http://optionsauto.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HR-52428 They have them available for the IS350 pretty cheap also

 

are they just posted on their site for orders or are they available for shipping?

 

Id wait for coilovers.

 

I think it depends on how much your drop is. I had just springs on my celica and didn't have problems at all. Coilovers are better but it cost $1000.

 

coilovers will save you when you want to lower/raise your car depending on the occasion. I drove my current car, not a lexus, lowered 1.5" with coilovers for a year or two, started not liking it, later on developed camber wear, raised it back up .75" for a .75" drop over stock, didnt have to reinstall anything, just get an alignment.

depending on the drop, stock shocks + aftermarket springs can give you bad ride comfort and youll wear out the stock shocks faster, Id always get new shocks/struts with any spring change. KYB AGX adjustable struts/shocks work great

 

Lowering springs on a daily driven street car make the most sense. Coilovers indeed are better in many ways but nothing you will notice on the street. Coilsovers typically are height adjustable, and also dampening adjustable. The down side is cost, additional noise, they require rebuilding generally at shorter cycles than struts. Personally on a street only car I see no need for them.

 

the following is just my unprofessional .02.....


Which would handle better?
H&R marginally because the springs will be stiffer and the car will be lower.

would you get better handling with lowering springs then from stock springs?
see above

would you lose any ride quality?
IMO YES, especially with H&R, much stiffer than stock and I feel even the base suspension is pretty firm.

would it hit bumps harder?
yes, see above

could it void warranty?
no idea, but probably would void the suspension warranty.

Can you get pulled over for having a car lowered?
never heard of that....unless its slammed shooting up sparks or something ghey like that.

will the springs (either) wear out before , say, 150,000 miles?
it'll wear out the shocks quicker because the shocks will be more compressed with the car riding lower than with the OEM springs.

Is there any increased risk of something unsafe happening with new springs?
no

Is a 1.5 inch drop the right drop for the IS250? How low will the car will. Will I have trouble getting over speed bumps, and getting into driveways in the northeast with a curb bump?
1.5? way too much IMO....but then again I don't like a slammed look.

 

[QUOTE=bagwell]the following is just my unprofessional .02.....
Can you get pulled over for having a car lowered?
never heard of that....unless its slammed shooting up sparks or something ghey like that.
QUOTE]

I have heard of getting a ticket if the car is slammed and the headlights is a too close to the ground. I don't remember the exact height the lights had to be from the ground. I remember seeing this on TV once during a documentary.

 

lol all the SOCAL people here say you get pulled over for things like not venting your car after a fart

 

because its true

 

you gotta wait to break the car in before you can fart in it.. come on now.

 

I called both Option and H&R, they said still under testing.
April and May..ish.
DAMN!! i need to lower my car..

 

For those who could not get sports package (wife issue) can I order the sports springs and lower the car by .5"? Is there anything else that needs to be changed, deleted or added? With our roads and snow in winter I could live with .5" drop but not a 1.5" drop. If I could order the sport springs she would never know the difference.

 

we dont even know if the sport package is just springs it could be different shocks as well

 

When i bought my car, they said, the sports package comes with whole different set of shocks and struts along with stiffer springs. but, here is the real problem..

who can trust these sales person trying to get another number on the board?? lolz
but, i had IS350 loaner car the other say of 5k mile service, it haad basic package, and boy.. that thing was bumppy bumppy compare to my IS350 sports pack. so i dont know if it is just lower and stiffer spring, or whole struts are different...