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I've finally had some time to install GSF ones. I was curious if it really does make such a difference and let me say YES it does hell of a difference. So much that i decided to take a video shots of old ones and new ones to make a video. Here it is.
I've finally had some time to install GSF ones. I was curious if it really does make such a difference and let me say YES it does hell of a difference. So much that i decided to take a video shots of old ones and new ones to make a video. Here it is.
So NICE to have a car lift....i had to do mine with jack stands but it gets the job done hahaha. The difference is definitely night and day!
yes it is nice to have hoist, but it took me two days to clear it off of the secret equipment that cannot be recorded publicly. I work for company that tests and designes autonomous driving vehicles, its components and prototypes and working on my personal cars is just a hobby.
I have a kinda different comment about these GS F bushings from experience. I have a fellow GS Owner friend has has these on his 15 F Sport. I had driven his car both before and after the install. The mods on his car for suspension include, strut bar, coilovers, and staggered tires along with spacers.
After the GS F Bushings install the front ride was just too harsh and jumpy and a little noisy. He in fact commented the same. A bit tighter yes, but even after we readjusted to fine tune the CO's it was still jumping and harsh over the typical even street variances. For this reason I choose to not install these bushings. My 13 GS only has 47k miles and I'm guessing the bushing may possibly be soft and/or starting to crack also, maybe, maybe not? IDK.
I plan to inspect them soon and figure if they are on the way out, which likely they are. I will replace them with a fresh set of the GS350 Factory Bushings. On my suspension set up I went with the Swift springs modified a bit, Megan Strut bar, Yokohama Advan Sport 19" Stag set up tires, and the Think Designs performance Steering Rack Bushings. With new AVS Struts, the handling is very tight, with no over/understeer. Still a compliant ride quality. My thinking here at close is this. If ones Bushing were soft, old, hardened, cracked or bad, either the stock GS350 New Bushing or the GS F Bushing are going to have you feel a great improvement. Am I the only one who thought the ride was just very harsh with the GS F one? Maybe so.
I have a set of new RR Racing LCA bushings. If there is any interest, I will post them in the CL Market Place for people to review. THESE are the ones I am referring to. But jgscott is right, although it will be tighter around corners and general steering, the ride will be a bit harsher since there is little to no dampening going on. Whereas, the OEM are softer and have a lot of give, they make the steering a bit sloppy. Whether you install it or not is going to come down to personal preference.
I have a kinda different comment about these GS F bushings from experience. I have a fellow GS Owner friend has has these on his 15 F Sport. I had driven his car both before and after the install. The mods on his car for suspension include, strut bar, coilovers, and staggered tires along with spacers.
After the GS F Bushings install the front ride was just too harsh and jumpy and a little noisy. He in fact commented the same. A bit tighter yes, but even after we readjusted to fine tune the CO's it was still jumping and harsh over the typical even street variances. For this reason I choose to not install these bushings. My 13 GS only has 47k miles and I'm guessing the bushing may possibly be soft and/or starting to crack also, maybe, maybe not? IDK.
I plan to inspect them soon and figure if they are on the way out, which likely they are. I will replace them with a fresh set of the GS350 Factory Bushings. On my suspension set up I went with the Swift springs modified a bit, Megan Strut bar, Yokohama Advan Sport 19" Stag set up tires, and the Think Designs performance Steering Rack Bushings. With new AVS Struts, the handling is very tight, with no over/understeer. Still a compliant ride quality. My thinking here at close is this. If ones Bushing were soft, old, hardened, cracked or bad, either the stock GS350 New Bushing or the GS F Bushing are going to have you feel a great improvement. Am I the only one who thought the ride was just very harsh with the GS F one? Maybe so.
Years ago I installed a front strut bar on my car and the ride became very rigid and unpleasant. Try removing upper bar and see if that helps.
Years ago I installed a front strut bar on my car and the ride became very rigid and unpleasant. Try removing upper bar and see if that helps.
No the strut bar did not really affect the ride quality at all. Got to remember after the Steering rack most of your affect starts at that 1st of the connection points, connecting. The Strut bar is for body flex mostly. Look at all that cushion rubber in the bushings. It's there for a good reason. If it cracked or not, hardened, soften or a firmer rubber is used that is going to cause jolts back from the road. It's almost like the difference between a soft compound sidewall tire and a hard sidewall one. It's a direct transmission.
Did not mention it but in trying to dial in the CO's we did remove the Strut bar. The main jolting hoping ride was from the much harder bushings. We also thought about that the GS F probably has a different Spring and Strut rate dialed in with the GS F bushing to aid the ride quality also. My biggest compliant was I guess the same now I can fell the road better also transmitted to feeling lots of small and hard jolts back the the car and wheel. On multiple bumps it was just jolting back so many times.
