Official F-sport Sway Bar Thread!
02-25-11, 11:40 PM
#557
Lead Lap
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: MI
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actually the ISF sway bars are different from the F-Sport sway bars. Check out the document lowrideraz attached a few posts above.
03-04-11, 09:43 AM
#558
Driver School Candidate
Just Installed F-Sport Sway Bar Kit - Review & First Impressions
Just had my F-Sport sway bar kit installed on my IS350 Wednesday and LOVE THEM – Huge improvement! Used my $500 Lexus “Sorry” money to buy them from Sewell and could not wait to get them in so I just had my mechanic do it during oil change. They asked, “So your Lexus doesn’t handle quite like you want it to?” I simply responded by saying “It handles like a Lexus”….then they said but it’s an IS350….and I said “Believe me, I can’t take the bouncing around anymore”. Prior to purchasing, I read a lot of reviews stating they can’t feel the difference so I was a little worried but once installed I could feel the difference on my first few turns, and they were tame turns just to get an initial feel. Since then, I’ve further tested them on a few 20+ mph right hand turns and 30+ mph left hand turns. FYI, my car’s setup still contains stock suspension (non-Sport) so perhaps that is why I can feel a very noticeable difference.
My initial, very apparent observations are 1) Normal daily turning is almost 100% flat, 2) Aggressive turning is much flatter and can now point the car in the direction I want to go and get there with much more confidence, 3) Understeer is greatly reduced at all speeds, like I said, I don’t do the Lexus bounce nearly as much, especially on uneven pavement, 4) When changing lanes at greater speeds, car no longer feels top heavy and sways while I maneuver, 5) As one should expect, still have nice cushy ride however, when trekking over uneven pavement or imperfections in the road, the car just feels tighter, rather than sway side to side - entire car remains flatter. 6) On my normal daily route, I travel through a neighborhood which has speed humps, and going over those used to make the car bounce and sway side to side, but that has also been reduced if not eliminated.
Coils are next on the list but don’t think I can get that approved by the wife till later this year - thanks rising gas prices! Hope my simple review helps those that are on the bubble for these. Took my co-worker, who rides in my car all the time, to lunch yesterday and without me first describing my first impressions, he could also feel the difference in all that I stated above. He called it not so much an ultra-aggressive ride but a more refined ride which is exactly what I was after.
My initial, very apparent observations are 1) Normal daily turning is almost 100% flat, 2) Aggressive turning is much flatter and can now point the car in the direction I want to go and get there with much more confidence, 3) Understeer is greatly reduced at all speeds, like I said, I don’t do the Lexus bounce nearly as much, especially on uneven pavement, 4) When changing lanes at greater speeds, car no longer feels top heavy and sways while I maneuver, 5) As one should expect, still have nice cushy ride however, when trekking over uneven pavement or imperfections in the road, the car just feels tighter, rather than sway side to side - entire car remains flatter. 6) On my normal daily route, I travel through a neighborhood which has speed humps, and going over those used to make the car bounce and sway side to side, but that has also been reduced if not eliminated.
Coils are next on the list but don’t think I can get that approved by the wife till later this year - thanks rising gas prices! Hope my simple review helps those that are on the bubble for these. Took my co-worker, who rides in my car all the time, to lunch yesterday and without me first describing my first impressions, he could also feel the difference in all that I stated above. He called it not so much an ultra-aggressive ride but a more refined ride which is exactly what I was after.
03-18-11, 07:23 AM
#560
OK I'll try to put this comment into prospective. It's been discussed before, but here it goes again.
Up until '09 The sway bar kit for the AWD IS250 was PN PTR02-53080 and consisted of only a rear bar. It was the same rear bar that came with the front/rear bar kit for the RWD. It was a 19mm solid bar.
In '10 Lexus dropped the prior AWD rear bar kit and replaced it with PN PTR02-53096 and this kit consisted of a front and rear bar. The dimensions are 30mm in front and 17.5mm in the rear.
Again, we are talking two different kits here. I have attached a chart to explain this.
Lou
Up until '09 The sway bar kit for the AWD IS250 was PN PTR02-53080 and consisted of only a rear bar. It was the same rear bar that came with the front/rear bar kit for the RWD. It was a 19mm solid bar.
In '10 Lexus dropped the prior AWD rear bar kit and replaced it with PN PTR02-53096 and this kit consisted of a front and rear bar. The dimensions are 30mm in front and 17.5mm in the rear.
Again, we are talking two different kits here. I have attached a chart to explain this.
