Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

Thank you, I've never heard of wrenching referred to as "sweat equity", but I like the title.

I have 35% tint on the sides and rear of my car and the glare is an issue during sunrise/sunsets. I'm going to tint the front windshield to see if it fixes my problem. I'm going with Suntek CIR70 for the front window. I ordered a roll of tint yesterday and all the tools. I've never done it before, but after a few youtube videos, I'm willing to give it a shot. I'll have enough tint to try multiple times. I convinced my best friend to split the cost with me, so once we get it down we can do all of our cars for significantly cheaper than paying a shop.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

I took these pictures to answer a question for another member, so I figured I'd add the info about aftermarket bushings to this thread too. All the arms on the SC are the same from 92-00, but the 92-96 and 97+ front LCA have different bushings from the factory which complicates replacing them.

The main difference is the rear ear of the 97+ front LCA. The factory bushing has a casing to hold the bolt tube and rubber. This casing is what prevents most bushings from fitting into the arms. Lexus offered replacement bushings from the factory. They can still be purchased on eBay and possibly at the dealership, but they’ll be tricky to install due to the fact that the bushings are directional.

Aftermarket Bushings:
Most people opt for aftermarket bushings like Prothane, Whiteline, or Superpro.

There are 2 methods for bushing installation on our front LCA:

1. Burn the bushing and keep the existing bushing shell/casing. The burn method requires a 46mm (front) and 51.1mm (rear) bushing

2. Press the bushing and remove all of the original bushing). The press method requires a 49.5mm (front) and 54.8mm (rear) bushing

The prothane bushings are advertised as a 92-96 option only and are sized for the burn method. If you were to take a 92-96 arm and a 97+ arm and burn both bushings side by side the 97+ arm has a casing on the rear bushing that will prevent the bushing from being installed. This casing has to be cut off for the bushings to fit into the arm. It has to be cut off completely to make the 97+ arm the same size as a 92-96 arm.

98 Sc300 LCA





Rear ear bushing





The section in gold has to be chopped off



OEM Option:
A picture I borrowed from the internet




The oem part numbers are:
Bush, Front Lower Arm, NO.1 48654-24040 $49.25 (Quantity 2) – Front Ear
Bush, Front Lower Arm, NO.2 48655-24050 $63.94 (Quantity 2) – Rear Ear

Additional reference material:

Gazi and Luxor do a good job of explaining what needs to be done to install the prothane bushings in this thread from 2009

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...-bushings.html

This is a great thread with an explanation of what to do for the superpro (referred to as figs engineering) bushings that are sized for the burn method

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...l-writeup.html

97+ arm compared to the supra tt arms

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...-sc-300-a.html

Supra TT arms with bushings removed

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...with-pics.html

The way to identify the supra tt arms is to look at the bushing because the sleeve has a washer/retainer attached to it. It can be seen in the 1st picture in that thread.

Duck05

Not sure if this sounds incorrect or not, but I have found that non-polarized sun glasses make a huge difference when driving and looking at the touch screens.... Using an iPhone mount attached to the a/c grille I have 3 touch screens (iPhone, Popformance climate controller, and Pioneer) and I can see them better when wearing non-polarized lenses versus polarized.... Try it and see ...

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

The screens would be easier to see without polarized glasses, but it's not enough of an issue to make it worth buying another pair of sun glasses. The screens are only difficult to see during sunrise and sunsets. Most of the time I'm stuck in traffic anyways, so I'll take my hand and block the sun real quick to read the screen.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

I added some 20% tint to the sunroof. I asked around and no tint shops wanted to do it for some reason. I figured, a) how hard can it be to do a small rectangle on the bench, and b) it's easy to pop the glass assembly out and remove it if it doesn't look good or doesn't hold up well. No awkward positions to work in.

The stuff I bought was a cheap ebay roll, so your mileage may vary. I found it pretty difficult to get the bubbles out without damaging the vinyl from all the scraping. For overhead purposes, it's plenty good to not be noticeable. For a windshield, I probably wouldn't be happy with it. In the end, though, it does a nice job of blocking overhead sun while still providing the airy feeling of having the slider open.

Absolutely. I'm not about to drop another $600+ on non-polarized prescription shades, though. My Double DIN has a slightly bigger drawback then just blindly changing stations or tracks, however. It's also a GPS unit, and not being able to see the screen well in the majority of daylight conditions could render that aspect fairly pointless. And people wonder why I'm a techno grouch.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

My sunroof has 5% tint on it, and I'll most likely be redoing it with the Suntek tint. The guy that did my windows said he would do it for an additional 20 bucks. It was one of those shops that will do anything as long as I was willing to pay for it. His work wasn't the greatest though.

While I was doing my research on window tinting forums, I found that the reason sunroofs and panoramic roofs aren't tinted dark because of heat build up and potentially causing the glass to crack. I don't remember which specification they were talking about, but there is a safe range for the glass.

