Jahbez

I am thinking about lowering my GS 430 2006. I wanted to know if it can be done by using Tanabe Lowering Springs and keeping the factory Struts? Has this been done and if so, can someone please tell me how the ride feels, thank you.

IXI187IXI

iTrader: (3)

you can but keep in mind that it will wear your struts out quicker. how much quicker? that depends on your driving habits and the roads around you.

Jahbez

Thank you for letting me know. What would you suggest I do to get the look on 19" shoes? I want to slam the car the right way, but also be easy on the pockets. Any input, Bro?

IXI187IXI

iTrader: (3)

if you think springs will satisfy you, you can certainly go that route but usually people get use to the drop and want to go lower lol

Stormforge

Mike@Vossen (aka Blueprint) has the Tanabe DF210 springs on his GSh. You can search for pics of his car to see if that is low enough for you. If not, then you need to go with coilovers. As for ride quality, DF210 gives you that tucked look so the ride should be a bit more stiffer than NF210 which is what I'm using. Be aware that to get the slammed look, you do have to sacrifice ride quality. So make sure you are willing to put up with a harsher ride if you go with DF210.

If ride quality is important, then it would be better if you went with either coilovers or air suspension. But those are more expensive, especially air.

Jahbez

Thanks Bro for the valuable information. I want the tucked in look for sure and can deal with the ride quality, but I am definitely not trying to be on the floor. Question, between Tanabe and Megan Springs, which one would you prefer or suggest? Chris

Stormforge

Chris, I have no experience with Megan, so I can't say if they are good or bad. Some members here have them I believe, so you could do a search and see what they say about Megan.

Tanabe makes a decent product, I have no complaints with the Tanabe spring I`m using.

Jahbez

Ok, cool. So, you are using What Tanabe's on your car and how is the drop? Are you using them along with the Factory Shocks, or you have done them as a set, spring and shocks, Tanabe. Do you have any pics?

Stormforge

i'm on tanabe nf210, which is the least amount of drop. yes, i'm using factory shocks, and it's still ok. for current pic of my ride, see the 3GS forum on my post regarding amy fay and my GS450h. that should give you an idea how NF210 sits for a hybrid. maybe slightly higher for regular GS as hybrids are heavier and so sits a bit lower due to the weight

Jahbez

The Ride Looks Damn Good!!!! I like the drop and the choice of Shoes. What size are you sitting on, 19'' or 20's? How long have you been riding on your springs? The ride doesn't feel any different from when you was riding stocked? When you changed the springs, did it affect the switch mechanism for the sport and comfort? Does it work as normal or you had to disconnect it? I would assume that on the 06, 430 GS the drop maybe a tad different? Whats the drop all around, front and back? Storm

Stormforge

LOL Thx! You sure it's not Amy that's making my car look better?

To answer your questions:

1) I'm sitting on 20" Work Schwert SC2 wheels.

2) Tanabe NF210 springs were installed on Feb 18, 2009 - so almost 4 years and 4 months

3) I chose the NF210 springs because it is the closest to stock ride. In a blind test, you would be hard pressed to determine which one is stock spring and which one is NF210. IMHO, the ride quality in NF210 is that similar to OEM springs.

4) The sport/comfort switch has nothing to do with the springs; rather the sport/comfort switch is for the shocks. So yes, sport/comfort switch does work normally. See my post #4 in the below link for what the sport/comfort switch does:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...on-system.html

5) According to Tanabe's website, NF210 drops 1.3 inches front, and 0.9 inches rear for the GS430. Because my car is a GS450h with a heavy traction battery in the trunk, it sits the rear lower. Also note that Tanabe springs will settle a bit more than advertised, maybe quarter inch to half an inch more than usual.

6) I haven't really measured how much drop all around so I can't answer this question unfortunately.

Hope this answers your questions. I'm not tucked, so if you go my route you are not going to get the "slammed" look.

Jahbez

Nah Bro, Amy looks good, but the car looks wicked in its Stance also. Lol... I don't want the tucked in look, but for the Stance to be right where I can also put 1/2 people in the rear if I was traveling and the ride is right. You did answer a lot if my questions and I do appreciate the knowledge. How is your wear and tear on your wheels? I take it that you had someone who knows how to align the machine the correct way. I have been reading that some people after dropping there whips, are having problems.

Stormforge

Yes I know a shop that can do wheel alignment for 20" wheels, no issues there.

When you say wear and tear on the wheels, I'm assuming you mean camber issues eating the tire tread. Yes I do have minor rear camber issue with even a small drop. My next mod is getting a pair of rear camber kit so that I don't need to flip tires from left to right.

The other issues people have with their wheel setup is either their offset is too low and/or their tire size is incorrect which leads to rubbing issues. My wheel offset and tire size is optimal for 20" wheels in the sense that it has the same rolling diameter as stock wheels and maintains as closely as possible oem wheel speedo reading.

TWong350

iTrader: (8)

The majority of owners, at least from what I've observed, generally upgrade to coilovers after first installing springs. I sure did and had absolutely no regrets.

Jahbez

Hey Bro, what coil overs would you suggest to install on my 430? I have been looking around and found some megans, tanabe, JD sport and Tein. which one woud you suggest.