My ls400 build thread (daily driver)

[Simoto]

44 minutes ago, runsgrateasanut said:

Having bought Denso from Rock Auto I would let members know that the Lead set were not numbered which surprised me.  Were they genuine it makes me ask?

Ummm does make you wonder. I know with mine not only were they all numbered but they had a certificate, a sticker and also who made the leads too. But they make everything to order which means you have a lead time of about 3 to 4 weeks. As for Denso they might not go into so much detail as it’s not the only thing they make, that’s possibly the only reason I can think, why they aren’t numbered.

 

[ambermarine]

4 hours ago, Simoto said:

Ummm does make you wonder. I know with mine not only were they all numbered but they had a certificate, a sticker and also who made the leads too. But they make everything to order which means you have a lead time of about 3 to 4 weeks. As for Denso they might not go into so much detail as it’s not the only thing they make, that’s possibly the only reason I can think, why they aren’t numbered.

 

Having followed this topic from the start can I just say that you are doing a remarkable review and refix of 1993 Lexus tech your dedication to the cause of this classic is admirable please carry on and I hope the other long term members of this forum appreciate your endeavours.

[Simoto]

So the exhaust is now fitted. And I’m really happy with the work, it’s a high grade stainless pipe work with a lifetime of the vehicle guarantee. The best bit was going over to see the place, just a small work shop with a small group of blokes working there, with ages of experience. The sort of lads you could sit at an old minors pub with supping down a pint 🍺. Really helpful, and knowledgeable to boot, so I won’t advertise them unless that’s ok and people want to know.

I didn’t opt for anything fancy as I wanted function over form. So I asked for a free flowing exhaust with no tips and it tracks down to the single silencer just before the cats, so not cat back but close, as the next step is the higher money end, and starts leading into another world of, what cats, sensor positions and the like.

[Simoto]

And just a little sound clip, just a short flyby. 

 

[The-Acre]

Sounds good!

[Simoto]

Good old cleaning day with some scratch removal and some natural lowering with kids and a boot of shopping.

thought I would get an idea of what the look would be like with some coil overs. And the more observant amongst you would have noticed the tyre writing had gone now. Well let’s put it this way, as a daily it’s a nightmare, having to think about not catching the tyres on anything and also some of the letters trying to peel off, to the point that one did and I ended up with TOY tyres. And as they won’t let you buy single letters, I ripped the lot off. 

[Simoto]

So the time had come to change the wheels and the whole look of the car.

The sheer weight of the steels were making the car perform badly from day one. Just wasn’t enjoying the experience, the extra width and the tyres made it handle with less body role, and the weight did help put the power down but, it was time to put something on that was really going to change this beast into something that could take the corners and put the power down at the same time. I also started thinking about keeping it 90’s and, that’s when I saw these been advertised. A set of rare Blitz 01 alloy wheels in 17” rather than the 16” steels.

so going from steel a 16” 7” up front and a 16” 8” in the rear to a

2 piece alloy 17” 8” up front and 17” 9” i the rear.

so I also put pictures of the 7” steel front wheels weight up against the rear 9” wide alloy, the difference is huge. And because of the offset of the alloys I did end up putting hub centric spaces on to balance the car back out.

[The-Acre]

I guess you've notified your insurer?

[Simoto]

12 hours ago, The-Acre said:

I guess you've notified your insurer?

Yes the ever ending list of insurer friendly costs......... I’m getting good at getting around them jumping up the cost, as they can’t argue the logic of changing from alloys to alloys, the exhaust is cheaper than an original replacement and so on. I still think I’m going to go with someone like Flux soon as I’ve heard it’s a lot easier and there more experienced with modifications and the like.

[The-Acre]

Good luck with Adrian Flux, they've not been very helpful to me.  I wonder how far common sense is allowed to prevail.  I've just put DRL's on mine which technically is a modification!

[Simoto]

Ummm sounds like there is always going to be fun to be had. It always makes me laugh when you do the right thing and tell them about any changes, and they get funny. It’s the fact of knowing so many who never bother and they never hear anything. 

Il see what Flux say, and a few others see what happens. Only one way to find out.

 

[Malc]

27 minutes ago, Simoto said:

Il see what Flux say,

take care insuring with these guys

I had a very unacceptable ( to me but quite acceptable to them )  fully comprehensive experience with them and i would NOT touch them with even your bargepole ever again !

Malc

[Simoto]

So time for a very expensive trial run. How well will track/road tyres work on a The beast. My thinking was, stiffer side walls,with a better contact patch, and much better grip. And reportedly very good in the wet too. 