When you tinted your sunroof did you pre-shrink the tint before attempting to install it? During the installation process it seems like most people start by making a cross and then working the film 1 quadrant at a time to get all the slip solution out

Some of my tools started to come in:


- Side sweeper squeegee
- Double sided squeegee
- Blue Max squeegee
- 2 yellow triangle hard cards for tucking corners and edges
- White hard card

Additional tools:
- Automotive flat glass bulldozer (hasn't arrived yet)
- Olfa knive
- heat gun
- 3M Scotch brite pad - white/ softest ones available
- 3M hard cards with felt lining
- 1" razor blades
- johnson and johnsons baby shampoo
- pressurized sprayer

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

I hadn't considered that, but it explains why shops here were leery of doing it. Good thing I have spare glass panels, should it prove to be a valid concern.

The instructions I followed didn't mention pre-shrinking or quadrants. Mostly just using lots of solution and evenly working it from the middle out. The problem was, it would dry/adhere too fast to get all the bubbles out before they were trapped. I imagine that goes back to the quality of the film and its channels.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

I finally found a shift boot and bought it before Jim could.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

This might be useful for someone one day, so I’m adding it to this thread.

How to calculate rim offsets and wheel disk (for a 3 piece wheel). It’s simple to calculate once you understand how the measurements work. You’ll be able to get within +/- 2mm with a few tools and 3 measurements.

Tools:
1. Tape measure
2. Straight edge (24” level works perfectly)
3. An accurate 90 degree straight edge (a quick square is what I use)

Measurements needed:
1. Total rim width (not the stated width) – this is usually rounded up to the closest ½”
2. Inner lip/barrel width – usually measured to the closest ½” because part of the flange is covered when the wheel is assembled making it impossible to get an accurate measurement.
3. Backspacing – this has to be measured accurately, that’s why 2 straight edges should be used to make a perfect 90 degree angle

Start off my laying the rim on an even surface with the face down and put the straight edge across.


1. Measure total Width (in this case 10”)


2. Measure the inner barrel (in this case 7”)


3. Measure the backspacing (In this case 5 25/32)


A look at the front pad (High disk)




Now, on to the same process for the rears

1. Measure total width (12”) https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Id...=w1688-h949-no
2. Measure the inner lip (7”) https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/o8...=w1688-h949-no
3. Measure the backspacing (6 25/32”) https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nN...=w1688-h949-no
A look at the rear pad (Low disk) https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Nc...=w1688-h949-no

With the 3 measurements, you can move forward and calculate the offsets. It helps if you convert everything to mm. 1” = 25.4mm
- Offset = Backspacing – (Total width/2)
- Disk = Inner Barrel - Backspacing

The disk calculation is only good for a 3 piece wheel. The number should always be negative and it represents how far the pad goes into the inner barrel once assembled. The disk are determined based on a range (based on my experience with multiple wheels)
0 to -10 = Low disk
-11 to -25 = Mid disk
-25 to -35 = High disk (BBK clearance)

The calculations work out as the following:

After all the calculations are done, it’s time for the confusing part: We measured the wheels with a total width of 10” (Front) and 12” (Rear), but this isn’t the width that is normally stated when you shop for wheels. The stated width is 1” narrower because the flange on the rim isn’t counted in the width. Each flange is ½” and there are 2 (inside and outside).

This makes the stated/advertised specs of the rims:
Front: 19x9 +20 (high disk)
Rear: 19x11 +20 (low disk).

If you ever order new lips for your wheels, remember that this is how it's measured:

jimmymac30

iTrader: (8)

that’s just mean!! However, I’ll be posting up what I have in a couple days. A small hint, it’s carbon fiber 😉

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

I attempted to tint the windshield today and failed miserably during the shrinking process. I'll give it another shot later in the week when I can find someone to come help me.




I let my cat in the garage while I was putting my tools away. I forgot the windows were down, so the 1st thing he did was jump inside to look around.


Is it the one from Taiwan?

jimmymac30

iTrader: (8)

It is! Currently the only one in the states as he is waiting on leather boots to come in before he ships. I told him I only want the bezel and I’ll get a boot so he next day aired me the bezel. I can’t believe how light it is! It literally weighs nothing lol I painted it black to match the rest of my trim but I might sand it down and clear it to show off the carbon fiber.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

I think a CF shifter bezel would look out of place without a CF ashtray lid. I really like his honeycomb CF design, but the OCD part of me would always be annoyed if it wasn't perfectly straight. lol

2jzdc

Your car is beautiful, you probably have the cleanest SC I've seen local in SoCal.
Mind if I ask, what happened to your air suspension?

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

Test fit the HRE's over some GS-F brakes to see if it'll clear. I'm glad i thought ahead and put tape over the calipers before starting. I'm pretty sure I bent the heatshield forcing the rim on. oh well...



I also learned the GS-F has 14.9" rotors, not 14.2" like the IS-F, so this test fit was a waste of time. The minimum drop center for the rim has to be 16.75" if anyone was curious. I also tried test fitting my IS350 wheels and that got stuck on the rotor/heat shield.

Thanks man, where did you see my car?. There are a few other locals with much nicer/complete SCs around socal, but they keep to themselves.

I still have the air suspension. It's collecting dust in my garage. It's been for sale forever now, and I either get super low balled or no one follows through when I agree to their price.