I'm planning to replace my OEM suspension with KYB GR-2 and Eibach. I'm tired of the brake dip and insane body roll. the comfort is great, but I feel i need a bit more control. I did some search in the forum but never got a definate answer on if it is nessesory to change the front/rear strut mount. Can I reuse the stock ones? And what's that spring insulator thing that I see people talking about. Can I reuse that as well?

thanks guys.

 

where do you plan on getting eibach springs for the 1st gen LS.......

hope u have a reliable source for used springs.

 

Tirerack. They have both the H&R and Eibach for my 93. I bought it for $275 plus $30 shipping. There are only 2 sets left and I bought one. The H&R is about $30 cheaper but I decided to go with Eibach...I had them in the past and liked how they ride.
They also had last two front KYB shock mounts left and i got both of them on sale for $32 each instead of $57. I figured I can reuse the back ones since the previous owner had the rear shocks changed at the dealer only 20K miles ago.

going to order the GR-2 from ebay. found them for $270 shipped.

can't wait for the new ride feel!!

so can I reuse the shock mounts and that shock/spring insulator??

 

thats REALLY wierd

eibach hasnt made springs for 1st gen in at least 4-5 years


lol, you got lucky and found a set, i love my custom eibachs

 

yeah...i questioned the guy and he told me its left over inventory. there are no more, only two sets left!! I personally like Eibach better than H&R. Hope this combo will work out well.

so can someone please answer my questions please???

 

you dont HAVE to replace the strut mounts but u may as well since its a bit of a pita to open up the interior to get to the rears and its only like $50/each.

spring insulators are basically rubber tubes that wrap around the first couple coils a bit to keep them from rubbing, i used vinyl tubing

 

thanks buddy. I appreciate the answers. I will check the rears when I take the shocks off to see if they are new. since they have been recently replaced...they might be new. I can reuse them.

 

I have that setup and love them...

 

awesome...can't wait!!

 

ok so strunt mounts dont need to be changed out?!?! i just bought a set from tirerack for 100 shipped and i thought it had the rubber. apparrently i need insulators (part # 48157-50010). Why does everyone recommend changing them when they are just metal. How do strut mounts wear out? i think i wasted my money!

please get back to me guys. I finally have money to invest in my LS suspension but i dont want to waste $$!!

 

theres a bearing inside them.

 

Strut mounts are like two steel plates seperated by rubber. They do wear out and will cause knocking. Some have reused their mounts and have had no problems. The deciding factor here is the cost of labor. Might as well do it when it is all apart. Even if your labor is free, i.e. you DIY, you don't want to skimp on mounts ($100/pr) because it will take you hours to change these later. Insulators and bumpers require even more time, needing a spring compressor to take the whole thing apart. The cost of OEM insulators is annoying but it is a substantial part and fresh ones will definitely keep your Lexus happy. They are the only thing between your springs and your shocks and they shield your shocks from road debris. If your insulators are 15+ years old, they are probably thrashed.

glenmore
1990 LS400
1991 300CE
2000 C280

 

ok cool! well i bought some used suspension(shocks and struts) and the insulators for the front are cracked but the rear is fine. I think i'm just gonna buy new front insulators. i've already spent 200 on parts plus i need lower ball joints (another $140) and another $50 for the front insulators. plus my friend is gonna install em so i'm not sure how much i'll spend on labor. oh man. I know my car wont be perfect but i cant spend tooo much on a car with 275k... Plus i need new tires thats gonna be another $400 easy.

1K isnt too much to spend on a reliable ride that still runs like a top.

btw, i'm not complaining i understand cars need $$$ and a lexus is one of the cheapest cars(that still measure up to modern rides) i will ever own.