nolyaw

I am going to replace all four shocks on my 93 LS. Which are the best to keep it as close to a factory ride as possble? Tokico, KYB gr2, or Monroes? Any opinion from experience would be great. I have factory springs with 18" x8 wheels, 40mm offset, 235/50/18 tires. I have used all these brands in the past on various cars, I would just like some feedback from people that have them on an LS. Also, to get to the back ones, I am ASSuming I have to remove the back seat. True or untrue?

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

kyb gr2 is closest to oem ride. hurry before pd rushes in and abuses you about not searching!


lol jk PD .

nolyaw

No kidding, I just did a search, should have done it before I posted. Looks like KYB would be the best choice. So do I need to remove the back seat area to do the rears?

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

i got mine done at a shop....was a hassle to change the rears really. they dropped the axle connections and was still a tight fit to get the rear shocks out. but yea...rear seats gotta come out to remove some of the carpeting to get the upper bolt out.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

pshh, i wouldnt have said that, the guy's looking for an OPINION on which option to put in, he already knows the options

closest to OEM is KYB, softest and most reliable u can get

nolyaw

KYB it is. Boy is there a difference in price between mail order companies and ebay! I am going to do the urathane sway bar bushings also. I feel like I am going to topple over in a corner.

93LSexy

Yup, i just got a set of GR-2 from eBay, $270 shipped. May I recommand Daizen sway bushings and Eibach Sportline Springs? I order them all last week and have received all of them. Going in the shop on Wednesday!!!

fisher9720

I put OEM on the front, ride excellent.. A few months later I bought on http://www.lexpartsonline.com/ and I thought they were the black OEM shocks.. But then sent KYB GR-2's.. Which are a silver color.. I put them on anyways, they are slightly and i mean Slightly stiffer shock..

BUt after driving for a few months, they've softened up.. But If I had to do it all over again, I would just get them from the dealer, you save like $18 a shock by the time you pay for shipping, just get OEM, they're pretty reasonable....Some have said the valve settings on the KYB GR-2's are slightly harder than the OEM.. I believe they are..

Replacing the front are a pice of cake. Back are a little harder, yes, take out the seat.. I was ablt to reach the bolt on the top without taking off the rear deck ..
WHat you do is put the closed end of the wrench on the nut.. You can't get enough tourque from a wrench to undo the bolt...You know the trick where you take one of the tines of the open end, and take another wrench and put the circle part on the tine and twist it adn you make the wrench longer and you can get at it htis way, and get more torque.. Piece of cake.. You don't have to take out all that rear deck stuff it says in the procedures....

Also when you take out the rear shock, you have to push down the carriage.. You don't hav to take off the caliper and all that.. Twist the shock 90 degrees and play with it, you can get it out.. Just be careful you don't cut the CV Boot!

SHock are a piece of cake compared to those damn motor mounts.. Wow , those are difficult...LOL..Just did those this last wekend, a few scrapes on my hands and a sore back...
GL

fisher9720

ALso Nolyaw,
If you want to maintain the factory ride don't put in those e3ibachs and poly bushings, junk.. Get the original rubber.. THose poly's squeak and if you want this car to handle good, go buy an integra and ghetto it out..LOL...

THe car is designed for soft rubber, keep it that way. If you want to keep the factory ride, If you want to mess with the geometry of the suspension, then you are on your own, but it won't ride like a lexus should..

I believe the Rear carrier bushings, the lower ball joints, and the engine mounts are the 3 most important things to keep these cars handling good, especially the carrier's and Ball joints. Engine mounts keep the driveline in a very specific fashion to prevent vibrations.. And if you are gettign klunking in front and you replaced the sway bar bushings, replace the UCA's... BUt if you have handling issues, those are probaby worn out, unless you take it to the track and try to hang with a 911 or something...

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

rofl, replacing the bushings with poly wont "mess with the geometry of the suspension" at all.

it will make the ride a decent bit firmer than stock.

you need to go learn about "handling" since u assume handling and ride quality go hand in hand, go sit in a newer BMW and see what handling and comfort can feel like (OR the new IS-F but i haven no personal exp. with that)

lmao, Engine mounts

fisher9720

Removing the backseat is easy.. You have to remove it to get access to the top bolts.. The hardest part is yo have to use our legs or if you have another jack, to manilpulate the rear carrier up and down to fit the shock in and remove.. Then to reinstall, the hardes part is getting the shock to line up in the hole at the top.. Then put the bolt on..

ALso I forgot with those damn KYB's, what made me mad.. The bottom of the shock, where the bolt passes through, I had to grind about 1/16" of an inch from the bottom side because it was too wide to fit into the car's bottom shock mount.....
On the OEM shocks they just slipped right in... So don't bother saving yourself a little money... Other wise go ahead and grind off a little bit of the KYB's.. Of course doa test fit first.. you don't want to grind off too much because it will shift in there.. Just enough to get it to go in.. I had to hammer the shock a little , it was tight fit.....
But you shoudln't have to go through that.. That cost me a lot of time....and Pissed me off!!

fisher9720

When I say geometry I am just meaning the general ride/handling characteristics, a stiffer ride mainly... I'm just talking in general and not specifics..Besides, handling and ride quality on a passive shock are pretty much set..
We aren't talking about an active suspension like on a new BMW, you can't compare apples to oranges...Different discussion Puredrifter, with a name like that I see I offended you by calling modifications ghettofying these cars.. I'll bet you have tint and the stick on chrome and all that..LOL..

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

hahah, your one to talk buddy, just search around these forums and see what ive got on my car.

remember, THINK then talk, and even slightly older BMWs of the same era as my car for example (99) without the active susp. give a firmer ride without being harsh or rough.

im not responding to you for the rest of this thread, its gone offtopic enough.

93LSexy

How is Eibachs junk??? They are one of the BIGGEST spring manufactures in the world!!! Probably the best! Who do you think makes the stock springs for all the auto manufactures? That's like calling Brembo brakes junk just because they appear to be aftermarket, but they are the biggest brake supplier to Porchse, Ferrari, Lambo, Nissan, and yes TOYOTA!
People have different taste in their mods, just because you want to do everything stock doesn't mean other parts are junk!
Like PD said...do some research first and think before you speak and so you don't make a fool out of yourself!

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Fisher, keep this discussion on the topic of the post and not focused on insulting the other members because you disagree with their opinion. If you can't, I suggest you exit the thread.