Jim,

I also replaced the rear shocks on my 2013 RX to try and solve ride/noise issues. The factory ones were trashed after 87K. The ride was better but it still was noisy and a little rough. It wasn't until I replaced both rear trailing arms (worn out bushings) that the ride was improved.

Check out this thread if you haven't already.

Mark

 

I noticed the same thing plus a tighter feel to handling after replacing the rear trailing arms. Did you get it aligned afterwards?
I did not and after replacing the front struts a few months later I got it aligned and was surprised to see the rear was off more than the front.

 

Yes,

I had a 4 wheel alignment. I knew it needed one when we bought it but waited until I got the suspension fixed to get it.

 

I still hate my 2014. Its harsh, bouncy, goes side to side...its like a jeep, which I owned in my 20's. I replaced the back shocks, and tires. And still has not helped. I cant imagine it will change that much more, best thing to do is get a 2016 and above, and then deal with all those issues it comes with.

 

Hi all.

I bought my wife a used 2011 RX350 with 110k miles on it. When testing it out, I wasn't really paying attention to the ride as much as mechanical things like rotors/engine/looking for leaks etc. When we test drove it, it seemed OK on smooth roads but it noticeably rode harsher than another RX350 we drive with fewer miles, but we bought the one we bought because it was cheaper and had a clean carfax (no wrecks).

After owning the RX for months now, I can say this is one of the worst riding vehicles I've owned. We have some pretty annoying roads where we live....all asphalt but they have a lot of expansion joints that are jarring in the RX. The RX handles fine around corners, I like the way it behaves, but if the road isn't absolutely perfect it feels like I'm hitting potholes even with just expansion joints.

To give you an idea of how bad it is, my daughters 2004 Honda Civic rides 10x better than the RX and it has 183k miles. My 2008 Sequoia with 20" tires and almost 200k miles rides probably 3x smoother/less harsh than the RX.

The dealer near us installed what I can only imagine are terrible tires before we purchased it. They are 235/60/18 107V new Geo Tour tires. I've checked the tire pressure multiple times, it's almost always at 31psi. It seems Geo Tour aren't the best quality out there from some searching.

The rear shocks were changed out at some point to Monroe, the front struts I believe are stock, but both front and back look a bit on the old side. None of the shocks or struts are leaking and they don't bounce as if they are bad.

Could it be that the tires are just absolute garbage? I really can't believe how harsh the bumps feel compared to vehicles that are older/worse off in many ways.

Any opinions are welcome...I'm trying to decide to either dump money in new tires....new tires and shocks...or not do either and find a different car. I really do like everything else about it, but holy hell the ride is awful.

 

How old are the rear shocks? If over 50,000 mi, might be time to change anyway even if not leaking. The rear shocks have more effect on ride quality than the front struts. Many people including myself like the KYB for the rear shocks. I have no experience with the tires you have, you might want to go to tire rack and see if you can find that model and look at the ratings. Rear shocks much cheaper to replace than tires.

 

I've heard the KYB ride stiff which is what I'm trying to avoid...I think. How would you describe yours?

I'm not sure how old the replacement Monroe shocks are on back, assuming they might be 50k though, they have rust spots forming and I live in a super dry climate.

 

You said it rides worse than another RX350 you test drove, so you already know it's specific to your vehicle. Start with shocks and then move into tires.
For free, try the tires at about 20-25 psi on some familiar roads just to see what the differences are. (Don't do this forever, duh)

 

Bilstein makes some of the best shocks on the market. I run them in my wife's 2006 Jaguar XK8 convertible. Several RX350 owners here have installed either their B6 or B4 rear shocks this year and have reported excellent results. Certainly worth considering.

 

Bilstein makes RX 350 shocks? I was only aware of KYB/Monroe/Sachs and some cheapos...

 

Tires certainly can play a big factor in ride quality, stiffer tires mean rougher ride. I bought a used Civic as a family run around vehicle a couple years ago and the ride quality was pretty bad, but changing the tires was a vast improvement. One of the old tires, even off a rim and not inflated was so stiff it had no give whatsoever, was like concrete.

