GS450 ride height - low rear?

[Farqui]

My rear looks a little low and I'd like to check if it's an issue with the rear sagging or the front lifting (less likely). 

The ride looked a bit low at the rear before I fitted the tow bar but now it seems worse.

With the rear rack loaded and adults on board it looked pretty bad but didn't bottom out on our recent trip to Belgium.

Does anyone know the arch heights of the mk3 GS450H? - measured from the top of the center cap. 

I haven't seen any obvious reports of worn suspension other than dampers, unless anyone knows of something that afflicts this model that would affect the rear 'stance'.

• I wonder if the rear spring isolator's are worn / compressed?
• Tired springs maybe?
• Broken springs? - no clunks/etc
• Tired dampers might be pulling the rear down a bit?

I'd rather not play 'parts darts' so would appreciate any good suggestions.

Pic's of the car a year ago looked okay...

Let me try and get a more recent pic for comparison and I'll get mine measured this evening.

 

[royoftherovers]

Seems fine to me lee. Not been drinking have you ?

[Farqui]

Not yet John ! 

The pic above is from last year 

[OldTrout]

Unloaded, mine is 37cm centre of wheel to the bottom of the arch. 

[Farqui]

Thanks John that's very useful as yours are all consistent and close to my fronts.

On the drive which is pretty level, mine read; 

• FL 363 / 361mm
• FR 361/ 363 mm
• RL 332 / 333mm
• RR 349 / 343mm

Taken from the top of the center cap to the top of the arch.

So the rears are definitely lower  I wonder why?

Excuse the wide angle pics taken a few mins ago, tomorrow I'll try and get better shots along with another set of readings whilst out and about.

[Farqui]

[Farqui]

Found a little info on ride height in the manual; https://workshop-manuals.com/lexus/gs_450h/v6-3.5l_(2gr-fse)_hybrid/steering_and_suspension/alignment/system_information/service_and_repair/front_wheel_alignment/

[Britprius]

Lee I will measure my car in the morning "I am not at home at the moment", but I am sure my car is very similar to yours sitting lower at the rear. 

As you know I also have a tow bar fitted, but have not come across any problems while towing even with the largest dismantle-able mobility scooter, and batteries in the boot. I do have to remove the jockey wheel from the van when on the move to prevent this from touching speed humps.

I to would like more clearance at the rear, and with my car it is not down to tired springs or shocks. The spring isolator's are well compressed on my car, but this would not account for 1 to 2 inches of extra ride height I would like or needed to bring the car level.

I have considered the idea of fitting a 3/4 inch thick aluminium  ring either on top of the spring or suspension top mount.  I calculate this would raise the car about 1.5 inches at the rear. 

John.

[Farqui]

Thanks John (is everyone on this forum a 'John'!). Another set of figures will be useful comparison.

Mine hasn't bottomed out either and it's good that hear that your heavier load hasn't had any issues.

I did ponder spring seat spacers earlier today, these seem popular over on the states for those on lowered springs, e.g. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/suspension/696224-gs450h-df210-3.htmlhttps://www.clublexus.com/forums/suspension/696224-gs450h-df210-3.html

[65mike]

Hi all.

Er no not everybody name is John

Just a idea i assume you have not got broken springs or collapsed ones and does the car bounce when the corner is pushed down.

This is just a idea that came to me nothing more also you have not overloaded the car and knackered the rear suspension have you.

Just coming up with ideas do not mean to be nasty or critical just trying to be helpful

65mike

[Farqui]

Hurrah, a non-John response!

I don't believe I have overloaded it, the boot is so small that it's tricky to get anything substantial in there [emoji23]

Broken springs are a possibility but I don't recall seeing anything odd and it past its MOT in November without any such issue/advisory. I will be taking a closer look tho.

It could just be the dead weight of the tow bar hung out back. Maybe John's measurements with his towbar will be similar to mine?

Compressed spring mounts and worn springs could all be contributing a little.

But it bodes well that I haven't already had a flood of replies saying it's obviously 'this, that or the another' common fault to this model.

[XT5]

Mine are rear lhs 360mm, rhs 358mm; standing on a near enough level drive, centre of the wheel to the edge of the wheelarch protector that is nearest to the wheel.

Hope this helps!

Brian.

[Farqui]

I've added a second set of arch readings to my earlier post, taken in a different location and they're pretty consistent all round. 

There's a definite drop at the rear.

Pic's whilst briefly out in the sunshine...

No broken coil on the lowest side (RL)

The OEM spring isolator's thickness, top; 8mm, bottom; 5mm.

