I'm currently at 89,600 on my LS and I haven't had any issues with my suspension yet. I'm going to switch over to a set of BC coilovers next month and put the air setup for sale. The OEM air setup is way to unreliable for me to use an air controller on it.

 

I have a 2003 LS 430 the other day out of the blue car felt like it had a flat tire. Got out to see that front passenger wheel well was lifted by about 6 inches above tire and driver side was sitting on tire. Took it to mechanic (not a specialist with Lexus but still a good mechanic) and he says I need front passenger ride height sensor. Some posts I have read say that if one side it raised, you need the opposite side. Mechanic says Lexus sells part for over $450. I found it on eBay for $115. Does anyone know if I should be getting the passenger side (as mechanic says) or the driver side (as post says) to fix this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

I took off my air suspension yesterday and found that all four bags were leaking and one of the rear height sensors broke off. The car still rode extremely smooth though. It was quite surprising actually.

 

i have a 2005 lexus ls430 w/air suspension, there's this clunking noise coming when i hit pot holes.The mechanic said my air shocks were leaking so i changed the fronts along with the lower control arm bushes,,,,but everytime i go over a loose surface i feel every bump in the steering,,,do i have to change the lower balljoints aswell ????

 

150,000+ miles.. no problems...and always driven on salty canadian roads all winter long. Can not complain

 

not air susp
Likely driver lower ball joint and lower control arm bushings typical culprit <$300 parts.
Albeit only small, driver typicall alone loads driver side more than passenger. Don't worry, passenger side will catch up and wear out too lol.

 

All the post seem to be very old. Need to remove them perhaps after a period of time!

 

I have had my 2004 LS UL/PCS now for 1 year, 4 months. Up until now the car has been smooth sailing, literally. Started to have a bouncy ride two weeks ago but it would be short lived and go back to normal. Sadly, 4 days ago the bounce started again and has not stopped (68,000 miles). I tried shutting both the ignition on, off, and ride height, Sport/normal on, off, disconnecting the battery and still no luck. My only other option before replacing is to see if pulling the fuse in the trunk would reset some how. I really love the air suspension but I think it is going to be VERY costly to maintain.

I am looking for shock, strut, coil over options and don't want to make a poor choice. So he is my plea for help fellow CL members.... What suspension options should I buy???

HELP!

 

Your air struts are worn out bro, time for new shocks.

What you should buy entirely depends on how you want the car to ride...........you didn't say what you want.

 

Check out ebay. Lots of coilovers to choose from. I also have an 04 UL. Previous owner replaced drivers side front around 70k about 3 years ago. I expect them to go out at some point and I am personally going to go with KYB shocks and probably OEM "sport" springs. About $1,200 in parts for everything vs $1,026.00 per side. Hopefully they will go another 100k without any issues. If you want OEM ride then KYB & OEM springs are your best choice.

 

Thanks for the reply BNR34.... So its the struts huh?... well guess that answers the question. Honestly, all I want is pure comfort. I saw "Strut masters conversion kit" posted on ebay which CLAIMS to be an easy DIY, saying if you can change your brakes you can do this..... No idea how good the quality is though. claims to use Eibach springs and the only company who does so.

Many people here like the Megan EZ coil overs or the BC's.... I plan to stay stock height, I know you probably think it should be dropped, but I want it for comfortable cruising (bad back) and family transport... (newly expecting!)

can I get some feedback on options? - Thank you!

 

You are better off to go with a traditional spring and shock vs coilover. Longevity and comfort will be better with the traditional setup. Plus you can probably get OEM springs super cheap from either a salvage yard or members who have taken off their stock springs to lower the car. Springs don't really go bad unless damaged or rusted out. KYB is your best aftermarket choice as they are the OEM manufacturer.

All you need is:
4 Springs
4 Shocks
and 4 shock mounts.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...30%2B4.3L%2BV8

 

Mavrick.........what he said^^^^

For pure comfort on stock height, the OEM non-sport springs and struts is your answer, buying from KYB directly save a few bucks.

 

Lavrishevo and BNR34....... Thank you both for your advice, I really do appreciate it. I have a couple quick question if you might know the answer.

1. Converting from the air to traditional system, do you happen to know what other parts/items I might need to stop and warning lights within the car?

2. If KYB is the manufacturer of the OEM, would the "official OEM parts" our Lexus dealer/vendor in Texas have the same products? (OEM vs KYB model updates/improvments) If so I imagine the "Lexus" brand just adds to the price.

3. Is this a DIY or would you seek a mechanic for install with the spring compression involved?

Thanks guys..... sorry for all the questions, I hope you don't mind.

 

1: No warning lights in the car. Just need to pull the fuse to the air compressor. You can totally remove it from the vehicle as well.

2: There may be slight difference in OEM vs the KYB GR-2 / Excel-G. If anything, OEM shocks might be made slightly softer then the GR2's. The difference is very minimal. KYB is by far the favorite brand to go with. Pretty significant cost difference for the same thing.

3: DIY if you have some experience and have the tools. You will need a full alignment of course. Personally, I would rather pay someone as the rear seats have to be removed and it's a lot easier with a lift.

Don't forget if you go with the standard setup you will need strut mounts. 4 of them. KYB makes them and they on on Rockauto as well. Coilovers do not need these mounts. KYB's are 150,000 mile + struts. Most coilovers are lucky to last 50 - 75k miles.