Earlier this week my trusted Japanese car mechanic replaced the original struts on my 2002 180K mile RX300 with new KYB struts. The ride is now AWFUL! - Stiff, hard, & no cushioning, and I can feel every pebble on the road. I want my smooth, cushiony Lexus ride back. I don't mind paying for the labor again to change them out. What brand should I ask him to use? I never had noises, rattles or loose steering issues with the old struts, but it was feeling bumpy and like it needed "shocks" when driving on typical moderately rough city streets. It was still riding smooth as silk on highways and smooth roads. Would appreciate any experienced input!

 

None.
I have done countless struts on various makes out family owned.
It is strange thing. Once shocks have to be replaced, literally nothing will restore the original quality of ride. And have my word, I did cheap shocks, expensive shocks, adjustable shocks, OEM shocks - does not matter. Ride is never the way it was.
My take on this is - there are way too many components involved into pleasant suspension ride, to replace just one. Though I replaced shocks and control arms one time - not much difference too. Short of entire suspension overhaul, I do not see a way to completely restore original feel.
Some will say - oh, what you talking about. I did this or that and it feels great. Well, sure. For few weeks, then what? And those posters usually do not repost after several months of use, with same delight. Some of it is psychological aspect. I invested yey much money into this, of course it feels better or, I shall say so.
Here's one and only thing, so far, and I worked on my cars since 1990, that worked. On my then Camry hybrid, I did front end Monroe shocks replacement of strut assembly. You know, strut is actually not just shock. Springs, two rubber insulators, bearing plate. Assembly. It sucked the usual way. Good for few weeks, then ewwww.
So I replaced them with Monroe Quick Strut. a) it was breeze to do. 20 minutes per side. b) they sort of sucked originally but slowly yet surely, they "opened up" and became very comfy, actually. Soft, cushy. Took about 4-5 months, but then ride turned out to be very fine.
That's my experience. I did front end KYB (KYB or Tokico are OEM shocks for Toyota) shocks component on my 2012 Highlander and - yep, they suck. I wish I could find Quick Strut for it, but no one makes them for the year. There is unknown to me company that does but I do not buy unknown.

 

You could simply reduce the air pressure in each tire by 5lbs. That will give you a bit of cushioning.

Don't you find the handling more precise (less vague) with stiffer shocks ? I always thought the Lexus RX drove like a Japanese Buick. A bit mushy. This is worsened when the seats offer little or no bolstering to hold you in place if you have a slim build.

 

Actually. KYBs on my 12 Highlander loosened a bit after about a year of use. But yes, otherwise, ride was like OP described - harsh.

 

KYB is known, for their aftermarket dampers, and I've found them to always be a bit aggressive. This has worked for every vehicle I've put them on, including the '95 Mercedes W124 sedan which still has its OEM Bilsteins on it. However, that car needed to be more aggressive in the suspension department.

You think the change to KYBs is bad, eh?

Try going from an '08 LWB LS 460 L with air suspension, to an '02 RX300 AWD. The difference is disturbing.

The LS feels like a 1973 Coupe DeVille, but under slightly better damping control and a couple of feet shorter (I'm not kidding), but the RX feels 'busy' all the time. Suspension is OEM, and to be fair, the RX is a mid-size, FWD platform which is now 16 years old, even if it has only 144K miles on it.

I'm sorely tempted to replace the struts, but I don't yet know with which ones. I'd love to try Koni out on it, but dampers are not made for the RX by them.

If anything, when dampers (shocks, or the shock part of the strut) wear out or develop leaks, typically ride gets more floaty and, for lack of a better term, indecisive. It shouldn't tighten up and be more sensitive to input (bumps/holes)

FWIW, the KYBs aren't going to 'soften up' any noticeable amount, either...at least the six sets I've put on six different vehicles, didn't. We'll come up with something.

 

I would say give it a few months and they should loosen up. I felt the same way when we replaced the ones on our 99 with 115k miles. Took a couple months and they smoothed back out. Also think about doing upper and lower control arms.

 

As usual, to each of his own. Mine did. Loosen. Now I need to replace rear ones as now I can tell difference between already replaced front and rear ends.
I shall go with complete strut. Reason I didn't do it last time was I could not find them for my vehicle. There is only one brand on ebay that sells them. That brand I have never heard of but, I already came across a favorable end user review of them. I'll take chance. That said, on my then Camry I did Monroe Quick Strut and after about 3-4 months, that car drove very comfortably. Very. With, actually, KYB strut shock component in the rear. I first did Monroe strut shock in the front then, as usual, it didn't do much, then found Quick Strut and replaced them with Quick Struts after about 7 months of use. Was very pleased.

 

I'm quite glad to hear yours mellowed out a bit, ukrokoz, because I really want to put KYBs on my wife's RX seeing as Koni doesn't make anything for it, but the last thing I want is for it to ride any 'tighter'.

The LS has spoiled me...badly.

 

Sachs / TRW are pretty soft, I have those on my RX350 and they are pretty close to factory. The KYBs are definitely a good 20% stiffer or so than factory. I've got the KYBs on my 2002 Highlander which came with factory KYBs and I love the extra stiffness they have, but I prefer firmer suspension.

 

I'm looking for comfort over the regular cracked up and pot hole NY roads. Would you suggest Sachs shocks for 2008 Lexus RX 350? How are they riding years later?

 

I replaced the struts in my BMW with aftermarket "OEM" struts and it ruined the ride. If you want original ride for your RX300, you need Lexus struts. Unfortunately, it's just not cost effective on our 25 year old cars. Don't believe the "OEM" strut ads - the AREN'T the same.

 

That's a shame like you said spending $$$ for Lexus struts is a waste of money for a 20+ year old vehicle. Just wondering if Sachs/TRW would be my best shot for around $100 each shock...

 

3 yrs later and they ride as good as the day I put them on. The paint on them holds up well too, no rust yet and we get generous dumpings of salt here

 

Salt is the killer, glad to hear they hold up to that!
The worst part about the cheaper aftermarket struts on the RX right now is they ride harsh over the local pot hole ridden roads. It's driving me crazy every time I drove over these roads. Do the Sachs ride soft and comfortable over cracks in the road at lower speeds between 20-35 MPH?
How do they drive in general? Thanks!

 

I would say the Sachs are comfortable over cracks in the road at lower speeds that you described, not quite as smooth as OEM in that regard, but a little more like what you'd expect from a German luxury sedan (5 series, etc) vs. a Lexus. Although, that's not to say they are much firmer, they just give you juuuust a little more feedback and sportiness vs. stock - although nothing compared to how firm the KYBs are. I also put these Sachs struts on a RX400h with stock springs, and you can literally eat some speed bumps at 30 mph and barely feel it. They REALLY are smooth I noticed at highway speeds, a tad floaty for my taste there. You can get a bit of "float" over bigger bumps or expansion joints because the rebound of these isn't quick like the KYBs.

The valving does firm up when you corner hard, which I appreciate, but not like a Bilstein obviously. I find that some cheaper shocks like Monroe / Gabriel or 99% of quickstruts won't do that. They are just linear pogo sticks that feel like garbage, but the Sachs at least have some thought put in that department. I can't accurately describe how my stock ones were, because they were blown beyond belief, so they felt like pogo sticks if you had to perform a "moose test".