DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

That was JohnP66; he has Bilstein PSS coilovers and SSR Competitions in 18" as his only handling mods. Dex and I have ridden in / driven his GS too and for just those changes, the handling transformation was amazing.

Other observations we made:
- His car seemed 'stiffer' especially over bumps. We were concerned with all the other suspension goodies we have on ours that adding coilovers might be too harsh a ride (at least with the Eibach PSS).
- Our cars (with Eibach/Bilstein and L-tuned and thinking back before we added all the braces & sways) had more body roll
- The coilovers seemed to help in certain dimensions, but not in others. We could really tell a difference in the way his car took corners vs ours because of the missing braces, sways, etc.

Overall we were very impressed with the changes that just the coilovers made. Worth checking out.

RON430

I obviously haven't tried the bilstein coilovers, really do like the bilstein sport with the stock spring but if you look at the dynamics of adjusting the coilover, particularly in relation to the bump stops, it is a rather sophisticated arrangement. It should be a lot more than just putting an adjustable spring perch around a shock. It is no secret that I am a big fan of bilstein. Not to say other people don't get it right but over a lot of years, bilstein has really impressed me with their ability to understand shocks, handling, and ride. I wouldn't have any hesitation recommending them. They may not achieve the ride you are looking for, that is what started this - getting away from compromises and tailoring your ride/handling for precisely what you want, but they will be a very quality piece and will make a substantial improvement with a bullet proof piece.

Haven't looked at drag specific suspension for a while but altering pre load doesn't really change spring rate but you have to be able to entrap the spring and then force it to expand to increase pre load, which will increase bite on one corner. For all of you F1 devotees, you never get to see this because they change the spring and have other tricks but for all you NASCAR fans, well you know what a spring rubber is.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Thanks Dave! Your observation makes sense when looking at Manaray's awesome write up on coilover specs. The Bilstein PSS's are up there in stiffness.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=43181

Manaray

Well it seems that nearly everything has been covered but I also wanted to mention a couple more small points...

I don't have my list (I lost it) but I remember that the coilovers were lighter than the stock parts. Also, some systems are made from aluminum so they're even lighter. My H&R and FLEX are steel so they are on the heavier side of things...

Also, in the case of my FLEX, it gave me extra clearance in the rear (not sure about the front, I didn't really measure it)...so this would allow me to do a deep offset on a wider wheel if I wanted...

SpdRcr0

this is all great ... having a ride adjustable and/or well handling sedan .... but everyone doenst realize or at least does talk about the fact that the GS IS NOT A RACE CAR!

Yes, to a certain degree it is a perforamnce luxury sedan, but far from any type of performance to speak about...

and yes, the GS430 has some *****... but straightline power is not the only key to a perforamnce car...

rominl

iTrader: (4)

well at least before lexus had the is300, they used gs400 as the team lexus car

Manaray

No one says it was but you know what, when I'm ripping through a canyon on a *** of a 911, it brings a smile to my face...I've had many "sports car" owners stop and talk to me after a canyon run and the first thing they ask is "what the hell do you have in that car?!"

And then after a nice canyon run, listening to my Mark Levinson sound system, I cruise home....THAT is what it's about for me...which is why I went with coilovers...

The height adjustability can't be beat too...YOU get control the height, not the company that made the springs. You can set it so your car is lowered "just right"...that too is worth the cost.

I've gone through many springs on other cars I've owned and NONE of then were ever "good enough". I learned the expensive way that coilovers is the ONLY way to go if you're a serious modder. Springs are for noobs...

fever

Manaray, I think your comment that springs are for noobs is probably right. So what in your opinion is a good coilover setup for someone who was thinking about the L-tuned setup but wants a little more performance and drop?

Manaray

Well if you're looking at L-tuned, you might want to consider the Tein CS, the HKS HiperMax LS, TOM'S Advox, and APEXi WS. The APEXi is the best in terms of price/performance. All of the systems I listed are what I would consider good and I honestly would have no problem putting any of those on my car.

dgtbullet

Look a LOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT Better than the spring/shock combos for our car in my taste. If you got a Lex, do it right!

bravo261

iTrader: (1)

whew! one of the most informative posts here in awhile.

Bit,

thanks for asking the question that few have asked before.

LexFather

Csr (Nimesh) has coils in Atlanta. I need to get him to a meet WITH his car

JZS14SEVEN

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DaveGS4
[B]That was JohnP66; he has Bilstein PSS coilovers and SSR Competitions in 18" as his only handling mods. Dex and I have ridden in / driven his GS too and for just those changes, the handling transformation was amazing.

i guess this is a coilover post... but,
nobody gives credit to the SSR rims? SSR comp are VERY light by street rim standards.
i'd be willing to bet in 18"... its lighter than the stock rims???
quick adjustments & feel in the wheel are probably due to the light rims more so than the Struts.
although most of what people think of as handling is in the struts...

318daily

Just wanted to give a to this thread. It's helped in my suspension decision; my Bilstein PSS kit should arrive tomorrow. I think a canyon run is in my near future

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Good point. The SSRs are quite a bit lighter than stock wheels (17 lbs vs 26). However, I've got fairly light wheels on my GS (Piaa's which are a little less than 20 lbs) and if you'll note the changes I wrote about, I didn't mention any difference in "feel in the wheel". What I observed was pretty targeted on things only the coilovers will impact IMO, not the light wheels.

- His car seemed 'stiffer' especially over bumps. We were concerned with all the other suspension goodies we have on ours that adding coilovers might be too harsh a ride (at least with the Eibach PSS).
- Our cars (with Eibach/Bilstein and L-tuned and thinking back before we added all the braces & sways) had more body roll
- The coilovers seemed to help in certain dimensions, but not in others. We could really tell a difference in the way his car took corners vs ours because of the missing braces, sways, etc.

Based on my ride in his car, I'm soon going the coilover route now that I have a second car (LS) to cruise around in comfort.