Any advice I like to do like in three phases In 6 months time
parts where to get the right part
any advise

 

Are you just looking to get back to original ride? One recommendation I would make is to use strut assemblies rather than replacing just the shock. It will make the job much easier and the cost isn't much more. I wish I had done it that way. If you're going to use aftermarket parts Rock Auto has good prices on control arms, ball joints, end links, etc.

 

If you want to restore it to factory you will need to use factory bushings, and strut mounts/assemblies and I would also check every suspension part down to the sub-frame mounts.

 

Yes what Lexus recommends

 

Okay, start with the struts in that case, then do all the bushings, then all the mounts and links etc.....

 

can u help find one pls

can

 

A lot of rubber is what made the ride so smooth when these cars were new, but that rubber is now 15+ years old. It won't be cheap when all is said and done; I can tell you that. I'm on the same journey, but I don't mind because I plan to keep the car for a long time. A couple of other things to think about are the motor and tranny mounts (there are three altogether) and tires. I'm personally of the opinion that so-called eco-profile tires are to be avoided if you are putting a premium on a smooth, quiet ride, which is what these cars are all about. I'm about ready to replace the set of highly rated on Tire Rack eco-profile Continental touring tires I bought about six months ago and chalk it up to a lesson learned.

 

The right part is always OEM. Nothing better than this when it comes to -restoring- to original factory defaults. Yes it is more expensive but it is worth of investment as OEM is incredibly higher in quality and more reliable.

Rockauto does not sell OEM. Toyota and Lexus dealer does.

Currently, I have Beck Arnley upper control arms and MOOG tiny front control arm bushings. I regret putting these parts in but at that point of time I did not have other choice. Not that they are noisy or bad, it is just they a more on the lighter duty and you never know when they fail. If they fail, it happens fast. If oem parts starts failing, it may take years for it to become severely worn.

 

As long as you have a lot of time to plan your rebuild I would suggest you get your parts from www.amayama.com . They supply OEM parts to Lexus and Toyota vehicles but the parts come from multiple countries overseas. Get your VIN, go to the site, and then plug in the VIN. You'll see that the prices are way lower than what you can get here in the US. Shipping fees are high. However, if you get your parts all from one place the shipping cost per part drops lower. It will take some time to get your parts, that's for sure. I've ordered parts for my ES from them multiple times and have always found the total price, including shipping, to be about 30% lower than anywhere else. Stick to OEM as much as you can and you won't be disappointed in the quality of your ride. Good luck!

 

this is exactly what my mechanic told me !!!

 

WHOA! Hold on. International shipping-customs-duty? Folks, I agree with OEM, but there are some serious discounts available right here in the USA:
Good Ole' Matt Molina and MyLParts, www.mylparts.com offers OEM and great customer service at a significant discount. Mention your login and "CL5" at checkout for another 10% off.
https://www.oemvehicleparts.com/ offers exceptional discounts on OEM. Shipping is a little pricey and customer service is a bit of a ghost town, but prices are worth it.
I have ordered from both of those, and it is all genuine in the red and white boxes.
Also, though I have not ordered from them:
https://www.discountpartsmonster.com/ has impressive pricing also.

 

Here on the west coast, I've ben really happy with Longo Lexus' on-line parts, all of which are sold at a discount off list price. Shipping is usually pretty fast. .https://parts.longolexus.com/?gclid=...SAAEgJWEPD_BwE

 

CA2WALS430 and CSA: Appreciate your input. I looked into all the sellers you listed and here's what I found for these two parts - 12372-0A040 Side Mount and 12362-0A010 Insulator. These were for a 2003 ES300 for which I will be purchasing these particular parts:

MyLePart.com $186.25 + $138.28 = $324.53 + $30.87 shppng = $355.40 - 10% = $319.86
OEMVehicleParts.com $169.83 + $169.83 = $339.66 + $25.09 shppng = $364.75
Discountpartmonster.com $171.35 + $171.35 = $342.70 + $24.07 shppng = $366.77
Parts.logolexus.com $186.25 + $186.25 = $372.50 + $18.78 shpping = $391.28
www.amayama.com $ 89.54 + $ 98.61 = $188.15 + $62.67 shppng = $250.82

The difference between amayama and the lowest above is $69.04. Again, you have to plan way ahead because of the shipping time but if you want to save $$$ and are not in a hurry, do some comparison shopping and maybe you'll go the way I did and save a lot of money. They are OEM parts from an OEM supplier.
Check it out.

 

I would never put loaded shock/spring assemblies on any car. They are of inferior build quality and is mainly marketed to cheap quick repairs for shops as well as price limited diyer.

 

Be more specific to what you mean so you won’t mislead others. If we are talking about cheap Monroe strut assemblies then I would partially agree (unless you just want to do a quick cheap fix), but if you refer to aftermarket branded coil overs prices 1k or more then you will be surprised about the quality they they assemble it with - at times, parts used exceed OEM standards by a lot - to satisfy custom needs.

For air suspension, Arnot branded assemblies seem to be a decent alternative to OEM and the price difference is huge.