shaheedGS

i have 2002 gs300 sport design and i guess one of the struts went bad, should i change them to coilovers , i live in Michigan and i am worried about the coilovers not being comfortable and hard, any suggestions ? and what brand coilovers or struts should i look for

TrueGS300

I did a set of Tein base Z s and they feel outstanding. Paid 450 for the set new. Cheap option because you have to reuse the top hats. But worked out very nicely.

shaheedGS

do they feel comfortable as the OEM ? the only thing i am worried about is with the snow how long they gonna last

TrueGS300

They feel like the stock setup to me. And there shouldn't be any reason why coilovers would handle the snow any worse than OEM. You might not wan to do coilovers and lower the car if you have to drove in snow though.

Luxurious

shaheed. im looking for a sportdesign gs300. willing to sell? im in chicago.

shaheedGS

lol mine is sport design but it is Graphite Gray Pearl

captainva

iTrader: (1)

Thats exactly what I have too...02 Sport design in GGP which is the best color IMO. Take good care of it. There aren't many well kept 2GSs anymore

lexo98

iTrader: (2)

I had OEM struts with eibach springs and I loved the ride on my 20” rims. I switched them out with Megan EZ coil overs and the ride was harder than I liked. On stock wheels the EZ’s felt great but on low profile tires it was too hard for me.

CochyGS

I bought my 2GS in King of Prussia, PA. the body looked like a someone had a crazy girlfriend at some point. I'm in the process fixing the gash, like with a machete, along with a few paint chips that are old enough to legally drive. I've already rebuilt the top of the engine

shaheedGS

i am trying to find something to replace the OEM struts with , and i am looking for something to make the ride comfortable and smooth , so i am not sure where to start . coilovers or struts anything comfy.

captainva

iTrader: (1)

Keep it up man! It seems like there are less and less well kept old cars now. Its nice when you see an immaculate old GS.

If you're only looking for OEM replacement I think KYBs would be the way to go for a balance between comfort and price. You can buy new shocks and reuse the existing springs. Just make sure you get new rubber isolators or your suspension will start clunking. Also FYI the KYB rear upper mounts that are sold on Rockauto are completely the wrong part and don't fit at all if you're going to replace the suspension yourself.

flash9

Are you aware that the GS300 came from Lexus with coilovers?
Coilovers are shocks with coil spring over them.

I would highly recommend replacing your shocks with Bilstein HD B6 or B8 shocks and keeping your OEM Springs as it is my understanding that the Sport Design came with slightly higher spring rates than a standard GS300.
NOTE: I want to correct that the B8 shocks are 1" shorter and should not be used with Sport Design Springs.
I would also recommend replacing the bump stops, when your disassemble your coilovers, as my 2003's were as hard as rocks.
The rubber had gotten very hard over the 15 years.
FEBEST has all four bump stops for ~$50.

Here is some pictures of what I installed this weekend.

TrueGS300

You are referring to the McPherson strut assembly. Though it can be considered a coilover, it does not do what we in the enthusiast scene typically want. Which is ride height adjustability and or dampening adjustability. If a persons struts are worn out, a set of lowering springs and new struts along with any bumpers or bellows that need replaced will exceed the cost of a new set of coilovers. Especially Bilsteins. They are great struts, don't get me wrong, but I think it all comes down to what the OP is really looking for. If strictly comfort, go with replacement struts. Forget lowing springs or coilovers. If adjustabiltiy is desired I'd say coilovers are the way to go in this case.

flash9

Sorry - but our cars have a double wishbone front suspense and we do not have MacPherson Struts.

As for ride height and damping adjustments, how often does anyone change these?
Four Bilstein B6's, and four bump stops costs under $500
I added the Vogtland Progressive springs for $210

Any pre-assembled coilovers for $710 would be junk.

But - to each their own.

captainva

iTrader: (1)

Using Bilstein B8s with stock springs would be a bad idea. They're meant to be used on cars with higher rate lowering springs since the shock body is physically shorter than the B6. If you use the stock springs get B6. Also if the sport design springs are a higher rate its only very slightly higher. I've driven my stock sport design and a stock GS400 and they're basically the same in terms of handling and ride.

A good set of coilovers that will last as long as Bilstein shocks is definitely going to exceed the cost of buying new shocks, spring, and mount etc. You won't get 50k miles out of cheap coilovers before they start clunking.