Avensis Mk2 droplinks

I just ordered some anti-sway bar droplinks online for the avensis (04).

The rear ones have no play in the ball joint but the front ones have loads of play and can easily be moved by hand.

Is that right or did I order duds?

The fronts are febi/bilstein.

I had a nagging feeling I should have bought Toyota parts for stuff like this to ensure quality and longevity. What do you think?

b318isp

I wouldn't be worried. Febi/Bilstein are good qaulity and are an OEM.

b318isp

b318isp wrote: »

I wouldn't be worried. Febi/Bilstein are good qaulity and are an OEM.

Cheers. Ya, i did think they were a fairly decent brand alright.

Would anyone familiar with chaning these know if it is normal to be able to move the ball joint on the fronts easily?

The front links are much longer than the rears...

b318isp

You shouldn't have any free play. Anything detectable = time to change. They are a very common item to change across many cars.

b318isp

b318isp wrote: »

You shouldn't have any free play. Anything detectable = time to change. They are a very common item to change across many cars.

Cheers, just to clarify this is play in the ball joint of the new front febi/bilstein drop links I am referring to. As per above the ball joints (still in packaging, not fitted!) on them move easily by hand.

My understanding was that they should be very stiff the same as the new ones I just got for the back?

b318isp

Yes, usually they are stiff when new, they take a bit of an effort to swivel about by hand. There should be no free play though.

b318isp

b318isp wrote: »

Yes, usually they are stiff when new, they take a bit of an effort to swivel about by hand. There should be no free play though.

Okay. The ones I got must be duds so. The ball joint moves very easily by hand on the front drop links.

Anyone with experience with the front links specific to a mkII Avensis?

Leonard Hofstadter

While I'm not one for advocating buying stuff from Toyota (or any manufacturer) directly if you can buy the unbranded OEM part for a far lower price, in this case it's probably worth going to Toyota directly for the parts.

The Irish spec Avensis have special suspension settings because all Irish spec Toyotas are fitted with a rough road pack (though I don't think they're fitted with it any more since we changed to a CO2 based tax system, but the Irish spec Mk2 Avensis definitely does have it fitted), which is one of the reasons they always look like they've got wheelbarrow wheels fitted because the cars ride higher than a standard spec Toyota.

The UK cars are NOT fitted with the rough road pack, so you have to be careful ordering suspension parts with them, you don't want the car to be lopsided because it's fitted with standard suspension parts! I'm not sure if this would affect the droplinks, though, but I suspect it probably does.

CJhaughey

Rough road pack didn't change the droplinks though, they are all the same.
I have the Meyle Heavy Duty versions on my Mk1 and they are very good robust droplinks, much heavier and better than the Febi's and SWAG that I have used before.
I would recommend the Meyle droplinks for the price.

Thanks for the input guys.
At least the mk2 Avensis doesn't seem to be as hard on links as my old 94 corolla!
Will give these ones a go and see how they hold up. Hopefully they are at least a bit better than the 4 year old toyota links I am replacing.

I noticed a fair bit of rust on the rear shocks (where the spring sits on the shock) where they touch the material that lines the wheel arch. Not surprising as the material is constantly wet and takes forever to dry after a short trip. Anyone else get this on their Avensis? Will need to tackle that once the weather gets a bit better.