Marklouis

Replaced shocks/struts on my GS460 sometime ago. Finally getting time to post a few pics and point some things out. I replaced them all at 70k miles.





front strut adjuster under the protective cover. It sits on a mount bracket and it has a twist lock clamp that you hear an audible click when you take it off/on.





metal bracket under the main strut center bolt. You can notice fluid from the shock that has leaked past the adjustable key on top. All 4 shocks had this same condition.





rear shock tower. you have to take out every bit of the trunk carpeting except for the rear/top where the sub-woofer is. Mostly held down by the plastic push inserts.





same adjuster type as the front. be sure and note the exact position of the bracket when you remove them, which has a fitted cutout to slip over the shock/strut threads, and adjuster in correlation on the bracket. also note that when you put these adjusters back on after the install they have a small key rectangle insert that fits over the center key within the shock. these will automatically configure the correct position after you crank the vehicle. you will hear audible clicks of the process, and this only happens once after installation.





removed upper control arm and front strut bar connectors. Used my macpherson spring compressors to remove the struts/shocks. I did not have to compress much. Maybe 1/4 of the total spring height..




front spring compressed installing the new strut. note to use thick fabric or rubber as a cushion to not nick or mar the spring surface.





rear shocks were slightly more difficult to remove/install. On the rears I removed the lower control arm and rear strut bar connectors also. Note that the rear shocks are directly connected to the lower control arm, so you need a floor jack to support under the rotor knuckles when you start to remove the bolt connecting the lower control arm and knuckle. It also helps to just loosen the bolt on the opposite end that connects the lower control arm to the frame. The exhaust bend is right in front of the bolt so a short socket is best. You only need to loosen it.





Ordered the OEM shocks from myLparts.com. They came with all new hardware included. Center strut is the old removed.





lastly if you look closely, you can see the fluid seeping out in the center from the old shocks. I am sure this is a common issue on most GS models with the sport mode option. Most are failing within the 60k mile range.




Finished product with new rims!

right away it feels so much smoother in normal mode, and so much more rigid and tight in sport mode. So far we have driven 2k miles on the new shocks/struts.

Difficulty on this job was a 6 out of 10. Give yourself a good weekend if you ever decide to tackle this project. It is more time consuming than anything. There are many more parts you could definitively replace in the suspension components as you go, however in my case everything else checked out very tight and solid.

Hope this helps any of you DIYers considering doing this project yourself!

Brabusx2

i did it on my GS450h at 100k miles, the car was floating on highway, sagging on one side eating the tires, going over pothole feel like car falling apart, thought strut gotta go,

went to a place to rent a car lift for $20/hr and did the job myself, yes it was tough, first time messing with spring compressor too, but the outcome was so worth it, where did you buy your strut?

mine cost around $900 shipped... stupid sport mode switch

Marklouis

Yes bad shocks will sure eat the tires quick! And thw new ones made a world of difference. Did you also notice the fluid leaking from the old shocks also?

I found my shocks on myLparts.com. You got a good deal mine were closer to $1000 with shipping.

Brabusx2

i think we both share the same parts, mine were replaced like 2 months back, i used CL5 to drop like 5% off the entire order, and no tax since i am in NV

i had to replaced my strut boot as well because they ripped...

TRD_Power

Ugh, fearing the day I have to do this myself... I'm at 33k on my '08 460 now, so it's only a matter of time. Fingers crossed I'm one of the lucky ones. Great job on the fix though!

Brabusx2

you could bring it to a shop to have them to it for you, they should charge $200-$300 in labor, i just wanted to DIY because i was always curious how the sport switch works in the strut. there is no lucky or unlucky one, its wear and tear just like tires and brake, it wears out overtime, even if your car sit in the garage for 10+ years they still wear out, the rubber seal will age

Marklouis

that's awesome low miles on your 08' TRD! I think the trick to making them last a bit longer possibly is not switching the modes too often? the key in the shock may be wearing on that inner seal and causing the leak possibly.

TRD_Power

Still, with wear and tear at 70k, even if the car is 10 or so years old is pretty low. All cars are definitely going to be a bit different, but every Lexus in my family went well over 100k before needing to have a single strut replaced. Even when I swapped my SC's out at 140k, they still worked/looked fine. Guess it also depends on how hard it's been driven, and how the roads are where you live (I could DEFINITELY see this being common in Houston after driving around there last month). Sport mode is definitely fun to have though, especially when driving through the twisty mountain roads out east here in WA.

TRD_Power

Thanks! It still feels like new Been a great car so far! And yeah, I only switch back and forth when I cruise out to the mountains, where I can REALLY feel the difference. Lots of fun to play around with

Fausty

I see why some people elect to go with coil overs lol with the price of these parts.Is there any improvement or added benefits coil overs aside from adjusting ride height? I'm
New to the suspension game.

ThomasGS4

iTrader: (19)

Great job, Marklouis. Had my rears replaced around 84k miles and the fronts around 90k. Smooth sailing ever since!

Lukas99GS

My 460 is about to turn 150k in the next day or two and from all the records I could gather only one strut has been replaced on my car, it still drives great. Was the $900 per strut or for the set?

mindcrime

iTrader: (2)

good write up. as for the rears, if you aren't OCD you can cut an opening in the panels. I did on my F, but I went over board. no biggie as it's not a show car.

Marklouis

since your a sporty driver like me from time to time have you noticed how fast the inside of the tire treads wear down?


My Conti pro contacts DW are barely over 11k and already need replacing since they are down to the second rubber layer on the insides, next are the metal bands! Rotated and balanced every 3500k/ alignments checked. aaaand these extreme summer performance tires have no tread warranty. hindsight


the Pirelli run-flats before got at least 25k


You could read through some of the suspension threads in the sticky https://www.clublexus.com/forums/suspension-214/ I came real close opting to go that route instead, but since my wife drives this car mostly she preferred to keep the vehicle OEM as possible.


I will save the modding for my soon to own IS F


Thanks! I really hope this set lasts longer.


for the set. The air ride suspension setups on the LS models are what cost $1200 per corner



Thanks! Oh trust me that thought crossed my mind I was thinking at the time (cursing too) they should have designed a removable/hinged panel from the factory to access them easier.

TRD_Power

I don't get the dreaded tire wear like many on here do. When I took my car in to have the new tires mounted and balanced, the guy at the shop said that these things are notorious tire-eaters, and that he installed some shims to help with it. The ride height of the car went up slightly, but I've got about 15k on my Michelin pilot sport a/s 3's, and can't see any noticeable wear yet. Whatever they did definitely helped. Maybe swing in to a high-end alignment shop and see if they can look into doing something similar?