if you put a solid metal piece instead of a damper, you will realize the difference for sure.

now imagine this damper that made the difference now even got better. This is how I see it as not all dampers created equal.

After all, if some people believe that Toyota/Lexus got some unethical marketing practices in regards to the systems used in their cars, then all other systems which we based our buying decision on should be questioned too

 

Longtime lurker making a post to give you guys a heads up about the TRD dampers for the LC500. I ordered the front and back set to install onto my 2018 Coupe to reduce vibrations over choppy roads and while the front dampers installed perfectly, the rear dampers did not fit. The TRD manual shows how it's supposed to be bolted on to existing thread holes on the frame but doing so prevents the rear impact bar from being installed back onto the car. My auto guy spent a good couple hours trying to figure out if there was a certain orientation or maybe the instructions were read wrong but nope, it will not fit unless you decide to not install the rear impact bar back on.

By dumb luck there was another LC500 in the garage undergoing a full wrap job that had the bumpers already partially removed: a 2021/22 vert with the dampers already installed. The vert had the dampers installed directly onto the rear impact bar rather than in front of it like the TRD instructions. After looking at how the OEM was installed, my auto guy bolted the dampers on in a similar brace setup by drilling/threading the damper support frame onto the rear impact bar. If it weren't for that vert being in the shop at the same time it would not have been figured out and I'd be stuck trying to get a refund from Japan. Big thanks to him for coming through, if you need a rec for a good auto/body/wrap shop over in Los Angeles, I'll be more than happy to refer him if you PM me. I have some example pics in case anyone else runs into the same issue.

If you really want the rear dampers on your 2018/19 model, it's probably better to buddy up with a Lexus Dealership and see if they can order you the OEM part directly. You would also need the 2021+ model rear impact bar to go with it with preinstalled threads unless you want to drill holes yourself. Keep in mind this doesn't include the front dampers that come from the TRD set. I don't know how much the front dampers matter exactly as I couldn't test one without the other but with both installed, they do a noticeable job reducing micro jutters over choppy roads/bumps. No difference in handling from what I can tell so if you already love the NVH/Comfort of your LC, it's probably unnecessary.


TRD instructions showing how the rear dampers are supposed to be installed.

With the dampers in place, the rear impact brace cannot be placed back on.

The OEM install example on the convertible being wrapped in the shop.

The macgyver solution to fit the damper on in a similar setup.

 

Thanks @Foamy for the detailed and important clarification. Mine shall be installed within the next few weeks.

I wonder if you double checked the part# on the dampers to make sure you received the ones for the coupe as they might have sent you the dampers for the convertible by mistake!

Also, do you have pictures of the final product in your car front and rear after all the work is done?

Thanks again for sharing this info. Much appreciated

 

The possibility of being given the wrong part did cross our minds but looking at the packaging and etc., it all matched the coupe spec. Another thing too is that the way the rear brackets are designed, it wouldn't have fit the convertible in the shop. Out of curiosity I looked over the diagram for the hybrid model and the rear impact bar for all three variants are pretty much the same except for the later year cars having the damper installed on top. It was puzzling and after reaching out to the vendor, they couldn't give me an answer, just an offer for a refund. We decided to just stick with the modified OEM install as it looks like as long as the vibration dampers are installed onto the frame in the vicinity, it should do its job. Both the dampers from TRD and the OEM look the same and are made by Yamaha so it's likely the same part for the rears.

I would look at your brackets in your package, if you see a similar triangular design with the welded wedge, there's a good chance you're going to run into the same problem with the coupe. Unfortunately this is such a niche part for an already niche car that we're gonna be the guinea pigs.

Regarding the pics, you can't see rear dampers at all as it sits above the impact bar and is covered by the bumper. The bumper cover and etc. went back on over the installed dampers without a problem in that configuration. You can see the front dampers through the grille, here's a pic:

 

Thanks for your response, i believe i received the same part with the triangular bracket.

Before i bought these dampers i found some posts in Japanese websites and it worked smoothly for them. I remember one of the posts mentioned that on the rear side you can use BOTH oem and TRD dampers all at the same time! Does that sound doable based on what you have gone through?

 

Yeah I was wondering if the Japanese market has a different design for their LC's in the rear. TRD does state it's essentially JDM only. Maybe the rear impact bar design is a US/EU thing for crash/safety regulations but it's difficult to figure out unless you know someone who has a Japanese market LC500.

If the rear dampers are installed as pictured in the manual then yes, you can technically run both that and the OEM at the same time. The rear dampers originally would've sat below the rear impact bar, the OEM dampers would've sat above it. You can see the difference between the 2018/2019 rear impact bars from the 2020+ below.

 

Looking at the pics and specifically the one above if it's mounted at both ends to the same portion of the car how can it affect anything?

 

if intended as a stiffener, it would inhibit torque between the attachment points

 

I have 2018 lc500 and i installed on my car oem rear reinforcement with yamaha damepr
the difference is quite noticeable: 1: my car now is more quiet and soft 2:sound system: base is lower than before but overall sound system improved 3: little bit improvement in car handling:4: transmission vibration or knock in gear changing reduced!

 

Lower bass but better sound quality from a damper... lolwut?

 

yes and its not that strange. if you go to yamaha website and read the benefits of performance damper you will understand it better with mentioned details

 

Sorry to resurrect this, but how did your install end up going? I have been piecing together various OEM upgrades for my 2018 coupe, so was just interested where this thread ended for ya!

 

The rear and front TRD dampers are going great so far, no issues since installed 3 years ago.

I am very VERY interested to know about the OEM upgrades you found for your 2018. I have 03/2017 early build and I am very interested to do all possible OEM upgrades possible that came in the newer generations. Would you mind sharing a list of these upgrades please so i can start looking into them all?

 

Awesome to hear! Would love to know which damper PNs you used if your car is also a US market coupe?

There are a bunch of MS303-1100X dash numbers, and I can't figure out which one is meant for US coupes. I might be able to move it out of TBD haha.

Regarding the OEM upgrades, the big ones I have picked/am tracking up so far are below!

• INSTALLED
  • LC500H Differential (I have a table of all the PNs involved that I will have verified during installation of all the washers, seals, etc. - the thread only covers the diff unit, which frustrated me)
  • Toyota Racing Development Aero Kit (Japan Market) - I plan on making a post with some more details on this one, but a really cool, subtle, improvement to our cars (PNs - MS329-0001, MS341-11003, MS344-11003, MS313-11003, MS342-11003)
  • Improved Bracing - There were some bracing improvements made in 2025 that have very little community traffic and the parts are, from what I can see, way too expensive for the benefit. Instead, I am bending the OEM rule slightly to accommodate the use of Tom's Stiffening kit, which only cost $2500 shipped (https://www.blackhawkjapan.com/produ...m&_ss=e&_v=1.0) and should provide essentially identical results.
• TBD
  • Yamaha Performance Damper - Trying to nail down which dash number to buy, since there are -1 through -9 and the instructions for each are essentially identical.
  • Transmission Cooler - Japan market vehicles and seemingly a subset of 2024 special edition LC's (might) have received improved transmission cooling. There is one guy in this thread that has done, but like almost every project here no parts list was provided (TRANSMISSION COOLER LINK)
  • 2025 Door Striker - New LCs have a potentially improved Door striker for improved rigidity in the weakest part of the vehicle (PN 69410-11010). This is a very new subject, so I am just keeping an eye on it for the time being (2024 DOOR STRIKER LINK)

 

You can find my feedback in Red.