VikH

iTrader: (5)

F-Sport Lowering Springs and F-Sport Bilstein Shocks Review

Just got the car back!!! Woodfield Lexus did great work. Very accommodating. I am not sure if their facility is new, but it is far better than Bredemman Lexus and Highland Park Lexus. I also enjoyed the fact that they have a person greet you when you enter the service bay. They also have someone take you through to the cashier and pull your car around.

Recap
I had them install the following: F-Sport Lowering Springs, F-Sport Shocks, and Sport Pedals.

I had my windows down without music playing to make sure no noises were heard from the suspension parts when going over bumps fast, slow, etc. I will probably post up after a month or 2 after the springs are settled to make sure they are still working properly.

Handling. Immediately after I sat in the car it felt tighter. Body roll is reduced and the car can take corners at higher speeds. Will post more when I get more driving in.

Ride Quality. Definitely harsher than stock. Noticeable on the bumps and dips. Passnu2 drove my car and said it was comparable to his Tein S-Techs.

Price. Expensive. It hurts. I am hurting. F-Sport Springs and Shocks: Parts = $950. Labor = $650. Parts are slightly over what Sewell charges, but they lowered the labor cost for me. I probably paid an extra $300-$400 for labor, but I got a warranty that will last till the car's warranty is up. I was also able to keep my original suspension. They put it nicely into the boxes the F-Sport parts came in. I might sell it or keep it incase I want to revert back and sell the F's.

Who is this for?
The timid modder. The person who likes to keep things stock and not have to worry about whether a problem with the car will be blamed on an aftermarket part by the dealer. I am sure these products have undergone extensive testing by TRD, so you know they will last long and be quality parts. This is NOT for people who are into VIP and slammed look. This is for people who drive their cars everyday and need to be able to go up and down steep driveways, potholes 2 feet deep, and plow through snow.

An addendum to my review (07/24/08):

1. The springs settle to about ~1.2" all around, so the pics show the car directly after install which is at 1" all around.

Two Problems with the F-Sports:

1. The infamous clunk noise. I created a separate thread to address this issue. This is a small noise that occurs (usually from the rear) over large bumps and dips. The noise is different in each case and some don't even hear the noise, so it is still quite a mystery.

2. There is a problem with the suspension over dips when driving at highway speeds. In a dip, the car first travels downwards then hits the end of the dip where it travels upwards. When it travels upwards, the car floats for longer than normal. This pushes the passengers upward and can be uncomfortable. This does not happen all the time. I will create a new thread to address this issue soon so we can diagnose the problem. Although this might be inherent in the design and cannot be fixed.

Now, the pics! Almost all of the pics have no PS. Raw pictures to show the truth. Lots of pics to help you guys on the fence decide. The drop is not slammed, but IMO, it looks way better than stock. Judge for yourself:

Before Right:

After Right:


Before Front Right:

After Front Right:


Before Rear Right:

After Rear Right:


Before Left:

After Left:


Before Left Front:

After Left Front:

VikH

iTrader: (5)

Before Left Rear:

After Left Rear:


Sport Pedals:


Money Shot:

APBT4Me

thanks for the review. i prefer the look of the car dropped on eibachs but was wanting to hear someones opinion on the shocks. where did you get the sport pedals from?

VikH

iTrader: (5)

Got mine from a member. Could not install myself because I could not get the pin out for the life of me. People think the install is hard, but it is really not if you can get the pin out. Just have the right tools.

Here is the link to Sewell. They usually have a coupon for it:

http://www.sewellpartsonline.com/par...id=88778&all=Y

ba-b4

great now get a set the sways to finish it off. I got my sways on but just waiting on my f shocks and springs. Looks nice though. Plenty enough drop for me. I don't like crawling over every bump and driveway!

pisaykotik

Except for the snow, I am one of those persons.

Nice review.

passnu2

iTrader: (33)

Nice write up Vik!!!

When you get the alignment done please post the info in the thread I started.

Thanks again for sharing. You car looks great....Any rims in the future??? I may be parting out my car if you are interested!!! Not so sure yet.

llamaboiz

WOW... that expensive $$$ you could get fully adjustable coils for that price...

suicidesam

and hotchkis sways both installed w/ alignment.

ba-b4

Personally I didn't want to put aftermarket coilovers on my ride. Shoulda bought the f parts from sewell though. It's much cheaper and get it installed by an independent shop. Only $300 bucks labor. Dealers are such rips!

AznJason

iTrader: (5)

You could buy from Sewell and have the dealer install...

OutCaster

iTrader: (1)

Yea I asked, but my local Lexus dealership said I have to purchase the parts through them also. ripoff I'd say.

ba-b4

Of course they'd say something like that.... what you do next time is just buy the parts. Then call ahead and say you need these installed and then ask how much for how many hours labor.

javyLSU

iTrader: (21)

Thanks for the great review and pics!

Javier

VikH

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for the compliments guys! Feels like a new car

Well, F-Sport Springs and Bilstein Shocks are essentially non-adjustable coils. Plus, Bilstein is one of the best suspension manufacturers. Yeah I could have gotten Tein CS for about $1000, but install would bring the total to at least $1300. Only a $300 difference. I gain a warranty backed by Lexus and will not have to worry about them hassling me about aftermarket parts when a problem occurs with the car.

This mod is not for everyone. People who like VIP look and the slammed look should NOT get this set of mods. You will not be happy.

Yes I could have. I would have saved about $100, but they gave me a discount on labor because I bought the parts from them. You do not want to know how much they were charging for labor originally.