Wiscojoel

Hi there, I’m new to the forum and Lexus. I’ve had Toyotas in the past, and have been a Volvo 240 head and most recently a turbo Subaru fanatic. Anyways, I’m acquiring a 2002 es300 with about 116,000 miles. It needs struts. All around. So, with that being said, it’s a daily driver and I would like a stock setup, for comfort and cruising. I’ve stuck enough money into my Legacy GT which I’m keeping for a weekend racer.
Now, I’m looking at RockAuto KYBs and strut mounts. Is that good? Or should I look to replace other parts while I’m in there. Should I get OEM Lexus strut mounts?
Or would anyone recommend another setup? I’m in the North, and I don’t think coilovers are practical for the winters here. Nor do I want to spend that extra money. Stock right now is fine for my budget. I need to order the parts before I dive in there, and I have experience changing the struts on my LGT, I don’t believe it’s too different. I have impact tools, spring compressors and I know I need an alignment after regardless of how close I think I got the alignment bolt back in there.
Thanks in advance!

Arsenii

Hello,

Seems like an awfully low mileage for a need in new struts..

KYB struts are a little stiffer than OEM, but as long as you stick with OEM springs, the difference should be negligible. Considering the mileage, I would suggest sticking with original mounts, they should last a little longer than that, KYB ones had some issues from the reviews I've seen. Depending on the condition of Spring Isolators and Dust Boots, that may be a good time to replace those as well as they are not too expensive, here is a good place to get OEM ones.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

fortitude

Arsenii, is the process of securing the parts via them fairly straight forward? Shipping duration time accurate? Their prices are excellent on certain items.

Arsenii

From my experience, the process of ordering is very straightforward, they appear to be checking the availability of parts before you order them, unlike some other places, and they also accept PayPal, which makes ordering a lot more secure and convenient. The parts usually arrive within just over a week, maybe 2 weeks if the processing time is longer than usual (they always specify it for each item you look up), but that's still pretty fast even comparing to some local dealerships.

If you are concerned about their website, they do have an eBay store as well with eBay's money back guarantee.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

Wiscojoel

Correction 125,000 miles. I was pretty close.

FromFL

It does seem too soon. But for reference, when I bought my 147,000 mile '04 the struts were completely blown. Fronts were clashing into the bump stops and if I wanted to I could induce wheel hop by modulating the brakes (rear).

Wiscojoel

So is OEM Lexus better than KYB struts? Or is there another brand anyone prefers?

Arsenii

OEM is always better, Lexus models came with their own struts, they are interchangeable, yet not identical to the ones used in Camry, while all the aftermarket options are geared specifically to the latter, is that something you are willing to splash out 3 times the price for, that's totally up to you. It depends on what you plan to do with the car, KYB struts with factory springs will last you a good while, but may be just a little stiffer, which could be a good thing depending on who you ask.

There are also Sachs struts out there, OEM manufacturer for a lot of German cars, but I am yet to find at least one person who used them in ES, so there isn't much information about them. If there is someone who used them, a feedback would be quite helpful.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

Clutchless

I have run Sachs on my RX350 and they were very good quality. I found the regular rear struts too soft on the RX but Sachs offered both regular and sport shocks/struts for the RX so it is hard to compare to the ES. Years ago I put them on my 1994 Mazda MX6 and they improved the handling while keeping a nice ride and lasted until I got rid of it. So I would recommend them.
FYI Sachs and TRW are both owned by ZF Group now and Rock Auto has the TRW versions of the Sachs struts/shocks on clearance. They are the same thing. So a $70 Sachs strut is $30 - $40 under the TRW label depending on what they have left in stock.

​​​​​​Renamed ZF Sachs AG, the company became part of the ZF Group in 2001 and was merged into ZF Friedrichshafen AG in 2011. Today, products of the SACHS brand are successfully sold internationally by ZF Aftermarket, together with the LEMFÖRDER, TRW, WABCO and BOGE brands.

Wiscojoel

At about $ 642.73 each for OEM Lexus struts, I think I'll pass on those. I'll keep searching, but KYB's even though they hit hard are looking to be the front runner.

Arsenii

That's really nice to know, you are about the only one who spoke publicly about actually using Sachs, or ZF struts in cars other than of German origin. The question of whether they will be a little on the stiffer side like KYB or softer like Monroe in ES is still out though..

That's actually how they tend to get you, there is a reason why some companies create sub-brands and vaguely market those as the same exact thing, then it can give them at least some chance at cutting costs, as those can be parts that didn't go through that robust of the quality control as the main brands, hence the reduction in price, like it was the case with WVE, part of NTK company. Not saying it is the case here, as I am pretty sure that some of the struts Sachs sells under their brand were inherited from merger with TRW, but there is still that possibility that you have to watch out for, since it is quite rare for someone to sell the same exact component for 3/4 of the price.

Wiscojoel

Is it wise to get the OEM Lexus strut mounts, or is it ok to go with KYB strut mounts?

Arsenii

From what I've heard, KYB mounts are more susceptible to failure than OEM, some were known to fail within several thousand miles. Considering the price difference, I went with OEM when my original ones failed a little while back at well over 200,000 miles. I would get the Support Bearings and Spring Isolators along the way as well while you are in there.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

Oro

The Lexus parts would be the first choice, assuming no price sensitivity.

Having diagnosed a lot of issues with aftermarket strut mounts, it most often comes down to installation errors. There are a few things about installation not always readily apparent to most DIYers. These can also apply to DIYing the Lexus units if you aren’t taking them to a mechanic.

There are several variables here and the best answer involves analyzing budget, DIY ability or independent mechanic’s ability (also not always a given).

Wiscojoel

So.. let’s say hypothetically at 126,000 miles, my struts might be ok? Now, if it’s possible my strut mount is bad (left front) because I hear a klunk coming on every now and then, how could I check?

I’ve ruled out the sway bar bushings and endlinks. Also, would it be wise to just replace that mount, and leave the struts alone until I know for sure they’re trashed?

thanks in advance