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A Note Of Thanks:
(A few years ago) A local shop installed quick struts on wife's 2011 rx 350 (105,000mi) and when I drove the car months later was horrified by the noises coming from them let alone the poor performance. Through information gained on this thread I purchased KYB's off amazon and same shop installed them (and front + rear links, alignment) for a reasonable price. I have since inherited the car and it drives as good as the day I bought it new. (118,000mi)..
The mechanic at the shop did not seem to be aware of KYB quality for this issue..He is longstanding and trustworthy but I guess we never stop learning..
Thank You All..!!
I replaced 4 struts shocks KYB and lower arms. On my 1st RX now this car is my wife's. It has driven after about 10,000. I recently drove it. It holds well. But on potholes it jumps like a goat. I will put B6 on my second one. And the spring on the new KYB differs by 1 mm in diameter. Perhaps this is the reason. I kept the original springs, I will change them as soon as possible.
Do not get the pre-loaded struts. If you want to keep your nice ride, just get new struts. KYB Excel-G struts 339281/2 are a good choice.
Replace the strut mount bearings at the same time. Get OEM if you can, they are built better. I think 2 will cost under $50.
They are on top and it only takes a few seconds to swap the bearings once the strut is off the spring.
As discussed above have a new set of front sway bar links available as you will probably have to cut off your old rusted ones.
However, if you want a better ride than the KYBs get the Bilsteins front struts that are listed for the 2010-2013 Highlander as it has the same front suspension as the 3rd gen. RX350. The B4 model is the same as your OEM. Part numbers 22282675 and 22282668
If you decide to replace the rear shocks with Bilsteins, you want the ones listed for the 2014 Highlander as it has the same rear suspension with shocks as the RX. The 2010-13 Highlander is different in that it has struts in the back.
Part No. Bilstein 19-282862
Hello, I'm new to here and have followed your Bilstein 19-282862 suggestion for my RX 350 AWD 3rd gen rear shocks replacement. However, the mechanic shop I went to said that those shocks didn't look to be compatible. Can I ask regarding your experience with replacing the Bilstein ones? Did you face any issues while installing them? @Clutchless
Last edited by movemushroom; Jan 29, 2025 at 03:41 PM.
They fit perfectly and many folks here have used them, including myself. As stated in some threads the only reason Bilstein did not list them for the RX was because they did not test them on the RX.
However the Toyota Highlander shares its suspension with the RX as both are Toyota products and that is why the shocks and struts fit.
Some other manufacturers do cross list the same struts for both the Highlander and RX, just not Bilstein. So you can safely tell your mechanic that those part numbers will fit your car perfectly and that many other 2010-2015 RX owners have already done this installation with no problems.
They fit perfectly and many folks here have used them, including myself. As stated in some threads the only reason Bilstein did not list them for the RX was because they did not test them on the RX.
However the Toyota Highlander shares its suspension with the RX as both are Toyota products and that is why the shocks and struts fit.
Some other manufacturers do cross list the same struts for both the Highlander and RX, just not Bilstein. So you can safely tell your mechanic that those part numbers will fit your car perfectly and that many other 2010-2015 RX owners have already done this installation with no problems.
Can I ask if you noticed any differences in terms of the size between the Bilstein’s and the OEM’s? They mentioned something about differences in length which I can’t remember but will try to elaborate further
, worn suspension parts, like bushings or worn control arm components, can significantly contribute to the premature wear of your shocks by causing excessive movement and stress on the shock absorbers, leading to faster degradation of their seals and internal components; essentially, if other suspension parts aren't functioning properly, they can put extra strain on the shocks, causing them to wear out faster.
Key points to consider:
Increased stress on shocks: When bushings or other suspension parts are worn, they can't properly control the movement of the wheels, causing the shocks to work harder to dampen the vibrations, leading to faster wear and tear.
Misalignment issues: Worn suspension parts can also lead to misalignment, which can further put uneven stress on the shocks, causing them to wear out unevenly.
Signs of worn shocks due to other worn suspension parts:
Hey @MattRX@Clutchless , thank you guys for the response. I have decided to install myself and recognized that it didn't fit at the bottom mounting area. I'm attaching here the images to show the different widths between the OEM's and the Bilstein's. The Bilstein B4 19-282862 model appears to be a bit wider at approximately 10-20mm than the OEM, which made it impossible for me to slide it into the bottom mounting area of the shock. Is it because mine is a B4 while the B6 appears to fit better or my RX 350 AWD is a different variant?
OEM shock Bilstein shock The mounting area that doesn't fit
Last edited by movemushroom; Feb 7, 2025 at 11:18 PM.
The B4 and B6 should have the same bushings. If both shocks are the same, maybe they had a batch with the wrong mounting tubes. Or they over torqued the original shocks at the factory leading to the bracket getting compressed.
If I had this issue I would use a pry bar to widen the lower mounting bracket and grease it up before inserting the shock. It will be fine after you torque the bolts.
I installed Bilstein B4 shocks on the rear of my 2015 with 125K miles. The only challenge was a driver side upper bolt that was seized solid. I considered cutting it out, which would have been a pain. Instead, I just bought a new upper bracket on sale (for $35 or so) and a new bold. It was easy enough to remove the old bracket with the shock still attached, saving a bunch of hassle or taking it to a shop. The lower bolt was also a pain, but it eventually came out with some back and forth with a high torque impact wrench. Replacing the passenger side was no problem at all.
I am very glad I didn't go for the B6. The B4 is just right for this car.
Good decision then. The infamous rear shock leak issues were supposedly addressed and resolved by the 2014 model year. But at 125,000 miles, I guess all bets are off.
KYB quick struts
