Suspension Upgrade

[jeffreyt]

firstly,hello from the other side of the pond,a cold but surprisingly sunny Berkshire,England.

Like most SC 430 owners I think there are a lot of good things about this car but the 'ride' is not one of them.

It seems the run flat tyres ( or should that be tires ? ) is the first place to start so I have bought another set of wheels which I am currently having refurbed and new (non RF) tyres fitted .

Mine is a 2001 car and I believe the later models around 2007 had upgraded suspension as Lexus were

aware of the problem.However ,I am struggling to find out out exactly what parts were changed .

Not much technical inf on this subject available on the UK forum and the Lexus main dealers don't seem interested in giving out inf so I thought I would post the question to you guys to see if you can throw any light on this upgrade.

There is also the possibility that you may have some aftermarket, non Lexus,suspension upgrade kits

available in the US given the much bigger volume of sales of the SC than here in the UK.

All feedback much appreciated,thanks.

[1990LS400]

The SC430 is actually fairly rare over here. I probably see 100 Lexus LS cars for every SC430 I see. The older pre-2001 SC300 and SC400 are still much more common than the SC430 where I live.

You might look at http://www.toyodiy.com You may have to register to see the diagrams. It shows part numbers for vehicles made by Toyota from 1969 through 2011 and sold in many world markets including the U.K. and should let you identify what suspension parts, if any, were changed on the SC430.

I'll never forget the BBC Top Gear episode about the SC430.

[jeffreyt]

thanks for that site,just been looking through it and should prove useful.

[ppine]

I am about to install K Sport Pro coilovers on my 2006.  They cost $810 which is only slightly more than stock replacements.  The aftermarket shocks are adjustable for tension and ride height.  They will be easier to install. 

[ppine]

The K Sports were going to take 3 1/2 weeks to fill the order.  Now I am going with the Megan Racing coilovers that cost a little less at $790 a set.  

[Paul Cook]

Megan. That was the other company I came across that I couldn't remember.  Thanks Scott.

Paul

[ppine]

You bet Paul. Stagg, KYB, and Godspeed are other possibilities. 

[ppine]

The Megan Racing EZIIs came in the mail.  There are beautiful to look at.  I am going to try to keep near stock ride height, and just firm up the suspension somewhat. 

The rear needs alignment.  Maybe the front will too. 

[ppine]

The 2006 430 just came back from the shop after installing the Megan Racing EZIIs.  It is better than a new 430.  I am very impressed.  The car handles more like a sports car now.  It is not a harsh ride.  It is pretty flat.  Alignment on all 4 wheels also helped.  This is the perfect example of a resto mod where the parts cost less than factory replacement parts and are superior.  Better than new.   I had a new timing belt installed.  The old water pump was starting to leak at 96k miles. 

[ppine]

Last night I came home on a flat stretch of straight highway with a 70mph speed limit.  In 6th gear the car wants to go 80.  With some attention paid to the suspension and alignment, the car was straight, trimmed and stable at 80.  It could easily go 100 for long stretches at a time.  It is what the car is made for.   Enjoyable motoring at the highest level.  The a headlights on the 2006 model are superb.   On highbeams I could see 1/4 mile ahead. 

[Paul Cook]

LOL. Enjoy the ride Sir. 

Paul