The fundamental difference between Japanese sedans and domestic cars is their low ground clearance. And often this is quite critical, especially considering the love of Russian road services for speed bumps of various heights and shapes. Being a city sedan, the Toyota Camry also cannot boast of high ground clearance, which often negatively affects the condition of the aerodynamic body kits and exhaust system elements.
Adjusting ground clearance on a Toyota Camry
In this regard, a considerable part of car owners are wondering whether it is possible to raise the Toyota Camry , and how this will affect the car’s handling in the future.
What is the ground clearance of Toyota?
Typically, the ground clearance of a Toyota Camry is relatively small. It depends on the model, but in most cases it does not exceed 16 centimeters. Many drivers are not averse to raising the car higher, but this will require some effort.
Technical parameters may vary for certain cars: for example, if you are not the first owner and are not sure whether the car has been modified, you can check this with a tape measure. In order to compare the data, use the Toyota service book, which contains all its initial data.
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- The first is to bring the Bendix starter gear to the flywheel ring gear.
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- After turning the key in the lock, the starter begins to idle without affecting the engine flywheel.
How to take measurements?
You can find out what specific ground clearance your Toyota Camry has as follows:
- Find the point closest to the road, located on the front bumper. Use a tape measure and measure the distance from the roadway to this point.
Please note that the machine must be positioned strictly horizontally on a flat surface.
- Measurements can be carried out in another way. You will need to find where the oil pan is located and measure the distance from it to the road using a tape measure. You should measure from the pallet, because it is this part that most often clings to uneven roads.
Knowing the height of your V40, you can always accurately determine whether the bottom of the car will be damaged when passing an obstacle or not. Of course, carelessness also happens, and you can hitch even a tall car without calculating the size of the obstacle, but you will have to take risks with it much less often.
A little theory
One of the main characteristics of a car's suspension is its ground clearance, or the distance from the road surface to the lowest point of the car. The main factor influencing its size is the height of the suspension. It can be easily changed both up and down. By increasing it, you can raise the car above the ground, by decreasing it, you can lower it, but at the same time the Camry’s handling will increase several times, which will become especially noticeable when cornering at high speed. And you also need to take into account that if you raise the Toyota Camry’s ground clearance by only 5 cm, the car’s handling at high speeds will significantly decrease.
The amount of ground clearance also depends on the specific Camry model.
ways to raise a Camry to 30 , 40 or 50:
- Install extended springs. But you should immediately be prepared to replace the shock absorbers, since their working stroke will move to the upper part. In addition, if the car gets into deep holes, the standard shock absorbers will begin to “pop”, since their working stroke will be shorter than the spring stroke.
- Install springs with increased stiffness - they will not bend under the weight of the car. This method can increase the car's ground clearance by up to 5 cm. But this will negatively affect the comfort in the car - small road irregularities will no longer be handled so effectively by the suspension, which will make a long trip by car not so pleasant.
- Install the screw suspension kit. A set of 4 “charged” struts (springs + shock absorbers) will cost Camry owners about 40–60 thousand rubles. The peculiarity of the suspension is the possibility of its adjustment: by rotating the rack with a special key, you can raise and lower the car. The only drawback of this method is the inability to automatically raise and lower the body.
- Install a set of air springs. In a similar way, you can raise a Camry in 40 and 50 body styles - there are many offers on the market for installing air suspension on this model range.
- Install special spacers. Typically, they are made of rigid polyurethane and are mounted between the strut support and the body. The thickness of such a spacer determines how much the car can be raised. This method is accessible and low cost - the average price of a set of spacers for 2 racks for a Camry is set at 800–1000 rubles. But it should be taken into account that in order to attach the strut supports to the body, you will also have to purchase extended studs.
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But the easiest way to raise the car body is to install tires with a higher profile. Or you can completely replace the wheels by installing wheels and tires of increased diameter. This will allow you to increase the ground clearance by 1–3 cm, which is often more than enough for confident driving in the city. For most car owners, this is the easiest way to raise the car, since installing Barnaul springs on it makes the suspension too stiff.
How to lift a car?
There are several ways to inflate a Toyota Camry. One of the most accessible and inexpensive is the following: first you need to pay attention to the springs. They may be sagging, which can reduce ground clearance. If the springs need to be changed, it is recommended to purchase longer ones that can lift the car body. You can use springs from Toyota Venza for this; there is no need to redo the design.
In addition, spacers can be installed under the original Toyota Camry struts. This element is inexpensive and installs without problems. If you do the job correctly, it is advisable to replace the racks with ones with a longer stroke. Then the suspension will work more smoothly.
This method of trying to increase the ground clearance using spacers is quite effective, but it does not make the car much higher. It will become a maximum of 3 cm higher, which will be visually almost invisible. You can choose different materials: spacers are made of plastic, rubber, metal. Most plastic elements have an additional damper, due to which some of the body vibrations are absorbed. Metal models do not have such devices. Plastic parts are quite durable, they are cheaper and do not corrode.
Ground clearance increases immediately.
It is better to install spacers both front and rear so that the car rises evenly.
2021 Toyota Camry Suspension, Brakes and Wheels
A completely new suspension has been developed for the GA-K platform. The front is independent, with McPherson struts, the rear is independent, multi-link.
The new suspension strikes a good balance between handling and ride quality. For the sake of a lower center of gravity, they even reduced the ground clearance to 155 mm (-10 mm). The Camry copes with minor irregularities nobly, although as the speed increases, road irregularities make their way into the cabin more noticeably. The suspension is energy-intensive and, in general, superior to its competitors in terms of smoothness. When you go too fast in a corner, all four wheels begin to slide predictably.
