Parts for your 2005 Toyota Mark x-Strut mounts

2005 Toyota Mark X strut mounts — are they actually used?

Short answer: no, not in the MacPherson-strut sense. Technical sources list the 2005 Toyota Mark X (X120 series: GRX120/GRX121) with a double wishbone front suspension and a multi‑link rear. That layout is documented in Toyota’s New Car Features material for X120, Toyota’s global press information released at launch in late 2004, and widely reflected in OEM parts catalogues (EPC) where the front end is shown with an upper and lower arm plus a coilover shock, not a steering strut. Because the front isn’t MacPherson, it doesn’t use a rotating strut top bearing assembly commonly called a “strut mount”.

Why strut mounts aren’t used on this model

• Double wishbone geometry carries lateral loads through the upper and lower control arms and ball joints, so the damper doesn’t act as a structural steering member.
• The steering axis is set by the arm pivots, there’s no need for a top bearing to let a strut rotate with the hub.
• The front “top mount” on the Mark X is a fixed rubber insulator (often listed as a front suspension support/insulator), not a bearing-type strut mount.

What owners should service instead

• Front control arm bushes and ball joints: inspect for play, torn dust boots, and cracked rubber, replace if there’s clunking, wandering, or uneven tyre wear.
• Front shock absorbers, upper insulators and dust boots: look for oil misting, perished rubber and top‑out noises over speed bumps.
• Rear multi‑link bushes, shock mounts/insulators and sway bar links: check for knocks, rear steer feel, or cupped tyres.
• Wheel alignment after any arm, bush or damper work to keep tyre wear even and steering feel tidy.

Many aftermarket sites loosely label the Mark X’s front “support sub‑assembly” as a strut mount. On this vehicle it’s simply a rubber isolator for the shock and spring, it doesn’t contain a thrust bearing and doesn’t carry steering loads. As a rough guide for Australia and New Zealand conditions, dampers often tire around 80–150,000 km and control arm bushes can show age from 120–200,000 km, depending on roads. Quality OEM or equivalent parts and a proper torque‑at‑ride‑height procedure help keep the ride quiet and predictable.

Popular questions about 2005 Toyota Mark X strut mounts

Q1: Does a 2005 Toyota Mark X have front strut mounts?

The 2005 Mark X runs double wishbone front suspension, so it doesn’t use a MacPherson strut or a bearing‑type strut mount. Up top, there’s a rubber suspension support/insulator for the shock and spring, which isolates noise and vibration but doesn’t rotate with steering. This is consistent with Toyota new‑vehicle technical literature and OEM parts listings for the X120 platform.

Q2: What should be replaced if someone is hearing front‑end clunks on a Mark X?

Start with the usual suspects on a double‑wishbone setup: front lower and upper control arm bushes and ball joints, sway bar links and bushes, and the shock absorber with its upper insulator. If the rubber insulator is collapsed or the damper is leaking, knocks over sharp bumps are common. An alignment and tyre inspection afterwards helps confirm the fix.

Q3: If coilovers are fitted, does the Mark X then use a strut mount?

Aftermarket coilovers will have a top mount (sometimes a pillowball), but the front suspension is still double wishbone, so that top mount isn’t acting as a MacPherson strut bearing or steering pivot. It locates the damper and can sharpen response, but the steering axis remains defined by the control arms and ball joints.