I just brought this 96 camry and it has a rattle in the rear that usually comes when i hit bumps, the rear tires a worn unevenly and there is a shimmy in the steering wheel at highway speeds. I suspect the rear struts. Where do you think I need to focus?

sounds like upper or lower ball joint could be a possible busted shock or strut

A loose front end is no joke. Ignoring the problem can cause premature / uneven tire wear and other costly repairs or accident due to catastrophic failure when least expected.

Typically, front end pivoting points used for steering - called "ball joints" - wear out providing similar sensations as you describe. This is not really a DIY type of repair - and should be brought to a trusted mechanic for a proper diagnosis and repair.


Ball Joints

sounds like worn out shocks or struts

The clunk sounds like it has a bad u-joint in the rear drive shaft. The rattle in the front may be a broken swaybar link.

This sounds like a bad strut, one or both on the front has gone bad. Here is a picture of just the strut with out the spring. The price ranges from $65.00 to $220.00 depends on what you can afford.

are you sure your exhaust aint rattling??ive seen people come in for suspension when its the exhaust,check the mounting bushings,and brackets

Check your exhaust and rear suspension for something loose or broken. Problem could be the exhaust, a hanger or cracked pipe. In the suspension it could be shocks, worn bushings, track arms etc. When a problem like this happens you have to get under the car and grab and try to move things checking for loosness. In general try to see what is loose enough that a bump causes it to rattle or bang. Other than inspecting the rear area there is no short cut that can be taken to solve the problem. You don't want to just start replacing parts hoping to fix the problem, that can be expxnsive and unnecessary. Good Luck!!!

Strut tops are a common failure on the 97-01 era Camry/Solaras.

They will make a hollow rattle sound whenever you hit bumps or uneven pavement.

They can be replaced one at a time, and do not require strut replacement if your old struts are still in good shape.
Replacement does require a strut compressor and an alignment afterwards, placing it outside the scope of most do-it-yourselfers.

It is labeled "suspension support" in the following diagram. The bearing below it is typically replaced at the same time.

Get a four wheel alignment.

its your muffler hitting the bottom of your car, and also the way that our exhaust is set up is it goes above the suspension in the back so thatt might be hitting too