LexScPlat

Hey guys I just picked up a beautiful 97 platinum silver sc300 and want to upgrade my suspension now. I know this is the millionth thread about this but ive been researching for a couple weeks now and cant find exactly what i was looking for and just need opinions on a couple things before i make my choice. I want to lower the car to have no gap or 1 finger gap from tire to fender and was originally going to buy tein comfort sport with 10k/7k spring rates but the ones that were for sale on ebay got bought out from under me and now im stuck with trying to find some coilovers that dont have higher spring rates. Ive read about the gixxer_drew setup, but not low enough for my taste. I guess im deciding between Tein street advance with 12k/7k spring rates and Bc coils with custom springs. I think the BC's usually come with 14/8 or (14/10?) for the Sc's. I heard i can order custom spring rates from BC but if i get softer springs will the shocks need to be revalved as well? Would getting softer spring rates even help getting the car to a more stock like feel? Anybody ordered custom spring rates from them to try and replicate a softer ride? Any help from you guys would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading my paragraph sized question lol

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

My go-to source for performance questions says he's had several people put Teins on their SC and end up preferring stock suspension on this platform. The other eBay bidder may have done you a favor.

Wouldn't stock softness springs on something lowered that much have disastrous results? I don't see how you could hope to accomplish both extremes. Going away from stock is all about compromise. If the look of lowered is what you want (and I'm not at all convinced that lowered means better handling, from both personal experience and accounts of others, so it's purely about looks as far as I'm concerned), then you've already made the decision that comfort is going to suffer and that's okay.

oldManTan

Bags, that's about it, coilovers are sport suspension, they'll never be soft as stock, sorry. Supra suspension makes the SC lower, but not "slammed"

ArkLaTexSC

Popular opinion over time here states that the discontinued Tein Comfort Sport is the only one to achieve what you're after, although T2d2's source apparently disagrees.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

^^^ Disagrees pretty strongly, in fact, because I was asking him what he carried or could get that would be worth considering.

lexforlife

iTrader: (7)

teins cs version 2 will accomplish this .. one of the only teins that actually works well . it has one of the lowest spring rates as it was designed for comfort ..

i have had tein flex , tein superstreet ( garbage) , megans racing ( even more junk) and now stance .. my stances have the highest spring rates out of all of them but yet ride the best .. its all about balance of spring rate dynamically matched to correct valving of the struts ..

PM wickedsc on here , he has the teins cs version 2 on his 800rwhp sc and i have personally driven in his car and the ride is boss ... i would have gotten those but are difficult to find anymore hence why i have stance on mine now

Albatross

iTrader: (1)

KW varient 3 supra coilovers or gixxer drew suspension (from what I hear).
I have supra eibachs and struts on my SC and its super low in front with a little height in the rear. I wish the front was higher.

going super low screws with the geometry and makes the car handle worse.

LexScPlat

Man you guys are awesome, thanks for the quick replies! Ok I just want to clear up some things because after rereading my original post, it is definitely a jumbled mess. So I dont want to be really slammed, im new to the sc game and didnt really think no gap/1 finger gap would be considered too low. But if thats what it is then thats what is... I have already bought 18" wheels to help close some of the fender gap. What im gathering from alot of you guys is that Tein cs v2 would be right up my alley but no longer available/hard to find. So my real question is although I have heard that Teins arent really that great for this platform anybody have any experience with their Street advance model 12/7 spring rate? What about ordering Bc with custom coils? Yes I heard some people like stance here but they have the highest spring rates of almost any of the coilovers yet they ride the best? Care to elaborate some more? Sorry guys I tried to respond to everybody in one post, didnt want to quote each person.

LexScPlat

Oh I also wanted to mention I know i cant replicate the stock feeling just wanted info on anything that rides not so harsh. I have three other cars all on coils. I have no problems riding with a stiff suspension, I bought this Lexus for my wife as a highway cruiser to take to work but i love this car and have always wanted one so of course Im going to mod it mildly/tastefully! She drives my other cars as well and has experience driving lowered even slammed cars which are stickshift. Sadly this Sc is an auto but when I went through my usual "gotta get some rims and drop it" spiel she said she didnt want me to lower it lol, believe that!? So that is what brought me on this journey to find some nice riding coils, knowing I was going to secretly put them on when I put the new wheels on hoping she'll not notice!

Kris9884

iTrader: (7)

I have great experience with Supra lowering springs on Bilstein struts.. Was about 2 inches lower all around and feels like stock, if anything hardly stiffer but nothing to mention.

LexScPlat

Sounds promising, is that a custom gixxer_drew setup? What size wheels are you running and were you pretty much at the limit of how low they would go?

Kris9884

iTrader: (7)

Not custom at all, just lowering springs, this type of drop has been widely available for most cars for decades. There is no adjustability at all, just stock feel and a modest drop on 18's, still very streetable and comfortable.

LexScPlat

Ok thanks guys..after researching lowering springs with supra struts it sounds like this is exactly what im looking for to be able to go low while maintaining comfort. My first instinct is always to go for coilovers but now i see I can achieve what im looking for with lowering springs. Im thinking of going with billstein supra tt shocks with eibach pro kit or espelir springs, either of those look like they'll give me about two inches drop. Im gonna be on 18x9 18x10 +24 f/r. Will this setup be too bouncy and scraping all the time with struts/springs? I may have to post this in the wheel fitment thread...

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

the espilars give you the lowest drop I think but probably affects the comfort the most because of that. since you are going with supra stuff the stock supra setup is already a 1" drop on a SC, so just get some regular lowering springs like the eibach pro kit that is more middle of the line drop and you will probably be a good balance with ride still.

MongooseGA

iTrader: (6)

I've been considering swapping/trading out my TEIN SS coils for a simple shock/spring combo.

My goal is the same as OP. Back to a stock feel, while remaining lowered. I no longer need my SC to be my sports car. I'm not 16 anymore and I have a Porsche and a bike to pick up the slack.

Thoughts?