Kira X

iTrader: (24)

Thank you for the reply. The brakes sound like a major upgrade. I have a set of LS400 calipers, rotors, and pads but haven’t put them on yet. The stainless steel brake lines seem like a nice addition too, so I will try to get some.

Which ceramic pads would you get? Brake dust drives me nuts.

- V -

iTrader: (1)

I got the Centric Posi Quiet pads. One thing I found out is that when you hard mount the calipers to your frame, you feel the noise and vibrations brakes create a lot more. So slotted rotors give you a noticeable vibration when braking hard. The slot design on the Stop Tech rotors minimize this a lot but I couldn't wait for them due to the seized caliper. If I had to do it over again and was in a situation that I didn't need all the parts asap I would have gone with the Centric - Posi Quiet Pro Ceramic instead. They are supposed to be better performing pads but without the extra dust. They are only $10 extra so not a big price difference either. It might be what i end up doing next time i need to change pads or I may go with something new that may become available in the years to come. After all it will likely take me another 5 years to burn through these.

- V -

iTrader: (1)

Okay, so here's something that I learned about the LS400 BBK upgrade. There are certain pads that are physically different when it comes to the LS400 front brakes. What I mean by that is the shape of the actual friction compound is different. Also the rotors have a certain degree of tolerance when they are being manufactured which means that certain companies will have a slightly bigger diameter rotor than others for the same application. The difference is very small, we're talking millimeters, but it's enough that when you pair the EBC rotors with the Centric Posi Quiet brake pads. The pads are actually a little taller than the rotor itself. This results in a loud grinding noise when braking after about a hundred miles, or less if you drive aggressive. So if you're planning on buying EBC rotors, I recommend going with the Akebono pads if you want low dust and while I haven't tested the EBC pads themselves but I imagine they would work normally considering it's the same company.
As as for the new Akebono pads. They are amazing. Even though they're slightly shorter than the centric pads, The contact surface is actually bigger because of the way they're ground. This gives the car a very good initial bite without being jerky and a really smooth braking feel. I will most likely need to do the rear brakes at some point in the next 6 months and I'm going with the exact same combo.

- V -

iTrader: (1)

Finally made a choice. Coils and front mounts have arrived, waiting for the rear mounts to start the installation.

KiroLS

The only CarX I can find is a franchised muffle shop. Your exhaust looks nice, was it a bolt-on or is it custom?

- V -

iTrader: (1)

The install process was exactly the same as the manzo or top speed copies. You need a drill to make the holes on the stock flanges a little bigger and then its all bolt on after that. I just looked up the exhaust on my amazon orders page and its currently out of stock. Here is a link https://www.amazon.in/CarXX-Axleback.../dp/B07SQFGHW4

The exhaust is holding up fine and has gotten a bit more quiet after a few months of owning it so i will probably be cutting out the resonators at some point

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

Congrats on the KW, they look so shiny.

- V -

iTrader: (1)

Thanks! And also thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions about them

- V -

iTrader: (1)

Top hats installed and tightened but I can't figure out how I'm supposed to torque them. My wrench only works in the clockwise direction. Height adjusted to max recommend height in the back and .5 inches lower in the front. Boxed em up and ready to be installed most likely next week when a cold front comes through FL. I was also able to find brand new strut mounts front front and rear from KYB that were compatible with the purple adapters that KW gives
Strut Mounts:
Front: SM5554
Rear: L3030112675KYB

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

I addressed that issue in my install: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/bui...l#post10143867

You'll need a pass through wrench and a torque wrench.

- V -

iTrader: (1)

Yup, I got both of those. Problem is the torque wrench sits on the smaller nut thats connected to the strut while the pass through wrench sits on the bigger nut. Spinning the smaller nut clockwise while holding the bigger one causes it to loosen because of the way the thread is. So you have to hold the inner nut while spinning the outer one clock wise or hold the outer one and spin the inner one counter clock wise. My wrench only measures torque clock wise so if you had a dual direction torque wrench, that might have been why you were able to measure it.....unless im missing something

Also its possible that they changed something since you got yours because they did change the **** for the compression adjustment

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

My wrench does read torque both ways, so it's possible that was my solution, but that seems like a detail I would have mentioned.

- V -

iTrader: (1)

Easy to miss. I didn't even think about it until i started to twist it and the nut started to come loose.

- V -

iTrader: (1)

COILS INSTALLED
Installation went pretty smoothly all things considerred. The rear bolts that hold the strut to the control arm were a bit annoying but came off with a long breaker bar and some wd40. The issue I face now is that the rear suspension is clunking. Further inspection tomorrow since it is now dark



Comparison of the stock front vs KW. Surprisingly, its not as short as I thought it would be.

I was able to remove the front suspension without disconnecting the upper arms by detaching the sway bar side of the end link and removing the strut mount thats bolted to the lower control arm. In this process, i found out that those bolts were SUPER loose. I was able to loosen one of them just with my fingers.

RudysSC

Lookin good man!! Great choice on the coils.