I have just ordered coilovers from Ceika and they have suggested spring rates of 10 f and 7 rear. They do come with softer mini springs that are included too. I asked for spirited driving but not bone crushing over bumps. I tow a utility trailer and told them that too. QUESTION: should I ask for one level less stiff springs? I will lower this 1-3 inches. I want to improve body roll but I am getting used to the soft oem ride and it is nicer than my 2010 Honda Fit sport rear - very jarring over bumps of any kind. The Honda rides more firm in rear than any truck I have driven. Thoughts? PS. I have ordered the camber bolts and am looking for a bigger rear swing arm and may improve bushings on those front and rear. Cheers for feedback!

 

Yes!! Congrats on the initiative of getting those coilovers! I'm really looking forward to hearing how you like them. If you want to go with polyurethane sway bar bushings, I have the dimensions of the original bushings. If not, I know of some good rubber replacements that are OEM quality but stiffer, and cheap off Rockauto.

I like the stiffness of the H&R lowering springs on my 2002 Highlander with the KYB struts & 26mm front and 22.2mm rear sway bar. H&R made the rear stiffer than OEM by a lot and surprisingly the comfort drop wasn't as big as I was expecting. I occasionally tow loads and carry lots of dirt / mulch and the car hardly sags at all now. Having that extra stiffness at the back really makes these things fun around corners, especially with a larger rear sway bar. My 2008 RX350 with Eibach springs is softer at the back compared to the front, and while it is super comfy, I really feel like a lot of the "planted" and fun feeling of the drive is lost with this setup, even though the car handles really well for an SUV still. These Eibach springs also allow for more roll and while they were a huge upgrade over stock, they definitely focus on comfort more than handling. The H&Rs lowered the Highlander by about 1.5" and that made a small but noticeable difference. For comparison, it sits about as high off the ground as a V6 Charger, Crown Victoria or most bigger American sedans. That's a nice change from stock in terms of ride height, but I still want to go lower. On my RX, the Eibach's lowered it by about an inch in the front and a little less in the rear. I can barely even tell it's lowered unless I park beside another RX. Driving it, it feels about the same as the Highlander did stock, which came lower, stiffer & sportier than my RX did from the factory. Basically, it feels like a monster truck compared to an E46 M3 after driving it for a week.

Have you tried any of the newer RX models or the NX? I can confidently say that my RX is still a lot more comfortable than them in terms of ride and handling. Probably because they are heavier and taller so they have to compensate with stiffer springs, but it gives you a good idea of the comfort levels as the newer 2010-2022 RX is still on the same platform, despite having different rear suspension. The NX F-Sport I drove for a while handled better than the our '14 RX, but it was still pretty rough, about as rough if not more than my 2002 Highlander in the stiffest setting while still having a lot of understeer and some roll. I think this is mainly the way they have tuned the dampers as I put NX springs on my friend's RAV4 and it was firm, yet still comfortable and handled well. I imagine that NX would have handled a lot better if it was lower and had some stiffer rear suspension (Kind of like the Highlander).

I think I would go with their recc spring rates, and see if you can tune the comfort on the damper itself via the compression & rebound. I know this isn't a direct comparison, but on our M3 on GC coilovers & Koni Yellows, we've got a 450lb rate up front and 550lb rate in the rear. That doesn’t translate to our cars though as the E46’s rear suspension’s rear spring needs to be a lot stiffer for the same affect (spring is just on a perch). That's pretty stiff compared to my Highlander on 245/50R18s and the H&Rs, but it's pretty rough for a DD (It's a dedicated track car, not used for DD). I know our weight distribution on our cars is around 56/44 instead of near 50/50, but the M3 never carries any weight in the back other than a tool kit for the track. I think having a softer rear would make our cars get saggy in the back while carrying stuff. Back when the Highlander's original suspension was in great shape (2005), it would still sag a lot while towing or hauling heavy stuff in the trunk. With that stiffer rear rate, the oversteer in the M3 is very controllable with the car being very forgiving even though it's very firm. I wish I could let you try my Highlander as a baseline, as that's about how stiff I want the RX to be, but I wouldn't want it to be any more than that for a daily. It also has a very forgiving lift-off oversteer that was made a lot more easy to control with the larger 26mm front sway bar I put.

