zydus

After much research and deliberation I decided to go ahead and install both the F-Sport shocks and the H&R springs. I have 114,000km on the car and was looking for better handling.

I ordered the F-Sport shocks from Sewell Lexus and the H&R springs from Essex Distributors here in Canada. Took the car to Advanced Power House (http://www.advancepowerhouse.com/) who come highly recommended on a lot of the Canadian forums. The install took about 3.5 hours.

I've been driving the car for about 5 days now and I have zero complaints. The ride is firmer, body roll is reduced and I can push it a lot harder on the on ramps. The lowered stance looks a lot nicer (especially because I have the AWD and the wheel gaps on these are like trucks). The shocks have settled in. The first few days they were a little stiff but now they are absorbing bumps well. I can feel the bumps but they aren't harsh as opposed to before where I could hear the bumps but feel very little unless it was a big pothole. While driving I am actively trying to avoid the bigger holes because they can be a bit harsh. I am very happy with the comfort level. The only slight negative is if you go through a dip, there is a slight floating feeling but I believe that is due to the progressive nature of the springs.

And finally what you've been waiting for, pictures.

Before:











The new guys:



The old guys:



Rear:



Front:



After:











Thanks for your time!

PS. Need to get rims. These are the stock 17"s

Simmsled

Looks nice either way. That is a proper drop.

Any additional vibrations in steering wheel?
Have you had a chance to have it aligned?

zydus

Thanks!

No vibrations. That was one of my worries but I haven't felt any.

I am due for an oil change soon and I'll get the alignment done then.

Dr3wSaL

Looks good zydus, I'm running stock shocks but am considering the f sports once these wear out

reyoasian

iTrader: (2)

Nice! You got better pics than me haha, looks much better now. I'm looking for rims next too, what you looking for?

zydus

Trying to decide between 17s and 18s first. I read that with 18s and the shorter sidewall the ride will be less comfortable. I am very happy with the balance between comfort/firmness right now, so can't seem to decide.

GilIS250

iTrader: (10)

Nice drop dude... Please, get some rims either 18's or 19's .... but get some!! LMFAO those 17's make it look like you on spare tires or something LOL

reyoasian

iTrader: (2)

definitely 18, just don't go too wide with too low offset...keep 8-9, +30-35
i've driven my friend's rwd is250 on 18's and dropped on eibach, no discomfort

xpionage2

iTrader: (3)

Hey OP, it's been about a month or so since you got the fsport/HR combo. Has it settled any more? Any vibrations yet? I was gonna do coils on my 2011 awd but after reading up on the various vibration issues made me reconsider.
How's this set up vs fsport springs?

zydus

Nope still no vibrations to report. The car seems to be doing well. I am making a road trip to Quebec City this coming weekend, so I'll see how a long (9hr) drive goes with the new suspension.

I drove around 500km and then got an alignment done. Everything is within spec except the camber (negative) on my left front/rear. It is about ~.2 - .3 more. The tech asked me to keep an eye on tire wear but said so far my tires look fine. He also mentioned that some IS-s don't have perfect alignment even from factory. He made sure my toe was zero.

I believe the F-sport springs have a smaller drop than the H&Rs. In terms of comfort, I switched out my shocks as well so I can't really compare with H&R + stock vs H&R + fsport, but I'm happy with the firmer ride. I do hear a few minor rattles that I didn't hear before although my friends say they don't hear anything.

knguyenk

For the OP, now that it's been 8 months since you've done the springs and shocks upgrade, I'm wondering how the setup is treating you. Do you have any vibrations to report or any more nuances in addition to your rattles from your last post? I'm teetering between the F-Sport springs and shocks or the H&R springs with the F-Sport shocks like yours.

zydus

I'm very happy with the set up. I recently had the opportunity to be driven around in my car and I have no complaints. The ride was smooth and the bumps weren't too bad at all. There are no new rattles or sounds in the car and sitting in the passenger seat I couldn't hear any either.

The car is sitting slightly lower now than these picture show too. I think you'll be very happy with the H&R set up if you do decide to get them over the F-sports.

1Clean06IS

Looks awesome, your thread finally made up my mind what route to go on my 06 AWD! Thanks

knguyenk

Very nice, I think I may go with H&R at this rate.

zydus

You're welcome :-)