Lou
03-18-11, 07:36 AM
#561
^^^^Don't use the front bar on a RWD. ITFP the front bar wont fit. If you used the rear bar, it would improve the handling over the stock rear bar. I sold my old rear bar from my "F", to a fellow with a RWD IS350, and he noticed an improvement, and the AWD F-Sport and the ISF rear bar is pretty close in size to each other. MY advice, get the proper set.
Lou
Lou
03-18-11, 07:39 AM
#562
^^^^Don't use the front bar on a RWD. ITFP the front bar wont fit. If you used the rear bar, it would improve the handling over the stock rear bar. I sold my old rear bar from my "F", to a fellow with a RWD IS350, and he noticed an improvement, and the AWD F-Sport and the ISF rear bar is pretty close in size to each other. MY advice, get the proper set.
Lou
Lou
03-18-11, 08:23 AM
#563
^^^^Don't use the front bar on a RWD. ITFP the front bar wont fit. If you used the rear bar, it would improve the handling over the stock rear bar. I sold my old rear bar from my "F", to a fellow with a RWD IS350, and he noticed an improvement, and the AWD F-Sport and the ISF rear bar is pretty close in size to each other. MY advice, get the proper set.
Lou
Lou
Why won't the front fit? The thickness? They are the same design/shape by looking at them...
04-04-11, 10:21 AM
#565
Just wanted to post my experience with the F-Sport rear sway bar install, for those of you thinking of attempting it yourself.
I bought the rear F-Sport sway bar from Sewell for my 2007 IS350 with 58k miles. Didn’t want to pay ridiculous dealer prices for install so decided to do it myself, especially after reading on here that the install takes 15 minutes with basic tools. Because I didn’t have jack stands, ramps, or basically anything I needed, I found a DIY garage nearby that charged only $20 for an hour with a two-post lift. I figured I’d need less than an hour anyway, and since it’d cost more than $20 to acquire the tools I needed, this seemed like the best option.
For those of you unfamiliar (I was), by two post lift I mean a professional lift that lifted the entire car up about 6 feet. So keep in mind as you read this that I’m doing this install not on my back under the car using jack stands or ramps with 5 inches of clearance, I’m literally standing under the car and have a full lighted view and tons of room to work.
Got the car on the lift, spotted the endlinks and tried to unscrew the nuts on the endlink bolts. They were rusted on and were incredibly difficult to budge. I finally got them to budge at first, but then after a few turns the entire bolt along with the nut started spinning inside the ball bearing, so I was getting nowhere. Tried to hold the bolt steady with an Allen key in the end but the end of the bolt was rusted and the key wouldn’t get a good grip. Tried to use a vice grip to hold the bolt while I unscrewed the nut, but the grip kept slipping loose. Same story on both endlinks.
I worked at this for about a half hour. Called the mechanic over who tried a few things and couldn’t get it to budge either. Finally had to take off the endlinks along with the bar (the bushing bracket bolts were no problem to unscrew) and tighten the OEM bar in a desk-mounted clamp while the mechanic and I tried to get the nut unscrewed.
It still wouldn’t budge, so the mechanic eventually had to use a Dremel to literally saw the nut off from the bolt. This ended up being the case for both endlink nuts. The mechanic suspected they may be self-locking nuts and intended for one use only. In any case, I then had to get the endlinks back in the control arm (very difficult to do because it’s a tight space), then I screwed the F-Sport sway bar back into the bushing brackets and then screwed it into the endlinks with new nuts.
Total time required was 2 hours, and I got fairly beat up in the process. I met 2 other CL members at the DIY garage who were also installing the rear F-Sport sway, and they both had exactly the same experience. One was also an ’07 with similar miles, but the other was an ’09 with fewer miles.
From a cost perspective, the part was $150 and the install was 2 hours at the garage at $20 per hour + charges for specialty tools (Dremel, torque wrench) so labor ended up being $50. Dealers were quoting a minimum of $200 for labor (but I now understand why).
Overall I am very pleased with $200 total for the parts + install, however I am not at all pleased with how this install is being characterized to CL members in threads and posts. I read so many posts that said this was a 15-minute, one-person, basic-tool job, so I assumed that’s what it would take. If only my car had this issue and the other 2 cars we did had taken 15 minutes, I might assume it was just my car. However, all 3 cars took 2 hours each, had the same issues (needed to take endlinks off, Dremel off the nuts).
