Fpan87

I'm thinking about changing out the front struts on my 2013 rx350, anybody done so already with some insights? Any special tools I need besides a coil compressor? I'm thinking about ordering OEM struts and hopefully borrowing a coil compressor from auto zone.

Thanks in advance!

tempestv8

I have no done my RX but I have done it several times with the LandCruiser 200 Series. From my experience with the 200 Series, the front coils are not going to be compressible via the typical wind-up spring compressors, simply because of the small diameter of the front coils. Basically the "fingers" that grab the coil are not going to be able to grab properly because of the small diameter of the spring winding. Secondly, the spring rate for the front springs will be significantly higher than what the wind up spring compressors can typically handle safely.

Those spring compressors are only really good for the larger diameter and lower tension coils, e.g. rear coil springs.

Your best bet is to remote the entire strut and take it to suspension shop where they have the right spring compressors to be able to disassemble the coils from the old shock struts and reinstall onto new shock struts.

That's what I had to do each time with my LandCruiser. I wouldn't expect it to be any different with the RX, just slightly smaller and lighter components.

Fpan87

Yeah, that's my exact thought if the tools from auto zone doesn't work. Probably will end up just bringing it to a local mechanic for them to compress and install the new struts. Will I need to do alignment afterwards or special markings before I tackle this job?

Thanks

tempestv8

In theory you are not messing with the alignment of the suspension but in reality, there might be some change to the steering geometry with the new struts vs old. I would advise getting a steering wheel alignment done, but the big question I always have is - do I trust the shop doing the alignment? They seem to go off some settings on their computer system, but are the factory default parameters loaded up on their equipment? One wonders....

I'd go to the trouble of marking the left and right springs, so you don't accidentally swap them around. Not sure if they are meant to be identical, but on a 200 Series Land Cruiser and a number of other Toyota 4x4s, the left and right springs have different rates and/or lengths.

Clutchless

Here from the Toyota Nation forum are instructions for the 2nd generation Highlander which has the same front suspension as the RX, although engine bay access is a bit different. I have both done it all myself, and taken out struts and paid a shop to do the spring compression. I paid around $50 to do this, but it will likely be more expensive now, probably an hour labor. Any gas station that does repairs can do it for you. It is the same as most other Toyota front struts. http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/12...placement.html

Fpan87

I spoke to my local mechanic today and he quoted me about 80 per side for labor. I'm debating if I wanna just do the repair to pro-actively or wait till the front shows signs of leakage and have Lexus warranty it.

Clutchless

The fronts rarely leak. It is the rear ones that have a reputation for early leaking. You will probably never be able to obtain your goal of free front struts under warranty due to leakage.

JohnLX300

iTrader: (2)

I did the front strut in my old RX300, and plan to do mine in my RX450h soon. I always jack up one side ( the side i'm not working on), this helps compress the spring on the other side. Then I place and tighten the spring compressor on the already semi-compressed spring. I have had great luck using this method!

Fpan87

That's quite smart and ballsy considering there's so much stored energy onto those springs. I would only do that if I absolutely trust the tool that I'm using. I'll probably end up just taking out the spring and have the shops compress them.

TriniLex

Can you take some pics of the process of removing the spring combo?
thanks

Clutchless

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...r+front+struts

bossxr

I paid my mechanic to do all of mine even though rears were straight forward. Fronts need the high powered spring compressor so not really diy for me. KYB shocks all round for me. They work well.

paperthin

I replaced everything all around with KYB. Surprisingly the fronts were easier than the rear due to all four rust bolt in the rear. Al four bolts snapped in the rear. I paid a mechanic to compress the fronts since I could not located a spring compressor that i was comfy with for a decent price up here. A busted front (leaking) shock is what made me do it, in hindsight i should have done the rears much sooner, I didn't realize all the noise coming from the rear despite no signs of leaks on the rears. We are now at 140k miles.

cliffc

2011 RX 350, 100000miles, front strut leaking and seized.
Looking at a 2015, that had front strut replaced at 40000 miles.
How common is this issue
Thanks

Cliff

Clutchless

Not common.