NeoN

Ok, started taking apart the kit I recieved in the mail, apparently it is made by WAAG and I was reviewing the instructions... The support bars attatch directly to the frame, right to the soild bumper mounts, you must remove the bumper and styrofoam bumper cover and the metal bumper itself. The support mounts then are bolted directly to the frame, at which point you replace the metal bumper where it was previously bolted in, ontop of the mounts (which are 1/4" thick). The mounts stick out on the bottom and the top, part of the top mounts protruding from the bumper near the radiator, with the upper support mounts are bolted on later once the bumper is reconnected. Now Rey, I believe you said it was impossible for the upper support mounts to fit on the RX, Judging by the bumper and such I'm not able to tell yet if they will clear or not, but i'm fully prepared to cut a hole in my bumper to have them fit properly.

I have posted an image of the grill mounted on an RX330, if you can't see, the lower mounts are the same on all vehicles

Also posted is the grill guard for the RX400h, as you can see the bumper is different than the RX330, as there are two openings opposed to one, and the grill in the hood is bigger and wider than the RX330 Grill. The only problem I can forsee is the upper support mounts sticking out of the bumper connecting to the top of the grill guard might not fit under the hood, if that is a problem but if not we should be good to go. I will start taking apart the factory bumper and getting the mounts ready for later in the week, updates to come and I will promise to take pics during my install and of my other mods I currently have done.

You are too kind Tom...just say it...they are UGLY! Rey

I reserve the word "ugly" for Michael Moore.

Tom

second that one.

After watching several blind fools come inches from backing into the rear of my RX in parking lots, I must admit that I am tempted to buy the rear bumper guard, although I don't really think that it adds anything to the appearance of the vehicle.

Tom

yea I agree, I want to watch out for my RX!! there are alot of *BLEEP* drivers on the road who will hit your car in a parking lot and take off. Rear /front bumper guards are your best protection, although the rear doesn't add anything aesthetically. Its only $200 for a stainless steel one on ebay.

Has anyone found horsepower and torque curves for the RX400h? (Actually two sets for FWD and AWD.)

Tom

the RX400h is having a maximum combined torque of 750Nm and 200kw (272PS)

max torque ICE = 288Nm

front e-motor = 333Nm

rear e-motor = 130Nm

(all lexus figures and diagrams)

rear e- motor

rear_e_motor.pdf

front e-motor

front_e_motor.pdf

ICE

ICE.pdf

can you please convert NM into lb/ft?

No, it's very different, look again closely and compare it to the my profile picture at the top left here, just under my "RXREY" banner.........Yes, the picture that you posted is the 330/350 bumper and you can see that the indented area is only one thing that is different. When the hood closes and the grill comes down to meet the bumper, it creates the "slot" that I'm talking about on the 330/350 models. The other difference is that the 400h bumper has an added air vent or "second" grill to allow for more ventilation needed for the hybrid system so you CAN'T switch to the 330/350 bumper without cutting off the air flow needed... so as I said, look at the picture of my 400h, look carefully and you'll see that not only are the fog lights different but on our 400hs we also have that second grill on the bumper and the lack of the indention that creates the "slot" or opening on the 330/350 designs. But as we now know, the manufacturers of the grills know that and have now designed their grill to fit our 400hs. There, I'm out of breath with this post! Rey Bustos, happy Lexus guy in L.A.

thanks for the quick reply rey, I see the second air slot, so shouldn't there be ample room to mount a bumper guard then if there are two openings on the RX400h's bumper, not just 1 like the RX330/350?

Are you referring to that which is generated by a dyno? I haven;t seen anything, yet.

after 20k miles and breaking in my RX i wanna dyno mine. I've only got 750 miles so its going to be a while :)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/04-07-LEXUS...sspagenameZWD1V

here is a picture of the factory RX330 Bumper, the Fogs look to be different but everything else looks the same.

Actually, the slot is not from the grill but from the indented center section of the bumper! So changing the grill to a 330/350 won't do any good. But it doesn't matter because now I know and we know that there are at least three manufacturers making grill guards for the 400h: WAAG, Rampage and ...what did NeoN mention?...Pep club, Meat grill....pepboys...Oh...he said PEPBEAUTY! there, that's my little input for the day....toodle-loo cariblu, Rey

so your saying its below the grill but somewhere on the bumper, meaning we'll have to drill holes in our front bumper or switch to a rx350 front bumper? Can you point this out on a picture by any chance since the the WAAG website doesn't do a good job showing where it mounts

