2007 Lexus RX 350 AWD Front Strut Replacement
04-12-18, 11:38 PM
#32
Surprisingly, Summit Racing also makes the compete front strut assembly for the 2nd gen RX.
Summit Racing Front Strut assembly
I got the FCS, mines old with a bunch of miles no need for big spending. But had I known, would have probably gone with the Summit, it would be a hard argument that these are not at least half way decent medium grade parts, then again who knows these day's, quality can be questionable in a lot of today's offerings for car parts.
Summit Racing Front Strut assembly
I got the FCS, mines old with a bunch of miles no need for big spending. But had I known, would have probably gone with the Summit, it would be a hard argument that these are not at least half way decent medium grade parts, then again who knows these day's, quality can be questionable in a lot of today's offerings for car parts.
04-13-18, 08:39 AM
#33
Driver School Candidate
Funny you should ask, i was logging in write about it anyway.
IF you want a Limo smooth ride so absolutely no coffee ever spills out of your SO's open cup cause she's too lazy to get a cover then probably the FCS is not for you.
IF you like your ride to be a bit stiffer with no body roll or lean on braking or corners and you cover your coffee then the FCS is pretty darn awesome. The ride is a bit stiffer then OEM but Not harsh stiff, takes bumps well. Driving in NYC i need something that takes bumps well without shaking the car into a frenzy and looks like i found it.
Previous owner replaced the rear struts at the dealer and there IS a difference in my car from front to rear, the dealer struts make the back end a bit more loose limo style but it's no way a deal breaker, all i have back there is my stuff and the dog.
Overall i'm super happy with the FCS. no lean no body roll, you feel a bit more of a man behind the wheel then just a limo driver for the kids.
did more research on the summit racing link a posted previously and looks like those are just re-branded, probably the FCS re-branded.
hope this helps.
i have my factory struts and springs, anybody in NYC and want them? ha.
IF you want a Limo smooth ride so absolutely no coffee ever spills out of your SO's open cup cause she's too lazy to get a cover then probably the FCS is not for you.
IF you like your ride to be a bit stiffer with no body roll or lean on braking or corners and you cover your coffee then the FCS is pretty darn awesome. The ride is a bit stiffer then OEM but Not harsh stiff, takes bumps well. Driving in NYC i need something that takes bumps well without shaking the car into a frenzy and looks like i found it.
Previous owner replaced the rear struts at the dealer and there IS a difference in my car from front to rear, the dealer struts make the back end a bit more loose limo style but it's no way a deal breaker, all i have back there is my stuff and the dog.
Overall i'm super happy with the FCS. no lean no body roll, you feel a bit more of a man behind the wheel then just a limo driver for the kids.
did more research on the summit racing link a posted previously and looks like those are just re-branded, probably the FCS re-branded.
hope this helps.
i have my factory struts and springs, anybody in NYC and want them? ha.
04-20-18, 12:41 PM
#34
Funny you should ask, i was logging in write about it anyway.
IF you want a Limo smooth ride so absolutely no coffee ever spills out of your SO's open cup cause she's too lazy to get a cover then probably the FCS is not for you.
IF you like your ride to be a bit stiffer with no body roll or lean on braking or corners and you cover your coffee then the FCS is pretty darn awesome. The ride is a bit stiffer then OEM but Not harsh stiff, takes bumps well. Driving in NYC i need something that takes bumps well without shaking the car into a frenzy and looks like i found it.
Previous owner replaced the rear struts at the dealer and there IS a difference in my car from front to rear, the dealer struts make the back end a bit more loose limo style but it's no way a deal breaker, all i have back there is my stuff and the dog.
Overall i'm super happy with the FCS. no lean no body roll, you feel a bit more of a man behind the wheel then just a limo driver for the kids.
did more research on the summit racing link a posted previously and looks like those are just re-branded, probably the FCS re-branded.
hope this helps.
i have my factory struts and springs, anybody in NYC and want them? ha.
IF you want a Limo smooth ride so absolutely no coffee ever spills out of your SO's open cup cause she's too lazy to get a cover then probably the FCS is not for you.