 

I'd like to hear what the OP is going to run for wheel/tire setup.....I'm looking to run 9.5'' wheels from 8.5'' TSW's w/ a 20mm offset......

 

I am not familiar with wheel types. I would be curious to see what wheels you are looking at. 20mm offset might look great! I assume 9.5 is the width. Would you go 18 diameter or 20? Cheers!

 

[QUOTE=MattRX;11384817]Yes!! Congrats on the initiative of getting those coilovers! I'm really looking forward to hearing how you like them. If you want to go with polyurethane sway bar bushings, I have the dimensions of the original bushings. If not, I know of some good rubber replacements that are OEM quality but stiffer, and cheap off Rockauto.

I found this ultra Racing sway bar : Ultra Racing - 19mm SOLID Rear Sway Bar - 2007-17 Camry - UR-AR19-159 1 $259.00 free ship. https://throwdownperformance.com/pro...y-ur-ar19-159#

Is this the sway bar you recommended MattRX? Mine is the FWD RX 330. All these cross referenced part numbers gets me confused. About to hit "PURCHASE" but that is a lot in return shipping if I get it wrong - hah! The 18mm Cusco unit is available for around the same price. Is the 19 a little too firm for the quasi-sport setup I am going for? - in that I will add bushing upgrades but not likely the front sway bar. Cheers! Pleased to hear spec and vendor info for bushing options. Since I am not going much further on mods I may pony for the polyurethane bushings - did you mention they need lubricating? Is there a noticeable gain between the two types?

Also: maybe I should start another thread(?) - but I found a sequential shifter used out of a "sport Package" upgrade RX350. The part is listed as the same for the 330 and 350. I would think the tranny would have to be different to accept this - but the transmission is only different with the AWD vs FWD? Maybe they only offered the "dual mode" sequential as an option for the AWD versions? If I can bolt this on - $155 for a sequential is worth it in my book! Here is a pic of the sequential version:

 

The FWD RX and Camry share the same rear subframe, sway bar bushings, brackets, end links & knuckle-to-strut fitment so while in theory it should bolt up, there are two variables we need to confirm:

#1 - We’re not sure on the actual width of the sway bar of a Camry itself compared to the RX. Our cars are wider but they’re mainly the same underneath, however that doesn’t always guarantee the bar will be the same width. The 2010-2015 RX front sway bar I put on my 2008 RX & Highlander is a bit wider and I had to use 07-18 ES350 end links to get it to fit. This is despite the 10-15 RX sharing the same subframe as an 04-09 RX. It was because the car itself above the frame was wider and the struts were spaced out more (bar had to be wider to accommodate this). I would test this for you at a junkyard but unfortunately we don’t have FWD RXs / Highlanders here. I’ll measure a Camry bar though if I find one at the yard

#2 - Those little bumps have to be confirmed that they won’t interfere with any components under the FWD RX. The FWD RX’s rear sway bar is almost the same in shape, but is flat at the bottom. I think they offer a FWD rear bar for the RX/Harrier too, but I could be wrong. Even though the Cusco bar is 1mm thinner than the Ultra Racing, I wouldn't be surprised if it was just as stiff or possibly more due to better quality materials. The Cusco seems like the superior project over the Ultra Racing.


19mm for a FWD would be a nice jump from the stock 14mm, but I would want to go even bigger esp on a FWD. 26mm up front on my Highlander and 22.2mm on the rear is the sweet spot for me, at least for a 2001-2003 Highlander AWD. It would be very similar on an 04-09 RX AWD. On the FWDs with no AWD & less weight in the back, you would need a stiffer rear bar to get the car to rotate. I haven’t had a chance to drive the FWDs, but on my RX I need to decide what size I want for my custom AWD bar I’m getting made. Not sure if I’ll go with a 22mm this time or possible even larger, but with adjustment holes for daily driving or when I want some more oversteer.

I ran poly bushings on my 22mm rear sway bar on the Highlander for a year. I used Prothane red bushings with Energy Suspension silicone poly grease (some seriously sticky stuff!). They had a lot more NVH than rubber but a better response time and feel from the bar itself. After they started squeaking, I went back to rubber and haven’t missed them since. One Canadian winter washed away my bushing grease and the bar was beginning to bind. Not worth the trouble on a daily driver IMO. I would prefer greasable poly bushings / brackets, or softer, black graphite-impregnated ones that are supposed to require less maintenance. Even with the 22mm rear bar the roughness you feel while going over a bump on only one side of the car isn't bad, but if you have the poly bushings this is amplified if that makes sense. Essentially it is acting like another spring tying the car together. That's how it feels, especially with the poly bushings.



