hi all,

i'm to buy RSR down springs and while lowering a car on springs isn't new to me, i've never done it myself and have always had a shop do it for me. is this something that can be done easily without having ever done anything like it before assuming i rent/buy spring compressors? or is it just too complicated/tedious for a novice with the potential to either injure myself or damage the vehicle? i searched, although i could not find a step-by-step tutorial on the RWD architecture IS models, so i really don't know what i'm in for.

alternatively, i could just bring it to a shop.

thanks!

 

I don't really work on cars but my friend who does all his own work on his E92 M3 (he installed his own supercharger), said he would help me out with the springs install. He couldn't get some of the bolts off in the wheel well, it was way too much of a small area for him and the bolts were super tight. I'm not sure if he didn't have the right tools but when he would try, it just wasn't coming off. I then found a mechanic who agreed to do the work, initially, he had some trouble but once he figured out the first one, he was able to do the rest, took him 3-4 hours. I would say it's a pretty intensive job and not as straightforward as more simple cars since the IS is super compact and tightened down from factory.

However, I've seen people on this forum and on YouTube do this but be prepared to spend 6-8 hours (basically a day) doing this project.

 

thanks for all of that info! i'll definitely take it somewhere and let them deal with it.

 

I hope I'm not deterring you from working on your car, if I had time, tools, and the knowledge, I would do it myself but at the same time, it's a car.. I don't want to mess something up, mess the car up, and risk my own safety.

I got quoted at multiple places for $500-800 for install alone, but the correct price is around $300 if you were wondering about the cost. People will ask "what car is it?" and as soon as you say "Lexus ____", they will try to upcharge you because it's a 1) luxury car 2) will think you have more money than the average person 3) think you don't know anything about cars. Just do some fibbing and say, "I saw good reviews from your shop, I got some quotes for $250-350 so if you are willing to do it for that, I'd appreciate it, if not I'll continue searching elsewhere". Make sure you check Google/Yelp reviews as well.

 

Here ya go: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...intensive.html

 

yeah, those are the quoted prices that i have been getting. some of the shops that i have sent messages to, i sent exactly those types of messages and received no response, so i guess i'm gonna be paying a higher price.

 

I ended up doing it myself with the help of a buddy (mainly just held things in place when needed). It wasn't awful it was just more time-consuming if anything. I did have some bolts that were a pain in the *** to get out and that's the only reason it took long. Besides that, it's a pretty straightforward job. Plenty of youtube videos along with forums for installation guidance. I went to my local AutoZone and rented out a Spring Compressor since I didn't have one.

 

i found a reputable shop that'll do it for $360, so now i have to order the springs. getting another car is only fun when i really want to get one, not when i have to out of necessity because i'm rushed, i have to personalize it to a certain degree, and right now the car market is horrible.

 

$360 is a really good deal for the job. I installed the springs with my friend together. It took us pretty much 6 hours. I had never work on cars before other than oil changes. the front is very intensive since the struts have to be taken off. and the double wishbone makes it even a little harder. the rear is very straight forward, the springs are standalone from the struts. Not considering preparing the tools for the job. $360? I would definitely take it to that shop. I was quoted $700+.