The funny thing is, most of the supposed benefits often have equally negative effects on the suspension's geometry. Lowering with shorter stiffer springs does not always make the car handle better, and often makes it much worse in many ways.

 

Yeah, I used to be into modifications and all that nonesense until I bought my LS400. The best damn car ever made.

 

I do it for the feel behind the steering wheel. On the highway, my GS is smooth in stock form, but I do not feel confident because it floats quite a bit. I feel as if they car is going to lose track. With my current setup, the ride is firmer and the reduced body roll is such a nice feeling (for me).

 

I guess here lies the difference between a true DRIVER and a person who is content with mediocrity. NO VEHICLE unless speaking to a true performance car ( the likes of a ferrari, bugatti, lamborghini, etc ) is no where near its capacity to perform, as they are detuned to the avg consumers needs / dollar ratio.

I am from an engineering background, so I am naturally going to want the most from my car,... and in stock format, that isn't it. I almost wrecked my SC400 in a high speed maneuver, due to something being in the highway,... after that, major suspension mod,... polyeurthene bushings, coilovers, and from that, a 2000% improvement in handling... could corner faster, without loosing traction, no body roll, and a much more confident feel to driving fast.

With the GS300,... lowered,... looks better, and is slightly better than before in regards to body roll,... but no where near that of the SC.

If you think a stock LS is equivalent to that of PROPERLY lowered LS, you'd be kidding yourself.

It's not for everybody... and if this is a fad,... then so is adding turbo's, superchargers, and ECU's... which gains are all imaginary.

 

i drive both my modified (eibach+bilstein=LSportline) '99 LS400 and my dads MINT '00 LS400 and i can honestly say i like his car for being smooth but after a near miss on a main road thanks to an idiot in a sentra in which the car nearly spun out (i VSC) i love my slammed 'n stiff LS

 

stiffer != better. If the road is glassy smooth, it might be better. If there are bumps, ruts. or grooves, stiffer is undoubtedly worse. Slammed with the roll center below ground is definitely not better, and any timed exercise will prove it.

Good feel != faster, better, or more capable. It just feels better.

 

The one and ONLY thing i dont like about my GS300, is the fact that it, in stock form, looks like a 4x4 or a small SUV! The gap between the wheel and the wheelarch is insanly large...

This is my main reason for ordering the TTE 30mm lowering kit

 

i would lower an IS, GS, or other sport sadans/ and cpe, but noway on the LS
i would leave the LS as is

 

Lowering a Lexus/MB/BMW is different than lowering a Honda. Your ride will still be good IMO in the Lexus/MB/BMW as long as you don't go too extreme. In some cases, I feel your ride will improve. However I prefer a stiffer ride hence why I chose BMW as opposed to Lexus.

 

Did you recalculate your roll centers, roll axis, and roll couples when you lowered these cars? That's what chassis engineers do.

Do you know what happens to these parameters when you lower a car, and what you need to do to counter the ill effects of lowering? Or did you have four new steering knuckles made with the axles two inches higher in the knuckles to retain the stock suspension geometry without needing overly stiff springs and roll bars to counteract the increased roll couple? Or maybe some other solution to ensure the roll couple remains small and you can use springs that are still compliant and don't need super stiff dampers to control them?

I've owned cars with stiff suspensions. I still have one. On rough pavement it has poor compliance. It does not brake as well as stock, turn as well as stock, or even accelerate as well as stock unless the pavement is very smooth. Stiff != better. It only = stiff.

FWIW, every one of the fast Supra guys on a road course runs at stock ride height. Why? Because it handles best and goes fastest. There are myriad reasons, but they are all based on solid engineering and performance trials.

 

Not one of the many supra-owners i know uses the stock setup...although very good...the car practicaly screams for a more agressive setup

I would even go as far as to say that its IMO even dangerous at BPU-level...to not upgrade your suspension.

But i realize this Supra-talk is a bit off topic...so ill finnish off by saying...that i personally wouldnt want to lower an LS or an RX either..but the SC, IS and GS is a totally different matter

 

I think he meant they used stiffer springs, but kept stock height so that the suspension geometry does not change as if you're lowering the car.

 

Even Integra Type R is only 1/2" lower than GSR, and it will easily outhandle any lowered GSR.

 

Not to mention the ITR is lighter, has a LSD, sway bars, and various other things.