Parts for your 2012 Toyota Crown-Strut mounts

2012 Toyota Crown strut-mounts — are they used?

For the 2012 Toyota Crown, strut-mounts aren’t a thing. This model runs a front double-wishbone suspension and a rear multi-link setup, rather than a MacPherson strut arrangement. Because of that design, there’s no rotating strut top with an integrated bearing — the bit most people mean when they say “strut mount”.

On the Crown, the shock absorbers (dampers) are mounted separately within the suspension arms, so steering loads go through the ball joints and control arms, not up a strut tower. The top of each damper uses a rubber insulator or top mount that isolates noise and vibration, but it’s not a true strut mount with a steering bearing. That’s why typical “strut-mount” replacements listed for cars with MacPherson fronts don’t apply here.

What to look after instead? If the Crown’s front end clunks over bumps or feels a bit loose, the usual suspects are the front upper and lower control arm bushings, ball joints, stabiliser (sway bar) links and bushes, and the shock absorber insulators and cushions. At the rear, the multi-link arrangement also uses damper top insulators and a nest of control arm bushes that can age and add noise or vague handling. Replacing tired dampers with new boots and bump stops, and renewing worn bushes, typically restores that plush Crown ride that NZ and Aussie drivers rate for long-haul comfort.

It’s worth noting that model-year 2012 straddles the S200 and early S210 generations, and both keep the double-wishbone front/multi-link rear architecture — so the “no strut-mounts” call holds across the board. If shopping online, parts catalogues can sometimes label the damper’s top insulator as a “mount”, which is fine, but it’s not a strut mount in the MacPherson sense.

Technical sources supporting the above:

• Toyota Crown S200 Series Repair Manual and New Car Features (front double-wishbone, rear multi-link suspension design)
• Toyota Crown S210 Series New Car Features and specification sheets (carryover suspension layout with tuning updates)
• Toyota Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) entries showing front shock absorber insulators and separate control arms, not a strut top with bearing

Popular questions about 2012 Toyota Crown strut-mounts

Does a 2012 Toyota Crown have strut-mounts?
No. The Crown uses a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, so there’s no MacPherson strut or strut top bearing. It has shock absorber top insulators instead, which isolate noise but don’t handle steering rotation.

What do owners replace instead of strut-mounts on a Crown?
Common replacements are the front and rear damper top insulators, dust boots and bump stops, plus control arm bushes, ball joints and stabiliser links/bushes. After any arm or bush work, a proper wheel alignment is recommended to keep tyre wear tidy and steering feel on point.

Can coilovers or aftermarket kits add strut-mounts to a Crown?
Coilovers may include alloy top hats, but the Crown’s geometry remains double-wishbone/multi-link, so it still doesn’t become a MacPherson strut with a steering bearing. Major conversions would be custom-only and can raise compliance and certification issues for road use in AU/NZ.