Parts for your 2002 Toyota Crown-Strut mounts

2002 Toyota Crown: Strut mounts — used or not?

For the 2002 Toyota Crown (S170 series), traditional strut mounts as found on MacPherson strut setups aren’t fitted. Toyota’s own service literature for the S170 Crown platform — including the New Car Features guide, the Repair Manual front suspension section, and the Toyota Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) illustrations — specifies a double wishbone front suspension and a multi‑link rear. In this layout, the shock absorber and coil spring are mounted between arms, and the steering pivot is handled by upper and lower ball joints rather than a rotating strut tube. Because nothing needs to rotate at the top of the damper, there’s no call for a strut top bearing or a conventional “strut mount”.

That’s why a “strut mount” isn’t used on the 2002 Crown: the geometry is managed by the control arms, and the damper’s top end uses a rubber insulator or mount that isolates noise and vibration but doesn’t act as a steering bearing. In Toyota documentation for the S170 series you’ll find parts named along the lines of front shock absorber assembly, shock absorber support/mount, and coil spring insulators — but no strut support with an integral bearing, which is what you’d expect on a MacPherson car.

The choice suits the Crown’s brief as a comfy, refined sedan. A double wishbone front end offers better camber control and road holding, and isolates harshness nicely — ideal for Aussie and Kiwi roads where ride comfort matters. If a Crown driver reports a top‑end knock or front‑end shimmy and goes hunting for “strut mounts”, they’ll come up empty, the likely culprits are the front upper arm bushes or ball joints, the shock absorber upper insulator/mount, stabiliser (sway bar) links and bushes, or the damper itself.

• What to service instead of “strut mounts”: front shock absorber upper insulators/mounts, control arm bushes and ball joints, sway bar links/bushes, and the rear multi‑link arm bushes.
• Tell‑tales to watch for: clunks over potholes, rubber perishing or cracking around the shock top, oily dampers, wandering or tyre edge wear, and steering shake under brakes.
• Good practice: inspect these items at every service or 10,000–15,000 km, torque suspension fasteners with wheels at ride height, and get a wheel alignment after any arm, bush or damper replacement.

Note: Some Crowns were available with height‑controlled or air‑assisted options, these still don’t use MacPherson struts, and rely on upper isolators/mounts and arm bushes rather than strut top bearings.

Popular questions about 2002 Toyota Crown strut mounts

Does a 2002 Toyota Crown have strut mounts?

No. The S170 Crown runs double wishbone front suspension, so it doesn’t use MacPherson‑style strut mounts with a steering bearing. Instead, it has a shock absorber upper insulator/mount that isolates noise and vibration but doesn’t rotate.

This layout is confirmed in Toyota’s S170 New Car Features and EPC drawings, which list control arms, ball joints and shock supports rather than a strut top bearing assembly.

What should be replaced if someone says the “strut mounts” are worn?

On a 2002 Crown, that usually means the front shock absorber upper insulators/mounts, or the control arm bushes/ball joints. These parts handle the loads and isolation duties a strut mount would on a MacPherson car.

When chasing knocks or vibration, inspect the upper shock insulator, sway bar links/bushes, and both upper and lower arm bushes. Replace in pairs and book an alignment afterwards.

Why do some parts catalogues still list “strut mounts” for a Crown?

Many aftermarket catalogues use “strut mount” as a generic term for any upper damper mount. For the Crown, that listing typically maps to the shock absorber upper insulator/support, not a rotating strut bearing.

If in doubt, match by VIN and look for wording like “shock absorber mount/insulator” in Toyota’s EPC to ensure you’re ordering the correct non‑rotating top mount.