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In theory, yes, eLSD would help to corner tighter and prevent the inner wheel from spinning. Unfortunately, VDIM does a lot more than just initiate eLSD and the default system on the IS350 will more than likely hinder cornering performance rather than enhance it. The main goal of the VDIM system is to maintain stability of the vehicle and it will do so by performing a variety of intrusive actions such as reducing your steering angle, reducing engine power, etc.
When the IS-F made its debut, its VDIM system came in two configurations, VDIM Normal and VDIM Sport. The VDIM Sport configuration allowed for more leniency when cornering before activating. If you watch the below VDIM comparison video, you can see how VDIM Normal (the default setting for the IS350) would do more to keep you stable than to help you corner at faster speeds. VDIM Sport (available on the IS-F and on the ISX50 if you install the IS-F Steering ECU) will better take advantage of the eLSD feature without finding other ways to slow you down in a corner.
Back to your wheels, since your front set of PF01s are 18x9 instead of 18x8.5, your offset may play a crucial factor on whether or not 255/35/18 tires can work. If they are +35 or +40 offset, I think you'll be fine (based on playing around with the calculator on www.willtheyfit.com and observing the changes in clearance).
I played around a lot with willtheyfit as well. The PF01's are 18x9 +45, but it's a little too close to (for some reason, I can't remember what its called...the arm that mounts to the UCA with a ball joint.). Figured I'd run a 5 mil spacer with extended studs to make myself feel better.
redspencer wrote:
''There's still plenty of room in the rear for 265s using a 18x9 +35 wheel without worrying about any fender rub. Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure if I'll be able to squeeze 275s in the rear without having to roll the fenders''
not sure if this helps you, but according to club lexus member KOZ
A person could fit a 295/30/19 with a min 10'' at the rear 255/30/19 up front 8.5'' min---- without fender roll . You would keep overall tire diamter at 26'' and keep the stock 4.08 gearing intact.
i really like your suspension mods. Amazing. I bet your is350 out handles quite a bit.
With your tune im interested in updates about if your running at 20-24 on those two knock sensors.
Now that you got that tune..... any chance you'll install ppe headers/joez-or-ppe true dual or full custom exhaust?
With a tune you can bet you'd dyno close to 300rwhp if not over (depending on if mustang or dynojet and temp/humidity) with true dual exhaust and ppe race headers no cats with 02 sim.
Heck ppe got 28Xrwhp on a is350 with just headers and true dual.
i love what you and gville are doing to your is350. Helping is350 stay relevant.
Ever since i picked this 07 up last year ive really enjoyed it.
Time for me to start modifications...love to see what these tuning companies do to repro the transmission first.
have either you or gville looke into aftermarket intake manifold options? Are there any in the works? I've seen nada. But i also just found out the is350 ecu has tuning options lol.
I played around a lot with willtheyfit as well. The PF01's are 18x9 +45, but it's a little too close to (for some reason, I can't remember what its called...the arm that mounts to the UCA with a ball joint.). Figured I'd run a 5 mil spacer with extended studs to make myself feel better.
You are thinking of the suspension upright. I had wanted to run a square setup as well, but I found out the hard way that a 17 x 9 +48 PF01 rubbed on both the caliper, and the front upright. They didn't fit all that well on the back either, too far inset and close to the fender liner. I *think* for a square setup to fit without spacers or rolling you are going to need a wheel in the 38-42 offset range. Ideally I *think* a 40 offset on the front and a 35 offset on the rear is pretty close to ideal, but different offsets defeats the whole square thing anyway...
You also might want to look through the last couple of pages of Jeff Lange's manual IS350 build thread. He found that the same square setup he ran on his IS250 didn't work as well on the IS350 because the VDIM on an IS350 really expects different size tires front to rear, and reads similar size tires as wheel slip.
i really like your suspension mods. Amazing. I bet your is350 out handles quite a bit.
With your tune im interested in updates about if your running at 20-24 on those two knock sensors.
Now that you got that tune..... any chance you'll install ppe headers/joez-or-ppe true dual or full custom exhaust?
With a tune you can bet you'd dyno close to 300rwhp if not over (depending on if mustang or dynojet and temp/humidity) with true dual exhaust and ppe race headers no cats with 02 sim.
Heck ppe got 28Xrwhp on a is350 with just headers and true dual.
i love what you and gville are doing to your is350. Helping is350 stay relevant.
Ever since i picked this 07 up last year ive really enjoyed it.
Time for me to start modifications...love to see what these tuning companies do to repro the transmission first.
have either you or gville looke into aftermarket intake manifold options? Are there any in the works? I've seen nada. But i also just found out the is350 ecu has tuning options lol.
