Suspension Mod Journal
08-02-07, 09:38 AM
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Suspension Mod Journal
Having gone from a bone stock 1999 GS400 w' 16" wheels & 120k miles in June, I've added a number of suspension parts.
June- Eibach Pro Kit/Intrax F&R sways/Bilstein Sports/Daizen SR bushings/Ball Joints & tie rods: As others have noted, the ride is much firmer, but isn't uncomfortable. 99% of the steering slop is gone, there is actual road feel, and the cornering is much, much flatter. The combination of these parts provided a big Improvement in the predictablity of the handling. The 1" drop from the Eibach springs makes the car appear close to stock, but does improve handling.
July- Wheels & tires: Went to an 18x8 wheel with Michellin PS2 rubber. The additional grip unlocked even more of the potential from the earlier mods.
August- 3.76 LSD, Toms 6 link kit, Brembo Drilled Rotors, Axxis Ultimate Pads, Rotora Coated SS lines: the Toms kit takes years off the car in terms of getting back to that solid feel the rear end used to have, and really makes the suspension tighter than it ever was. A very worthwhile mod IMO. Brakes are significantly improved in terms of pedal feel, The Axxis ceramic pads dust a lot, but I expect this will be less of a problem after the pads get a few hundred miles on them. (The fade reduction over stock pads is worth putting up with a little dust.) The LSD makes the car much more fun and the traction is greatly improved. The VSC and traction control comes on much less. Downside if there is one is a reduction in gas mileage, but I'm still trying to get a handle on the difference.
October- Decided to re-think the brakes. The dust from the Axxis Ultimates was getting to be a lot of work to clean up, and the stopping power needed a boost. The Brembo drilled rotors looked good, and there was a major increase in stopping power compared to stock, but these rotors required turning fairly soon after they were installed. Supra TT BBK was the way to go. Got all the parts brand new from Champion Toyota in Houston for a good price. Went with stock Supra TT rotors and a set of Hawk HPS pads. Very happy with this set up. (Honestly, I do not understand why GS400s did not come with the Supra TT brakes and Supra LSD as stock items.) Speaking of LSD, this has turned out to be the single best performance upgrade. After a few months of driving, I wish I had done this years ago. If you install the LSD, do it after you upgrade the springs, shocks, and sways. LSD makes the car more of an animal, so you need a tougher suspension setup to tame the extra juice. Stock springs/sways/struts won't realize the full potential of the LSD.
June 2008- replaced the rear swaybar endlinks. Should have done this when the rear swaybar was changed out last year. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=363914
June- Eibach Pro Kit/Intrax F&R sways/Bilstein Sports/Daizen SR bushings/Ball Joints & tie rods: As others have noted, the ride is much firmer, but isn't uncomfortable. 99% of the steering slop is gone, there is actual road feel, and the cornering is much, much flatter. The combination of these parts provided a big Improvement in the predictablity of the handling. The 1" drop from the Eibach springs makes the car appear close to stock, but does improve handling.
July- Wheels & tires: Went to an 18x8 wheel with Michellin PS2 rubber. The additional grip unlocked even more of the potential from the earlier mods.
August- 3.76 LSD, Toms 6 link kit, Brembo Drilled Rotors, Axxis Ultimate Pads, Rotora Coated SS lines: the Toms kit takes years off the car in terms of getting back to that solid feel the rear end used to have, and really makes the suspension tighter than it ever was. A very worthwhile mod IMO. Brakes are significantly improved in terms of pedal feel, The Axxis ceramic pads dust a lot, but I expect this will be less of a problem after the pads get a few hundred miles on them. (The fade reduction over stock pads is worth putting up with a little dust.) The LSD makes the car much more fun and the traction is greatly improved. The VSC and traction control comes on much less. Downside if there is one is a reduction in gas mileage, but I'm still trying to get a handle on the difference.
October- Decided to re-think the brakes. The dust from the Axxis Ultimates was getting to be a lot of work to clean up, and the stopping power needed a boost. The Brembo drilled rotors looked good, and there was a major increase in stopping power compared to stock, but these rotors required turning fairly soon after they were installed. Supra TT BBK was the way to go. Got all the parts brand new from Champion Toyota in Houston for a good price. Went with stock Supra TT rotors and a set of Hawk HPS pads. Very happy with this set up. (Honestly, I do not understand why GS400s did not come with the Supra TT brakes and Supra LSD as stock items.) Speaking of LSD, this has turned out to be the single best performance upgrade. After a few months of driving, I wish I had done this years ago. If you install the LSD, do it after you upgrade the springs, shocks, and sways. LSD makes the car more of an animal, so you need a tougher suspension setup to tame the extra juice. Stock springs/sways/struts won't realize the full potential of the LSD.
June 2008- replaced the rear swaybar endlinks. Should have done this when the rear swaybar was changed out last year. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=363914
Last edited by Lexamatic; 06-28-08 at 03:29 PM.
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