Finally got around to installing the Megans today. Drove to San Antonio to recruit my buddy to help. He's never done struts before but is a mechanical genius.
I'd like to strangle the designer who laid out the trunk so that every panel has to be removed to get to the "one" that needs to be removed. They could have at least put in a trapdoor to facilitate access to the upper strut bolts.
It took us about 7 hours to complete front and back. The 1st rear one took the longest. I don't know the trick to getting the bolts through all the holes in the rear control arm. We really struggled with that. We followed Will44's lead on removing the front strut without using a pitman puller. We turned the wheels all the way left for left and right for right and fiddled with it to manipulate it out. Like an idiot I slammed the front too much. It drug on every dip and slammed the tire into the wheel well on every cigarette butt. I must have bottomed out 50 times in the 130 miles home. Raised it about 2 inches when I got home. It drives like a dream now. Set both front and rear at about 7 or 8 IIRC.
Now for the brake rotors and pads.

 

lets see some pics!!!!!!!

 

Thinking about the Megans myself..... Please elaborate on "driving like a dream". Lexus drives like a dream in stock form for most people.

Here is my experience with my 2002 SC430 and 2005 BMW 330Ci. The BMW drives like a dream because it handles well and rides very smoothly on most roads. The car feels buttoned down to the road. Steering is tight and accurate with just adequate road feedback. Cornering is flat (I got the sport suspension). However, on rough roads the ride can become stiff and bumpy.

The SC430 drives and rides very smoothly on almost any road, but feels floaty. Steering is light without much road feedback. It feels a little loose and slow to respond. Cornering is kinda average. It is a great highway cruiser as long as you don't drive aggressively.

So what areas do the Megans improve? In stock form, the two are very different cars for different purposes. The BMW is my type of car and the SC430 is my wife's type. I do like both.

 

Prior to buying the SC we had a MB SLK 280. Pretty stiff suspension and quick handling. The SC wasn't anywhere close with the stock struts. However, they were pretty well worn out. Floated on rough roads, nose dived on braking, etc. with little feel for the road. I also have a '10 4WD TRD Tundra and a 99 Land Cruiser with heady duty shocks so I am used to the stiffer ride. I couldn't adjust well to the cushy ride in the SC. Never felt like I was in control of the car. After reading so much about the Megans from other members I thought I would give them a try. Now the car no longer nose dives on braking, leans in corners or floats on rough roads. It is like a completely different car. I only dropped it about 1/2 to 1 inch as it is my wife's DD and she just hits what is in front of her. Any lower and she would scuff up the front lower bumper at the dip that goes into her work. Now I need to wear out the Run Flats and buy some real tires. Would like to get rid of them now but they still have lots of tread so I wil suffer them out a while longer.

 

I got rid of the run-flats immediately after I bought the car. The ride got smoother. Now sounds like the Megans will do some wonders.

 

Glad to hear you have the Megan's fitted and the tip for removing the fronts was helpful. I didn't find a problem removing the bolts from the rear lower arm. What exactly was the problem you had? I loosened the inner bolt and swung the arm down to allow the shock to come out easy. Did you disconnect the anti-roll bar from both side first?
I agree with your comments about how the car handles, no 'floating' or nose diving under hard braking and it feels much more 'solid' on the road.
I have set mine at 1.675 lower at the front and 1.75 rear and love the look. Been experimenting with the damper settings and settled at five front and rear at the moment.
I also have a custom exhaust and had a few problems today with it scraping over severe speed bumps, so I will have to avoid the big ones.

Regards Steve

 

That's probably where we went wrong. We only jacked up one side at a time. It put rotational force on the control arm making it nearly impossible to remove and to replace the bolts. We dropped it at the camber bolt.
I have a couple of hundred miles on them now and had it aligned today. Still experimenting with the numbers F&R and am going to try 8 on each a day or two. I like a stiff ride but the wife may not. No jokes.

 

Guys...not to hijack the thread...but does anyone have experience with the megans and wheel spacers? I want to bring the wheels out some and then drop with the megans would this cause a problem?

 

Hi jerzylexus

I don't see that spacers would cause any problems with Megan's anymore than it would with stock shocks.

Regards Steve

 

problem with spacers is that if you have a tire shop or dealer that rotates your tires for you or balances them-they won't touch it! I use Discount Tire and they told me they won't even touch a car with spacers...which is a problem because I rotate/balance all three of my cars there and love their service. I too would love to add spacers to my megans but I have to be practical----not ready to pay out of pocket each time to rotate/balance you know???