IF you like your ride to be a bit stiffer with no body roll or lean on braking or corners and you cover your coffee then the FCS is pretty darn awesome. The ride is a bit stiffer then OEM but Not harsh stiff, takes bumps well. Driving in NYC i need something that takes bumps well without shaking the car into a frenzy and looks like i found it.
Previous owner replaced the rear struts at the dealer and there IS a difference in my car from front to rear, the dealer struts make the back end a bit more loose limo style but it's no way a deal breaker, all i have back there is my stuff and the dog.
Overall i'm super happy with the FCS. no lean no body roll, you feel a bit more of a man behind the wheel then just a limo driver for the kids.
did more research on the summit racing link a posted previously and looks like those are just re-branded, probably the FCS re-branded.
hope this helps.
i have my factory struts and springs, anybody in NYC and want them? ha.
Here are the torque specs for the RX330 front suspension. I think they are a little different from RX300's
Last edited by digitatc; 04-20-18 at 12:56 PM. Reason: torque spec
04-21-18, 04:00 AM
#35
maybe off topic-
what are the silencer pads in the blowup picture, and do toyota highlanders have them ?
what lexus is the same as a 2004 highlander? if I ever go pick a part looking
what are the silencer pads in the blowup picture, and do toyota highlanders have them ?
what lexus is the same as a 2004 highlander? if I ever go pick a part looking
05-09-18, 10:50 AM
#36
Driver School Candidate
digitatc, i hope i have a different experience then you 
i will be getting a lot of "i told you so" from my indy mechanic if the same happens to me. actually if i had read this from you before, i'd of gone a different route. oh well hope for the best now and if ****** gets real guess i'll just let my mechanic do whatever to fix it, NY roads are just treacherous and i wanted to get a good spring and strut combo and most reviews were good, even for the kits on other cars off Amazon. I wonder if there is some other factor at play in your RX like a control arm or tension something that is causing the fault to occur over time, just thinking.
i will be getting a lot of "i told you so" from my indy mechanic if the same happens to me. actually if i had read this from you before, i'd of gone a different route. oh well hope for the best now and if ****** gets real guess i'll just let my mechanic do whatever to fix it, NY roads are just treacherous and i wanted to get a good spring and strut combo and most reviews were good, even for the kits on other cars off Amazon. I wonder if there is some other factor at play in your RX like a control arm or tension something that is causing the fault to occur over time, just thinking.
05-22-18, 09:21 PM
#37
Driver School Candidate
FCS Strut Assembly update 2008 RX
I installed FCS strut assemblies (all four) on my RX350 a few months ago and somebody asked me to review again after a few months. So far, so good.
There is a lot of skepticism about aftermarket struts on this board, but I am very impressed with these. I live in Minnesota and the car was exposed to some very cold days (-20 actual temp). My son then borrowed the car for a month as he lives in Texas and just traveled back here with a trailer from there, which put a lot of weight on the rear struts. They held up perfectly. The weight of the trailer, the heat of Texas, and the cold of Minnesota have not compromised the ride at all. We have about 5,000 miles on them, and about 1000 of that was with the weight of hauling a trailer.
Do I expect them to wear over time? Of course. The original OEM ones did, and needed replacement after 10 years and 60,000 miles. These have a lifetime warranty.
For the record, I do not work for FCS, am not paid by them, am not a distributor, am not any sort of brand ambassador.
I am just a mere mortal who is on his third RX and have driven over 300,000 miles in them. My first one was a brand new RX330 bought in 2005. I have also had two RX350s. I drove a new RX off the lot I know how they are supposed to feel. I actually like the ride and turning radius of the second generation better than the third and current version. That is why 2004-2009 are my favorites.
My girlfriend drives a 2010 and her dad has a 2017 RX350. Nice, more stylish, but not as great as Gen 2. Also, Gen 2 seats are more comfortable because in 2010 they moved the headrests forward to meet new safety standards. Yes...you won't get whiplash as easy which is a good thing, but I hate having my head pushed forward. Hence, I love the 2004-2009. Lexus of Wayzata is the worst dealer in the world but the cars are fantastic.
