Ok, i recently installed a set of TRD struts/shocks and TRD springs, car felt great.

We jacked the car back up the other night to fix an exhaust leak and when lowering it the jack gave out alittle and the front driver side went down pretty hard.

Now i have a serious issue, when I hit a bump the front driver side hits so hard it will throw my rear passenger wheel off the ground if its a big enough bump, and its bouncy.

I checked the front sway to make sure its even and free moving when unhooked, so its not in any type of a bind. Both struts and springs look fine, really everything looks fine and the same as the passenger side which feels normal.

Im thinking i blew a strut but wanted some advice before i go search for a single TRD front strut, since toyota wont sell them out of a set.

 

Push down on the car where your problem is. Is there any noise? Knocking, squeeking? If so, take the assembly out and take it apart again. If you are missing a washer, you will bottom out. Sometimes the washer gets stuck to the original bump stop and you will forget to take it off for your new strut. The shock should have a bump stop also. Review a picture or diagram and make sure you did not forget something. If your not leaking any grease you should be fine. Just an error I run through with a lot of people. I install suspension at least 2 times a month, every month. lol

 

Keep us posted man. I will be glad to help you through your problem step by step.

 

i installed it as one piece, spring was already on the strut and had been for some time with no problems, and the front left is MUCH more stiff than the rest of the corners when pushing down on it. but no noises.

 

i just read about this in cartalk!

to test if a shock is blown, push down on a corner of the car, in this case, the front driver side, push down on the front drive side tire, the car should rebound immediately back up and stop.

if it goes back up and down, even alitte, it blown.

and here is confimation from experts

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...13.html?sub=AR

 

it doesnt bounce when pushin on it really, but it is very very rigid, compared to the other sides where there is alittle play when i push on it.

 

Just take it out and push down on the strut as far as possible. If the strut does not come back up, it will possitively be blown! If not, you have another problem!

 

Sounds blown to me.
But about your comment, apauto, my stock ones did that, where they would come back up when I push them down. My koni's, however, stay where you put them. But those are adjustable, so it may be different.

 

ill tear it all apart this weekend, im still tryin to source a single TRD strut

 

You dont' want to replace just one. You wanna do both at the same time, just like tires.
If you can't find a front pair of TRDs, you could go with Koni's up front. They are more work, as you have to cut the original strut to insert teh Koni's but their great.