springs centered in lieu of a bushing, or if it was to make it ride quieter.

Both guys who looked at it said they weren't sure if the struts on it are too big, or if they're correct and the off-center fit is normal.


My question, for people who have more experience under a TL-S than I (and, in all likelihood, the mechanics I went to) do: Is this normal for the rear struts?

They quoted me a little more than $400 for new Excel struts and bushings (is that an embarrassingly bad brand, or passible quality?). That's not outrageously expensive, but if that's how they usually fit I certainly don't want to waste the money fixing something that isn't a problem.

To be clear, I haven't noticed any problems with the rear suspension (the front is knocking on one side, but that's unrelated)--I just want to know if it's something that's worth getting fixed, or a waste of attention.

Thanks for any advice/opinions--the folks and how-tos here have been immensely helpful to a novice like me!

 

no. everything should sit snug

this is a picture of a front with aftermarket spring... but on stock shocks... it should be like this but the rears will obviously be slightly different.



do you have a picture tho? i'd like to see.

as for the excel struts.. never heard of. maybe go something like KYB or Tokico shocks. they are good for oem replacements.

 

blown up view of rear assembly.



i guess #13 is the spring seat mount. so that its not metal on metal.

 

Thanks for both the replies. I might try jacking it up to take a photo this weekend, but it does rather sound like somebody put funky struts on the thing.

On the replacements--I was just reading off the quote, but the Excel struts I mentioned are a KYB model. I'll take that to mean they're at least okay.

 

Maybe it's been long enough that I should just start a new thread, but here are photos of the two rear struts showing the duct tape "bushing" and the spring overhanging the seat. I didn't actually realize it was that easy to get at the struts or I'd have started right out with a photo

Left side (I think), spring off-center to the left of the photo:


Right side, spring off-center to the right in the photo:


Mainly I'm curious here if the off-centering/overhang on the springs looks weird enough that I should get them replaced, or if that's totally normal and fine to ignore.

Thanks!