sincere43

Hey Everyone!

So I bought a used, but well maintained 97 Lexus ES 300 at 121k late 2019 and it's at 130k now. I've been doing some research about replacing my struts/strut mounts and I've seen it mentioned that KYB struts/strut mounts can give these cars a stiffer ride compared to going the OEM route. I believe the struts and struts mounts on my car are original so realistically would I even notice the stiffer ride Lexus owners have been mentioning since I didn't purchase mine at a low mileage? I'm planning on getting everything done at a mechanic and I'm considering just doing the front as well as the alignment and then taking care of the rear at a later time. Would love to hear which of these options below would make the most sense given my situation.

option 1: reuse original mounts and coils/replace only the struts with KYB or OEM
option 2: buy new OEM mounts, reuse original coils and buy KYB struts
option 3: replace original mounts and struts with KYB strut plus (full assembly)

LeX2K

Option 1, or option 2 if the OEM mounts are in poor shape. KYB is much stiffer than stock so be prepared for that and they never mellow to feel like stock (personal experience). Monroe OESpectrum is softer problem is as they age the strut starts to feel sloppy. Viable option if you don't plan on driving the car all that much.

sincere43

If I went with option 1 and got the KYB struts, are (KYB 334246 and KYB 334245) the right parts for just the front? For option 2, are (48609-33121 and 48603-33021) the right OEM parts for just the front mounts?

LeX2K

Those are the correct mount part numbers, left and right.
Also check the prices on the OEM struts they are going down lately, probably not many people buying them. Unless they are discontinued not sure.

48520-39605
48510-39506

sincere43

At discountpartsmonster, they carry only 48510-80137 as a replacement for 48510-39506. Lexuspartsnow carries both 48510-80137 and 48510-39506 for the front passenger side. Does it matter which one I get? Also, if my original strut mounts are in good condition and I decide to reuse, at what mileage would I realistically need to replace them?

Arsenii

Hello,

While struts for Toyota Camry and ES300 are interchangeable, it doesn't mean that they are identical, Lexus got a different, more elaborate settings, hence why you won't find its specific struts at a Toyota dealership. It all depends on your preferences and the price you get for both of those setups, if you want a totally OEM ride, you will have to go with Lexus struts, but if not, you might as well get KYB ones.

I have a 2000 ES300 with close to 230,000 miles, and my struts are still original, even though a bit out of shape by now, which is kinda to be expected.. My strut mount got torn a bit recently, so I already got a replacement, here is what to expect from them I guess. It is not something that can fail unexpectedly, so if you won't spot any signs of cracks in the rubber or excessive flexibility, you will be more than fine reusing the old mounts. Make sure to also check the strut bearings under the mounts, check that they spin freely and that the seals are not disturbed, Part Number for them is 90903-63014.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

LeX2K

Pretty sure both mounts are actually the same. There was a TSB for the 3ES front mounts due to clunking but can't remember exactly what years it was for. If it was me I'd replace the mounts don't like doing the job twice, but at the same time I've seen mounts last basically indefinitely.

...found the TSB
https://static.oemdtc.com/TSB/SU002-99.pdf

sincere43

So given that my car has 130k miles on it, should I be even worried about replacing the struts at this point unless it leaking? Personally, I'm okay with the quality of my ride. Just trying to figure out if I should hold off on the struts and mounts till it gets close to 200k miles. I have the Lexus owner's manual and maintenance schedule in my car, but couldn't find any mention of what mileage it is recommended for them to be replaced. It's all starting to sound like it ***** down to personal preference.

LeX2K

How and where the car is driven makes a big difference. I recently bought a 1998 Sienna with 220,000 miles the struts are perfect as is the rest of the suspension. Original parts, the van has been driven almost exclusively on the freeway, no road salt. Contrast that to a use case like a taxi the suspension gets totally trashed.

If the ride is still good and the struts are not leaking (check for oil on the lower perch) then don't do anything.

sincere43

Thank you both for your help!!!