Toyota Repair: Toyota Camry 03 suspension, gas shocks, toyota camry

Question
Hello. I have a 2003 Camry, 4 cyl, 5 speed manual trans. It has 45K miles and rides pretty good. I've been trying to find information on the replacement interval for the shocks/struts, but I can't seem to find any reliable info. I browsed the Chilton manual, but didn't find any useful stuff under the recommended maintenance section. I also looked at the owners' manual and the maintenance guide from the dealership and there's nothing on that. I called the dealership, but I think those guys are pulling my chain trying to sell me services and parts that I don't need. The car is almost 5 years old and though I never had any problems with the way it rides, lately it seems like it "floats" whenever there's a depression on the road. It feels like it bounces a little bit too much after it goes over a bump or something. I just wanted to know what to look for and if, given the age and mileage of the car, if it was about time to change the shocks/struts. If so, should I also change the coil springs? Also, are gas shocks a better option when replacing factory equipped? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Angelo  

Answer
Shock absorbers on toyotas normally last a lot longer than 45K miles, there is no maintenance interval for them, they should last well over 100,000 miles,if the car bounces too much check the shocks for any leaks, if any are leaking it will be obvious. They can be checked for weakness by doing the bounce test, bounce the car in the front and then the rear, if the shocks are good it should not rebound more than 2 times, unless this is the case it's not necessary to replace them. The factory shocks are gas filled, the springs never need replacing.