Luis450R

Ok so I'm new here and I've read about people and their lowering adventures with the tanabe DF and NF. But I can't find a clear answer. Question is which spring do I get , what's the difference , and DID ANYONE GET ANY WARNING LIGHTS popping up ? Also I saw the guy who had an uneven rear on his 450h. How do you avoid that ? Thanks in advance.

morganc

Generally, you can adjust the front leveling sensor and this will solve "AFS OFF" problems. The other problem you can run into are traction control issues. if there's too much of a mismatch between wheel speeds on sharp turns, it can cut the throttle. The probability of this happening typically goes up with lowering.

I like to stick with my conventional wisdom of; if you want to supe up a car, don't buy a high-end luxury vehicle that is completely dominated by computers.

Luis450R

Good info , good advice. Thank you

Stormforge

I've installed the NF springs on my GSh, no problem with warning lights. Blueprint has the DF springs on his GSh, he hasn't mentioned anything about warning lights either (but he probably adjusted his auto leveling sensors)

Difference between the two Tanabe springs:

NF springs ride close to stock, where DF springs gives you a much better stance but the ride will be more harsh. See Tanabe's website for NF and DF comparison: http://www.tanabe-usa.com/springs.asp


Uneven rear? Probably due to incorrect spring installation by the installer. When properly installed, your GSh should look like Blueprint's on DF and my GSh on NF. Search the 3GS forum for our pics.

And to adjust the auto leveling sensor, really easy to do. See link below on this fix:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...be-nf210s.html

Luis450R

Awesome. thanks. I will search for your pics. How low did you get your car and how low is the other guy sitting ?

Stormforge

i didn't measure the actual drop, but it looks just right to me. with the extra weight of the hybrid traction battery, i believe its an extra quarter of an inch lower than posted specs. you can see how low by looking at our pics, see below:


blueprint on DF springs:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...rm-shadow.html

me on NF springs (see last 2 pics on page 2):
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...-question.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/can...-that-lol.html (a few pics of my GSh in this thread)

Luis450R

Wow amazing cars !! Exactly how i want it. Do you know the spring rates or does that even matter ? Because I'm guessing the guy with the uneven rear probably had a bad install or wrong spring rate.

Stormforge

for spring rates, check the tanabe website i posted above. choosing which spring to get depends on what you want: maximum comfort (NF) or zero wheel gap with stiffer ride (DF). i wanted max comfort (stock ride), so choosing the NF spring was a no-brainer for me.

on the other hand, coilovers provide unmatched flexibility in terms of adjusting ride height and driving dynamics. make sure you know what your end goal is for your GSh in terms of esthetics, ride quality and handling, then plan accordingly. no point getting springs and then swapping them out for coilovers half a year or a year later because you wanted to go lower or it didn't meet your goal expectations.

hope this info helps.


edit: for general info on coilovers, see link below. it's for 2GS, but the info is still applicable for our 3GS
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...-coilover.html

Luis450R

So the df gets lower than nf but nf is smoother ride ? In the website they have different ride heights right ? And also with coilovers, I'm guessing there will be a lot of warning lights will be coming on ? I heard springs were less of a hassle correct ?

Stormforge

Yes, NF has a smoother ride than DF, and yes NF and DF have different ride heights. If you adjust your coilovers properly, you shouldn't have any warning lights come on. the only potential warning light that could go on would be your AVS, because AVS is compatible with only stock shocks (i.e. if you get coilovers, you lose AVS functionality). see link below for more info:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...-lowering.html

springs are the easiest to install and in terms of price, the most cost effective. but you do get better handling with coilovers because you can dial in exactly how you want your suspension to perform.

and if you do get warning lights after you install your springs (or coilovers), make sure you've adjusted your auto leveling sensor. see the link in post #4 above.

Luis450R

Ahh got it. I am going to go the spring route. Hopefully next month it will be done and will post pics. Thanks for all your info. It helped A LOT!

Stormforge

you're welcome! i need to edit my previous comment above - coilovers should be easier to install than springs as you swap out the oem shock/springs with the aftermarket coilover. there is a bit more work involved in replacing springs. sorry for the confusion.