I get it that if you can live with the Harshness then ok for you. Just not what I want. If you want more sharper responsive feel the 1st thing to start with is getting the Rack looseness tighter.
I have a set of new RR Racing LCA bushings. If there is any interest, I will post them in the CL Market Place for people to review. THESE are the ones I am referring to. But jgscott is right, although it will be tighter around corners and general steering, the ride will be a bit harsher since there is little to no dampening going on. Whereas, the OEM are softer and have a lot of give, they make the steering a bit sloppy. Whether you install it or not is going to come down to personal preference.
Wanted to add a few things to what you commented here. I have seen everyone happy with the RR Racing LCA Bushings, so yes is a matter of choice of the sacrifice of ride quality. But I also think... some new bushing comments are just that, more so old cracked bushing vs New bushing. New bushing should always get the W. lol!
I also remember some years ago reading some Geometry steering test of harder rubber bushing vs softer when I had my Supra and was considering a whole host of aftermarket bushing hardness. The Test study concluded that harder rubber bushings did not really affect left to right Steering improvements. Feel yes, but due to the nature and weight of cars rubber still moves.
What harder rubber Bushing did do more so was effect dive of the front end (ex. hard braking front end nose Dive). I would take a very good guess that Lexus knows this and that the harder GS F Bushing were a result of much better and larger brakes that the GS F has over the GS350 which would in turn lead to harder dives at speed with the GS F. Including other spring and strut modifications likely.
Wanted to add a few things to what you commented here. I have seen everyone happy with the RR Racing LCA Bushings, so yes is a matter of choice of the sacrifice of ride quality. But I also think... some new bushing comments are just that, more so old cracked bushing vs New bushing. New bushing should always get the W. lol!
I also remember some years ago reading some Geometry steering test of harder rubber bushing vs softer when I had my Supra and was considering a whole host of aftermarket bushing hardness. The Test study concluded that harder rubber bushings did not really affect left to right Steering improvements. Feel yes, but due to the nature and weight of cars rubber still moves.
What harder rubber Bushing did do more so was effect dive of the front end (ex. hard braking front end nose Dive). I would take a very good guess that Lexus knows this and that the harder GS F Bushing were a result of much better and larger brakes that the GS F has over the GS350 which would in turn lead to harder dives at speed with the GS F. Including other spring and strut modifications likely.
it took me 1 or 2 hr for one side but after i know how to take the bushing out the other side 30min. People say u can pry the lower control arm and the bushing to come out but i used all my strength and it just went down a little bit not enough room to get out mybe im just weak lol. so i used a jack to jack up the lower control arm till it can come out. After that other side is 30min. I cant really tell u the difference since im changing out my strut and spring too to kyb extage so it will be different than most of the people that are riding oem.
Thank you for the jack tip, I can't never get it out until I jack up the control arm.
My original LCA still in good shape, no crack, just the creased lines, but somehow they are bigger than the GSF LCA.
Drive quality not much different, a little tighter.
I saw someone ask a similar question in this thread but I was not able to see where it was answered ...
I have a 2023 IS 350 (RWD) and will be installing RSR Downs Springs (not super downs) and looking to upgrade the LCA bushing at this time to give me the best case scenario for minimizing tire wear (I am also installing new upper control arms to combat negative camber) ...
My question is, I was looking to order these https://www.topendmotorsports.com/le...hings-2881.php ... and wondering if first, this is the correct part and then secondly what degree offset should I go with considering the car will be lowered?
Thank you for the jack tip, I can't never get it out until I jack up the control arm.
My original LCA still in good shape, no crack, just the creased lines, but somehow they are bigger than the GSF LCA.
Drive quality not much different, a little tighter.
2013 RWD F-Sport, 120k+ miles.
no problem at least u dont need to waste hrs trying to pry it to lower the lca bushing like me. LOl
I saw someone ask a similar question in this thread but I was not able to see where it was answered ...
I have a 2023 IS 350 (RWD) and will be installing RSR Downs Springs (not super downs) and looking to upgrade the LCA bushing at this time to give me the best case scenario for minimizing tire wear (I am also installing new upper control arms to combat negative camber) ...
My question is, I was looking to order these https://www.topendmotorsports.com/le...hings-2881.php ... and wondering if first, this is the correct part and then secondly what degree offset should I go with considering the car will be lowered?
I am currently running Swift springs on mine for about a month now and there are no signs of tire wear. I also have a set of Moog rear upper control arms in case the rear shows abnormal tire wear.
Got this response from a neighbor who's a mechanic... could y'all plz comment on if this is accurate?
"Do you have the part already? If not make sure you order the one with the bracket. They also sell the bushing without the bracket and that needs to be pressed in".
02-19-23 | 12:57 AM
QUESTION on Swapping Lower Control Arm Bushings