Its struts, Shocks dont have the spring mounted on them.

 

It's coil over shock. A strut includes a steering means. The LS does not do this.

 

svlexus, just look at it. its a double wishbone type front, a strut is a load bearing piece. with a double wishbone you have no loadbearing on the shock. Bon is right, a strut includes a steering means. This is a shock. Struts are on the es line.

Yes bmws use struts on the 3 series and that is why in a corner they loose there alignment. front engine cars with struts is not a good idea. on mid or rear engine it is ok (but still not as good as a double wishbone) because you can steer with the throttle and the car will still stick.

Plus struts are rough riding. the ls couldn't ride like it does with a strut system.

 

Wait, what?

 

You are talking about macpherson struts, these things are still struts, thats what lexus calls them.

 

svlexus - if you want to call them struts thats ok with me, but a strut is a structural piece, also a strut has a means of turning. the ls does not have struts, the es does. notice on the es how there is no upper wishbone for support.

Multi007 - with a mc phearson strut the contact patch does not stay the same in a corner. It becomes much smaller. The double wishbone is far better at holding the camber in a corner. Don't take my word for it, just ask a race driver or mechanic. They will all tell you. This is not just my opinion, its a fact. The only advantage of a strut system is that it is light weight. in a rear or mid engine car its not so bad, but all in all its a bad idea. They are a cheap way of doing things. You can't adjust a strut suspension like you can a double wishbone. This is the only real big drawback to the 3series.

 

Its semantics, lets call them marshmallows and burn them on a fire.

 

I have a 2004 LS 430 and i think my strut need replacing what is a good price. parts and labor,

 

The LS uses double A arms with coil over shocks. This could be called a strut but it's not a McPherson strut where, as pointed out above, the strut provides the upper steering pivot point.
The double A arm design is generally, GENERALLY, considered a more sophisticated and refined arrangement as it can be designed to avoid some of the compromises of the McPherson strut suspensions.