So I can safely say one of the best tyres I’ve had for this car so far. The sidewalls really help with handling, saying I’m running stock suspension. And the grip in the dry is just madness. And in the wet too is very impressive. The one down side is, the tyres are loud enough to make you think a wheel bearing has gone. And I have recently done a trip down to Devon and back so they got a really good test, and with the windows up it’s not so bad. I guess I’m lucky that the soundproofing is so good.

And also added some TRD centre caps, as the blitz ones are hard to replace and expensive if you can even find them.

[Simoto]

9 minutes ago, Malc said:

take care insuring with these guys

I had a very unacceptable ( to me but quite acceptable to them )  fully comprehensive experience with them and i would NOT touch them with even your bargepole ever again !

Malc

Well that’s two people who have already given me the red light. Never a good sign in my eyes. And with it being two that I trust, think il keep my bargepole to myself, no pun intended. 

[Simoto]

So thought it was about time I sorted out the brakes. So got in touch with EBC and sorted myself out with some new disks and pads all around. Such nice quality, and to be honest I can’t fault the originals, but for a while now I’ve been trying to follow a speed wobble problem and my first start was wheels and tyres, but nothing, and now disks and pads.

still no luck, it’s a strange wobble too, as every 3 seconds the wobble/vibration I should say gets worse, like its rotational. So just working my way through the possibles one by one. Ohhh the joys........

 

[The-Acre]

Soooooo many pictures!  Just out of interest, I'm assuming you cleaned the hub mating surfaces with a wire brush before the new discs went on?  Just a slight amount of rust/dirt preventing a good connection can cause a wobble as I discovered myself.

[Simoto]

On 9/27/2019 at 8:18 AM, The-Acre said:

Soooooo many pictures!  Just out of interest, I'm assuming you cleaned the hub mating surfaces with a wire brush before the new discs went on?  Just a slight amount of rust/dirt preventing a good connection can cause a wobble as I discovered myself.

Well I’ve been tracking this wobble for a while now, but I did wire brush, and brake clean the surfaces, but it doesn’t mean that I did enough. But I did think it could possibly be the drive shaft rubber, if that makes sense, With it being a rotational wobble feel through the seats but not the steering wheel. But I have just changed the gearbox mount in the effort to help the situation.

And yes, looootttssss of pictures. I Like to show as much as I can, as sometimes I know people might be wondering how something looks on there own Lexus, but might not know where to start. At least I find this sometimes, when am trying to get and idea of how to do the job.

 

[Simoto]

So, let’s change the gearbox mount I thought, nice and easy looking job I thought, and then this happened. 

picture with the what I think is the driveshaft rubber on the right

And then this happened. Lots of WD40, and even left to soak, took my time and, well it went really well.........

[The-Acre]

Well done, I remember some time ago a member replacing the transmission mount and the difference in height was really surprising.

[Malc]

so how many miles etc has it taken for this to be so compressed in everyday use and wear ?

Thanks

Malc

[Simoto]

20 hours ago, The-Acre said:

Well done, I remember some time ago a member replacing the transmission mount and the difference in height was really surprising.

It realy does make a difference in height, and the gearbox feels smoother and more solid, if that makes sense, well worth the time to do.

[Simoto]

9 hours ago, Malc said:

so how many miles etc has it taken for this to be so compressed in everyday use and wear ?

Thanks

Malc

So I’m up to 81,000miles now that’s including the km’s it did in Japan too. But don’t forget these are heavy cars, and without knowing the rubber compound and mix they use it’s hard to say if that’s normal or not, for time+mileage.

[Malc]

ok  thank you

just that mine's not been changed in 224k miles and 24 years, no wobbles or vibrations so guess I should leave well alone for now

Malc

[Simoto]

No problem.

i think, go with the classic, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” 

I’ve just got to think what my next stage will be to check now. I’ve come to realise that with the low mileage of this one, the car must have had a lot of sitting around and short trips, so rubber bushings and suspension components and the like, don’t like been sat in one place for long periods of time. But as I said right at the start of this thread, I’m looking to save the ls400 before they all have there engines ripped out, and try and create more of an after market interest that it deserves. And try and make people see what a good platform it is.

 

[Simoto]

Managed to get this Mishimoto gear knob off eBay for cheap, as someone bought it for there lift reverse car and didn’t realise, so unused, and more than half the price of brand new.

I love that whole Ferrari look from the early models.