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MattRX

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    Matt

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  • Lexus Model
    RX350
  • Lexus Year
    2008
  • Location
    Ontario

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  1. Hot dang! Two for sale? One for my '02 Highlander and '08 RX350! How much are you asking and would you be willing to ship to Canada (Ontario)?
  2. Yep! Hence the bigger brakes as well, etc. Before the track day, there's an autocross event I will likely be taking it to next week. The sway bars made a massive improvement on my '02 Highlander so I wanted to follow the same route on my RX. Unlike the Highlander, my RX is a lot more tame and comfy compared to it, but still very capable for an old SUV. I really like the neutral handling they provide as well as a drop in body roll. I can get some great lift-off oversteer if I need it and the -1.75 of camber up front makes the turn in awesome. The RX is dialed back a little with -1 only. It's so hard to believe how it used to be stock compared to now. The beefier parts from the newer RX350s really can be felt on the older, lighter/smaller RXs / HL. We have a 2014 RX350 F-Sport as well and it is a dog compared to the 08 RX350, while still managing to be less comfortable over bumps.
  3. After swapping on the beefy front sway bar from a 2010-2015 RX350 and upgrading to thick 2007-2009 ES350 end links up front, I wanted to prepare the rear for a custom larger rear sway bar as well. The stock rear end links are the final suspension component on the entire car I haven't changed, and they're dinky and clunking so it's time for an upgrade! Some quick measurements yielded that the stock end links have 237mm of space between the two joints and have an M10x1.25 stud. I spent way too much time searching and found that the 2000-2011 Ford Focus has some nice alloy end links that are the same 237mm length and also have an M10 stud! Time to put them on! I used the Delphi TC2022 links on my 2008, but there are multiple options to choose from. Pros: -Half the weight (0.38 lbs vs 0.70 lbs ea) -Beefier (13mm body vs 10mm) -More threads to allow for a thicker sway bar -Included 15mm welded nut (Like a Moog) for easier removal and installation, PLUS an allen key like stock -Maintenance free and sealed well (Unlike a Moog) -REALLY strong and stiff compared to stock! (It was designed for a front sway bar off another car) -Cheaper! Cons: -NONE! Fit like a charm! No more clunks and now I'm ready for that beefier sway bar when the time comes, plus these things look really darn cool!
  4. It worked! Now I have some pretty nice brakes on the car! Feels nice and punchy like the Highlander, plus the vented rears are cool for bragging rights and better cooling! Hahaha. I'll do some tests down the road with temperature readings to compare with my Highlander's solid rear rotors. RX350: Before - 319x28mm front, 288x10 rear After - 328x28mmn front (dual piston), 310x18mm rear (aluminum caliper) Highlander: 328x28mm front (dual piston), 309x10mm rear (aluminum caliper)
  5. After putting 2008-2013 Highlander rear rotors and calipers on my 2002 Highlander, I wanted to something a little more "special" for my 2008 RX350, as I plan on pushing big power out of it down the road. First, I got some 2006-2014 IS350 rotors to test out a year or so back, and they fit perfectly! This rotor sits on the hub flush with 8mm exposed like stock, and the wheel studs stick out by 21mm from the hat like stock as well. Due to the rotor's hat being the same size, the factory parking brake performs flawlessly, and there is no dragging of the rotor, even with the wheels torqued down. However, the project ended there when the IS350 caliper wouldn't bolt onto the knuckle. The spacing was close, but I did not want to modify a cast iron caliper bracket for obvious reasons, so it has been on hold - until now! I noticed that certain 2010-2015 RX350s in Europe have 309x18mm vented rear rotors available. Importing these rotors would be a pain in the wallet, not to mention you have a poor selection to choose from and sacrifice the parking brake due to this RX350's larger hat. Still, I had to confirm if a 3rd gen RX setup was even possible first by trying my 2014 RX350's rear calipers on my 2002 Highlander (this car needed the rear knuckles swapped to fit these brakes, you will also need a 08-13 Highlander or 09-15 Venza rear dust shield to avoid cutting). 10-15 RX350 rear caliper mounted up on a 08-13 Highlander rotor, you can see the 08-13 Highlander one hanging above it Now that we know you can run 08-13 Highlander rear calipers or 10-15 RX350 / 14-19 Highlander rear calipers on a 08-13 Highlander rotor to maintain the factory parking brake, how about those special Euro calipers that let you run vented rotors? Well, I got some! 47830-48110 (Rear right) and 47850-48110 (Rear left). Euro caliper up top, and normal 10-15 RX caliper down below - you can notice that the Euro caliper is slightly deeper to allow 8mm of gap for the vented rotor These Euro calipers resemble a normal 10-15 RX caliper, take the same pads and all of the hardware, etc except for the sliding pins themselves. Overall, a fantastic option when paired with 2010-2015 RX350 dual calipers for the front which I already have as well as the rotors. Just need to install them once the car is road-worthy again. Pros: - These IS350 rotors are 310x18mm wide (vs. 288x10mm for stock & 309x10mm for 2nd gen Highlander) and are readily available with performance options too! - You can now run the 10-15 RX350 rear brake pad which supports a lot more pad choices incl. performance options because it is shared with the newer IS350 - The rear calipers (both 08-13 HL and 10-15 RX) have an aluminum body, so they are significantly more corrosion resistant and lighter than the stock ones - No more annoying sliding pin / rubber boot design Cons: - You're adding more weight (~3 lbs) worth of rotor per corner - You'll need 2008-2013 Highlander or 2009-2015 Venza rear dust shields - The calipers and proprietary sliding pins are hard to find and can be expensive That's it for now! Stay tuned for when I get them on the car CROSS-POSTED: https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/vented-rear-rotors.1717625/#post-14618695 https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/vented-rear-rotors.1717625/#post-14626078