But onto the RX, and to compare our '13 Civic to my '10 RX, the Civic these days is a bit smoother over bumps "in some respects" and I mostly blame the RX front struts (the Civic being a Civic still has some funky characteristics going over some type of bumps that even a wrecked RX will outperform). My RX used to glide over every bump like a pillow on a cloud, but no more. The front struts on mine are original too and I can tell they just don't absorb bumps they way they used to. I've pushed front struts on other Toyota vehicles to well beyond their useful life so I'm used to how they start acting. First comes less pliability going over bumps, just a general roughness that's hard to notice day to day. Gradually it gets to the point where it starts to feel "ordinary", you think you are driving a Chevy. Then you start to hear just a faint knocking/thumping noise going over substantial bumps. First thought is that its just the sound of the tire hitting the bump, because its not really that noticeable, but its not. That knocking slowly over months or years becomes more pronounced as things go on, until its clear something is not right. The final stage is almost constant noise on even minor road imperfections or when turning. My RX is just reaching the stage where I can occasionally hear that faint knock sometimes on quite rough parts of the road. Of course if you decide to drive into a curb, things will change a lot faster.

10 or 11 years is a decent run for front struts to give their best ride, it depends how much punishment they've had over the years. I'll likely push them farther as most of the roads I drive are pretty good so its not an annoyance to me yet, just something that has me saying "yea, I hear you there". Its sometimes helpful if the road conditions are intermittent, to go the right speed to feel how the suspension acts at the front separately from the back. All happens quite quickly, but something to try.

 

Late last year Bilstein introduced their rear shocks for the Toyota Highlander. Forum members here have reported them to be a perfect fit on their third-generation RX350 (just as you would expect since the Highlander is the same platform). The appropriate Bilstein B6 part number is 24-282901 for both rear shocks.

The appropriate Bilstein B6 front left strut part number is 22-282873.

The appropriate Bilstein B6 front right strut part number is 22-282880.


Happy Motoring.

 

I saw that the thread originator was looking for a softer ride, in which case if he gets Bilsteins he should get the B4 model which has a softer ride than the B6 which is more of a sport handling shock. They are listed for the 2014-2018 Toyota Highlander front wheel drive.

I will add that I had the Sachs rear shocks on my RX for 2 months and took them off because I thought they rode too soft! New they are cheaper than Bilstein. FYI I have that pair of shocks listed on the Club Lexus marketplace. Make me an offer.

Regarding the tires, they are made by Sumitomo, not the most well regarded tire company. You may want to browse the tire reviews at www.tirerack.com to select something that has great ratings for comfort. Of course you want to balance that with traction, tread life and in Colorado, snow traction.

 

Don’t discount the impact of worn out rear trailing arm bushings on the quality of the ride. Replacing them made a huge difference in how our 13 RX handled the little bumps and imperfections in the road.


https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...le-thread.html

 

I have been trying to remedy my RX suspension for about three years. A month ago at 142k Miles, I went all in.

KYB SR4453 Strut / Coil Spring / Mount Assembly $ 127.79 $ 0.00 1 $ 127.79
KYB SR4452 Strut / Coil Spring / Mount Assembly $ 127.79 $ 0.00 1 $ 127.79
MOOG FRONT CONTROL ARM RK622945 Control Arm $ 53.79 $ 0.00 1 $ 53.79
MOOG FRONT CONTROL ARM RK622944 Control Arm $ 53.79 $ 0.00 1 $ 53.79
MOOG REAR CONTROL RK643057 Control Arm $ 20.79 $ 0.00 2 $ 41.58
MEVOTECH TRAILING ARM CMS861146 Control Arm $ 67.79 $ 0.00 1 $ 67.79
MEVOTECH TRAILING ARM CMS861145 Control Arm $ 67.79 $ 0.00 1 $ 67.79
KYB REAR SHOCKS 349203

A fresh set of Nokian WR G4 + Mount, Balance
150lb of Sand in the back hidden in the spare tire area in plastic bags
3mm Rear Spring Spacers made from a $2 cutting board
New set of rear alignment bolts from the Dealer
Four wheel alignment

Outside of the tires, I did the work myself in around 10 hours. And that includes chopping off the rear control arms with a death wheel, and all the Michigan rust.

The ride is a lot better. It's not perfect. It still has a little too much body roll, and it too stiff over speedbumps. But I'm happy for the ~$1600 and 10 hours I spent. And I needed new tires anyway.