Parts for your 2011 Toyota Crown-Strut mounts

2011 Toyota Crown strut-mounts — are they used?

For the 2011 Toyota Crown (S200 series: GRS200/201/202 and UZS207), strut-mounts aren’t used. Technical references including Toyota’s New Car Features (NCF) manual for the S200 Crown and the Toyota Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) show the Crown runs a double wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear. That layout uses separate shock absorbers and coil springs with rubber upper insulators/supports, not MacPherson struts with a rotating bearing-type strut mount. In the EPC, you’ll find front shock absorber assemblies, front coil spring insulators and a suspension support sub-assembly listed, but no bearing-style strut mount — which lines up with the NCF’s double wishbone description.

Why no strut-mounts? A strut-mount is a key part of a MacPherson strut, letting the whole strut rotate as the wheels steer while isolating noise and vibration. The Crown’s double wishbone design handles steering and geometry through upper and lower control arms and ball joints, so there’s no need for a bearing-type top mount. Instead, the shocks bolt up with rubber insulators that cushion noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) without acting as a steering pivot.

What to maintain on a 2011 Crown instead of strut-mounts? Keep an eye on components that play the Crown’s “top mount” role for comfort and control:

• Front shock absorber upper insulators/supports (rubber can harden, crack or deform)
• Upper and lower control arm bushings and ball joints
• Stabiliser (sway) bar links and bushes
• Rear multi-link arm bushes and shock mounts

Typical signs the upper shock insulators or related hardware need attention include a dull clunk over sharp bumps, a knock when pulling into driveways, light steering shimmy on coarse-chip roads and uneven tyre wear when paired with tired bushes. During routine servicing, a workshop should check for play at the ball joints, perishing or cracking in rubber insulators and bushes, oil seepage from shocks and torque on the top shock nuts and control arm fasteners. Refreshing worn insulators and bushes restores the quiet, planted feel the Crown is known for — and it’ll save tyres over the long run on Kiwi and Aussie roads.

Popular questions about 2011 Toyota Crown strut-mounts

Does a 2011 Toyota Crown have strut-mounts?
No. According to Toyota’s S200 Crown NCF and the EPC, the Crown uses double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear, so it doesn’t run MacPherson struts or bearing-type strut-mounts. It uses shock absorber upper insulators/supports instead.

What should be checked if there’s a front-end clunk on a 2011 Crown?
Start with the front shock upper insulators, then look at stabiliser links and bushes, upper/lower control arm bushes and ball joints. Also confirm the top shock nut is correctly torqued and the shocks aren’t leaking. These are the usual culprits rather than a strut-mount.

If fitting coilovers, do they add a strut-mount to the Crown?
No, not in the MacPherson sense. Coilovers for the double wishbone Crown use a top hat/upper mount but it’s not a steering bearing. Choose options with compliant top mounts or reuse quality rubber to keep NVH down, and have alignment set after installation.