2008 IS250 Boot Strut Part Number?

[chr15gb]

Hi. My boot may as well have no dampers fitted, the boot slams with a vengeance unless you control it's decent until the final few inches, then drop it.

I have had a dig around and I can't see any part numbers on either of the struts. There is a warning label with some unhelpful English but the rest Japanese.
eBay have plenty, but all from cars of a similar age to mine (2008) which may or may not work.

I found http://www.sgs-engineering.com/car-boot-tailgate/lexus/is

The problem is they only have an IS300 as the model, not an IS250. The picture looks the same but I don't know if they are identical or not.
Does anyone know either the part number for an IS250 boot strut or know if the IS300 simply has a larger engine in the same body type?

[johnatg]

Surely there's no such thing as a IS300 2005 on? Until the IS300h came out - when was that? 2013?

The pic looks like a IS250. I'd give them a ring - I rather think you'll find the part for the 'IS300' is correct.

[Shahpor]

Yep, the US and other markets had a IS350, but no IS300 as far as I am aware.  Probably a typo.

[chr15gb]

Thanks guys

[steve2006]

Part number should be 64530-53011, not cheap from Lexus at around £110.00 each though and that's for the non gold plated version.

[Farqui]

Seriously, they can't be that expensive surely!?!?

[chr15gb]

Thanks for the Part number. Using that to search I can find a lot more info than I could find without it.
Massive USA slant to all sources. Both amazon and eBay only USA versions have them new.

I saw the crazy prices. I think I paid about £15 for my bonnet struts on my old 5 Series on amazon but couldn't find nothing for the IS250 boot here, only second hand ones which may be no better than my current ones.

I've ordered them from SGS. I'll update this once I have fitted them (still expensive though at £52 for a pair delivered IMO).

[Farqui]

Good call, let us know how the SGS units work out.

[steve2006]

There have been very good reports back from members regarding SGS, local to me too at Derby.

[Vintagesixtysix]

Yes I'll be interested to see how you get on....mines always been like a guillotine!

Sent from my iPad using Lexus OC

[chr15gb]

All fitted now. They are the correct ones.
The Inner connector is slightly different to the standard Lexus ones. On the originals it has a kind of rectangular clip with wraparound lugs which need bending out with a flat bladed screwdriver to remove.
The outers (nearest the bumper) have the standard C shaped clip which you release with a flat bladed screwdriver.

Previously I had to physically push the boot all the way over the fulcrum before letting go or it would slam back down. Similarly, to close it I had to control it;s decent until the final few inches before letting go.
My other half simply could not manage it so she let it drop from height which shook the whole car when it slammed.

With the replacement struts fitted, unlocking just pops the lock as before but now, with a single finger to set it on it's way, it glides up to fully open.
Closing is as you would expect for a normal boot.

I've made a short video of it opening with a single finger. Thanks to all who contributed.

 

[Farqui]

Great, it's good to know that the SGS units work well.

[Shahpor]

Ok, after watching the video, it appears I need some new gas struts.

It is definitely not that easy to open mine.

Thanks for the video, very useful. 

[JDM-Fiend]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I've got mine on order too. Didn't realise how screwed mine was until I saw your video! Thanks.

[Texas]

+1 on that, mine slams down, if allowed, very un-Lexus like. Looks like I'm shopping for struts also.

paul m.

[Beamish]

Having read this thread I fitted the SGS units about two months ago and am delighted with the improvement.

Until I fitted the new units I hadn't realised just how weak the original units were.

Recommended.

[Texas]

I have just ordered a pair of these puppies from SGS for my IS so I guess sometime next week I'm gonna be scrabbling around in the boot fitting them!

Question? Are they as easy to fit as it looks? Some have stated that one end of the replacement struts is a bit different to the OEM but fit anyway. I was expecting them to have 'socket' ends that fit over ball ended bolts and then secured with a spring clip that restricts the ball from coming back out, pretty much like the struts that are fitted to hatchbacks.

Has anyone any thoughts or indeed fitted some type of auxiliary Spring somehow so that when the boot is unlocked ( keyfob/dash switch) enables it to open fully and not just unlatch it. Or is this not recommended for some reason?

paul m.

[chr15gb]

Yes, they are easy to fit. The inner clip is different but not massively so, it's easy enough to figure out.

Not sure about the spring, maybe it's due to the risk of pressing the button whilst moving, better to have it pop up slighltly than fling right open.
If you fit a spring it would take more effort to close.

[johnatg]

Just got round to replacing my boot struts.

Before, it needed a fair haul to raise the boot lid and it dropped like a stone if I wasn't careful enough. Now it shoots up after a short easy one-finger lift as in Chris's video and it needs a good pull down to close it.

Note on fitting - if you have a workshop manual, it tells you to strip out pretty much the whole boot. This is quite unnecessary - what you do is:

Unclip the boot light and remove the plug.

Remove the two rope hooks in the roof of the boot - they have release catches front and rear - just squeeze them and the hooks pull out easily.

Pull the upper boot liner rearwards slightly - this releases four clips along the rear edge of the liner. The liner will drop down sufficiently to get at the struts (it's a bit of a reach to the back).

Unclip the back end of the strut by bending the 'ears' of the stainless steel clip away from the lug with a small screwdriver. The strut now just pulls off. At the front, again using a small screwdriver, remove the retaining clip and pull the strut off the ball joint.

Just push the new strut on to the lug at the back and the ball joint at the front. It clips in to place.

You should be able to do one at a time - one strut seems to be sufficient to hold the boot lid in the open position.

When replacing the liner - make sure that the plug/wire for the boot light is poking through the hole for the light, lift the liner into position making sure that the four locating clips along the rear edge engage properly and replace the rope hooks - they just clip in. Plug in the boot light and clip it in to place. It is a bit tight. Make sure that the edge of the rubber trim around the boot covers the edge of the boot liner.

Job done.

I got the struts from SGS - £52.78 inc postage for the pair. The new struts are actually branded nitrolift.com - Nitro-Lift services LLC appears to be a US Nitrogen services company.

Don't worry about the IS300 thing on SGS web site - those are the correct struts for IS250 and IS220D etc.  And don't bother to try and find part numbers etc on the original struts - they carry the logo for KYB (a well known shock absorber etc company) and some japanese writing - no numbers.

[Texas]

Good write up there that man!!!!

As mentioned I have done this replacement job on my 250 pretty soon after getting it because the boot lid was quite heavy to lift up and slammed down ( if allowed) very in-Lexus like.

I guess if you have lived with your 250 for a very long time then you may not notice the struts failing gradually over time and may learn to live with the boot lid behaving differently.

paul m.

[MVrod]

Looks like I need a set does not slam down but no one finger up action.....have to help it up and its not light!!

[IS250Mike]

Just did this on mine, brilliant, can now lift the tailgate with a single finger 👌

[65mike]

Hi all.

I took the is250 for it's service last month and showed the service chap the problem with mine as it seems it's the same as everybody elses  now and i said can it be done under warranty.

So the warranty has agreed that it can be done and is covered so it goes inTuesday to get them changed they are talking 4 1/2 hrs so told them i need a courtesy car surely they do not take this long to change😐

65mike 

[johnatg]

That's ludicrous - should take 20-30 minutes tops. But if they follow the workshop manual guide it might take that long!

Sent from my PSP7551DUO using Tapatalk

[JDM-Fiend]

Finally got round to doing this today, thanks for the help everyone.