Thanks for the good word. I saw the detailed post you left on GVille's Weight Reduction thread and it sounds like you have quite the history with building stripped-down race cars. Whenever you decide to start modifying your 07 Lexus IS, be sure to start a build thread for all of us to keep up with your progress.
Yeah, several of us on the forums do what we can to keep the IS350 relevant. The 2IS350 is truly an underrated sedan and most don't realize just how fast this car can accelerate in stock form. For the longest time, the 2IS350 was unofficially the fastest naturally-aspirated six-cylinder sedan in the world and it even earned a spot on the zeroto60times.com fastest sleeper car list: http://www.zeroto60times.com/sleeper-cars/.
One of the best things I love about the 2IS350 is that the gearing is very aggressive and when compared to the newer 3IS350 and RC350, you can clearly see the difference in acceleration as noted in this head-to-head video:
I've thought about picking up PPE headers but the total cost for the part + install has kept me from wanting to invest the funds for that mod, particularly since I'm currently saving funds to get a new sports car to complement my sport sedan sometime in the near future. The 10-15rwhp gain throughout the powerband (as well as the higher rev limit) from the ECU tune has so far kept me happy...for now.
On a side note, I recently learned of this website with a large listing of Toyota/Lexus engines with plenty of detailed specifications and history that makes for a good read: http://australiancar.reviews/2GR-FSE-engine.php
Thanks for the good word. I saw the detailed post you left on GVille's Weight Reduction thread and it sounds like you have quite the history with building stripped-down race cars. Whenever you decide to start modifying your 07 Lexus IS, be sure to start a build thread for all of us to keep up with your progress.
Yeah, several of us on the forums do what we can to keep the IS350 relevant. The 2IS350 is truly an underrated sedan and most don't realize just how fast this car can accelerate in stock form. For the longest time, the 2IS350 was unofficially the fastest naturally-aspirated six-cylinder sedan in the world and it even earned a spot on the zeroto60times.com fastest sleeper car list: http://www.zeroto60times.com/sleeper-cars/.
One of the best things I love about the 2IS350 is that the gearing is very aggressive and when compared to the newer 3IS350 and RC350, you can clearly see the difference in acceleration as noted in this head-to-head video:
I've thought about picking up PPE headers but the total cost for the part + install has kept me from wanting to invest the funds for that mod, particularly since I'm currently saving funds to get a new sports car to complement my sport sedan sometime in the near future. The 10-15rwhp gain throughout the powerband (as well as the higher rev limit) from the ECU tune has so far kept me happy...for now.
On a side note, I recently learned of this website with a large listing of Toyota/Lexus engines with plenty of detailed specifications and history that makes for a good read: http://australiancar.reviews/2GR-FSE-engine.php
great info
A few days ago I inadvertently started trolling a 3 year old gs350 thread comparing the performance of the second gen is350 in a negative light. I almost got banned (50 posts in three years...meh) actually because i couldn't shut my mouth about how good a performer the second gen is350 is........It was pretty pointless in retrospect.
I learned my lesson in the end.
But goes to show im pretty passionate about the second gen is350. Its probably one of toyotas most overlooked performance cars ever. Its faster stock than any gs350 / rc350/ 3is350 this includes f sport models.
Your living proof how good these things can handle. due to lower center of gravity and shorter wheel base and lighter weight, these second gen is350 have the potential to out handle even (if they have same suspension mods) any gs350/ 3is350/ rc350 these include fsport
As far as headers go..... i still say do it maybe??? If you ever get around to it that is. I understand the urge to buy a sports car though to compliment the is350. side note.... Im always looking at craigslist for gems.... i'm weirdly intrigued by the dc2 integra type R of late...But thats a ricer sport compact lol. Must be my heritage calling
If you gained 10-15 rwhp from a tune though. with True dual exhaust and ppe headers with no cats all in conjunction working with the tune ( have to get retuned).... Youd maybe be as high as 310 rwhp..... from a n/a v6...Thats also called 350-355 @ the crank. Is350 with 350 bhp from a 3.5 v6. Very nice
The 3is has the same gearing but in 8 speed guise it causes a extra shift before 60 mph.
Jeff lange and i figured that out on another thread.
gt500tony
"the 2is and 3is have very similar gearing.
But the 2is has 6 speed 4.08 final drive
and 3is has 8 speed 3.133 final drive.
In the 8 speed the 3.133 final drive is the rough non exact equivalent to a 4.08 in the 6 speed. This is partially why gearing in general is so similar. Though it causes the 8 speed to shift 3 times to get to 60mph.
Instead of equivalent you can install 4.09 final into the 8 speed(((((a really rough non exact example--- be kind of like 4.56 fd in the 6 speed)))))) .
The 3is and ISF Have same 8 speed.
Heres a forum where discussion about 4.09 in 8 speed ISF. Though won't be direct correlation to a 8 speed V8 when comparing 8 speed V6. 4.09 FD in the 8 speed makes 1st gear useless as a daily.