No, actually the 330 and 350 are NOT the same as the 400h! The guard only fits the 330 and 350 because those models have an open slot at the grill/bumper area and that is where the support bars go through and onto the base of the radiator area. The support metal bars go through that slot and onto the two bolts by each or the front lights and on the left side by the horn. Also, the bumper on the 400h has the open air vent but this has nothing to do as to why the grill guard won't fit but just to add to the fact that the 400h is different...oh and the round fog lights and different rims. As far as I know, no one makes the grill guard for the 400h. If I am right, it'll be easy for you to resell it as a mistake or return it. I hope somehow I am wrong and there is a 400h grill guard that I don't know of....anyway, I'm just passing on what I found out on my own looking for the same thing when I first bought my 400h. But now, I am actually glad that my grill guard didn't fit because it is a "Princess" not a "Xena Warrior" type of vehicle, (yes, no matter what, I see my car as a "SHE"). I sold my grill guard from eBay for about half of what I paid for it to a man that has a 330 and he was really happy with it....why not, I paid for half of it! Let us know what happens in your case, Rey

Have you guys seen the WAAG bars? Look pretty nice to me. NeoN, I know you mentioned that you preferred SS, but these are pretty cool

http://waag.com/showroom/200.php

I just checked out the WAAG Showroom, and it looks like the piece I bought is the WAAG only in stainless steel, I love ebay, I got it for under $500 shipped! WAAG Wants $600 for the black one w/o shipping! :(

Anyways, I was taking into account the "open slot at the grill/bumper area, your saying I need a RX330 Grill in order to make this work? Its only $99 for a RX330 Grill, take a look at this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LEXUS-RX330...sspagenameZWD1V

any thoughts as to if this grill will work? Thanks for all the help

Brett, I just saw the Rampage grill guard that you mentioned...very interesting. Is this the one that you got? If it is, then IT IS designed for the 400h and I'm sure many of us would LOVE to see pictures of your ride with it on! Thanks, Rey

rampage? I'm not sure what your talking about, but the bar I bought from pepbeauty can be found on ebay or ebay express(where I got mine). If it doesnt fit im going to have my auto guy custom make brackets up for it, I must have the stainless steel bumper guard on my RX!!! I will attempt to install it in a week or so but i'll give you guys updates as soon as I can, and where did you find this rampage bumper guard at?

just to let everyone know, I received my RX330 style bumper guard from ebay (seller: pepbeauty)a few days ago, i'm nowhere near home right now but i'll install it as soon as I get back, It should fit though from the preliminary research I did wit hthe RX350 guys and the fact that the RX330 is exactly the same car as the 400h minus the engine/drivetrain. Pics to come.

Who doesn't agree that there could be taller / wider / (whatever suits your preference) rims on our 400h rides, that would look better. The rub is, that Lexus used the best configuration for highest mileage, unfortunately. I'd hate to sacrifice that, just for my ever thirsty ego.

Hey, Reybustos bought bigger, wider wheels for HIS ego, why not someone else with the same idea?

hey leave rey alone, hes a great guy. He can do whatever the hell he wants with his RX400h, he can even paint it pink if he wants to, we live in america, not Iran.

well I will try from the starter battery then. Although it still worries me that it only recharges at 5 amps.

what kind of amp are you running? if your worried then run a second battery like I'm doing. I'm going to try and fit it in the cargo area under the floor in the trunk, I've already got my amp mounted in there for a clean look, more space, etc. The left side of the cargo area has more space than the right, as I recently purcahsed a Stinger SP800 dry cell battery to fit there, we'll see how it fits once I take the cargo area out and modify it (grind away whatever I need to fit the battery in there). Everything looks good so far

Hey just wanted to see whats the biggest tire we can shove under our fenders. 255/45/20? I was wondering about a 265/45/20 or possibly a 274/45/20. Anyone think a 265/275 would rub? would it stick out past the fenders?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

-Brett

The rear tires' inside sidewall clearance is the limiting factor.

And yes, I speak from experience.

what do you mean? you've got 255/50/18s right? Rey claims his 255/55/18's don't rub at all, without spacers!

They feel really nice. No, absolutely no rubbing or any problems whatsoever and NO change in MPGs that I have seen. I was also contemplating the Bridgestone Alenzas that so many seem to be nuts about. I feel that too would be a great tire for you to contemplate as well as the few other choices that people have mentioned in earlier tire posts. I simply loved the look of the Toyo Proxes S/T. they are directional so if you don't mind that, they are wonderful. The car corners much better and they have shown almost no wear in the same time that the Good Years wore away. There wasn't any need at all for spacers even though they are a bit wider as well as taller...but remember that it is only a very little bit of size difference. Some have mentioned that they don't like the aggressive look of the Toyo Proxes but I actually loved that part of it. I didn't mind that my 400h looked like a "girl" before, but now it does look more masculine...well, a little bit more, afterall, it is a lovely and elegant car. I took off the roof rack, as I said, and I added the chrome side step pipes (Nerf Bars) and that along with the new tires makes the car look a little more unique. I also have four "Hybrid" emblems, two on the back and one on each side. In '06 they didn't have anything to show that I had a hybrid except the "h" after the 400 and I felt that I needed to make a statement and wanted people to know that I cared enough to spend the premium for the top of the line hybrid SUV. I hope this helped and remember, make sure that you like the look of the Toyo Proxes S/T tires . I personally think that they ride nicely and feel secure and they do look like a million bucks. In a couple of years or so I might try the Bridgestone Alenzas...but right now, these tires are great! Rey