The steering is much sharper and more responsive, with linear reactive action. The electric power steering is now located on the steering rack rather than on the shaft.
The brakes are disc brakes on both axles, ventilated at the front. The braking distance from a speed of 100 km/h to a complete stop is less than 37 meters. The basic configuration already includes ABS, brake force distribution (EBD) and brake assist (BAS).
Camry, depending on the version, is equipped with 16, 17 and 18-inch alloy wheels. Each wheel size has its own design. Tire sizes are 205/65 R16, 215/55 R17 and 235/45 R18, respectively. A full-size wheel with an alloy disc is used as a spare wheel.
Other ways
There are other methods of increasing the ground clearance of the Toyota Camry V40: for example, increasing the height of the tires or selecting wheels with a larger radius will help to raise the car a few more centimeters. It is recommended to combine this method and the use of spacers, then you can gain more height.
The height of the tires may be limited by the wheel arches. When selecting a new wheel, you need to make sure that it will not cling to the car body.
The most technologically advanced, but complex and expensive method is to replace the standard shock absorber with a tuned one. The SDA company, Bilstein, offers a large number of shock absorbers suitable for these purposes: you can choose them for any car, including the Toyota Camry V40. This solution will ensure the most correct operation of the car suspension. The shock absorbers will work no worse than standard ones, and the ride will be as comfortable as possible. You can adjust the stiffness by using a shock absorber whose behavior will be most comfortable for you.
Soft shock absorbers work more smoothly and do not shake as much on bumps, but the car reacts worse to steering wheel movements at high speed, and it becomes more difficult to control. Hard shock absorbers are designed for a sporty driving style; their use on the highway is justified; they make the car handle well at high speeds, but you will feel the bumps very clearly. It is worth remembering that by replacing the shock absorber you will not achieve a sharp increase in ground clearance. The maximum possible addition is 4 cm.
Increasing the ground clearance of the 2021 Toyota Camry
The pros and cons of this decision can be discussed a lot, but the idea of Toyota engineers has come to life, and at the moment you can find a large number of cars on the roads of the country.
Ground clearance Camry 2018
The 2021 Toyota Camry sedan has changed significantly; the wheelbase had to be increased by almost 5 centimeters to compensate for the changed length. This is noticeable not only in the external lines. Fans of the brand also noted the change in the interior.
In particular, in the space for rear passengers, the homogeneous floor surface has disappeared and a partition, inherent in many competitors, has appeared.
This made it possible to increase the torsional resistance of the body and made it possible to remove some components into the resulting niche by raising them.
Low ground clearance
The changed body kit, namely the front bumper, led to a decrease in ground clearance. When measured at the very bottom edge of the bumper, the result is 200 millimeters, which is a centimeter lower than the previous generation Camry. According to the body, the ground clearance of the Toyota Camry at the lowest point is 155 millimeters.
What does this mean in practice? The vehicle is intended to be driven only on good asphalt roads. When driving on unpaved surfaces, due to the long wheelbase, the Camry will catch bumps with its bottom due to the increased wheelbase.
At the same time, if you compare the ground clearance of the Toyota Camry with models produced for the American or European market, you will notice that these figures are even lower, usually by 1-2 centimeters. In this case, the manufacturer uses another trick, measuring this distance on an empty car.
In reality, a sedan with a driver and standard cargo in the trunk will drop even lower, especially if you travel with passengers in the cabin. The springs will invariably sag, lowering the car to the ground. And this will significantly complicate the operation of the car.
Indeed, in urban conditions, when parking at the curb, every centimeter is important.
Increased clearance
There is little way out of this situation. This is the timely replacement of old springs, which over time lose their elasticity and shrink, and the installation of spacers. The second method is able to compensate for subsidence and adds up to 4 centimeters to the ground clearance.
Do I need to adjust the headlights when changing ground clearance?
When changing the ground clearance, adjusting the headlights is inevitable - especially if the rear axle of the car is raised, which is most popular among car owners. In this case, the headlights will shine downward, which will significantly reduce the driver’s visibility at night. You can raise them yourself, using the general rules for adjusting them, which are similar for almost all machines.
Garage doors may also be suitable for adjusting optics on a Camry.
Before raising the headlights on a Camry , you must place the car on a flat surface and empty the trunk and/or rear seats of cargo. There should be approximately half of the fuel in the gas tank.
- The car is installed opposite an obstacle (wall, shield, etc.) at a distance of 6–7 meters.
- Then the low beam turns on.
- The distance from the surface of the earth to the hood of the car is measured.
- Then the distance from the surface of the earth to the center of the light beam hitting the obstacle is measured.
- The decrease in the “light shelf” relative to the vehicle should be within 3–5 cm.
Before raising the headlights, you need to stock up on a small shaped screwdriver or an 8–10 mm wrench. The adjustment is carried out as follows:
- The hood of the car opens.
- The plastic trim installed on top of the headlights is removed (it is not available on all models).
- On the back side of the headlight there are 2 adjustment screws: one of them is responsible for adjusting the reflector (lens) in the horizontal plane, and the second - in the vertical plane.
- The adjustment responsible for raising is located approximately in the center of the headlight, in its lower part.
- You can raise the light beam by gradually turning the adjusting screw counterclockwise.
The lower middle bolt in the headlight is responsible for adjusting the beam height
It is important to take into account that the light of the left headlight should be slightly lower than the right one, since vehicles in Russia drive on the right.