Camry - check the length of the bar until it ends after it mounts the frame, that’s the easiest way to compare to your car


Regarding the sport shifter: You will need the sport shifter ECU/module as well as the shifter itself to get it to talk to the transmission in a plug & play way as long as the wiring is there for the module. The U151E (FWD) and the U151F (AWD) both support this feature. Thankfully, the ability for “manual” shifting on our cars exists on all 04-09 RX models despite the sport shifter, this is even true for the 4-speed auto in my 2002 Highlander. You can access this with OEM or aftermarket paddle shifters and wire them in to communicate with the transmission. There are threads of it from Camry owners with the U151E who have done it, maybe the wiring is similar but not sure.

 

Posting my wheel setup as a reference:





245/50R18, 2016-2022 Lexus RX 18x8” base wheels. Offset is 30mm vs 35mm stock. There’s a bit more room for width & a lower offset, but on my 2002 Highlander this is nearly completely flush front & rear.

 

Just dug up the old "case notes" Ultra racing has a proprietary one to a FWD RX & so does Cusco:





Ultra Racing UR-AR19-030 - 19mm solid bar




Cusco 924 311 B18 - 18mm solid bar




Posts:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...-of-my-rx.html (This is for an AWD, but good discussion here)
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...t-thetr-2.html (GOOD post from back in the day. This was done on a FWD model - Cusco bar)

 

18''s lighter unsprung weight as well as less expensive vs 20'' wheel/tire combo's......I'm going to make a thread 'bout this....

 

Hello. Thanks for all the great info! Very inspiring!! It is helpful in this new domain for me. For some reason my previous responses were not posting - so I apologize for the delay.

I ordered the Cusco swing arm at 18mm. I would like to go with the rubber-material bushings front and rear. MattRX do you have part recommendations on these? I will look on RockAuto.

For the coilovers:
I ordered two sets of Eibach camber bolts: front and rear:
Front - Item #: 5.81290K "Camber Bolts 17mm. Camber +/-1.75 degrees of adjustment."
Rear - Item #: 5.81270K "Camber Bolts 15mm. Rear - Camber +/-1.75 degrees of adjustment."

The rear bolts are out of stock until Nov 27+. Did I order the correct bolts?? The rear bolts were back ordered everywhere I found - but other brands and most other sites did not even list the rear set(?). Are there another options that I could get sooner? Eager to get them for the new coilovers - which have not shipped yet - but are being made!

Wheels: MattRX I like those oem wheels at 18X8 30mm. Very nice find!! I think they really help even out the stance/body, and I imagine the turn in is a little better too. MattRX are you able to find those from salvage yards? I found many overpriced oem sets online and finally a set on ebay for US$575 shipped. I am not super savvy with our local salvage scene. There are good yards South in California if I am on vacation!

I am debating between the used oem rims above or new rims at around the same dimensions but perhaps a little wider? What are the benefits/losses of a wider rim size (8.5-9.0) on this platform? I think the 8 will handle the driving I do and I want to retain decent mileage. After the benefits of handling, I simply want to balance out the cars aesthetics with the wide body and lowered stance of the coilovers. This is for me very subjective terrain, and I can change my own opinion over time. I usually aim for an aftermarket look that can almost pass as oem - if that makes sense. The car will drop 0-3" on the coilovers. Felix, do you have pics of our car with wider wheels? Cheers for all thoughts and info! Super indecisive if I really want to spend 900-1100 on wheels alone??? What about beater steel wheels?? : )

Other Mods:

Exhaust: I have an appointment this week to put a muffler on (~US$300). I have ordered a Y pipe that I will try to install myself or surrender and have the shop do it. (I don't really need the y pipe for my driving style (wow this fwd car lifts the front under acceleration) but I am able and curious - v6!).

For the muffler I see dual-muffler cat-back kits online for the IS300+ for ~US$400-600 with plentiful options. I think they use a wider pipe (2.5 vs our 2.25) and the bends/hangers are probably way different (given maybe a different frame etc.) -- but it shows me what is possible around the spare tire.

