PCH

anyone changed out the struts/springs on their ES300?

i have 188k miles on mine & it just seems like the suspension is not as responsive as it should be. figure it's time i change them out.

just wanted to hear what ppl have done & what worked best for them.

thanks!

EEngineer

best bang for the buck just get KYB gr2 and any oem springs or eibach springs for a mild drop plus some performance increase

hypervish

Like mentioned above, just get some KYB's. And replace the struts mounts. Springs are generally good for the life of the vehicle, and don't need to be changed.

EEngineer

i bet to differ on the springs. old spring lose some of their structural rigidity like all metals do, they become less stiff and would wear out new dampers much faster

PCH

Thanks! I'll check out the KYB gr2's. I've had eibachs before many yrs ago when I was into the import/fixup market. Liked them and they really didn't lower the car that much.

pacheco308

yea i would have to also agree after looking around the kyb gr-2 get a lot of good reviews i plan to order some tomorrow morning with some lowering springs

PCH

Strut mounts: just go with OEM on these or anything that's available?

I figure at 188k on the original suspension, it's time to change it up....if I plan to keep the car going. Suspension is so stiff now.

PCH

which springs are you looking at?
how many miles on your '92? still going strong?

pacheco308

[QUOTE=PCH;6990758]which springs are you looking at?
how many miles on your '92? still going strong?[/QUOTE


i was looking at b and g lowering springs. currently my baby has 228,365. yes she runs real strong never gave me any major issues body and interior show its age but i try to wash it and keep it looking clean and shiny

pacheco308

but that's only if i don't decide to go all out and put coilovers on the car not sure yet if i wanna spend that much money on suspension or keep putting it into the motor like i have been

TomS209

I went with the Monroe strut assembly. Less than $140 for everything including strut, spring and top cap on Amazon. All I was looking for was a nice stable ride. I don't run it hard around the corners. To me they were the best bang for the buck. About an hour a piece to change (first time for me). Did it by myself and took my time. Good luck.

Tom

pacheco308

i found ksport gt lowering springs to possibly go with the 300 dollar kyb gr-2s for 120 on raceinspired.com

PCH

Sounds like it worked well for you.
Did you change out the strut mounts as well?

PCH

I saw tokico coilover setup available as well. That includes the struts & springs....might be a lil pricy on a car that's not worth much....but if you plan on keeping the car, it may be worth it.

EEngineer

i don't recommend K-sport lowering springs.
While I don't have first hand experience with them, but I used a set of their coilovers and the springs of their coilovers were of low quality. peeled very fast and a damper blew within a year. they've upgraded their products but i'm still not too comfortable with their spring quality.

as for monroes, I've heard good things about them. but overall, they are just easy to work with because everything is pre-assembled so you just bolt them on. Can't say much about performance and longevity though.

tokicos are better than KYB-GR2s because they are made to handle lowering springs. pricier as well though, that's why best bang for the buck is still KYB GR2 because they advertise life time warranty. if a damper is gone, just get a new set with the receipt.