Power6

Moog springs for this chassis are junk, not powdercoated like the OEM ones so the coating flakes off just using a spring compressor to install them. Good luck when those babies rust out and crack while you are driving. I used them and ended up a swapping out to new OEM springs (wish I hadn't thrown the original ones out!). Ride height was pretty much the same with all of them. The Moog springs have a different thickness and number of windings, so the rate may be different (to accommodate being spec'd for like every chassis they fit in, LOL) but I did not notice any difference. Without rate testing we don't know. All we know is Moog has one spring for the Avalon/Solara/ES/Camry while Lexus has 2 different springs for just the ES not shared with any other Toyota.

Here are some engineering *facts* to think about: a metal spring doesn't fatigue any quicker if the spring rate is lower i.e. soft. The spring rate does not change as the spring does eventually sag, static ride height is simply lower.

Also struts do not generally change the ride height. A monotube high-pressure shock like a Bilstein will affect ride height. A twin-tube low pressure gas (i.e. every single shock available for the ES) doesn't have enough nitrogen pressure to affect spring rate and lift the car up.. There can be a psychological effect though, as a worn shock will bottom out easier due to slack damping, affecting load handling. So you might have the idea that the ride height is too low for loading up with passengers but really the problem is worn out struts.

Bottom line always comes down to: The OEM parts are overpriced...but they are higher quality. Aftermarket parts are built to sell to those who shop by absolute price, and so are lesser quality. If you want to keep the car forever maybe the former makes sense for you...if it is an old car you only see keeping for a few more years at most...probably doesn't matter what you use.

This is why I am such a bad "old car" owner I want to make everything work like when it was new, costs too much money LOL.

Oro

On the ones I used, the finish, winding #, or thickness were no different than the OE springs I removed. I measured and compared. I'm scientifically minded and trained. That's only a data point, but different than what you are suggesting.

Correct. With no dimensional differences, but the Lexus is softer and wears quicker - the conventional spring for the ES, not the air unit. While the rate may not change as it sags, it does sag and springs do fatigue. The point of our exercise was to find a long-lasting spring and if a small degree of ride suppleness was lost, the longevity and cost benefits were worth the experiment to me.

Power6

Ill have to look up the part number moogs i had i belive it was the same quoted, the spring itself was quite different in thickness and windings. The coating was def low quality. Honestly the chances of that are low since i have time to post here like once a quarter so ill just leave it at that.

As mentioned already this stuff doesnt matter unless running the parts 1-200k beyond what the car already has is needed where the OEM stuff was built for that but very few people here are running their car to 300k though they caertainly can as witnessed in these forums. so cheap aftermarket parts get the job done for 50k miles, most get some new shiny car before the parts ever fail anyways.

koreywill

I didn't notice that there was any flaking of paint at all as we compressed the springs for installation. What I do know is that the ride is much better than before installation of same. My '99 Camry had 312k miles on it before we sold it to a nephew. It's still running strong 1 year later. I bought this ES300 based on knowledge of the previous owners and the maintenance records. I like having a great riding and quiet car that my wife and I can travel cross country in. Will it break down somewhere along the way? It might but I'm doing what I know to make sure it doesn't. New car? Nah. Haven't bought one in a long time. Who needs the increased taxes, insurance, and loss of value right off the lot? I'll use my money for other fun things. So far the $3900 ES300 has been worth every penny and if I get 50k out of it I'll be happy.

LeX2K

I've never seen a Lexus or Toyota coil sag, not for any model in the last ~25 years. I've had the bottom of the coil rust and break I replaced them with OEM. The originals lasted 20 years so the replacements will out last the car.

koreywill

Good to hear about the springs. I did keep the old original springs just in case I didn't like the Moogs. Thanks for sharing the observation.

Oro

I don't see a LOT, but it happens. Our ES sagged noticeably after high enough miles. I see a lot of 1gen and some early 2gen Avalons that sag. It's a function of usage type/load, roads, and miles. I do believe Toyota is better than average in this regard, but not immune to the physics involved.

Felix

Bump to the top, great 411 in here........