Thanks for the detailed writeup, I'm still undecided as to which tire i'm going to stick with, Maybe a 265/50/19 or maybe a 255/50/19. I'm mainly looking to firm up the suspension, have a firmer grip on the road, a wider stance, etc. I've been comparing alot of the features from tirerack, Tire Width, revolution per mile, etc, I love the directional treads, and you can't go wrong with the Toyo's especially at the cheap price you paid for them. If your 255/55/18's fit no problem, no rubbing, etc I might just go with something similar in size, thanks for all the help and i'll let you guys know what i'm doing as soon as I finish comparing all my options

I run my stereo system off my starter battery, I replaced my starter battery with a Optima Yellow Top Deep Cycle, its been fine since, just don't run your stereo with the car off. I'm in the process of installing a second battery since its died once (left the stereo on for an hour without charging it, oops)

You should look into a Stinger SR200 battery isolator, which would run your stereo off the second battery, always allowing for a fully charged starter battery in the event that you do drain the secondary battery fully, your starter will always be ready to go. Once I get everything installed I'll take pics and show you guys my whole setup, but it works like a charm as of now, although I had to install bass blockers in all 4 door speakers, stupid cheap speakers from the factory

I have Toyo Proxes and they are a wee bit bigger and look much better for the wheel well. I have 255/55-18" and if there was a difference in the MPGs, I haven't noticed. I keep really good track of my MPG. Anyway, my '06 400h came with very bad Good Year tires so after only one year I had to replace them. The Toyos are terrific. They are about a 1/2" bigger and it wouldn't seem as if you would notice but you really can. I have side by side pictures, before and after, if you look up my other entries on this forum. The car rides so much better in every way and even though Lexus picked the tire size for this car, it actually looks and feels better with the slightly larger tire. I wouldn't go bigger though...255/55 has not been a problem with anyone in this forum that has this size, no matter the brand. Look up "New Toyo Tires" in this forum, it's my entry and you can see my tires. As I said, my car looks amazing and I also took off that ugly (in my opinion), and for me unecessary, roof rack Rey Bustos, very happy Lexus owner in L.A.

Rey, I'm currently in the process of reading through your New Toyo Tires thread on the forum, can you comment on the handling/ride comfort with the new tires compared to the old ones? Did you have to use a spacer to mount the 255/55/18s? Do they Rub at all?

My good friend, wwest, is politely indicating that there will be a significant difference in ride quality. Somewhat similar to riding a piece of plywood down a boulder-strewn rocky hillslide.

do you have first hand experience of this?

Yes.

you run 255/55/18 on your car right? is it the sidewall height or the width of the tire that is causing the problems?

The wheel wells certainly have plenty of room, but the stock tire size looks pretty close to the struts. Don't think you could upsize by much.

there is a guy here running 255/55//18's on his RX400h, he has a 5mm spacer. I took out a measuring tape and it looks like a 255/50 would fit no problem but im curious about a 265/50/19 or so

My good friend, wwest, is politely indicating that there will be a significant difference in ride quality. Somewhat similar to riding a piece of plywood down a boulder-strewn rocky hillslide.

do you have first hand experience of this?

Hey just wanted to see whats the biggest tire we can shove under our fenders. 255/45/20? I was wondering about a 265/45/20 or possibly a 274/45/20. Anyone think a 265/275 would rub? would it stick out past the fenders?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

-Brett

Hey just wanted to see whats the biggest tire we can shove under our fenders. 255/45/20? I was wondering about a 265/45/20 or possibly a 274/45/20. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

-Brett

I don't notice if it makes a noise on the highway, but i also don't remember what it sounded like before i put it on the car, so who knows! But it seems to be fine. My only complaint is the shaking. It doesn't have as many supports as the one on my rx300 does, so it tends to shake a bit especially on bumpy back roads. But it's never caused any damgage, so i guess it's ok. And it lights the road perfectly even with it on, along with the bottom left corner of your windshield if it's foggy! (light must reflect off of the stainless).

Overall i love it.

hey thanks for the writeup! I really appreciate it. I just found one on ebay and im going to purchase it today. I might try and see if my tuner can whip up some custom supports for the grill guard so it doesn't shake around as much. I assume you bought it for the looks or do you actually plan on hitting stuff with it? Does the stainless steel dull at all or does it shine like the first day you purchased it?

thanks again!

The other day I ran low on washer fluid. This, apparently, is a crisis in Lexus' mind. I now have this huge red triangle on my dash and the LCD display now says "LOW WASHER FLUID" and doesn't permit any of the other displays for more than a second or two. In the year that I've owned this car I've grown thoroughly tired of being treated like an idiot by Lexus.

If thats the least of you worries you should be happy.

Hey I was looking to see what the stock RX 400h 18" wheels offset is?

I'm actually looking to buy a new set of rims that could make my RX handle better, anyone know what size of offsets is possible for my car?