Performance tuning LS 400
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Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: California
Performance tuning LS 400
Hello All,
Does anyone know or have suggestions for someone that would like to "Performance Tune" a LS 400? I absolutely love my LS 400(only 103,000 miles)...everything about it! I would just like to tune up the suspension and performance.
I would like to hire someone to do it since I am not a mechanic and have no tools to even attempt such an undertaking, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area
Thank you very much in advance for your help
Does anyone know or have suggestions for someone that would like to "Performance Tune" a LS 400? I absolutely love my LS 400(only 103,000 miles)...everything about it! I would just like to tune up the suspension and performance.
I would like to hire someone to do it since I am not a mechanic and have no tools to even attempt such an undertaking, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area
Thank you very much in advance for your help
Racer
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,906
Likes: 491
From: Nevada
Stealing my writeup I made on another thread
Error, division by zero, this is impossible.
Generally speaking, if you increase the power of an engine, you're shortening the lifespan of SOMETHING. Rods, pistons, valves, transmission, differential, etc, etc, etc. Whatever is the weakest link in the driveline will have accelerated wear and will fail at an accelerated rate. If you're STARTING with a car that's already 30 years old, it's going to happen incredibly quickly. What if you make 400 horsepower, and the axles can't take the power and you keep snapping them? Are there upgraded axles for the car? You may be able to get a better axle from a different car, but what if you have to replace the wheel bearings to make them fit, and now you're modifying the rear suspension... adding power causes a cascading series of problems when done to a car that isn't desgined for it.
For this car, there may be a way to do a forced induction. I think most people do a roots style supercharger? But I'm not aware of anything off the shelf. Most people just cut the exhaust system and intake system, help it breathe better and get a little power that way. Is there even an off the shelf cam for this car? I think any significant power adder would have to be fully custom.
This isn't a sports\performance car, and even if the parts existed (which they don't), you can't modify it into being one. The chassis is just not rigid enough nor setup for it. If you want a sporty performance car, I would recommend starting with one that's been built as such. There will be a ton of community support and mods available. It would be a fun project to see if it's possible on the LS400, but to have that as your daily driver and road trip car? Oh no.
By far the most popular modification route people go is either VIP\show car route, slammed on bags. Or drift car. Not many people are doing power-adders.
I'm sorry to kind of trash on your ideas right out of the gate - but this is just the reality of this car\platform. It's a very reliable luxury boat, that's what it's good at.
If you still want to go down this route... this video will give some color on what you will have to do (spoiler - it's a lot):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHZCvPSKavg
Generally speaking, if you increase the power of an engine, you're shortening the lifespan of SOMETHING. Rods, pistons, valves, transmission, differential, etc, etc, etc. Whatever is the weakest link in the driveline will have accelerated wear and will fail at an accelerated rate. If you're STARTING with a car that's already 30 years old, it's going to happen incredibly quickly. What if you make 400 horsepower, and the axles can't take the power and you keep snapping them? Are there upgraded axles for the car? You may be able to get a better axle from a different car, but what if you have to replace the wheel bearings to make them fit, and now you're modifying the rear suspension... adding power causes a cascading series of problems when done to a car that isn't desgined for it.
For this car, there may be a way to do a forced induction. I think most people do a roots style supercharger? But I'm not aware of anything off the shelf. Most people just cut the exhaust system and intake system, help it breathe better and get a little power that way. Is there even an off the shelf cam for this car? I think any significant power adder would have to be fully custom.
This isn't a sports\performance car, and even if the parts existed (which they don't), you can't modify it into being one. The chassis is just not rigid enough nor setup for it. If you want a sporty performance car, I would recommend starting with one that's been built as such. There will be a ton of community support and mods available. It would be a fun project to see if it's possible on the LS400, but to have that as your daily driver and road trip car? Oh no.
By far the most popular modification route people go is either VIP\show car route, slammed on bags. Or drift car. Not many people are doing power-adders.
I'm sorry to kind of trash on your ideas right out of the gate - but this is just the reality of this car\platform. It's a very reliable luxury boat, that's what it's good at.
If you still want to go down this route... this video will give some color on what you will have to do (spoiler - it's a lot):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHZCvPSKavg
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,121
Likes: 433
From: Long Island
if you really love everything about your LS then don't try to give it more power than it's designed for... unless you seriously spend thousands any change won't really even be noticeable and you'll end up using more fuel and possibly ruining that impeccable reliability
and if you do spend thousands you'll probably just start breaking things that aren't designed to handle the extra power
otherwise, lextreme.com basically has the answers to all your 1UZ related tuning questions
and if you do spend thousands you'll probably just start breaking things that aren't designed to handle the extra power
otherwise, lextreme.com basically has the answers to all your 1UZ related tuning questions
Racer
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,906
Likes: 491
From: Nevada
Yeah there aren't really any medium power adders. You either cut the intake\exhaust and get 10 or 20 or whatever horsepower, or you go full-potatoes and put forced induction on it for thousands of dollars.
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