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Planning to lower my LS - advice and opinions appreciated!
I have a 2002 LS430 Custom Luxury (no air, no sport package) that currently sits on the 18" LS430 sport wheels, 245/45/R18 Pirelli P7s, 10mm H&R spacers up front, and 25mm H&R spacers in the back. My stock/original struts are getting bouncy and one is squeaking. The car has 120k miles now so it would be a good time to replace the struts anyway. I've never had a lowered car but like the idea and look of it. If I'm going to replace the struts anyway, why not try lowering springs?
My plan:
- KYB Excel-G struts all around (previously branded as KYB GR-2)
- Tanabe DF210 lowering springs (-1.0F/-1.0R)
My reasoning:
- It looks like these ride a bit firmer, which I wouldn't mind. My last car was a Subaru Legacy GT with brand new struts, so going to worn out soft suspension on an LS feels really soft.
- It will be easy to return to stock. I manage an independent auto shop so I have access to all the tools/lifts I need. When I sell the car, I can put the stock height springs back on.
- It's not too low. Coilovers would be really low and harsh. I don't want to invest in an air ride setup because that's a big job. I've seen a few pictures of LS430s on the Tanabes and the height looks good.
- My commute is 1 mile each way - if it's a little rougher it's not a big deal. I rarely carry passengers in the back seat.
- I want to run 20" wheels eventually. In my opinion it looks goofy to have 20s at stock ride height.
My concerns:
- My tires are close to flush. Below is a picture of the fitment with spacers. Is this going to be a problem?
- Rear camber on these is already pretty negative. Spacers didn't help and I know lowering will make it worse. Does this get pretty much resolved if you replace the rear camber arms (?) with smaller ones? Or if Iower it, will tire wear be a constant struggle even with the camber fixed as much as possible.
- Will I wear out "stock replacement" kyb struts quickly with a 1" drop? Keep in mind I put very few miles on it since I live in the center of town and work close. Attachment 493068
Also just read BNR34s thread which answers a lot of questions. He went with a little less drop in the back to compensate for the UL's weight though. Do most of you do strut mounts when replacing struts? Some models I work on seem to need them all the time (most volvos) and some almost never need them (most subarus).
I was lowered on BC's with 12k and 10k SWIFT springs, and with stock OEM 18" wheels, 245/45/18 all around with NO spacers.
Leaving a 1-2 finger gap gave me issues with the front fenders and ruined them.(Especially since there are huge dips around where I live.)
Making a turn while going up any slight climb will rub.
And since you can't control the height of lowering springs, + the combination of the 10mm spacers you have up front I can sense you might have some issues, and worst of all maybe ruin your fenders.
If you decide to go with the lowering springs, I would suggest you remove the 10mm spacer up front, drive around with it like that until the springs settle in. If you face no issues, then I would install the spacer back again and drive carefully and see if it would rub or not.
- of course, if you have the funds to go with air, it will be a choice you will never regret, imho.
I was lowered on BC's with 12k and 10k SWIFT springs, and with stock OEM 18" wheels, 245/45/18 all around with NO spacers.
Leaving a 1-2 finger gap gave me issues with the front fenders and ruined them.(Especially since there are huge dips around where I live.)
Making a turn while going up any slight climb will rub.
And since you can't control the height of lowering springs, + the combination of the 10mm spacers you have up front I can sense you might have some issues, and worst of all maybe ruin your fenders.
If you decide to go with the lowering springs, I would suggest you remove the 10mm spacer up front, drive around with it like that until the springs settle in. If you face no issues, then I would install the spacer back again and drive carefully and see if it would rub or not.
- of course, if you have the funds to go with air, it will be a choice you will never regret, imho.
Thanks for the input! That does make sense. Does rolling the fenders help prevent any damage? Wrecking the body is the last thing I want to do. If I resell the car, I doubt many people would care if the fenders were rolled (on the inside, not flared)
here are the pictures of the set up with Bilstein coilovers, part nr B14 I have no problems with bad roads. Obviously, if you jump a curb or one of those concrete barriers at supermarkets, it will touch the fender. I could have lowered the car even further but I wanted to have a space to get the waternozzle in to clean the fenderwells.
here are the pictures of the set up with Bilstein coilovers, part nr B14 I have no problems with bad roads. Obviously, if you jump a curb or one of those concrete barriers at supermarkets, it will touch the fender. I could have lowered the car even further but I wanted to have a space to get the waternozzle in to clean the fenderwells.
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What size wheels are they? I like the look with the beefier tires on the LS. I've considered going aftermarket wheels but would like to keep a similiar type of stock tire. Looks good.
What size wheels are they? I like the look with the beefier tires on the LS. I've considered going aftermarket wheels but would like to keep a similiar type of stock tire. Looks good.
Thanks for the input! That does make sense. Does rolling the fenders help prevent any damage? Wrecking the body is the last thing I want to do. If I resell the car, I doubt many people would care if the fenders were rolled (on the inside, not flared)
DO NOT attempt to roll the fenders. They are thick double-wall steel and will end up rippling instead of rolling. If wrecking the body is not an option then it is imperative you get the wheel and tire sizing correct so they don't rub.
I had my car on lowering springs (RS-R) that supposedly even lower than the tanabe, curiously, while a good deal lower in front (nowhere near damaging the fenders though) I thought it was actually higher in the rear. I'd say just do the front, take off the spacers and put the lowering springs on. It's the front that has humongous fender gap, if you drop the front an inch, it would look more balanced - imho of course.
Tires stock 17" Michelin 225-55 H
no spacers
Wheels Lumaraii 17" Morro style, stock offset, (watch out for correct wheelnuts, supplier send wrong ones - cone shaped instead of flat seat)
Torque 76 lbs/ft, you saw the front - this is what the rears look like, the bottom of the car looks even with the pavement, no rear sag
DO NOT attempt to roll the fenders. They are thick double-wall steel and will end up rippling instead of rolling. If wrecking the body is not an option then it is imperative you get the wheel and tire sizing correct so they don't rub.
Ok, sounds like I'll have to address the spacers then. I think I'll test fit it with them on just in case they still clear. It's a PITA to take out the spacers because I will need to buy new lug studs as well. I pressed in longer studs when the spacers went on.
Originally Posted by jackies
I had my car on lowering springs (RS-R) that supposedly even lower than the tanabe, curiously, while a good deal lower in front (nowhere near damaging the fenders though) I thought it was actually higher in the rear. I'd say just do the front, take off the spacers and put the lowering springs on. It's the front that has humongous fender gap, if you drop the front an inch, it would look more balanced - imho of course.
I've been looking at pics of these lowered on stock 18s and the fender gap really gets to me. Looks like BNR hasn't had any issues with the softer Tanabes and 15mm spacers up front. He's on a different set of springs but they both supposedly lower the front an inch. Hopefully he can chime in in this thread ...
The rear suspension has no camber adjustment. When I had my RSR coilovers installed I had 3 degrees of negative camber out back. I corrected it by purchasing the Figs camber correction lower camber arm. That allowed me to get the rear tire back to -0.5 degrees camber, which is about perfect. I didn't notice any diminished ride quality from the camber arm, but I did notice a much different ride when going to coilovers. I eventually put the stock suspension back on the car and sold everything. I have a Supra and an Sc300 which are both my fun cars so the LS430 stays as my luxurious daily.
03-01-16, 10:18 AM
Planning to lower my LS - advice and opinions appreciated!
