I agree, put Eibach 350's on my IS350, looks great, handles a bit flatter and rides nice. The look is just right with 19's. Best mod dollars I've spent so far.

I don't have to apologize to my passengers about a crappy ride, slow for driveways, etc.

 

i dont want to change my ride height haha, if i do plan on tracking it later on but i have a whole different set up for that.

a rep from the dealer says he can get me a set of f-sport springs for 220 otd, what do you guys think?

yeah i had a Dark Ego SL74 =] it was sick!

i guess i'm going with option 2 ftw!

 

Good price, but what's the price for installation and alignment.

 

I'm installing it with my friends and my friend's shop will do the alignment for free

 

uh... no.

coming from someone who's on air, i'm surprised that you of all people are giving suggestions addressing the OP's "want vs. need vs. afford" dilemma. then again, i suppose giving a bad suggestion creates an opportunity for discussion.

the OP wants coils, but he can't afford a new set, and can't find a better used set (btw, tein ss for the 2is has had mixed reviews - a search can confirm that). as such, he's better off getting springs - which he has already decided on. that, and it's not like the 2is is a track car, and it's not like he's going to fiddle around with the height adjustment for fun or out of curiosity.

i'm not slamming the coilover setup option for the OP; however, coilovers aren't for everyone - especially if the 2is owner is not going to make use of them. that, and the fact that he's looking a set of used coilovers (without specifying the condition of those used coilovers) should be reason to be wary. given a limited budget, that's the last option he should be looking at.

don't make a suggestion based on your observation, that a lot of people have gone from springs to coilovers. some might have crossed over because they had the need to, some might have crossed over because they could finally afford it, and some might have crossed over because they wanted to. guess what? the OP wants it, but doesn't need and can't afford it (at least not a new set).

btw, to the OP: good choice.

 

Coils for sure...I had the springs and totally regretted it. Do it right the first time!

 

but with just lowering springs you have a good chance of blowing out your stock shocks.

 

Really, even with moderate lowering like F-Sport springs, mmmmm, not likely.

 

hardly.

many 2is owners have been on aftermarket lowering springs and have not had their oem shocks fail. i was on tein s-techs for almost two years (~20k+ miles), and my shocks were not blown. that's not to say the shocks won't blow out; lowering springs will accelerate wear and tear on the oem shocks, but will not cause them to blow out immediately.

on the other hand, some have had premature shock failure with oem springs, but those cases have been rare and far and few in between.

 

Here we go again with projectDNA bashing on the coilovers.. coming from someone who is dropped with springs.. you will hear some bias opinion..

Btw, to the op, get coilovers and don't look back. I didn't know dropping your car on stock shock is so common for lexus. I use to have a acura and everyone would bash on people who drop their car on stock shocks.

Not only that, I was one of those who dropped my car on stock shocks on my previous car. After 15k miles with my aftermarket springs and stock shocks.. my shocks blew.. ended up replacing them for coilovers. Therefore, if you are going to lower your car. Do it right or don't do it at all. And let's not forget the drop coilovers achieves. Nothing springs can ever come close to...

 

i suppose you've completely failed to read my previous posts (either you can't read, or choose not to read), so i'll just revisit this discussion again. hopefully, you'll understand what i am trying to say this time around.

in my previous posts and in other threads i was not bashing on coilovers. as a matter of fact, i would totally recommend going with coilovers - if it was within budget and need. when it comes to modifications, "what i can afford > what i need > what i want". as the OP has said, he can't afford new coilovers (i can't find a vendor who sells NEW coilovers for $600; can you?). not only so, he doesn't need them, since he has "a whole different setup" for the track.

also, in some cases there are more vices than virtues with used coilovers (unless you know very well the condition of those coilovers). as his choice of coilovers (tein ss) has had mixed reviews - and yes, a search will confirm that - it should give the OP enough reason to not buy them. that also is a recommendation that others have made - and one that i agree with.

i was ("was" is the operative word) on tein s-techs for almost two years, and my oem shocks did not fail. it is unfortunate that your shocks failed after switching to aftermarket springs, but then again other 2is owners have had premature shock failure on oem springs, so what does that say? maybe there's a design defect w/ the 2is shocks? maybe they're just weak? or maybe you pushed your 2is a little harder than most people? or 2is owners whose shocks have prematurely failed had a run of bad circumstances/luck/karma/fate? regardless, i agree with the OP that he should go with springs. it's within his budget, and they will reduce the ride height of his 2is. if he can afford coilovers, and they're exactly what he needs, then by all means get a set.

if you're going to jump on my back, at least read and fully understand what i'm saying first. otherwise, you'll just be making a lot of noise but not saying much.

 

"do it right or don't do it at all" doesn't really apply. what are we doing it right for? i drive the living crap out of my car because i travel between san diego/la/oc and currently riverside too on a weekly basis. now if i were to get coils and lower my car it would mean that my car would face the 5 and the 91 freeways constantly and neither the 5 or the 91 are the smoothest of freeways. and i REALLY dont want to have to sit in a car for an hour each way feeling every bit of gravel there is. the reason why i went with f-sports is because everyone seems to say it drops the car a bit and still maintains most of the ride comfort, perfect for what i need. along with that i am a med school student living on his own working whatever hours i can to pay my living expenses. i can spare a decent amount but like projectdna says comparing cost to reason its safe to say i'd prefer springs for my daily use. so imo i definitely think i'm "doing it right," wouldn't you say?

 

soo umm with the 650, i got:

*f-sport springs
*fujita short ram
*8k hids
*another 8k hid kit for my gf's yaris hahaha
*1 breakfast burrito with carne asada and a large coke from alertos

=] i'm quite happy with my decision

 

Very Nice! Congrats! I just bought a Fujita today, and some Garax 10k's

 

I know from my personal and current experience on the IS350 that lowering springs work fine with a moderate drop and OEM shocks. I don't doubt the coilovers are a preferred route for more severe drops.

And for some a moderate drop is the ideal setup with 19" wheels. Sure the car doesn't look slammed, no scraping on driveways, no slowing for common speedbumps and bumps in the road, no listening to passenger complaints about poor ride, no tire wear problems, no alignment problems and pulling, no damage to aftermarket front lips, no sharp reduction in resale value.

The issue of blown Lexus shocks with springs is a non-issue that surfaces about as often as rebuilding coilovers on a Lexus. Doesn't happen often enough to matter.