Recommend a strut..
12-27-09 | 10:38 AM
#31
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 444
Likes: 88
From: NY
12-27-09 | 01:54 PM
#32
I haven't received them yet. Ordered on the 22nd with standard ground shipping that takes 3-5 days. With the holiday and all, I probably won't see them till the middle of next week is my guess.
I also spoke with Adam Arnott by email and asked him if they were using KYB GR2's for the coilovers. He stated that the KYB's were a little firmer than OEM, so they build their own shocks from scratch. He said they copied the exact valving and quality from the OEM. The shocks are both oil and pressurized nitrogen filled.
I'll post up the results after the install. Most likely next weekend at the earliest.
Thanks
I also spoke with Adam Arnott by email and asked him if they were using KYB GR2's for the coilovers. He stated that the KYB's were a little firmer than OEM, so they build their own shocks from scratch. He said they copied the exact valving and quality from the OEM. The shocks are both oil and pressurized nitrogen filled.
I'll post up the results after the install. Most likely next weekend at the earliest.
Thanks
12-29-09 | 05:01 PM
#35
Lead Lap
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 401
Likes: 3
From: Tennessee
The PO of my old 1990 LS400 had put the KYB GR-2 on my LS400... made it ride like a friggin log truck! I could feel every little bump in the road. It rode like a small 4x4 or a small sports car. I hated it.
I had them removed and put on OEM (Toyota) brand struts. Change was amazing. It rode smoothly again. I think at the time (2004) they were $51 each at the local Toyota-Lexus dealer- this was for the rear though.
To each their own though.... the GR2's are good if you want your LS400 to ride like a log truck and want it to have a jiggly ride. I still have the ones off of my car here somewhere. I may have trashed them. They only had like 300 miles on them and the PO had paid like $90 each for them!
To me, spending all of that money on stiff shocks for a LS400 is like paying someone to give you a disease.....
I had them removed and put on OEM (Toyota) brand struts. Change was amazing. It rode smoothly again. I think at the time (2004) they were $51 each at the local Toyota-Lexus dealer- this was for the rear though.
To each their own though.... the GR2's are good if you want your LS400 to ride like a log truck and want it to have a jiggly ride. I still have the ones off of my car here somewhere. I may have trashed them. They only had like 300 miles on them and the PO had paid like $90 each for them!
To me, spending all of that money on stiff shocks for a LS400 is like paying someone to give you a disease.....
Last edited by 91LS400LEX; 12-29-09 at 05:07 PM.
12-29-09 | 08:40 PM
#37
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,265
Likes: 8
From: MA
I'm going to go forward with the install. I found out who the manufacturer is in China and they seem to have a decent reputation. They're made by Sensen. They make 7 million shock components a year including OEM for many car manufacturers. The quality looks good on the surface... I have a question about whether or not I need to take out the front/rear UCA's, or just separate the upper ball joints, or not have to touch the UCA's or upper ball joints at all... Can these be squeezed in and out without undoing the front/rear UCA's or ball joints? I know Lexls shows detaching the upper ball joint in his tutorial, but I thought I saw some old threads that said it wasn't necessary...
12-29-09 | 10:35 PM
#40
Does the rubber part feel like high quality rubber like the originals? (the rubber between the spring and the strut mounts part 4 on your drawing) and is the rubber between the spring and mount and the dust shield all one piece like the original? from the picture the rubber looks plastic like. Also is the quality of the rubber in the strut mount high quality? If the strut mount rubber (the rubber the sourrounds the big nut that holds the strut together it would be under the #6 dust cover in the drawing (the nut is not shown on the drawing for some reason) because if that rubber is not high quality you will be hearing some rattling noises prematurely (this is why I was telling you to change the strut mounts before when you where only going to change the strut inserts)
Also when you tighten the 3 nuts on top that hold the struts to the car make sure you use a torque wrench and you should recheck the torque after you have ridden the car for a while.
Also when you tighten the 3 nuts on top that hold the struts to the car make sure you use a torque wrench and you should recheck the torque after you have ridden the car for a while.
Last edited by sam12345; 12-29-09 at 11:53 PM.
12-29-09 | 11:25 PM
#44
What? I've done it myself. At least in the front, you don't need to putz with any ball joints. Just undo one of the sway bar end link nuts, and you'll get the movement you need out of the kit and kaboodle to boogie the assembled strut into place.