The FCS strut assemblies in my 2008 exceeded my wildest expectations. They restored the ride to exactly how I remember my brand new one being in 2005. Exactly. I've seen some comments on this board that the FCS struts were "stiffer than the originals." I think what actually happens is that the springs and bearing and struts all wear and the suspension gets soft, so people think the new FCS struts are stiffer than the originals. They are actually how it was meant to ride! So when I put in the new ones, it was back to normal as I remember the new one was. The RX new is a taught ride, it isn't really supposed to be a Crown Victoria ride.
So I've had a few questions posted that I will try to answer. One person wanted a pic of the stabilizer links I put in. Not sure why? They are about 6 inches long, all four wheels have them and they are cheap...you can buy them online for like 7 to $15 a piece. I got the cheap ones. Anytime you replace struts your should replace the stabilizer links. Normally, you have to cut off the old ones because they are rusted unless you live in a very dry climate.
Second, somebody asked where did I buy them from? Discount Auto Shocks which is online. They are, I think, out of New Jersey but the strut assemblies were shipped from the FCS warehouse in Georgia somewhere. The total cost including shipping was about $400. There are a lot of places online. I ordered from Discount Auto Shocks because they were competitive on price and I could call them to order and give them a VIN so they made sure it was the right parts. There are variabilities...AWD, different suspensions in some of the Lexus Premium packages. If you give them the VIN, you will get the correct part.
There are other after market struts and they are probably good as well. I called Shock Warehouse, where I have bought Bilsteins for my Mercedes. They don't carry FCS and tried to sway me to buying KYBs, but KYB doesn't make a strut assembly and I wanted to replace the whole thing. I'm sure KYB is fine...I'm not here to trash them or anybody else, but I wanted the whole assembly. I didn't want to have to compress the spring and then buy new bearings or use the old ones.
If you want to compress the springs then I'm sure KYB or Monroe or some of the others are great. But for my nickel, I would use FCS again. It made such a difference.
There is a lot of skepticism about aftermarket struts on this board, but I am very impressed with these. I live in Minnesota and the car was exposed to some very cold days (-20 actual temp). My son then borrowed the car for a month as he lives in Texas and just traveled back here with a trailer from there, which put a lot of weight on the rear struts. They held up perfectly. The weight of the trailer, the heat of Texas, and the cold of Minnesota have not compromised the ride at all. We have about 5,000 miles on them, and about 1000 of that was with the weight of hauling a trailer.
Do I expect them to wear over time? Of course. The original OEM ones did, and needed replacement after 10 years and 60,000 miles. These have a lifetime warranty.
For the record, I do not work for FCS, am not paid by them, am not a distributor, am not any sort of brand ambassador.
I am just a mere mortal who is on his third RX and have driven over 300,000 miles in them. My first one was a brand new RX330 bought in 2005. I have also had two RX350s. I drove a new RX off the lot I know how they are supposed to feel. I actually like the ride and turning radius of the second generation better than the third and current version. That is why 2004-2009 are my favorites.
My girlfriend drives a 2010 and her dad has a 2017 RX350. Nice, more stylish, but not as great as Gen 2. Also, Gen 2 seats are more comfortable because in 2010 they moved the headrests forward to meet new safety standards. Yes...you won't get whiplash as easy which is a good thing, but I hate having my head pushed forward. Hence, I love the 2004-2009. Lexus of Wayzata is the worst dealer in the world but the cars are fantastic.
The FCS strut assemblies in my 2008 exceeded my wildest expectations. They restored the ride to exactly how I remember my brand new one being in 2005. Exactly. I've seen some comments on this board that the FCS struts were "stiffer than the originals." I think what actually happens is that the springs and bearing and struts all wear and the suspension gets soft, so people think the new FCS struts are stiffer than the originals. They are actually how it was meant to ride! So when I put in the new ones, it was back to normal as I remember the new one was. The RX new is a taught ride, it isn't really supposed to be a Crown Victoria ride.
So I've had a few questions posted that I will try to answer. One person wanted a pic of the stabilizer links I put in. Not sure why? They are about 6 inches long, all four wheels have them and they are cheap...you can buy them online for like 7 to $15 a piece. I got the cheap ones. Anytime you replace struts your should replace the stabilizer links. Normally, you have to cut off the old ones because they are rusted unless you live in a very dry climate.
