Lexuses71

Looking to replace my OEM shocks. They've just about had it and are the originals. Car is strting to lean in turns Want that OEM 'smooth as silk' ride back. Not looking to lower the car, etc. What are the best replacements that will give me the OEM feel again? And what do they run for a set?

BTW, how long to the originals usually last? I assumed ~100K miles or 10-12 yrs. Thanks.

idriveals4

Best for OEM feel would be OEM. Anything different would be some level of compromise. You might want to have the other parts of the suspension inspected as they will also play a part in the OEM feel.

idriveals4

Also check out one of the vendors (sewell?) As they have good discounts for clublexus members.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

KYB GR2s.

they make the OEM shocks for the LS400 you buy through lexus/toyota too. plus the pricing is WAYYYY more reasonable than the oem pieces. will ride pretty much identical to stock.

Kansas

Starting to lean in turns? These cars leaned like the Tower of Pisa when they were brand new.

Are your shocks leaking or are you getting uncontrolled bouncing?

The shocks on my 00 LS are at 146,800 miles and they are just fine -- get the same excessive amount of body roll when cornering hard as when I bought the car at 38,000 miles. It's mainly a problem if I rent a sporty, flat cornering car while on a trip and then come home to my LS400 -- Whoa, that's a lot of body roll!

How long can OEM shocks on an LS400 last? They can certainly fail prematurely but they often can last far beyond 200,000 miles. My 90 LS400 was still on it's original shocks when I sold it after 13+ years at 183,500 miles. I'll have to ask the current owner if he ever put new shocks on it - the car is now at 295,000 miles.

Lexuses71

Thanks for all the replies! My particular car has about 63K miles on it, very low overall. And, my issue may be a combination of shock wear over the time I've had the car and need for some newer tires. The ride and dampning over speed bumps and road imperfections was notcibly tighter when i bought the car in 2005 and just recently noticed more bounce. I have had the front ball joints replaced. in 2009.

If it turns out I do need shocks I wiill def go the KYB GR2 route. I put them in the wife's ES300 and they were great. But I am sure new tires wil make a big difference.

Will advise what it turns out to be.

GKLCPA

I have KYB GR-2's on my car and I'm not satisfied with them. I've found the ride far stiffer than the stock struts and the Lexus smoothness is gone. According to KYB, they're about 30% or so stiffer than stock to compensate supposedly for worn springs. They're definitely cheaper than the stock strut (less than half the price as I recollect), but in retrospect, I wish I'd spent the money on the stock struts. I plan on replacing them at some point.

Lexuses71

Thanks for the input. OK then what brand is the OEM struts? Someone above said the OEMs were KYB GR2s. Did I miss something?

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

KYB is a company, they made the OEM shocks for all LS400s. they still provide lexus with OEM valved spares that you can buy from the dealership for a considerable mark up.

KYB makes another line of shocks called the GR2, which is stock replacement aftermarket. the valving is very comparable (but not identical) to the stock shocks, in fact they are slightly SOFTER VALVED to compensate for suspension wear over time.

the reason people sometimes think the opposite is true is because they are usually replacing their very loose, very old blown stock shocks with a brand new set, which of course will feel tighter (and to some, stiffer) than before. If you drive a car with a fresh set of OEM and another with a fresh set of KYB GR2s back to back, you will most likely not notice a difference.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

This +1^^

The struts in mine were done by 70K miles. When removed, I pushed them down and overnight they didn't extend. No signs of leaking either. When pulling or pushing the cartridge, you could feel the change in effort needed at certain positions. Do that with a fresh cartridge, it is pretty consistent through the range. On car, it is difficult to discern unless it is accompanied by uneven tire wear or obvious visual indicators when watching the car drive over road irregularities at speed.

Of course, YMMV.

Woozy

I just put KYBs on my 91 LS, and I love them, ride is much better, and yes its a bit firmer, but toatlly smooth, my car had 130K and the struts had been bad for awhile because they cupped my front tires pretty bad. I was told by the dealer it would be 1550 for them to do all 4, I got the shocks on ebay for a total of 265, and my mechanic installed them foe 400, less than half the price from Lexus.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

struts typically last about 100k miles before needed replacement but that's dependent on driving habits and road conditions. kyb gr-2s are OEM replacements and i've ran them on my past cars with good results. you can't beat the price on them too!

McPierson

iTrader: (3)

I just did springs in my 99. One of four were bad at 130,000mi. I'm sure the other 3 were not mint either, but they were smooth and were still charged.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

springs? or shocks? lol.

springs don't charge...