Hello fellow LS430 owners. I've wanted to share my experience with doing an air suspension conversion. I've researched this forum for months to find all the info I needed to do this before I pulled the trigger on ordering all the parts. I have a 05 LS430 UL with 79k on the clock and 3 out of the 4 structs were leaking. After looking into replacing the air struts, it was just too expensive and they eventually like all air suspension would go out again.

I've decided to convert to OEM Lexus LS430 spring suspension. I went with RS-R lowering springs instead of stock springs because I wanted a lowered look vs stock (my personal preference but anyone thinking about doing this conversion can go with stock springs). I'm pleasantly surprised with these springs; they gave the car a decent drop but not too much which is exactly what I wanted. The car drives just as smooth as it was on air, maybe a little firmer but that’s expected with springs.
I prefer that tightness because now I feel more confident taking turns and corners. I can say to anyone looking to do this, you won't regret it and won't lose the air ride quality. I'm genuinely happy with the way this turned out. The next thing is to watch the alignment and get it done once the springs settle in.
I'm including all the parts I purchased to get this done successfully and hopefully someone who is looking to do this will find this post helpful.

The KYB parts I purchased from RockAuto.com. They had the best pricing online; the total came to $590.69 with tax and shipping.
Parts needed for the front suspension:

(2) KYB Shock: #341392 ($97.99 each)-RockAuto

(2) KYB Strut top: #SM5565 ($43.79 each)-RockAuto

(2) Retainer (top washer): #48680-22050 (this part was included with the strut top #SM5565) so no need to purchase it separately.

Parts needed for the rear suspension:

(2) KYB Shock: #341393 ($92.79 each)-RockAuto

(2) KYB Strut top: #SM5566 ($38.79 each)-RockAuto

(2) Upper Mount Sleeve (top washer): #48755-50110 (this part was included with the strut top #SM5566) so no need to purchase it separately.

(2) OEM Lower Insulator: #48258-50020 ($22.55 each)-Discount Parts Monster

(2) OEM Insulator: #48257-50020 ($40.44 each)-Discount Parts Monster

(2) OEM Spring Bumper: #48341-50070 ($27.26 each)-Discount Parts Monster

The OEM parts I purchased from DiscountPartsMonster.com and the total came to $197.12 with tax and shipping.

For the springs I went with the RS-R #T284D. I was reading the threads on this forum, and many were installing the Tanabe NF210 but after researching online, I found that the Tanabe springs are discontinued. So, I dug deeper and found the RS-R springs after seeing them mentioned as an alternative to the Tanabe. There are two options for the RS-R springs. The T284D and the T284S. I went with the T284D as it offers a mild drop compared to the T284S, is more aggressive. Many mentioned that because the UL model is heavier on the rear than the other LS430 models, the T284S drops it too low. Which will probably cause you to install camber kits, so it won’t kill your tires. I ended up purchasing the T284D springs from Amazon for $275.20.

In conclusion, the total for parts came to $1,063.01, which in my opinion is a good deal for all brand-new parts. I had a friend who owns a shop do the install and he charged me $300 which is a heck of a price for labor. Also a few tips, to avoid any warning lights or messages on the display, you would want to pull the air compressor fuse (located in the fuse box next to the battery in the engine compartment). Another tip is to leave the AFS height sensors from the air suspension when doing the conversion. If you disconnect those then your AFS will not work, and you will have an error message on the display. I hope anyone who is reading this finds this post helpful/informative if they are considering getting rid of the air suspension. This is all you need to complete this conversion and I can’t believe how well this turned out. Now I just can’t get enough of driving my Lexus. Hope someone finds this useful.

 

Good basic straight to the point information here.

Being the owner of a 2002 UL, I have had this on my radar for some time for the sake of preparedness, so the time you took to write this up is much appreciated!

 

Thanks for the great info. Will the parts work on an '02 LS430 UL?

 

It should, would it be cheaper just to get those drop in kits? I see full shock and spring assemblies on eBay for like $400, not sure if you can take them apart to add your own spring though.

 

Disregard post.