Second, somebody asked where did I buy them from? Discount Auto Shocks which is online. They are, I think, out of New Jersey but the strut assemblies were shipped from the FCS warehouse in Georgia somewhere. The total cost including shipping was about $400. There are a lot of places online. I ordered from Discount Auto Shocks because they were competitive on price and I could call them to order and give them a VIN so they made sure it was the right parts. There are variabilities...AWD, different suspensions in some of the Lexus Premium packages. If you give them the VIN, you will get the correct part.
There are other after market struts and they are probably good as well. I called Shock Warehouse, where I have bought Bilsteins for my Mercedes. They don't carry FCS and tried to sway me to buying KYBs, but KYB doesn't make a strut assembly and I wanted to replace the whole thing. I'm sure KYB is fine...I'm not here to trash them or anybody else, but I wanted the whole assembly. I didn't want to have to compress the spring and then buy new bearings or use the old ones.
If you want to compress the springs then I'm sure KYB or Monroe or some of the others are great. But for my nickel, I would use FCS again. It made such a difference.
Last edited by RXJack; 05-22-18 at 09:26 PM. Reason: typo, and I called stabliler links stablizer bars...big difference so I corrected.
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nebu2000 (10-18-18)
05-22-18, 09:34 PM
#38
Driver School Candidate
Went back and looked at the questions and realized I missed one:
Question: Is cutting the stabilizer link an option bc I assume the FCS Quick Struts should resemble the original struts?
Answer:
No, it is because they are rusted on and hard to get out, and even if you do, there is a little ball swivel that is sealed and wears over time, so while in there, replace the whole thing. And the new ones, which were about $14 or $15 a piece if I recall, have grease zircs so every 6 mos you can shoot some grease in there and they don't wear. The sealed ones from Lexus will last awhile but if you keep these greased they will likely last the life of a the car.
But for the most part, you're going to be banging it and torquing it hard when your remove the strut assembly, it is easier to just cut it off and replace. They are right behind the wheels...look at the strut assemblies and you will see them.
I had a professional mechanic do my struts for $275. All four. He used a cutting torch to get them off, as the air wrench would not do it. And my car came up from Florida, has little rust. If you are in a Northern climate, you absolutely need to cut them and throw them away and replace.
Question: Is cutting the stabilizer link an option bc I assume the FCS Quick Struts should resemble the original struts?
Answer:
No, it is because they are rusted on and hard to get out, and even if you do, there is a little ball swivel that is sealed and wears over time, so while in there, replace the whole thing. And the new ones, which were about $14 or $15 a piece if I recall, have grease zircs so every 6 mos you can shoot some grease in there and they don't wear. The sealed ones from Lexus will last awhile but if you keep these greased they will likely last the life of a the car.
But for the most part, you're going to be banging it and torquing it hard when your remove the strut assembly, it is easier to just cut it off and replace. They are right behind the wheels...look at the strut assemblies and you will see them.
I had a professional mechanic do my struts for $275. All four. He used a cutting torch to get them off, as the air wrench would not do it. And my car came up from Florida, has little rust. If you are in a Northern climate, you absolutely need to cut them and throw them away and replace.
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nebu2000 (10-18-18)
08-11-20, 06:52 AM
#40
Driver School Candidate
To trust or not to trust ..OEM STRUTS
Not a smart move.
On hind sight just replace shocks and keep original springs.
Last edited by Bogey2; 06-11-21 at 02:09 AM.
06-02-21, 03:16 PM
#41
Driver School Candidate
so I've had my FCS struts now about 3 years...they're still good. I did try to find Discount Auto Parts but I cannot anymore; there has been so much consolidation. Keep in mind I got the struts with the springs...I think they're called Easy Struts. I would but FCS again but I'd be perfectly happy with KYB as well and I see they now make the complete strut assembly with the springs et al. I wouldn't go with Lexus...way over priced for the OEM.
