2015 GX Luxury - Rough ride
 

Hi all,
I have a 2015 GX460 Luxury with air suspension. 145k miles.

Earlier this year the dealer recommended new front shocks/struts due to fluid leaks, so I replaced them. A few months after (3 months ago) I also replaced the rear shocks as the ride seemed to be rough (rougher than usual). Every bump/asphalt dip/bumps I feel much more than I remember (owned the car from 100k in 2019 to 145k in 2023). When I ride in my co-workers GX460 (2015, premium no/air suspension) over the same roads, it rides much smoother.

There are no error codes on the dash/OBDII reader. Air suspension does not appear to be failing/have failed- it does not lean or sag when parked for any amount of time.

Any thoughts/ideas what it could be? It's not as smooth over rough roads that an identical vehicle is when driven over the same road.

Thanks for any help, would love to get this fixed. I'll ask the dealer to take a closer look at the next oil change.

My first reaction is maybe the Lexus dealer didn't use Lexus OEM shocks/struts and used an aftermarket solution, possibly over a parts shortage?
Can you get in there and see what label is on there?

Also, do you both have the same sized rims? That can make a huge difference in ride quality if you're making a comparison. Also, tire pressure can be huge as well.

Yes, they are OEM Lexus shocks/struts. All rims are the same size (factory). PSI is all set to 32.

I really do wish everyone would STOP referring to "Air Suspension" ... the Luxury has AVS Shocks on all four corners ... and Rear Air Bag "Springs" for rear leveling purposes only ...

Yes, you just spent $750++ per shock for AVS Shocks that are no better than a standard premium shock alternatives at a fraction of the AVS cost. Yes ... being bluntly direct ... the AVS Shocks for me are a solution looking for a problem ... a criminal amount of money for shock replacement that perform no better than conventional premium shocks.

Well, that did not take long for someone to berate the OP about AVS shocks.

So, the Lexus dealer tells the OP the shocks/struts with 145k miles are leaking. What the do think the dealer would say if the OP said some random person on the internet says AVS shocks are solution looking for a problem? Seriously?

A thought. You original shocks were blown out do to leaking and were offering little or no damping at all. Now the new shocks are providing much more damping and thus making the ride feel firmer.

From the GX460 brochure:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...06b263bea5.jpg


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$3,000 for just the AVS Shocks ... not including labor ? Yes ... Seriously ...

"Air Suspension" and "Rear Air Springs" for Load-Leveling are two very different things.

Oh, for completeness, it says "air suspension" 30 times in the owners manual. Window sticker too.

Maybe you should email Akio to see if he will change the verbiage to suit your tastes.

OK ... suggest you do your homework versus being an owners manual "sheeple" ...

Yes, the Lexus LX does have "Air Suspension" on ALL four corners for height adjustment ... the GX does not ...

This is getting ridiculous. There are many interpretations, as a mechanic I see air suspension as only using an air bag and associated compressor as the primary "spring" component that handles both the load and levels the vehicle. I see "air spring for auto leveling" as an air bag added to a conventional spring suspension to reduce mechanical spring sag and level the vehicle.

Owners manual, service manual, window sticker. They must be wrong, what does Toyota/Lexus know?

Suggest you look up SAE white paper 2011-01-0067. If that doesn't convince you, refer to what Ford calls the suspension on Panther based Lincolns. Or the GMT820 based platform of the H2 (both same a GX setup). Yep, air suspension.

LOL, its called air suspension because a part of the force caused by a load is actually counteracted or opposed by air pressurization, thus suspending the load as part of sprung weight.
it doesnt really matter what we want to call it or if we disagree. as long as we can communicate what is being discussed its ok.

different suspension systems use air in various ways. all mfgs want to be able to throw in 'air suspension' because for many folks it is viewed as 'better'

anyways, the topic is rough ride. i agree with above in that it could be normalcy bias towards the old soft parts. maybe try lowering the psi to 30.
need to determine if you are more concerned with the road feedback for small things like gravel, cracks or you care more about big things like train tracks, potholes. you can have decent in both but as you get optimized for one you trade off on the other

also, if you want softer and more floaty you can put in weaker springs and get a cushy ride, but the tradeoff is that you will need to slow more at some conditions like huge road dips or bumpy train tracks.
can go opposite also with stiffer springs.
the best in my opinion is a hydraulic system with a diaphragm accumulator and an electronic valve. then you have more control. this is a lot like (with respect to effect) the oem suspension setting switch but with more control over the end result.