I want more sound-to-me-the-driver - so I can hear the engine better as an improved driver-perception (best mods I feel) and I like the look and attitude of dual exhaust on my first v6! Thoughts on what I should ask for at the muffler shop? Single muffler or dual mufflers?? Keep the stock resonator as is? Expensive shop was going to remove resonator and I could trial different aftermarket as needed, current shop would just leave it. In a perfect world(!) I want a little attitude for the public and medium feedback for myself. How do you tune an exhaust?? The expensive shop offered to trial different parts and was 3X$ the amount of the shop I have currently have an appointment with. Both shops frowned on the dual-muffler option. I figure it will be a lot more costly for probably an aesthetic addition vs a sound change?? Is it worth it the added cost to go with dual mufflers from sound and aesthetic viewpoints? Your thoughts are appreciated!!

Last big mod is the sequential shifter. I really want this!! I think the oem sequential I found is a good option for me. MattRX do you have any leads on the module I would need? - or where I would find instructions? Reprogram the ecu? Since it is a swap vs a repair no real instructions may exist? So, I would need to study the schematics. I may have a mechanic I can work with on this and will know after the coilover install.

What manuals are folks purchasing? Chilton vs Haynes(SP?)? I like a print version just to see layout/diagrams and I will get a copy of the oem manual for as I can too. Thought I would avoid the $13 ebay versions of the oem shop manual???

Catch can. I got the small unit with the additional brass filter. Silly questions: #1.) Shouldn't the final brass filter be on the outake side as a final filter trapping debris in the canister OR on the intake side as the primary filter followed by the baffle and outake? The later would trap debris behind the brass filter - inside the intake plumbing (i.e. inline vs in-canister). This is a dime-a-dozen "can" so, did they just print it backwards or am I not seeing the design correctly?

#2.) Which cylinder head vent do people plumb into? It looked like on the Hylander 3.3 people were going into the rear head vent - but on the RX3.5 out of the front head vent? I have the 3.3. I have never owned a v6 with two cylinder banks/heads - so I am confused about the crankcase vent pipe location(s)!?? Need that manual - this is not my inline v6 - hah!

I have a few other small mods I am doing that I will list with future pictures of coilovers when I have them. Super Cheers for the great info/advice and examples. Love to see those mods!!

 

Camber bolts:
https://www.toyotanation.com/threads...#post-14615033
They make OEM rear camber bolts thankfully! Could be a potential good and cheap option if a Toyota/Lexus dealer is nearby. 15mm sounds right! Most RX350s have 15mm rear, and all 330s do, so you're good!


Wheels:
Good question! Unfortunately I checked all nearby yards and couldn't find any. Could be due to me being in Canada but they're hard to find! Unfortunately (and fortunately) some sets pop up once in a while as they get stolen a lot here and owners are left with a full pair. I still had to pay about 800 for mine though! OUCH! I have picked a lot of good parts for my Highlander and RX though for super cheap! Definitely worth it. If you find a newer 2008+ Highlander or 2010+ RX definitely grab those front & rear brakes! Most people run these wheels with the stock studs, but I elected to go with the 2016+ RX ones because 0.06" of thread engagement is too low IMO. Surprisingly mileage barely went down with the heavy, wide 18x8s with 245/50s on them compared to stock 225/65R17s on skinny 6.5" rims. Me and you seem to have the same taste, I am definitely an OEM+ guy all the way.

Dodge Charger police steelies would probably look decent. They're dirt cheap and are 7.5" wide. They also have a low offset but haven't tried them. My best friend has a Charger ex-cop car and I have been meaning to try his rims for a LONG time. They do have M14 wheels studs though and the bore is a little larger.


Exhaust:
I would avoid going with a 14” straight-thru muffler on our cars. Every time I hear one, it sounds raspy, droney and crappy. I made that mistake with my Highlander years ago and that POS no name 14” muffler was off within a year. Brand matters too and I think Vibrant and Magnaflows sound good on our engines. That’s just my opinion though and everyone’s taste is different.

