Broken coil spring?

[cornershop]

Morning all,

i discovered this yesterday - broken rear springs?  I actually drove for an hour at motorway speeds without realising, as the boot was full, so thought it was just loaded up 

i have a set of new Kilen springs in storage which i may get fitted; depends if the garage of choice is happy to fit customer supplied parts.

i also have a pair new KYB front struts, with the same caveat.

Pic of the car with an empty boot:

[Newbie1]

Phew! Resting on the bump stop. Does it have DHP springs or just the wheels?

[dendonc]

13 minutes ago, Newbie1 said:

Phew! Resting on the bump stop. Does it have DHP springs or just the wheels?

Sorry, I did not understand the meaning, can you explain? 

[cornershop]

Just the wheels 

[ColinBarber]

28 minutes ago, dendonc said:

Sorry, I did not understand the meaning, can you explain? 

Bump stops are compressible blocks (typically rubber) that protect the suspension when they reach full travel.

[Newbie1]

And on the ls400 they are a resilient thing, unlike lesser cars.

[dendonc]

6 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Bump stops are compressible blocks (typically rubber) that protect the suspension when they reach full travel.

Thanks, got that though I still don't/can't understand what is seen in the photo, to me the photo just shows a normal, good looking, good condition ls400.

[ColinBarber]

Car looks fine, except a collapsed rear suspension. There is normally gap between the wheel arch and the top of the tyre.

[cornershop]

Pic before - sorry, not the best

You get maybe two vertical fingers in between arch and tyre - not a single finger gap now

Note also the increased arch-tyre gap at the front - resulting in negative camber (top of tyre sits further out than the bottom of the tyre when looking at the front of the car)

 

 

[cornershop]

I actually prefer a lower ride height, maybe 10mm higher than the broken rear pic above, but I can’t find lowered springs anywhere for these cars - i thought i had an option of -30mm H&R springs from the US, but find these are NLA as of March 2017 - bugger

Aside from coilovers, anyone aware of lowered springs for the Mk4?  Anyone had bespoke items made up?

[dendonc]

Yes now I can see it but I had to lighten the whole car up first, is it one of the dark green LS's?

[cornershop]

I cross posted on Pistonheads - could this be the issue?

My car is covered in snow, and its freezing so i can’t confirm just now 

http://www.evansweb.info/2009/11/23/ls400-ride-height-sensor-repair/

[steve2006]

Nah, looks exactly like mine did recently with one broken spring, replaced with KYBs.

Hardest job is removing the rear seats and parcel shelf to access the top mounting bolts.

[dendonc]

1 hour ago, steve2006 said:

replaced with KYBs

How does the ride compare with KYB?

[cornershop]

How do you find the ride on KYB springs?  Assuming you changed both?

[runsgrateasanut]

On 18/03/2018 at 3:57 PM, cornershop said:

How do you find the ride on KYB springs?  Assuming you changed both?

Shirish, I yesterday had the rear springs replaced with KYB's and frankly I'm a bit troubled. First impression on seeing the Car was that it had converted into a ~Dragster.  There is about four inches clearance above the rear tyres.  Now either its normal or the Springs that KYB claim are for all LS400's from 89 to 94  (No RD5979) are not correct for the Car, or they've put the wrong Springs in the Boxes.?  I'll have to live with it for the moment and not driven anywhere to see what the driving experience is.  The fronts now have about three inches clearance.

As long as the Light settings  will still pass the MOT and l ensure I can see ahead in darkness then perhaps I'll get used to the opposite of Low Rider? 

 

[Newbie1]

Someone had this issue a few years back https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/86545-93-rear-ride-height/

[runsgrateasanut]

1 hour ago, Newbie1 said:

Someone had this issue a few years back https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/86545-93-rear-ride-height/

Thank you Phil.  Oh how I wish I'd read that thread before.  Having had these Springs since 2015 and only now after a second attempt have they been fitted "by the book". and left me with a Dragster Lexus.   I'm going to have to run with these for the foreseeable future but they are definately NOT the correct size Spring for this model.  I think I made mention elsewhere of having recently looked on Rock and seen a diagram for Moog Springs that don't seem to have flat ends, at all.  Just my luck to get screwed by KYB bad information.  I'll have to weight the Car down next MOT to  get the Lights to pass the test. 

It will be loaded for our next trip abroad and I've got an LPG Conversion kit and Toroidal which may make some difference if and when fitted.  BU**ER !!

[Newbie1]

I've had it happen with springs on other cars. Don't fit, or fit badly and make noise, or the spring rates wrong so car's ride and handling changes...unless Toyota want to ruin me I'll be replacing with OEM to avoid hassle.

[steve2006]

On 18/03/2018 at 3:36 PM, dendonc said:

How does the ride compare with KYB?

No noticeable difference, ride height is the same.

[steve2006]

I fitted the exact type of springs to mine KYBRD5979 and they are fine.

Compared the length with the old broken one and they were the same.

Having purchased them off an eBay seller for a reasonable price I did have concerns as to whether they were genuine but after contacting KYB and checking the markings on the springs they were deemed to be the real mccoy.

[runsgrateasanut]

Your comment in 2014 in that other thread, Steve   

quote

IIRC the rear springs on the October 1994 on models (series III) were longer than the earlier models so this may explain the difference in height.

Unquote. 

KYB should not be saying they are right for 1989 - 1993 (Mk11 and  Mk 1) This is what it says on the Invoice from Parts Superstore (e-bay purchase back in 2015) 

Irritating, and now showsing me that the Nexens I put on the rear are getting low, so two replacement Maxxis's (which I have on the front the same age and have worn well) are now on order.  

 

PS I'll be allright for off-roading!

[cornershop]

These are the Kilen springs and the 2x front KYB shocks  going on my mk4 - just ordered 2x rear KYB shocks at £70 each inc vat from amazon : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005H2AC2C/ref=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item

Need to find a source of top mounts, the genuine Lexus ones are £175+vat from Guildford.  

Altogether, for genuine Lexus shocks, springs, top mounts, and spring insulators, the bill was over £2k, so I’m sticking to aftermarket!  If mine was a mint example with full LSH, low owners etc, I’d contemplate fitting genuine parts.

Planning on using Toyotatech in guildford to do the fitting. £50/Hr + vat labour is more palatable than Lexus £142+vat

[cornershop]

[cornershop]

12 hours ago, runsgrateasanut said:

Shirish, I yesterday had the rear springs replaced with KYB's and frankly I'm a bit troubled. First impression on seeing the Car was that it had converted into a ~Dragster.  There is about four inches clearance above the rear tyres.  Now either its normal or the Springs that KYB claim are for all LS400's from 89 to 94  (No RD5979) are not correct for the Car, or they've put the wrong Springs in the Boxes.?  I'll have to live with it for the moment and not driven anywhere to see what the driving experience is.  The fronts now have about three inches clearance.

As long as the Light settings  will still pass the MOT and l ensure I can see ahead in darkness then perhaps I'll get used to the opposite of Low Rider? 

 

Maybe an option - I had suplex on my old MErc 190e, they were excellent for the 10k miles I had it for:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F323152960571