Jeff Lange
"When I was looking at the gearing I didn't actually see that it would shift once more to get to 60, that would definitely explain some/most of the time difference.
But goes to show im pretty passionate about the second gen is350. Its probably one of toyotas most overlooked performance cars ever. Its faster stock than any gs350 / rc350/ 3is350 this includes f sport models.
Your living proof how good these things can handle. due to lower center of gravity and shorter wheel base and lighter weight, these second gen is350 have the potential to out handle even (if they have same suspension mods) any gs350/ 3is350/ rc350 these include fsport
It's actually not difficult at all for a 2IS to outhandle a 3IS F-Sport. The 2ISX50 F-Sport Factory Package (which is mostly a cosmetic upgrade but it did receive some suspension tweaks) can actually hold its own against the newer 3ISX50 F-Sport model.
Motor Trend provided this interesting handling comparison between the 2011 2IS F-Sport vs the 2014 3IS F-Sport and the 2IS F-Sport model actually had a higher performance threshold in handling:
But we were scratching our heads again around the figure eight. The 2014 IS 250 with revised, F Sport-specific suspension could only find 0.85 g to 2011's 0.91 g, despite both cars utilizing Bridgestone Turanza ER33 grand touring summer tires (225/40-18 fronts and 255/40-18 rears). The new one trailed the older car by a hefty 0.9 second on a flying figure-eight lap, implying it's losing precious time in the corners. The root cause is up for debate. Maybe the 2014's 2.7-inch-longer wheelbase or 0.6-inch-wider rear track played a part.
A 2ISX50 equipped with the F-Sport suspension accessories package (shocks/springs/sway bars/chassis brace) will handle nearly identical to the 2011 IS-F (which itself was an improvement over the 2008 IS-F via a revised suspension and Torsen LSD). Below, you can see an Edmunds video review of an IS250 equipped with the F-Sport Accessories package and its slalom and skidpad results are near identical to the 2011 IS-F which was also tested by Edmunds:
Can any of you mechanically-inclined gurus help me figure out why my driver side front wheel is making this squealing noise? I'm not sure if the wheel bearing is worn out or if the noise is originating somewhere in the brake system (dust shield, warped rotor, etc).
When driving, I can only hear the rotational squealing noise when my window is down and when I'm driving at speeds lower than 25 mph. At higher speeds, the wheel is rotating fast enough that I don't hear any noise.
After watching several YouTube videos on how a bad wheel bearing sounds, I'm not sure if this is what the problem is.
Lug nuts are torqued properly and when I lifted the car to see if there was any play with the wheel when I tugged at it, I couldn't tell any difference.
This weekend, I'll remove the wheel to see if there's any metal-to-metal contact with the rotor. In the meantime, any suggestions?
Red, more than likely it's a pad issue; whether it's glazed over or a minor hardware failure, who knows. You sure you've not worn down the "yellows" down to the replacement pins?
Did you notice that the squeal was more pronounced when spinning the wheel in reverse?
Remove the pads over the weekend and let us know what you find.
That's good to hear. That would be much easier and cheaper to resolve than replacing the wheel hub. This weekend, I'll pull out the wheel and check out the pads, the wear pins, and other brake components to see what I discover. The outside pad looks good but who knows what I find after removing the wheel. Thanks for the diagnostic.
In other news, I had planned on using Techstream to test the KCLV readings to ensure my ECU tune is running optimally but after two weekends of trying to get the software to run on my laptop, I gave up on that little project.
Let us know what you find! Hoping for a "simple" brake pad fix.
Yup, it was definitely a great sigh of relief to find out that the source of the screeching noise that I've been hearing the past week wasn't from a worn out wheel bearing but instead it was from the wear pin on the front brake pad. The pin was scratching the outer lip of the rotor so I popped out the worn EBC Yellow Pads and threw in my old but good OEM pads as a temporary measure until I get a chance to order a set of new front brake pads and new rotors.
Here's what the pads looked like after taking them out. They were a bit worn out after all! I guess I put them to good use at the track.
We'll see what pads and rotors I end up going with.
On an older post, I mentioned that I took out a plastic panel in-between the front bumper and radiator in order to allow more air to force feed into the engine bay and into the big hole of the lower intake box. I ended up trimming off a portion of the panel which would still allow the outside air to enter the engine bay but I left the bottom portion of the panel intact in case it helped with directing air into the radiator:
This monday, I'll be off for two weeks on a business trip to Japan, the motherland of Lexus and Toyota. If I see some interesting JDM vehicles while I'm over there, I'll be sure to take a few pics and post them on this thread.
Hey there Spencer, sorry if i missed it but have you dyno the car yet after the ECU tune? Is it still active or did the ecu go back to factory settings on its own?