Hi All,
Just wanted to relay my latest adventure in the world of LX470 Suspension. I have a 2002 LX470 with approximately 262,000 miles on the odometer. I bought it in 2004 and it had about 40,000 on it at that time. It's been a superb vehicle and still runs great. I feel like this vehicle was built for my lifestyle - skiing, small boat trailer, kayak on top, etc. I get it serviced regularly and have followed the Lexus service guidelines and intervals carefully. I have noticed however that the ride is not quite as smooth as it was in the early days. It's not bad or bouncy like some of the posts that I've read but it doesn't absorb the bumps quite as good as it used to. I've come to learn that the suspension is semi-active and is managed by these four squashed softball sized units referred to as accumulators or actuators. I use both terms as I've seen them used interchangeably however I'm not sure that it's entirely accurate. A Lexus Service Manual I have calls them Actuators but others call them Accumulators. I called my local Lexus dealer who quoted me $3,800 to replace all four. I have since found them on Ebay (OEM's) for $347.22 each and a local Japanese auto shop to replace them for $100 each which all adds up to less then $1,800 installed. Still not cheap but more than $2,000 less than what Lexus wants from me. These things aren't cheap and one reputable guy I talked to thought this is even less than Lexus pays for them. Not sure about that but I like the idea of saving $2K. They come direct from Japan so shipping can take up to 2 weeks but the shipping was free. I considered going with B&B but saw a few posts that made me think twice. I can't qualify whether his product is the way to go as I've never used them but just saw enough bad press to steer me to OEM's and for about the same price I think. My goal is to get to 400,000 miles which is another 140,000 miles or so. I'll update this post after they've been installed on how much ride quality has changed. Also, I am attaching (or attempting to attach) the Lexus Service Manual pages that pertain to these suspension components. The service manual is actually for the 2005 LX470 but I don't think there's much difference.
LX470 suspension.pdf