To add a spacer to the top of the shock, how much spare thread is in the boot?  Hmmm, I'll take to pull off the wheel arch liner to know what diameter the mount is 

I'll also look out for spring spacers, my rear spring is approx ID; 87mm, OD; 122mm

[Britprius]

Lee I have measured my car, and the measurements are:-

NSR 375mm 
OSR 370mm
NSF 385mm
OSF 380mm

The best place to put a spacer is between the top of the spring cone, and the body. The three studs have plenty of length to accommodate a spacer of 1/2 inch or more. The other relatively easy place to fit a spacer is on the top of the spring where it meets the cone.

I hope this helps.

John

[Farqui]

Thanks John, your arches aren't as low as mine.

Hunting around for parts I see two sets of rear springs listed;

01	48231B	48231-30B10	01	02.2006 - 04.2007	SPRING, COIL, REAR LH	GWS191	105.29 USD
02	48231B	48231-30B11	01	05.2007	SPRING, COIL, REAR LH	GWS191	86.57 USD

But I can't see any details of what was changed.  Longer/shorter/beefier/softer maybe?

Would be nice to know before I decide if it's worth ordering springs too.

I'm going to duck under the car again later to see if I can get a part# from from springs.

Also check if all my suspension bushes look okay.

[65mike]

Hi all.

Lee alas a spring can go just like that have had one go when moving 4 feet along the road

But by the picture off your Left rear looks ok is the Right one ok too, can you get it too a independent dealer and ask them to have a look at it might be worth it rather than just throwing money at it and hope for the best.

65mike

[Farqui]

Mike, yeah you're right about that and after 105k they're likely to have taken a pounding. 

I'm starting to think that renewing the softer isolator's is a good starting point, they are cheap and would allow me to check the spring during fitting.

I only checked the worst side at lunchtime but I think I need to get the whole rear up and check all the bushes out properly.

[royoftherovers]

4 minutes ago, Farqui said:

Mike, yeah you're right about that and after 105k they're likely to have taken a pounding. 

I'm starting to think that renewing the softer isolator's is a good starting point, they are cheap and would allow me to check the spring during fitting.

I only checked the worst side at lunchtime but I think I need to get the whole rear up and check all the bushes out properly.

Lee, if you are stll under extended warranty, why not let Lexus determine what kind of problem you have (if any) ?

[Farqui]

Just now, royoftherovers said:

Lee, if you are stll under extended warranty, why not let Lexus determine what kind of problem you have (if any) ?

Ha, extended warranty...no chance of that pal.

The last time I had the car in the stealer-ship they tried to get me change leaking shocks that weren't actually leaking.

I might give Lex-Tex Auto's a call tho.

[royoftherovers]

10 minutes ago, Farqui said:

Ha, extended warranty...no chance of that pal.

The last time I had the car in the stealer-ship they tried to get me change leaking shocks that weren't actually leaking.

I might give Lex-Tex Auto's a call tho.

T`was just a thought matey.Nothing ventured nothing gained!

Good luck with your enquiries.

[Britprius]

Perhaps something you already know it makes no difference to the ride height how bad the shocks are. The bushes at the bottom of the shocks can affect the ride height to a small degree.
The ratio of increase in ride height to the increase in spring supported shock length is about 1.5 to 1. An inch of extra length at the bottom of the shock will give a ride height increase of 1.5 inches. 
This is due to the pivot point of the bottom arm shock point being around 2/3 thirds along the length of the bottom arm with the hub mounted at the end.

John

[XT5]

14 hours ago, Farqui said:

 

The last time I had the car in the stealer-ship they tried to get me change leaking shocks that weren't actually leaking.

That is utterly disgraceful and they should be investigated by Trading Standards and reported to Lexus.

I most definitely would have done both of those things.

[Odysseus]

Did you get this sorted Lee or is your car still riding low at the rear?


Sent from my Iphone using Tapatalk

[Farqui]

30 minutes ago, Odysseus said:

Did you get this sorted Lee or is your car still riding low at the rear?

Hey Andrew, no not yet and it did drive a little light at the front with 4 adults and bags of luggage on the rack again recently.

It's not bottomed out so it's not an urgent fix but I do want to fix it.

Strut spacers have arrived though 

While the towers are out I intend to check the damper and spring isolators to see if they need replacing. 

To check the springs for wear/compression I'd need to remove them, which I don't intend to do just yet.

Is yours riding okay?

[Farqui]

On 5/9/2018 at 4:42 PM, Farqui said:

I might give Lex-Tex Auto's a call tho.

Update: Dave @ Lex-Tex Auto's couldn't see anything obviously wrong with the rear springs/etc.