06-03-21, 11:37 AM
#42
Driver School Candidate
@RXJack I read your posts, thank you for all the info
I have a 2009 RX 350 with 130k miles on it. The suspension is original and way past due.
I want to do the job right.
Are the original springs rated for 250k miles? I see a lot of people saying to use the original springs... The easy kit just seems so much easier. IF the springs are rated for a crazy amount of miles, I would consider just the shocks and sway bars... If they need to go anyway, I will just look up the all in one pkg from FCS.
Thanks again.
I have a 2009 RX 350 with 130k miles on it. The suspension is original and way past due.
I want to do the job right.
Are the original springs rated for 250k miles? I see a lot of people saying to use the original springs... The easy kit just seems so much easier. IF the springs are rated for a crazy amount of miles, I would consider just the shocks and sway bars... If they need to go anyway, I will just look up the all in one pkg from FCS.
Thanks again.
06-04-21, 09:48 AM
#43
Driver School Candidate
Lexus Springs reuse ?
@RXJack I read your posts, thank you for all the info
I have a 2009 RX 350 with 130k miles on it. The suspension is original and way past due.
I want to do the job right.
Are the original springs rated for 250k miles? I see a lot of people saying to use the original springs... The easy kit just seems so much easier. IF the springs are rated for a crazy amount of miles, I would consider just the shocks and sway bars... If they need to go anyway, I will just look up the all in one pkg from FCS.
Thanks again.
I have a 2009 RX 350 with 130k miles on it. The suspension is original and way past due.
I want to do the job right.
Are the original springs rated for 250k miles? I see a lot of people saying to use the original springs... The easy kit just seems so much easier. IF the springs are rated for a crazy amount of miles, I would consider just the shocks and sway bars... If they need to go anyway, I will just look up the all in one pkg from FCS.
Thanks again.
I bought the scissor spring compressor from Harbor Freight since the Lexus springs are a weird design for traditional spring compressors from AutoZone. KYB Exel-G shocks.
Compress the spring using manual socket and wrench - NO POWER TOOLS ‼️
Make sure the CENTRE spring retaining nut is properly torqued and use BLUE TREADLOCK.
I’m sure the original springs will outlast the Lexus.
Last edited by Bogey2; 06-04-21 at 03:39 PM.
06-08-21, 03:24 PM
#44
Driver School Candidate
This is a mute issue. All I can say from my experience is the precision and engineering of lexus can be imitated but not matched.
I bought the scissor spring compressor from Harbor Freight since the Lexus springs are a weird design for traditional spring compressors from AutoZone. KYB Exel-G shocks.
Compress the spring using manual socket and wrench - NO POWER TOOLS ‼️
Make sure the CENTRE spring retaining nut is properly torqued and use BLUE TREADLOCK.
I’m sure the original springs will outlast the Lexus.
I bought the scissor spring compressor from Harbor Freight since the Lexus springs are a weird design for traditional spring compressors from AutoZone. KYB Exel-G shocks.
Compress the spring using manual socket and wrench - NO POWER TOOLS ‼️
Make sure the CENTRE spring retaining nut is properly torqued and use BLUE TREADLOCK.
I’m sure the original springs will outlast the Lexus.
Wow.
I wish I would have seen that before. I went and bought the full assembly. For all 4 tires.
FCS Strut / Coil Spring / Mount Assembly
Meh.
06-09-21, 08:40 AM
#45
Quick Struts
I just did the Rear on my 2007 RX350, I went with the Monroe Quik Struts,there not as good as Oem but like I said it's a 2007 and didn't want to spend a fortune for OEM"s, and I don't know about other Lexus RX models but mine has a cover that you remove for access to the three top Strut Tower nuts,easy Repair,BTW I am keeping the OEM springs and rebuilding them when the time comes with KYB Strut cartridges and New Strut Tower assemblys, you'd be surprised to know that the Springs have a great deal to do with Strut performance, Lexus uses high quality Springs and they never go Bad so yeah I'm rebuilding my Old Rear Struts and probably the front when it comes time for replacement
Last edited by JimmyRX350; 06-09-21 at 05:13 PM. Reason: Incompleted sentence
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Bogey2 (06-11-21)