dallison

as far as i could tell, they were sealed

llcoolpass

yeah, I'm wondering why there would be two types on the same care.

the lexus service manual doesn't mention a replaceable cartrige.

also, are the monroe sensatrac any good? I can get them [the nonserviceable which are more expensive] for 70 bucks each which isn't bad . but .... are they BAD compared to the kyb?

btw, i found this, but I want more input

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=42918

lastly, a dealership said they dont list serviceable type as the replacement part in their catalog and they checked all the brands they had. so? why would some ppl have serviceable from the factory, and others don't? cherry hill lexus says that its not serviceable, too.

this is a weird one! what's going on?

llcoolpass

semi-bump

I'm probably just going to buy them[all 4] from shox.com for a tad under 300. Unless of course someone says something to make me go with the cartrige deal which are only 200.

llcoolpass

did yall get ''front lower spring seat'' as well as the ''strut mount'' ?

dallison

i replaced all strut mounts also. i knew one might be bad, but i replaced all 4. i am planning now to keep this car til 250k


you can rent the spring compressor from auto zone. it is a $40 deposit locally and then you get the $$ back when you return it.



also, you do not need to remove the entire rear deck to get at the rear struts. just an fyi.

also use a long *** breaker bar to loosen the big bolts.

make sure you mark the position of the strut mounts.

do not forget to really tighten down the center bolt on the strut mount. trust me, it will come loose

Ariyanna

Does anyone here know who manufactors the struts for our ES300's when they were first new, kyb,bilstein,monroe,sachs,tokico???????

92ES5sp

No i didnt. The spring seats were fine.

llcoolpass

thanks you two for your last comment each.

ariyanna, i dont know who make it originally, but I give a high probability that it was manf'd by kayaba [KYB] of japan.

btw, 92es5spd, why does your car have ''serviceable''' struts and mine are the nonserviceable type? edit[jan15,2008]I have to see whether mine are or not-dlr was prob blowing smoke up my a$$.... so have on delivery 2 rear strut cartriges only cost 44 each total[incl ship,tax] [so 88 for both].

llcoolpass

What is the ride height supposed to be? [I couldn't find it in the FSM]
This will let me check for out of spec springs. Thanks!

Anyone know what is the ride height supposed to be?

also also, this is a pic of my strut. from what you can tell is this the serviceable type of strut [where you pull out cartrige] like its supposed to be since its a 1993 [and 1992 through 1993 and some 1994's have these]

stormtrupr

is it recommended to replace strut mounts when replacing with new shocks? mine is a 96 with 132k and its starting to ride like a boat. im going to replace with kyb also and i saw the strut mounts on ebay.

llcoolpass

yes, but if you're super low budget, then replace only if they are worn

92ES5sp

Those are servicable. Mine are like that. Ill try to check on the ride height spec and get back to ya when/if i find it.

llcoolpass

did they just slide out when the top main nut was removed, or is there a gland nut as well holding it[the cartrige] to the strut?

and thanks... I can't seem to find the ride height anywhere on the net for this car.

llcoolpass

speaking of suspension, you ALL GOTTA SEE THIS its fu$ing amazing

http://www.nagtroc.com/gallery/displ...album=55&pos=2

llcoolpass

I got my new strut inserts. one of them takes slightly longer than the other to return to the top. I hope that's not a bad thing. Comes with new nut and the securing ring. KYB seems like a decent quality strut. Nice welding ! lol

Pics to come.

update1: have the boot kit. its cool , it comes with the bump stop [or whatever it's called]. great price. seems like KYB is the best choice for parts. 19jan2008