LSDoc

rkw77080,

I see that you're in TX. I'm in Grapevine (N TX).
It's too bad we couldn't get a bunch of N TX Lexus owners together, find a good garage space, and have a wrenching party once in awhile!!

rkw77080

Hello LSDoc, I'm in Houston. Texas is a big place, and I bet we're over 250 miles apart.

How are you coming along with the air strut replacement project?

e60bmw

iTrader: (1)

Texas here too and have one that has been "failing" since I bought it years ago. I haven't replaced it yet, I probably should I noticed when I last took the wheel off that its leaking some fluid.

LSDoc

Yes, we are quite a few miles apart!
I'm waiting for the air strut; it should arrive this week. I might tackle it this weekend or next...

LSDoc

One more question that I forgot to ask, that wasn't addressed in the video: what are the torque settings for the various nuts/bolts in the set-up???

rkw77080

Here you go... Please note that the second number inside the parentheses is the torque setting in "ft-lbf"

LSDoc

Thanks, rkw77080,

I'll dial it in!

I noticed that 'Non-reusable parts' (plate, o-ring, connecter, clip) are specified in the diagram. I didn't order those items, not knowing that these could be important (this looks like an 'official' document). If I'm spending my time taking this thing apart, I want to make sure that I don't leave something out. I don't want to do this twice!!!
Your thoughts???

rkw77080

The drawing is "official". Personally, I would definitely replace those "non-reusable" plastic/rubber pieces. Plastic and rubber degrade as they age - unplugging from the old strut and re-plugging into the new strut will likely cause some damage. I would not risk that for a few bucks.

LSDoc

I just called Matt at My Lexus Parts. He said that those 'Non-reusable Parts' are included with the air struts. I guess it helps if one inspects the package when it arrives.

So, I'm good to go this weekend.

LSDoc

OK, I just finished the job yesterday!
My time spent on this was about 4 hours. This was much more difficult to tackle than what I would have thought after watching the uTube video, mainly due to the inaccessibility of the air line on the right front strut. There is much less room on that side vs. the left front side, which was shown on the video. My hands are fairly small, but I struggled greatly through numerous attempts to release the airline and then to re-attach it. The little plastic tool that I used to remove the airline somehow got lost in the process, after I lost my grasp of it, but it did the job for the short amount of time that I had it.
In addition, juggling the strut in and out, trying to clear the brake lines and sensor apparatus was also a struggle. Manipulating the control arm up and down does help, as was mentioned in the video. Maybe there are more tools involved that could make the job easier! If it weren't for all that mess, this could probably be done in about an hour.
Also, what I didn't realize, is that the 'non-reusable parts' pictured in one of the drawings, are actually mounted inside the port into which the airline is inserted; they don't arrive in separate packages. I would have done this job a few weeks earlier, but I ended up calling up the folks at My Lexus Parts to have them send what I already had!
I hope this helps anyone in the future that wants to tackle this...
Thanks, everyone, especially rkw77080, for your input!