kaizmauka

Hey folks, I am looking at upgrading my car's suspension while it is in the shop getting a new transmission...I have found that when taking tight corners it sometimes will lean a bit too much for my comfort...so i figure some sway bars will help with the rigidity of the ride.
From what I have gathered reading other posts on this forum, the best sway bars are from SEWELL...but it seems that this company no longer exists.

Romanova

The sport bar is an extra MM thick. LexusPartsNow.com has the bar and the two required bushings for $164. If you do the upgrade, you should also do the end links. Ultra Racing has a 19MM bar and bushings which you can find on eBay, but expect to pay about $300 after shipping since it's coming from Malaysia.

What's the mileage on your car? If you have significant mileage, I would possibly look at doing new shocks first, then stepping up to a bigger sway bar.

kaizmauka

229,000 miles...or about 380,000 km...so relatively high mileage.
This is quite interesting what you recommended, may I ask why this is that I should replace the front shocks when it is high mileage?
Also, who makes the highest quality shocks/coilovers...eg. Tein, TRD, Megan, or Tom's?

Romanova

With that mileage, maintenance should always trump upgrades, or combine if you can. Anything from TRD or Tom's is probably long out of production by now. Not even sure if Tein makes anything for the LS/Celsior... if so, it might also be out of production. There are plenty of coil overs on eBay if you search. I'd be inclined to use KYB struts and Tanabe springs, though once you factor in labor and new strut mounts, you're probably getting pretty close to the cost of coil overs TBH.

Everybody's taste is different. Personally, I would prefer a very subtle drop that Tanabe springs can offer, though with the 18s, I love the way my 06 sits now.

FILTHEE

I bought my car with 166K a few months ago. The front upper control arms, lower ball joints, tie-rods and end links were all shot. I have replaced everything but the tie-rods which has made a difference in the handling of the car. I would check your cars components for wear before spending money on sway bars or shocks/coilovers.

kaizmauka

Good suggestions...saftey is very important so I agree I should probably replace the front control arms first...as the last I checked the mechanic I usually go to (comptech) he said there was a crack forming on the control arm bushing.

kaizmauka

I found used coilovers from Tom's and Tein for about 800 USD on Osaka JDM motors...then again these are used so I am very skeptical as there is no way of knowing how hard they were used.
As far as lowering the vehicle goes I am also hesitant to drop it...if anything I like the way the ls430 looks when a bit lifted...but surely for handling and high speed it must be better when sitting a bit lower?

kaizmauka

Also, are there any coilovers out there for an LS430 that have their own external oil reservoirs...like what you see on a lot of 4x4 vehicles (eg. Fox Shocks).

Romanova

I don't that there were every any applications that would have a remote reservoir. Was scouting Yahoo Auctions Japan and even there, it seems that suspension options are limited.

kaizmauka

I realize it is probably way overkill...but aestetics come into play here...i want something that looks sexy from the back. That is why I am interested in being able to raise the car a bit so you can see the undercarriage.
But as far as coilovers with reservoirs go...why do you think this is not common...is it only necessary with 4x4?
Best I have found so far is from BC racing....ER series...but I don't know if these could be modified to fit an LS...are coilovers typically very specific to a certain model or can they be modified to fit on any car?....link...http://www.bcracing-na.com/er-type/

Romanova

Honestly, air ride sounds like it is going to suit you best, based on your needs.

kaizmauka

Are the aftermarket airride suspensions superior to the stock equipped systems?
I ask because here in Vancouver BC it is relatively easy to find JDM Toyota celsiors with air ride suspensions...you can buy them all day with 50k miles for about 5000 USD (from Velocity cars importers).....If an air ride suspension will cost lije 3 grand it will start to make more sense to just buy a new car that already has it.

FILTHEE

The stock air ride is only superior in the sense that is was engineered specifically for the car and made to move slowly increasing it's reliability. Aftermarket systems are just adapted from one car to another using different mounts and bag types to prevent rubbing issues. That being said, a properly installed aftermarket bag setup can be just as reliable as the factory setup IF used in the same manner. But typically people play with the suspension which causes things to break.

The stock system works fine if you don't want to adjust the ride height quickly or care about being low. Keep in mind that unless the factory bags have been changed recently on a factory equipped car, you will likely be stuck replacing them when they go out, so you probably won't save that much in the long run.

tallcaguy

Has anyone driven an LS w/ a 19mm bar? Comments? Any other sources for something bigger than the stock (Sports) 14mm?

FILTHEE

They are not common because the advantages of using a remote reservoir shock are additional oil for cooling (think Baja or Dakar) or for extended travel of the rod (rock crawler) or both (monster truck). Neither of those attributes will be beneficial to the average street car, especially a 11-16 year old luxury car.