I could believe that on a brand new car with very little rust/buildup it might be easy to get the endlink nuts off, so in that case it might truly be a 15 minute job. However, if you’re reading this thread thinking about installing the F-Sport sway because of how easy it’s made out to be on the forum, be careful and plan accordingly. There’s a very good chance, especially if your car isn’t brand new, that this will not be a job you can complete with ramps in the parking lot on your lunch break, as it’s made out to be here on the forum.
I’m not accusing anyone on here of lying, I’m simply stating that it’s important to make clear this job could be a lot more involved than it appears by reading these threads. Also keep in mind that a lot of people on here are saying it’s a 15 minute job when you’re doing it by yourself under jack stands. This was a 2-hour job on all 3 of our 2IS’ and we were using a professional garage and lift and had all the visibility and clearance we could ask for. This job simply would not have been possible on our cars by just having the 10 extra inches of clearance or so afforded by a ramp/jack stand.
As far as my review, the headache was definitely worth it. The car drives and handles beautifully, so much better than before. I noticed the difference immediately. I commute 20 miles to work every day along the same highway that has some fairly sharp turns, and so I noticed the reduced body roll immediately. The turn in response is sharper, and the car stays much flatter through turns.
Honestly I don't know why the car doesn't come from the factory like this. There are no downsides whatsoever to this mod that I can think of. My ride quality was in no way diminished, and parts + install (+ some blood and sweat) was only $200.
TL;DR: Installing the F-Sport sway may NOT be an easy 15-minute install, so be prepared. HOWEVER, it’s a must-do mod and is worth it.
I bought the rear F-Sport sway bar from Sewell for my 2007 IS350 with 58k miles. Didn’t want to pay ridiculous dealer prices for install so decided to do it myself, especially after reading on here that the install takes 15 minutes with basic tools. Because I didn’t have jack stands, ramps, or basically anything I needed, I found a DIY garage nearby that charged only $20 for an hour with a two-post lift. I figured I’d need less than an hour anyway, and since it’d cost more than $20 to acquire the tools I needed, this seemed like the best option.
For those of you unfamiliar (I was), by two post lift I mean a professional lift that lifted the entire car up about 6 feet. So keep in mind as you read this that I’m doing this install not on my back under the car using jack stands or ramps with 5 inches of clearance, I’m literally standing under the car and have a full lighted view and tons of room to work.
Got the car on the lift, spotted the endlinks and tried to unscrew the nuts on the endlink bolts. They were rusted on and were incredibly difficult to budge. I finally got them to budge at first, but then after a few turns the entire bolt along with the nut started spinning inside the ball bearing, so I was getting nowhere. Tried to hold the bolt steady with an Allen key in the end but the end of the bolt was rusted and the key wouldn’t get a good grip. Tried to use a vice grip to hold the bolt while I unscrewed the nut, but the grip kept slipping loose. Same story on both endlinks.
I worked at this for about a half hour. Called the mechanic over who tried a few things and couldn’t get it to budge either. Finally had to take off the endlinks along with the bar (the bushing bracket bolts were no problem to unscrew) and tighten the OEM bar in a desk-mounted clamp while the mechanic and I tried to get the nut unscrewed.
It still wouldn’t budge, so the mechanic eventually had to use a Dremel to literally saw the nut off from the bolt. This ended up being the case for both endlink nuts. The mechanic suspected they may be self-locking nuts and intended for one use only. In any case, I then had to get the endlinks back in the control arm (very difficult to do because it’s a tight space), then I screwed the F-Sport sway bar back into the bushing brackets and then screwed it into the endlinks with new nuts.
Total time required was 2 hours, and I got fairly beat up in the process. I met 2 other CL members at the DIY garage who were also installing the rear F-Sport sway, and they both had exactly the same experience. One was also an ’07 with similar miles, but the other was an ’09 with fewer miles.
From a cost perspective, the part was $150 and the install was 2 hours at the garage at $20 per hour + charges for specialty tools (Dremel, torque wrench) so labor ended up being $50. Dealers were quoting a minimum of $200 for labor (but I now understand why).
Overall I am very pleased with $200 total for the parts + install, however I am not at all pleased with how this install is being characterized to CL members in threads and posts. I read so many posts that said this was a 15-minute, one-person, basic-tool job, so I assumed that’s what it would take. If only my car had this issue and the other 2 cars we did had taken 15 minutes, I might assume it was just my car. However, all 3 cars took 2 hours each, had the same issues (needed to take endlinks off, Dremel off the nuts).
