deanshark

Yea I guess everyone has, and is entitled to, there own opinion. Jk. That's what starts debates, which is what we need more of. I value everyones opinion. I loved my air suspension until this shock blew. I just didn't like the idea of the price for parts.
Anyway, my shocks got sent to Ohio instead of Ct. so I wont be doing them this weekend. I'll keep it updated incase anyone is following this.

deanshark

Got my shocks in yesterday. After talking to the company to tell them they were sent to the wrong state, they overnighted me another set. Great customer relations.
In the process of changing them now. Everything came off nice except the swaybar link. I didn't know ya had to use an Allen wrench in the head of the link. I shoulda read my manual, oh well. I just kept turning it and the grease came out so now I gotta get another one. Also, I need to drill the holes at the top just a tiny bit so the shock fits up inside.

j2b4o

You shouldn't have had to remove the link to intstall or remove the shocks. The top bolt holes are tight and need to be approached at exactly the right angle, I wouldn't recomend drilling them larger.

deanshark

I took the link off so I could drop the whole assembly down so the bottom of the shock would slide in. Just to make it easier. Still didn't fit. I 'm gonna get a spring compresser tomorrow, hopefully that works and might also help with the top bolts lining up.
One more question, b/c I never changed shocks before. When it's all bolted up top, it's not gonna be lined up for the bottom bolt, is it ok to turn the bottom of the shock to line up with the bracket? I just dont want to screw up the new shocks.

deanshark

I got the passenger side in. (with trouble) The drivers side is bolted in the top but I can't get the bottom to turn so I can get it in the bracket to bolt it. It's like 10* off, it wont turn.
What is the bolt in the center of the top of the shock? I see in the manual it says to loosen that, but it doesn't say why. That's also for a stock shock. Anyone know anything that would help me? Like I said I never dealt with shocks.
Oh, I didn't need to drill the holes wider or use a spring compressor like I mentioned before.

j2b4o

The top bolt holds the shock in the mount(the piece that bolts to the car). If you loosen it it should allow the shock body to rotate. Are you sure that if you spin the shock assembly around so the top bolts are in a different position? It may make the bottom bolt line up in one position. You could also stick a big screw driver in the bottom hole and use it for leverage to turn the shock body.

deanshark

Yea it comes out to where it is always turned no matter which way I turn the top for the 3 bolts. The passenger side I put a 3/8" extention through the bottom to spin it. It took alot of force to do that but the drivers side wont budge at all. I'll try to loosen that top nut tomorrow to see if that helps. I hope it does b/c I just dont have that much strength left.
Is there a certain torque that nut should be when I tighten it back up?

deanshark

Done. I got the shock to turn enough to get the bolt through the holes and tightened it up. Took it for a ride and it rides just ok, not great. It feels like a total different car, like nothing I've ever driven before, maybe b/c the fronts are springs and the backs are still air, til I can afford those. The guy at the Lexus service dept. was right, "the *** end wants to kick out a little" but only when I hit a dip going around a curve at speed on the highway.
I did realize I need both UCAs worse then I thought. I knew the ball joints were bad but, man, I could blow on the ball joint and it would move, I've never seen something so loose. (and my X-wife had 3 kids)
I guess that's a job for another weekend. Any suggestions on aftermarket? (I'm gonna search to see what is out there) On lexls he says to take out the shock to get the UCA, does it have to come out? It didn't look like it to me.

deanshark

Just an update on how it feels and rides after a few days and a couple hundred miles. The back doesn't want to kick out anymore. (or maybe I'm just used to it now) I don't feel any bumps in the front with the new shocks/springs, which is how it should be. The back, which is still air, bounces ALOT. (like a car with bad springs) It feels like I'm in the ocean hitting some big waves in a tiny boat. Also, the rear of the car looks like it's sitting way high, like there's too much air in them. My guess would be that the air suspension ECU cant adjust only the rears good enough to smooth it out. I'll just have to live with it for now, til I can change the rears to springs. The Height light on the dash flashes (no big deal) even though I unplugged the front height sensors. Actually I pulled those off and for sale if anyone needs them.

deanshark

Well, I guess the backs didn't last much longer. After changing just the front shocks from air to springs it was going good. But Fri. morning the back right was really high. (never that high, ever) I went out a couple hours later, to put windows up, b/c of rain. The back right was low, almost on the ground. It usually did this when it was hot and humid out so that's what I thought it was. Most of the time it would fill up when I started it, but not this time. The compressor wont kick on by itself. I can turn it on from jumping the connecter at the ECU in the trunk but it wont blow it up.
I'm just so tired of the air suspension in this car I'm changing the rears over this weekend and be done with it. All the good air parts will be in the classified section soon if anyone needs them.

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Well, I do think you win the award for running back air and front spring... lol Never seen it done like that before. Glad you are getting her done right. What kind of struts / shocks did you purchase?

deanshark

The reason I only did the fronts at first was b/c I couldn't afford to buy the set of all 4 and I needed my car last week. Now that I have money this week I can do the backs. It's only costing me an extra $40 this way. And b/c of my financial situation I had to go with the "cheapest" ones I could find. I'm not looking for any kind of wonderful ride or never planned on lowering the car as so many people do. I just need a car to drive. I only go, no more then, 30-40 miles a week.

These are what I went with. So far the fronts feel good, will have the rear in soon and will post how it rides.

Front

http://www.justsuspension.com/catalo...sembly-61330c/

Rear

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-Rear-Air-Bag-to-Coil-Spring-Strut-Conversion-Kit-for-a-Lexus-LS400/350770922522?_trksid=p2045573.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27%26meid%3D890212812544195642%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D1011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D350770922522%26

dc893

You do not need to remove the springs to change the control arms. All you need to do is possibly compress the spring while it is in.

1.-I had the car lifted with my jack
2.-Put a jackstand somewhere under the lower control arm or ball joint.
3.-Slowly lower the car and the pressure will compress the spring.

The bolts that attach the upper control arm are long and the spring may get in the way while trying to remove them.

The spring may or may not be in the way while trying to get those 2 bolts out. If they are that is the process that worked for me.

deanshark

This is why I asked if the front shock/spring needs to come out to get the UCA out. I knew those bolts were big and didn't know if there's enough room for them to come out.

I'm doing the rear shocks/springs now and I can see why the manual and the dealer says the driveshaft/axle needs to come out. Even with pushing down on the whole assembly, like PureDrifter and others have suggested, I cant get enough room to get the bottom of the shock by the driveshaft and into the mount. I'm now gonna try to compress the spring to see if that will help, I hope so.

deanshark

Finished, finally. I needed to compress the spring to get the lower part of the shock up into the bracket. I think the hardest time I had was installing the top of the rear seat. I couldn't get the center to hook on. It took alot of pushing, pulling, and banging but it finally went in. (After an hour, and a gallon of sweat) It doesn't ride anywhere near as good as the air did but at least now I don't have to worry about other air related parts breaking. That is worth all the struggles I had and ALL the pain I'm in.