olddog

iTrader: (2)

I have a 93 ls400 in perfect condition except for the rear suspension. when i go over a bump the fronts go on fine but the rear acts all loose and like just dumps itself when coming down a bump like it absorbed no shock. This has caused for me to believe my rear suspension is dead.

i have searched the forums all day and i believe they are not air-suspension (although i noticed today that the left driver side is way lower than the rest). reason i believe i don't have air-suspension is cos i cannot find the air-sus switch which many claim to have beside their ect button or shifter. funny thing is when i do the famous push-suspension test, i push the trunk down and let go, it comes up and rests like its all good. i only feel the rear acting abnormal when driving over rough road or bumps.

Anyways, please correct me if am wrong on the air-suspension stuff but if not what is the cheapest suspension i can get for the rear. the fronts are perfectly fine.
Also, do i have change the springs and the shocks or just the shocks?

thanks alot
olddog

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

just springs unless something's broken.

KYB prolly cheapest/closest to OEM.

olddog

iTrader: (2)

thanks alot.
don't think anything is broken.
but i would have thought it was the shocks that were gone since it still had its bounce.
is there a way to find out specifically if either the shocks are gone or the springs are gone. any tactics?

thanks
olddog

olddog

iTrader: (2)

Just searched the internet and found this;

Shocks only do one thing in a vehicle, when a tire hits a bump it wants to bounce like a basketball and shock absorbers are there to stop the tire from bouncing. Springs and air filled tires are both well designed to bounce, so something had to be done to stop the bouncing. Shock absorbers only stop a tire from bouncing and do it by resisting the bouncing without stopping the ability of the vehicle to give a smooth ride on rough roads. If the tire wants to keep bouncing when you hit a bump, it's a sign of bad shocks. Examine the top of the shocks, if you can see oil leaking out of the top of the shocks, they're done, replace them.

On the other hand, if the vehicle leans, sags or bottoms out when it's not overloaded, that's a sign of weak or broken springs.

that pretty much explains my situation.
thanks alot.
now where do i find the cheapest set of springs closest to oem for this car

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

thats not necessarily true, blown shocks will cause the car to sag a decent bit as well...

qha_vn

its true when the shocks have losen their ability to absorb

Rocan

i wouldnt just buy the cheapest shocks you can find. spending a bit more on something better is smarter. as they say- you get what you pay for.

tbilisi79

KYB is not the best. and they will not last too long. Go for OEM, or a better brand.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

on what facts do you support this claim? KYB is the next best to OEM replacement. Bilsteins are very well made but do ride a decent bit stiffer than OEM.

damon

Springs certainly could be in bad condition but I am not sure how you make that assesment.

I can easily believe that you could require spring replacement if you drove the vehicle hard with worn struts for long periods of time.

Think of a situation where the struts are worn & the car is driven over speed bumps on a daily basis due to proximity to their residence. Heavy loads in the trunk w worn struts may also cause it.

nawls400

since this topic has been brought up...i'm having an issue, whenever i hit a speedbump or other bump/ditch in the road, my front right hits very hard and when i say hard...it's a hard shock throughout the car, and you feel it very much compared to when you hit a ditch on the other good ones i was thinking this may be the shock/strut as compared to the springs. It's making a sounds that i could not really describe...but yeah can anyone help with mabye figuring out which part of my suspension this might be...it's not the Air Suspension, just the regular.

TJW98LS

iTrader: (1)

I just bought a full set of Bilsteins along with H/R springs.

This wont ride like a Mustang will it?? I'm looking for a touring sedan ride.

AND for Olddog..if you ride has alot of miles on it then i would consider changing both springs and struts...but thats just my opinion.

olddog

iTrader: (2)

i don't think my shocks are dead cos they bounce up and down when i press them down and release or when i go over bumps. bump when going over bumps the rear kind of slams down. does this confirm my springs are gone?
i serached evrywhere for ls400 springs but cannot find any. even serached ebay. where do i get rear springs from? somebody please advise.

thanks
olddog

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

best bet is a junkyard or carson

TJW-noo, nothing that bad i have mine dropped a deecnt bit more than you and while it is stiff, it isnt bone shakingly so.

skperformance

iTrader: (6)

If one corner is lower i would say you have either a spring snapped or a shock is dead and trying to take the spring out.
Once it is in the air it is easy to tell what the problem is .
I am fixing another LS400 with the same problem but getting coil overs for it.