2.5 vs the factory 2.25" should definitely allow for some more potential down the line. Some IS kits I found use 2.25" dual or others 2.5". 2.5" may be a little overkill and reduce some low down torque, but I'm still trying to decide as I am planning on supercharging the car in the future and would hate to redo the system. Unfortunately the IS has a way different system due to RWD and different platform. The closest to our cars is Venza V6/ES350/Camry V6, but may require slight modification to fit as wheelbase varies and there is no underbody spare.

I would LOVE to see a dual exhaust! All of my friends are telling me to just go single and that is making me want to do a dual even more! Resonator choice shouldn't make much of a difference but I am swapping them out as I'm doing dual and want a matching set. I actually drove around without the resonator on my friend's RAV4 V6 and there was no noticeable noise difference, except for a little bit of extra hwy drone. I think on my RX I'm going to go with slightly bigger resonators to account for the smaller and straight-through muffler I'm replacing the stock middle one with. I think with a dual exhaust you should only maybe have to worry about having a single hanger added at the back for the other resonator, and a small cutout added to the bumper. Thankfully, it's very easy to replicate the other side as the bumper has ridges that can be used as a reference.

In the end, I have decided to commit to doing a true dual with an x-pipe. The 2GRs benefit from that setup, and I imagine the 1MZ/3MZ does too, but probably to a lesser extent due to less tuning availability and aftermarket parts. I can vouch for a y-pipe on the MZ though as my Highlander really freed up in the higher range from it. I would see what the MR2 guys have to say about that as a lot of those guys have the 1MZ or 3MZ in their cars instead of a 2GR-FE. I am going with a big straight-through muffler (22" vs oem 23" heavily baffled) and a moderately larger resonator (14" vs 9") to have a freer-flowing exhaust without it being too loud or sounding like "refried beans". I like the way our V6s sound with a big resonator, but unfortunately due to space constraints of the spare tire I am stuck with a 14/15" max. Hoping it is equal to or slightly louder than my Highlander. (15" baffled rear muffler, 18" resonator"). I definitely have to do an exhaust soon though as the RX is dead silent and I love to hear what RPM I'm at. I can only tell when I floor it due to the intake res delete I did.

Just wondering what y-pipe you went with? Someone on the Highlander forums bought one from I think BRE and the quality was very disappointing. I think the results are in my Highlander y-pipe post "Goodbye Factory Y-pipe". Unfortunately, you won't really reap the full benefits of the dual exhaust unless you go true dual with an x in place for increased scavenging. Even then, a 2GR or MZ still benefits massively from a y-pipe. Some MR2 guys prefer it for weight savings purposes, but I figure I'd just go with the dual because I prefer the looks and a little extra lbs in exhaust shouldn't hurt. It's a heavy boat anyway, and the cornering is as good as it'll be for a 4000 lb SUV.


Sequential:
I think I'm going to bypass using the module and directly wire it in when I put in my steering wheel from a 2020 RX with paddle shifters (BTW, it fits!). Going to see if it is possible. For the module, unfortunately I'm not sure how it works. Finding an RX in the junkyard with one is something I have yet to see! If I do though, you bet I'm grabbing that module & all the associated bits!


Manual:
I have the factory Highlander manual and that thing is awesome. Big 'ol paper book with all the wiring & goodies you can ask for. I believe back when our RXs were made they were still doing paper copies too.


Canister:
I just left the filter in the baffle and every few months whenever I emptied the can, I just cleaned out the baffle area. Surprisingly, it never really got super dirty in there apart from the oil and condensation. Routing for the can will be the same as my 2002 Highlander V6. 3.0 and 3.3 share the same PCV system, etc. You might have to get a 2001-2003 Highlander strut bar if you want to mount the can to the bar itself. Although, there are probably other places to put it. "IN" goes to PCV - "OUT" goes to intake












EDIT:

Bushings >

For the front factory sway bar (23mm): MEVOTECH MS86301 (Made by Ramcoa USA, very good quality and stiff for a rubber bushing!) MOOG ONES ARE GARBAGE!
For the larger 3RX front sway bar (26mm): MEVOTECH MS86426 or MEVOTECH GS86426 (Bought both, they're the same but 2nd one is cheaper! Ramcoa quality! Have been running these for years without issue - better than OEM!);

For the rear bar, since you're going with a 18mm I'm not sure what you could find that'll fit directly in the factory brackets. They're a weird shape and have a tall bushing.

