2005 suspension versus 2002-04
03-30-05, 02:10 PM
#1
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2005 suspension versus 2002-04
A common complaint among 2002 SC owners is the sorry handling and ride of the stock suspension. Up till now, the only viable option in the US has been the Tein coilovers. I have been reluctat to go this route, due to the fact that I don't want to compromise the stock ride to much, lower the vehicle, or spend 1.4K on shocks.
I had heard that the 2005 model has an upgraded suspension. A call to my Lexus parts department cofirmed this fact, and that all cars produced after August 2004 have new shock and coil part numbers.
I drove a new 2005, and it is a huge improvement. So, special ordered the '05 shocks, but decided to stick with my '02 springs to keep the project around $500.
Tore the car apart today, and compared the old '02 shock, a brand new '02 shock, and a new '05 shock. There is significantly more amount of dampening in the '05 shock versus a new '02, in fact I could not compress the '05 shock with one hand where I could on the new '02 shock. On the other hand, the new '02 shock provided significantly more dampening than my old '02 shock that has none (with 57K on it) which goes to show that these things do wear out even if they are not leaking oil.
Finally, the '05 shock has a slightly increased diameter in the shock body, which explains why the bottom of my '02 springs would not fit. Ugh, so, now I have the '05 springs on special order being shipped from Japan. Upper shock mounts appear to work fine and according to the dealer there was no change in part number.
So, how much did this cost? Shocks totalled about $500 for the '05's (significantly more than the new '02 shock) and the new springs $320. If I didn't have to buy new springs, this upgrade would be a great value considering the improved dampening and durability of the new shock. However, with slightly over $800 into this project and not having tested this modification I cannot say whether it is worth it or if I should have sprung for the extra $600 and gotten the Tein's.
I'll keep you posted on how it turns out.
-Roger
I had heard that the 2005 model has an upgraded suspension. A call to my Lexus parts department cofirmed this fact, and that all cars produced after August 2004 have new shock and coil part numbers.
I drove a new 2005, and it is a huge improvement. So, special ordered the '05 shocks, but decided to stick with my '02 springs to keep the project around $500.
Tore the car apart today, and compared the old '02 shock, a brand new '02 shock, and a new '05 shock. There is significantly more amount of dampening in the '05 shock versus a new '02, in fact I could not compress the '05 shock with one hand where I could on the new '02 shock. On the other hand, the new '02 shock provided significantly more dampening than my old '02 shock that has none (with 57K on it) which goes to show that these things do wear out even if they are not leaking oil.
Finally, the '05 shock has a slightly increased diameter in the shock body, which explains why the bottom of my '02 springs would not fit. Ugh, so, now I have the '05 springs on special order being shipped from Japan. Upper shock mounts appear to work fine and according to the dealer there was no change in part number.
So, how much did this cost? Shocks totalled about $500 for the '05's (significantly more than the new '02 shock) and the new springs $320. If I didn't have to buy new springs, this upgrade would be a great value considering the improved dampening and durability of the new shock. However, with slightly over $800 into this project and not having tested this modification I cannot say whether it is worth it or if I should have sprung for the extra $600 and gotten the Tein's.
I'll keep you posted on how it turns out.
-Roger
03-30-05, 09:08 PM
#2
nice write up, roger. please keep us posted about the outcome and whether you get a better ride. i am a bit surprised, coz' we drove the 04 before, and i don't think the ride is any different from the 05, guess i didn't drive it long enough
but still i havet o say, with the 05 suspension i still think it's pretty darn stiff...
now with the tein cs it's so much better
but still i havet o say, with the 05 suspension i still think it's pretty darn stiff...
now with the tein cs it's so much better
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