Alex350

Hey Jason!! Sorry for taking so long... well, let me see if I can answer your questions...

If you buy a high quality coilover like Tein, they come with everything you need, shocks, springs, etc. So you wouldn't need to worry about that. Tein has several "lines" of coilovers, that cater to different markets, so depending on the line/s they release for the Lexus, the price will vary. The difference in the lines are the levels of adjustability, dampening, style of springs, etc.

The bars you're probably referring to are the "stabilizer bars". A lot of cars come equipped with them from factory. But anyways, what are they ?? They are a set of bars that can be placed in the front and rear of the car which allow the body of the vehicle to stay "even" (sorry if I'm not expressing myself well, English is my second language ) when turning or cornering, but you wouldn't have to worry about those unless you like to go FAST all the time.

Maybe this explanation will help to illustrate the concept a little bit.... you see, when you turn or corner at high speeds the structural body of the car "shifts" to where the force of the turn is being exerted, and with the added pressure of weight from the engine, people inside the car, etc... a lot of things could happen... some of the tires "raise" from the ground and lose traction, or even the structural body could be slightly bent out of shape. The stabilizer bars run horizontally from the driver side to the passenger side of the vehicle and help to dissipate the exerted force from turns, cornering, alleviating the aforementioned problems and making your ride more stable. Like an iron beam in a building structure, the stabilizer bars reinforce the body structure of the vehicle and make it harder for the car to sway, lose traction or even bend the body of the vehicle. I hope I was able to explain it well the bottom line is this.... you won't really need the stabilizer bars unless you want them for "show" purposes or if you turn or corner at high speeds... hopefully that helps!!! Let me know if you have any questions....

Alex350

I spoke to Mark today to ask him about the whole coilover thing and he said that what he intended to say was that if anyone had purchased a set of coilovers for the car and wanted to get the springs for those coilovers exchanged for Road Magnet springs, he could do so for a fee of approximately $200.00. My dream of having good quality coilovers was broken Anyways, Mark said that the reason why they haven't developed any coilovers for the car yet is because they don't manufacture the perches, shocks, etc... but he also said that they are considering working with another manufacturer of those parts that would meet their high quality standards, in order to develop Road Magnet coilovers... I guess my dream is not totally lost...

I asked him what the price was for the Lexus IS 250 springs, and he said that they would be around $200 as an introductory price, but then would go up later.

Sorry for the confusion....

AznJason

iTrader: (5)

I think I'm starting to figure it out.

Anyways, since on the first page you mentioned the TEIN coilovers would be $1400, that means for $1,400, I get to lower my car and adjust the ride quality (possibly even better than stock) without having to buy more things?

As far as the Road Magnets, since they don't make shocks, I'd have to get those separately if I took that route. That and the fact that Road Magnet wouldn't make coilovers... are Road Magnets better than TEINs by a lot? Like, would it really be worth it to figure out the right springs to get and then get shocks from a different place over the TEINs? Any clue how much the Road Magnets + a good pair of shocks would run?

lol, the barrage of questions comes again.

P.Williams

iTrader: (1)

There were parts of this description that were correct in describing sway bars (aka stabilizer bars,) but at times you seemed to be referring to chassis bracing...which is something else entirely. Chassis braces such as strut tower bars, underbody x-braces, rear cross braces, etc. are intended to stiffen the chassis of the car. Older cars will often suffer from chassis flex during cornering. The addition of stiffer aftermarket suspension components will only amplify the problem. On a newer car, such as the IS250/350, these braces would have little benefit, as it already features a rather rigid chassis from the factory. In regards to these types of components, they would be more for show on your 2IS.

Sway bars/stabilizer bars/torsion bars are a different story. These will not reinforce the chassis of the car in any way. Their pivot points are mounted on the chassis, but each end is connected to the respective lower control arm by an end-link. When cornering, the suspension on the outer side will want to compress, and the inner will rise. This is commonly known as body roll. Sway bars will help prevent body roll by tying the left and right control arms together. For the outer suspension to compress as the inner rises, the sway bar will have to twist. The bar's ability to resist that twist will help keep cornering flat, and reduce body roll. Aftermarket sway bars are larger, and therefore, less likely to twist.

If you're simply looking to lower your 2IS for looks, but would like to keep the original ride comfort, look into something like the Road Magnet springs or Tein H-Tech springs. However, as others have mentioned, you'll want to replace the shocks/dampers, as well. If your wallet will allow, the Tein CS coilovers will provide you with a range of height adjustment and damping adjustment, all in one package. I'll vouch for the Tein products. I had the H-Tech springs matched with Bilstein HD shocks on my IS300, and I have the CS coilovers on my SC400. Both of these setups ride better than stock.

If you're looking to improve the handling of the car in addition to the looks, either of the setups I've mentioned would still be appropriate. Although they are tuned towards comfort, they still lower the car, thereby lowering the center of gravity. Aftermarket sway bars and wider 18-19" wheels and tires, in addition to the springs/shocks or coilovers, should complete the equation for a competent sport sedan.

MrMark

iTrader: (3)

Here is the ride height for the IS250 springs. Pretty aggressive, but these springs are awesome!!! Ride is smooth and controlled, never harsh, top quality too.

revspeed

iTrader: (1)

what kind of springs are these? model number please.

Alex350

They are the Road Magnet lowering springs for the IS250. The company is currently developing springs for the IS350. You will find more information at the beginning of this thread.

dong888

iTrader: (1)

how are these coilovers compared to the sport package?

onihc

iTrader: (1)

is it me, or does the rear look like it's sagging?

mwaull

That is what I dont get . . . almost every spring kit I have seen for the IS (except the eibach pro kit) has the rear lowered more than the front . . . It just doesnt look even at all! I want the front gap to match the back . . .

MrMark

iTrader: (3)

They measured fromt the side skirts just in back of the front wheels and just in front of the rear wheels and the measurement is even. The front gap is more because the wheels have to turn. You cannot go by the gap to measure if the car is dropped evenly. If you did, your rear will actually be higher. Right now, the car sits even.

cartistik

hey, dorkies, in case u never noticed, on about 99.9% of cars, the front fender wheels rides up about an inch or so higher then the back to allow the wheels to turn ...so yea the drop is pretty damn even if u measure from the ground up