David GS400

iTrader: (1)

Just put on my TRD sway bars, upper and lower chassis braces. Wow, what a difference! The car suddenly feels like the BMW M3 I used to drive. While not as light as the Bimmer, the car feels very nimble. The car feels much tighter and precise. The steering is unbelievably responsive, with the car remaining very flat! I'm also running the TRD steering ECU and Eibach springs with the "stock shocks!" Yes, stock shocks, but they are still working great. With the SRT Racing mods I already did, this car really wants to go. Steve Ganz at Carson Toyota was a pleasure to deal with and I got my stuff in a couple of days. Now I just need some open road!

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Way to go David - I have the same setup and love it.

Now you'll wish for stronger brakes and more seat side bolstering

QBranchCars

I finally installed the TRD lower chassis brace. The STB and sways have been on the car for a few months now, but I still notice the difference with the new lower brace. Great setup. Now I'm trying to see if Steve can get the TOM's rear lower brace and STB, because TRD does not make them.

David GS400

iTrader: (1)

Hey bitkahuna:

Are you running any kind of brake upgrade? That may be my next mod.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Haven't done that yet - yes, as the car gets more capable, it seems like less mushy brakes would be great to have. I'm tempted to just put steel brake lines on first.

One concern on changing out brakes it making sure they'll fit with my rims, and I don't know how to do that really.

The other concern is $$$ - that's not a cheap upgrade!

What upgrade are you considering? There's RMM, Brembo, and TRD to name a few.

disc108

how much does the TRD front strut bar, sway bars, front upper and lower chassis braces, and rear brace cost altogether?

David GS400

iTrader: (1)

Contact Steve Ganz at Carson Toyota to get the stuff. He's very easy to deal with; he'll ship it out immediately if he has them in stock. I don't know if these prices are current, but I paid:

TRD STB-$220.00
TRD LCB-$170.00
TRD Sways, set- $542.50

The TRD Sways are quite a bit beefier than the Intrax, but the Intrax are less money.

chowder

i gather the idea is to add rigidity here.
can someone define the terms being used (strut, sways, braces)? are they all the same sort of thing, just different names to represent where they are installed?
thanks and apologies for dumbing down the thread.

Overtaxed

Bitkahuna, have your brakes always been mushy or have they faded since they were new?

I've had a loaner GS3 for a couple of weeks waiting for delivery of my car, and I though that the brakes were kind of mushy.

Yesterday I picked up my GS 430 and it brakes like nothing else! At first it was almost hard to get a smooth ride because the brakes dig in so hard and you have to be very light on the pedal.

Are there different brakes/pads on the GS 430 than on older models?

I guess the brakes could fade a little bit when they are worn in, but I've picked up a few brand new cars through the years and never felt anything like this except once on an Audi with Porsche brakes.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Can't remember exactly how they felt at new, but I've always felt the pedal feel is soft and braking amount varies a lot over the travel. But I agree with you, the braking power is definitely there. Mushy doesn't mean weak brakes, I just don't like the feel that much. I'd prefer less pedal travel for more braking.

GS4Will

Hi O/T,

from your experience, my conclusion is that the new gs430 has received some break improvement job from the factory. your posts further strengthen the latest motortrend magazine's road test on the gs430 breaking distance.

gs400 ~119 ft (60mph-stop)
gs430 ~109 ft

perhaps lexus is really listening to the owners feedback.

David GS400

iTrader: (1)

I've heard from other members that going with the TRD brake pads improve braking substantially.

GS4Will

but you do get a lot more break dust. i do not mind at all

Overtaxed

There's alot of dust from my brakes. I don't know if it's very likely, but perhaps they're now using the TRD pads as standard?

disc108

chowder,

the front strut bar connects the two posts in the engine bay. if u pop open ur hood, u will see 2 big circles on the top left and right. the strut bar is mounted there... as for the lower chassis braces and sway bars, they go underneath and strengthin the car to make it more inflexible. i read soemwhere that u have to think of ur car like a shoebox. if u hold the shoebox on the long ends and twist in opposite directions, it will flex. if u have a wooden dowel taped across it, it will be less likely to flex. all these components do that, making the chassis more rigid, giving u better handling by making the chassis flex less and making sure ur car stays level.