1998 Ls 400

[jimmy1978]

I have a 98 Ls 400 that has 111,000 miles on it and it is starting to ride rough. Do you know if they have shocks or air suspension. Also what type of shocks do you guys recommend. I hear Bilstein are good or should I just take it to the dealer. Thanks jimmy

[etex]

I haven't seen comments on this question, either. I have a 1998 LS with 101,000 miles, and have a set of Bilsteins ready to replace the originals when the time seems right. It currently doesn't seem to need them.

If you have air suspension, there will be a switch to the left of the gear shift knob to indicate such.

[miamistyle]

Not sure about what suspension you have, but shock selections depend on what ride quality you're ultimately looking for.

If you're looking to keep the Lexus plushy ride here is the order:

1. OEM

2. KYB

3. Billstein

If you're looking for performance, here is the order:

1. Billstein

2. KYB

3. OEM

Shocks may not be the only contributor to a rougher ride. There are other suspension related parts to consider. A good search on this forum will yield a wealth of information.

[SW03ES]

Even at 110k the struts shouldn't be gone yet...

[LScott400]

I have a 98 Ls 400 that has 111,000 miles on it and it is starting to ride rough. Do you know if they have shocks or air suspension. Also what type of shocks do you guys recommend. I hear Bilstein are good or should I just take it to the dealer. Thanks jimmy

As shocks lose their ability to dampen, the ride would probably not be described as more rough. It would be more bouncy or less controlled over uneven road surfaces. Your description causes me to think of tires.

[1990LS400]

I have a 98 Ls 400 that has 111,000 miles on it and it is starting to ride rough. Do you know if they have shocks or air suspension. Also what type of shocks do you guys recommend. I hear Bilstein are good or should I just take it to the dealer. Thanks jimmy

The shocks on my first LS (a 1990) were fine when I sold it at 183K miles. I think the current owner said that it now has over 225K and I think he would have told me if he had replaced the shocks - I see him almost every day and talk about cars.

Are your tires over-inflated? Check the pressure to make sure that it is not too far above what is recommended. The recommended pressure is 29 psi on my similar 2000 LS400 which is a little lower than what was recommended on my 1990 LS.

[SW03ES]

I think its probably tires too. The ride of this car is very dependent on the right tires and the right tire pressure. What kind of tires are you running, how old are they, and whats the PSI?