DELPHI TD4126W on Rockauto is listed as an 18mm bushing but it's clearly a universal kit that won't fit our cars. While I bet it is a great product, the brackets and size of the bushing are wrong for a 2004-2009 FWD RX, plus, none of our cars ever came with an 18mm rear sway bar. Only 14mm, 16mm (premium or sport pk or FWD 2001-2003 Highlanders) and 15mm for FWD 2004-2007 Highlanders. Cusco kit should come with good bushings anyway for the back.

 

I got lucky! Oh.. not that way - hah! EXHAUST: The guys at JC Muffler, Oregon USA really did some nice work for me. When I told them my brother used to race dirt bikes (they do race stuff too) and I had seen pictures of the squashed together oem Y pipe on this forum - they cut the old one out with a saw and brought it in to show me!! Studying the pictures I took post install -- they really did a lot of quality work (welds and bends etc) for the measly fee they charged me. I think this is the mother of all 3.3 Y pipes(!): 2.5 in 2.5 out. Wow! They combo'd it with a Borla muffler and the stock resonator (unfortunately I neglected to fully absorb info from MattRX on muffler choices - but luckily I would not go with a straight-pipe without really knowing what I was going for, and I think(?) they made a pretty sensible choice. The guys said this would help wake it up, and it has certainly has. I think this has really changed the character of the engine - which in turn has changed the character of the whole car for me. I have a K&N filter which also made a difference (I will run the Purolator filter when I work/camp/drive in dusty forest service roads - thanks MattRX for the filter post). Initial observations: noticeable audio and throttle difference, while not being too loud (very subjective). I got the audio feedback and pedal connection I was hoping for (my first v6). The exhaust sound is a little gurgly in spots on the low rev(?) but it can be quiet-cruising or give you a responsive tone/feel with a downshift etc. Not too bad at start up with noise for neighbors or off from a stop light. It could be a hair quieter,smoother? I will have to live with it to see. It may not be that much louder than stock - at this point I am hard of hearing anyway. I think my mom (who loved the muffler sound on the old 240z) would approve - but this set up is a little more aggressive still. Here is a pic of that lucky-score-Y-pipe. Looks bone stock from the back.

 

MattRX: Very helpful info on the camber bolts and swing arm bushings. Bushings: I am glad to know what brand "Fronts" to get - I thought "why replace weak oem with random oem?" Glad for your insight here on which to choose! Swing arm is still a month out. Excited to bolt that sucker on!

Camber bolts: from RockAuto were $12 oem vs $31 aftermarket - and in stock.

I will add the 2016 RX wheel studs to the list. I did not comprehend the stud need to fit the Dodge steelies?? It is an attractive option for me to save on summer wheels and spend on summer and winter tires instead. I think I will look for some more steel wheel options.

I will re-read your responses here and on Hylander forum several times over. Gaining a little momentum on this project. Cheers!

 

Dang, that’s beautiful! Definitely worthy of the title “Mother of all 3.3 L y-pipes”! That one is a lot less restrictive than mine and should flow nicely! Looks very factory.

Would love to hear some sound clips of that bad boy! Was considering going with a Borla too on my car but I chickened out and got something larger and quieter! Certainly see what you’re saying about the gurgliness at lower RPMs. I have that on my Highlander too, it gets more sharp and crisp when I floor it though. Not sure if that is more a 3.0 vs 3.3 L thing, or if it’s the muffler. Mine used to be very high-pitched, drony/boomy and sounded almost stock / choked when I floored it with the crappy no-name muffler. It was like it was at a set volume of “LOUD” all the time like those Civics who blow down my street at 4 am. Glad to hear you can get some good cruising out of it too, that was what my 2nd attempt was aiming for.

 

My friend’s Dodge Charger has M14 x 1.5 wheel studs vs M12 x 1.5 on our cars plus have a conical 60 deg taper so Toyota steelie lugs will have to be used at a minimum. I have some lying around and plan to try this soon. The only concern I have is the 5x115 bolt pattern vs 5x114.3 and a larger center bore. The debates about the 5x115 vs 5x114.3 are similar to what oil you should put into your car - chaotic.

I think the 2016+ RX studs can be purchased off Rockauto too. For reference, OEM number from Toyota: 90942-02052. Was used on a lot of the older Toyota / Lexus trucks.