I could believe that on a brand new car with very little rust/buildup it might be easy to get the endlink nuts off, so in that case it might truly be a 15 minute job. However, if you’re reading this thread thinking about installing the F-Sport sway because of how easy it’s made out to be on the forum, be careful and plan accordingly. There’s a very good chance, especially if your car isn’t brand new, that this will not be a job you can complete with ramps in the parking lot on your lunch break, as it’s made out to be here on the forum.
I’m not accusing anyone on here of lying, I’m simply stating that it’s important to make clear this job could be a lot more involved than it appears by reading these threads. Also keep in mind that a lot of people on here are saying it’s a 15 minute job when you’re doing it by yourself under jack stands. This was a 2-hour job on all 3 of our 2IS’ and we were using a professional garage and lift and had all the visibility and clearance we could ask for. This job simply would not have been possible on our cars by just having the 10 extra inches of clearance or so afforded by a ramp/jack stand.
As far as my review, the headache was definitely worth it. The car drives and handles beautifully, so much better than before. I noticed the difference immediately. I commute 20 miles to work every day along the same highway that has some fairly sharp turns, and so I noticed the reduced body roll immediately. The turn in response is sharper, and the car stays much flatter through turns.
Honestly I don't know why the car doesn't come from the factory like this. There are no downsides whatsoever to this mod that I can think of. My ride quality was in no way diminished, and parts + install (+ some blood and sweat) was only $200.
TL;DR: Installing the F-Sport sway may NOT be an easy 15-minute install, so be prepared. HOWEVER, it’s a must-do mod and is worth it.
04-04-11, 11:09 AM
#566
Good review Calvin. I actually did mine in less than 15 mins! I'm in Arizona so rust wasn't a problem and the nuts were reusuable. I replaced mine while over a pit so the suspension wasn't hanging down like on a lift. That may have been one of the issues. I also replaced my front with an F-sport sway. That took about 30 mins. I know it would have been harder and more time consuming on stands lying on my back. BTW, I just did mine last week with 67k miles.
Last edited by pfdaxe; 04-04-11 at 11:38 AM.
04-04-11, 11:32 AM
#567
I’m not accusing anyone on here of lying, I’m simply stating that it’s important to make clear this job could be a lot more involved than it appears by reading these threads. Also keep in mind that a lot of people on here are saying it’s a 15 minute job when you’re doing it by yourself under jack stands. This was a 2-hour job on all 3 of our 2IS’ and we were using a professional garage and lift and had all the visibility and clearance we could ask for. This job simply would not have been possible on our cars by just having the 10 extra inches of clearance or so afforded by a ramp/jack stand.[/B]
Enjoy your bar
Lou
04-04-11, 11:24 PM
#568
I wanted to correct calvin on one thing. The third car, which was a 09 with 21,000 miles had a different story. We actually were able to take the bolts off the endlinks. The only issue we had was with the bushing on the stock sway bar which was melted to it. This is the only thing that took some time out to fix. Other than that it was real easy. Bolted everything back up and was ready to go. I wish calvin and i didnt have to go thru soo much of a problem but i guess in the end it was worth it, even thou i couldnt feel much of a difference since i was already dropped on coils.
04-05-11, 05:44 AM
#569
^^^^Actually there was a bushing change effective with the '09 ISX50 models. See this thread:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...different.html
The bushings didn't melt to the bar, the rear sway bar bushings are sandwiched between 2 aluminum plates. and they are perminantly glued in.
What you found was normal for the '09 and up.
Lou
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...different.html
The bushings didn't melt to the bar, the rear sway bar bushings are sandwiched between 2 aluminum plates. and they are perminantly glued in.
What you found was normal for the '09 and up.
Lou
04-05-11, 06:14 AM
#570
I wanted to correct calvin on one thing. The third car, which was a 09 with 21,000 miles had a different story. We actually were able to take the bolts off the endlinks. The only issue we had was with the bushing on the stock sway bar which was melted to it. This is the only thing that took some time out to fix. Other than that it was real easy. Bolted everything back up and was ready to go. I wish calvin and i didnt have to go thru soo much of a problem but i guess in the end it was worth it, even thou i couldnt feel much of a difference since i was already dropped on coils.
So it seems clear that newer, lower-mileage cars and those in warmer, rust-free climates (e.g. Arizona), should be very easy to do. Older, higher-mileage cars potentially could be more difficult. Just keep that in mind as you set out to do your own install. I still highly recommend doing it yourself, as there's no reason to pay the dealer $200+ for it, just be armed with some time and the right tools just in case.