  6. I wish I had a lift! You’re bang on with the being younger part though, I don’t have a family to take care of, unless you include my two babies (My Highlander and RX) that were too cheap to pass up! Would love an MX-5 one day and or my own E46 M3 if the funds are there! Wouldn’t mind an IS-F as well but a man can only dream lol.
  7. Thanks. This was on my 2002 Highlander, but the mechanical aspect of the car is nearly identical to my 2008 RX350 apart from the engine and transmission. The surrounding car is basically the same and there are many upgrades possible. Unlike Broc and most people who want the Torsen, I am in the minority of wanting one for more grip in the snow, and greater cornering ability at the limit during hard cornering. I know these cars aren't made for that kind of spirited driving, but my Highlander makes you forget that when you get in and drive it. It does this while still being reliable and hauling everything I need it to, just a fantastic all-rounder car. It has some H&R lowering springs from an RX300, the larger 2nd gen Highlander front & rear brakes, 2nd gen Highlander 26mm front sway bar, an Addco rear sway with custom heavy-duty brackets I designed, a freer-flowing exhaust and many more parts that just complete the package deal. There are many upgrades we can benefit from that come from the 2nd generation (2008-2013) Highlander and the list is too long to post here, but what comes to mind is the front & rear brakes, as well as the front sway bar and even the struts and springs for some members that may want to lift their RX. The best part is these parts can all be obtained for a relatively cheap amount of money, and sometimes they cost less than the respective RX parts due to them being more common.
  8. The rear wheel bearings are not press-in like the fronts, they are bolt-in which are supposed to be easier, but I found them to be worse up here in Canada where they seize up to the rear of the backing plate and have to be chiselled out. I got NSK ones from Rockauto. Same part number and engravings as the OEM one which surprised me. You have to buy them as a complete assembly with a hub and the bearing itself, this was even the way they came when I worked at Toyota and we had to pop them into customer's cars.
  9. If anyone was wondering if this swap was possible on a 2004-2009 RX, it 100% is. The diffs between the 99-00 RX and 04-09 RX share the same gearing, case, seals and pinion. The other difference is that the older 99-00 RX has side flanges and the 01-03 has its own flanges, wheras on the 04-09 RX they are absent and are "integrated" into the CV axle. You will not be able to reverse this by swapping CV axles, as the older RX CV axles will not work on the newer style knuckle. Basically, you'd have to change the ABS sensors, knuckle, rear control arms, backing plates, brake calipers, rotors, etc - not worth it for less heavy-duty parts. However, I performed the opposite on my Highlander and went from the RX300 rear knuckles to the 2008-2013 Highlander setup which is a beefier 2004-2009 RX setup. I was supposed to be getting the Torsen diff too, but I decided to do the swap to the newer RX rear suspension anyway as everything back there from the ABS sensors to the suspension, brakes etc was worn out. Tools required: - Slidehammer - Bracket with two slots in it that can accommodate M10 bolts - Drain pan - 1L of GL-5 gear oil - Diff seals & pinion seal (perfect time to change them) - Brass/metal bar with a hammer (you'll need to hammer on the CV axle with this to push it into the diff)
  10. Gio, sorry but that is just objectively false unless your car does not have traction control or your rear diff cover says "17TU". You'd think us Canadians would get the LSDs, but we don't even have them here, at least for the 2001-2003 Highlander as VSC is standard here along with AWD. I would assume the RX300 is in a similar boat. I have been trying for a solid 6 months now to get a pair of these limited slip differentials for my 2002 Highlander and 2008 RX350. Three out of three were the "17SU" open diffs and were not a Torsen at all! I forced every single one of them to give me a full refund too. Every junkyard car I have seen here personally has the open diff as well. I can confirm these diffs can be mounted on both cars, on my Highlander I just pulled the side flanges out and swapped to the 04-09 RX rear CV axles which plugged right into the diff. This is a very involved job as you'll need rear knuckles, brakes, ABS sensors backing plates and some modifications to get the parking brake to line up on the driver's side. I was using the 2008-2013 Highlander rear end parts anyway (basically beefed up 2004-2007 Highlander / 2004-2009 RX parts) so this was not a problem, however you can just swap the side flanges or buy the appropriate 99-00 RX AWD rear CV axles for your 01-03 model RX. On a 2004-2009 RX, you will just need to pull the side flanges out and swap the CV in, as the axle is one piece on the 04-09 RX and 04-07 Highlander. I have found an easier way to confirm if it's open or Torsen without pulling the cover. Just pop open the bottom drain plug and stick in a digital inspection cam (preferably one with a light), and you can easily see if the gears are that of an open diff, or a Torsen Here is a cutaway of a Torsen LSD that I had the pleasure of seeing in person. Google a standard Toyota open diff and compare it to this, and you will easily see the physical differences. A Torsen will spin just like an open diff at the pinion or at one of the side flanges, but if you put a lot of pressure on the adjacent flange while the other is moving, you may get the Torsen to lock up slightly. However, this is not a proper test, and you will want to either pull the cover or confirm via access through the drain plug with a camera before pulling the trigger. DO NOT trust the eBay sellers unless they can prove to you 100% that it is an actual Torsen diff! Cutaway of a Toyota and Lexus Torsen Type 2 Limited Slip Differential
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