Skggyy

iTrader: (1)

Just pick up a 04 IS300. It is very good car. But compare it with my friend's 02 IS300. Her car has much better handling. Suspension feel more solid and stiffer. Both car are bond stock. My is sport design. Is there anything diff between this two years model. If I want to improve the handling like his what should I do. Just order one set of 02 spring and strut? Or add sway bar? Everybody said 04 model is better. How come I feel the different way. Thanks for ur help. I will post some pictures soon

dsouthmia0

iTrader: (3)

I'm pretty sure they are the same, but the 01 models I believe are 1 inch lower. I would go with megan coilovers

MyLittleIS

Same, but if you want I will trade you my 02 MSM lol

MyLittleIS

[QUOTE=Skggyy;6862132]Just pick up a 04 IS300. It is very good car. But compare it with my friend's 02 IS300. HER car has much better handling. Suspension feel more solid and stiffer. Both car are bond stock. My is sport design. Is there anything diff between this two years model. If I want to improve the handling like HIS what should I do. Just order one set of 02 spring and strut? Or add sway bar? Everybody said 04 model is better. How come I feel the different way. Thanks for ur help. I will post some pictures soon[/QUOTE

which one is it? her or his??
lol, just busting *****.

you can get some coilovers, take it to a good shop to do a 4 corner alignment and tune it for your driving style.

what part of cali you from?

Skggyy

iTrader: (1)

[QUOTE=MyLittleIS;6862952]Good catch! my friend is girl. She got the car as used. She doesn't know too much about her car. I am in the orange county.

Skggyy

iTrader: (1)

but the difference is day and night. i will check if her car install sway bar or something. Thanks.

dsouthmia0

iTrader: (3)

Yea check the sways underneath struts wouldnt make that much of a diff

lookalike

2 things you should take a look at.

1. check out under her car to see if the suspension is modified. Good possiblity that it can be, sometimes just by driving on an uneven road you can tell which one is smooth (stock) vs stiff (modified)

2. Check her tires vs yours. So went from "high performance all season" to "max performance summer" and the car cornered flatter with 100x better steering responce. Not to mention corners i used to only be able to take at 40-45 i can take at 65 now like nothing.

Skggyy

iTrader: (1)

Thanks. I will check. But i know she changed 4 brand new Michellin Pilot. My car has KUMO. will this make big difference? Her car did feel more smooth and good traction

joshmannin

Michelin Pilots are decent tires, depends on what Kumho tires you got... they make them cheap 70$ tires and they make 400$ tires so that didnt help :P

if yours dont have a lot of tread youll feel more bumps be louder than one with a good bit of tread. check all 4 of your tires to see if they are uneven or bald in any spots, is your steering wheel straight or crooked?

MyLittleIS

I actually think the only difference between the 01 and later are not that much, def not an inch in height.

cars will handle differently no matter what after so many miles.

2 identical cars, 1 driven on bumpy roads for 50k and one on flat smooth as glass for 50k, the bushings will be better, the chasis will be less flexed, ect ect.

Skggyy

iTrader: (1)

I might order a sway bar for my car. does anybody know if i need front one or both front or rear. I am not tracking the car. but needs slight better handle than stock and without effect comfortable.

Btw, if i install the sway bar. do i also need a strut bar on the top? Thanks for all your input.

Skggyy

iTrader: (1)

my steering wheels is straigh like pine tree. tire is Kumho ecast something like that. but they are new. like 8/32nd. If that tire is the case. I will change one set of Michelin tires by this weekend.

lookalike

Based on this alone i do belive its simply the tires she is on are much better than yours. I could be wrong but im pretty sure she is not on Michelin Pilots But in fact on Michelin Pilot Super Sport, big difference.....they are 2 totally different tires.

Anyway i myself have tried a few Kuhmo tires (ASX, LE Sport), none that i like, about two months ago i picked up the Pilot Super Sports and my car all of a sudden was smoother, grippier, simply rode like it was on rails. Even my younger brother noticed as i was taking some corners a bit "enthusiactically" to put it nicely. He thought i had lowered the car since before these exact same corners i could not take anywhere close to the speed i was taking now....

Oh yea... and they are awsome in the wet. yea maybe 30k warranty isn't the best but hey nothing can be the best at everything. For reference the factory 215/45/17 was like 750 installed for all 4 at discount tire plus i got a 70 giftcard in the mail. Anyway best of luck!

MyLittleIS

no, you dont need strut bars, the 2 work independently from eachother. you will get much better handling from sway bars for sure.

check out several sites before you buy though, price can fluctuate.

my favorite are:

hopupracing.com
suprastore.com
thmotorsports.com