Lvangundy

I'm posting in the main forum for LS, (it doesn't seem alot of people browse through the suspension/handling threads) so if admins feel like moving this, please do ;-)

Anyway..I've been getting ready to go with the Tokico blue's for the front of my 90 LS. BUT after doing some research and reading reviews on them, it seems some people had bad experiences with them blowing out and leaking. Some also mentioned bad floating on the highway.

Here at carreview.com are some user reviews (which are mostly honda/acura drivers.)

So, has anyone here who has the tokico blues installed had any problems so far? Is there alot of body roll and loose traction? I guess anything is better than worn out stock struts, so replacing mine is a priority. oh and no, I'm not looking for touring performance or anything, just something good and soft like OEM with better handling.

zushwa

I can't say that shocks alone will give better performance but my combo of H&R springs and Tokico shocks have been a great investment. Better handling and looks and no noticable loss of comfort noticed by me or other passengers.

2UX31 YM

Funny you should ask that. I just had all four shocks replaced on saturday with Tokico Blues. I got them from shox.com.
I used to work at the installation shop when i was 16 so they only charged me $175 to install all 4. The fronts they said were very easy only about 1 hour to do. The rears they said took over 3 hours, and I had already taken the rear seat out.
The shocks drive great. They are a little stiff at first. My LS has 141000 on it and had the original shocks. Maybe its just me but it feels as if the car accelerates better with less rear end sag and stops better with less front end dive. The side to side motion of the car is also improved. I also used to have this shaking between 70-85mph. It is now as smooth as silk.

I should be getting new tires this week or next week along with a 4 wheel alignment. Ill let you know if there is anf difference.

LOTC

Zushwa any problems so far with the h/r and tokico combo? any squeaks or creeking?

anybody else tried kyb,blisten, or koni on their LS?

zushwa

No squeaks or creeking. The day of installation I had to cross this *****ty bridge (James River Bridge for the locals) and it sounded like I hit the bump-stop??? and about a month ago I heard a similar sound *once* on a road I travel every day but other than that it's been fine. Once I get 20's I'll decide if the handling and look are to my satisfaction and if not...well, you know the alternative.

GA400

Thanks for sharing your experience, dude! I plan to get this done in the next couple of weeks and trying to decide between Lexus oem, Monroe, or Tokico. did you get your springs replaced too? did you get a 4 wheel alignment too?

Thx

GA400

FusionMan79

How many of you with Tokico blues had the suspension supports replaced when you had your struts installed?

2UX31 YM

I kept my factory springs because of the snow here in Grand Island NY. I will have a 4 wheel alignment done once i get my new tires in a week or so. The car does drive perfectly straight right now though.

GA400

Thanks! I am looking forward to my smooth ride having a smooth ride

TRM04

Could someone share pics of their lowered LS with stock wheels? I'd like to see what it looks like since I also will be replacing my stock setup with an aftermarket one with future plans to go with upgraded wheels. How low is the drop the majority of you are seeing? Seems like the ride quality is not suffering which is a HUGE plus!

Thanks guys!

tmy727

Here's my 2 cents:

2 Years ago,
I replaced my stock springs for a set of INTRAX (1'75 inch drop) and my 2 front shocks to KYB..... but I left the rear shocks stock. The stance was low and perfect with my 18" MHT V10's - Pirelli P7000 Supertouring. The ride was still soft, but a little bouncy. Unfortunately, the INTRAX turned out to be defective and they were recalling all LS400 sets.

I ended up replacing them with a set of EIBACH's (1' inch drop). The ride remained the same, but the gap between my fender and wheel was horrible !!! It's like "Why bother dropping?" To me.... it looked worse than stock. The shocks seemed to wear very fast - 1) could be that mine were old ... or 2) OEM shocks were not designed to handle the pressure and performance springs ... or 3) BOTH.

1 Year ago,
Anyhow, I replaced all 4 shocks with Tokiko Blue's. The ride is more noticably stiffer, but handles very well. It's a little bumpy on bad road conditions, but still beautifully smooth on decent roads. My brothers BMW with 17's are just as bumpy, so I think my ride is common when you stiffen up your suspension and go with low profiles. I kinda got used to it.... The stance seemed a slight lower, but I would prefer it 1/2 lower all around. Also, the rear seems higher than the fronts... hmm.. weird.


Nothing fancy, but here are the specs:

* 1990 LS400
* Completely White Pearl
* Clear fronts w/Hyper Plasma
* [HAD] Clr/Red Rears ... but were also defective from Procarparts.com. They're crediting my account.
* Levoc Stainless Pedal Set
* Tokiko Blue
* Eibach Pro
* 18" MHT V10's

FUTURE,
Repolish wheels
Retint windows 1 shade all around
Slotted rotors all around
Low-key body kit

GA400

sounds like you have one sharp ride! any pics on the web or in the galleries here?

GA400

retrodrive

Mine is lowered with stock wheels right now but I have bigger sideskirts and it makes the car look even lower.

TRM04

Show some pics! Please!

Thanks

retrodrive

they are on the side but here is a side view...