Lexus LS430 - Suspension Issues

Lexus_2023 · October 10, 2023

My car's air suspension seems to have problems. It's become onesided recently, and the mechanic suggested that the rear height sensor and suspension components need replacement. They've advised switching both the front and rear from air suspension to coilovers now.

TEIN FLEX Z COILOVERS LEXUS LS430 (Parts £780 + Labour charges of £600).

Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Lexus_2023 · October 12, 2023

Purchased TEIN FLEX Z COILOVERS for LEXUS LS430 and it will be delivered to the garage end of this week. Hopefully it should be ok..

messi · October 12, 2023

Hi

Yea Tein will be okay, people tend to normally go for conventional shocks from Rockauto or BC coilovers.

Have you also fitted a separate gearbox cooler? If not, I'd suggest you do it as the ls430 suffer from gearbox failure due to coolant leaking from the radiator into the gearbox

Lexus_2023 · October 12, 2023

@messi thanks for the information. Since radiator was replaced 6 years ago, I haven't fitted separate gearbox cooler.

Since you asked the question, I will have to think about it now.

messi · October 12, 2023

Yes the ls430 is a nice car, especially the facelift, but not the most reliable

steve2006 · October 12, 2023

How many hours labour have you been quoted for the job, if it takes 1.5 per corner that’s £100.00 an hour!
Fortunately mine came with a Strutmaster conversion kit already fitted.

The-Acre · October 13, 2023

Just to clarify, I fitted the coil suspension system to Steve's car above and it really is a simple job. Absolutely nothing complicated about it. You simply remove the air suspension fuse to stop any warning lights.

Lexus_2023 · October 15, 2023

@steve2006 Sorry, I haven't checked how many hours it is going take to replace those coil overs. I will let you know after few days.

@The-Acre thanks for the information.

Lexus_2023 · October 20, 2023

@steve2006 The garage charged £400 + VAT to replace all four sides. So Total : £1171 (Parts £691 + Labour charges of £480).

Lexus_2023 · October 23, 2023

Car looks much better now, ride is slightly harsher than I expected, happy with the suspension though!

The-Acre · October 23, 2023

The same colour as one of my previous LS430's, and in my opinion the best colour. The labour you were charged sounds fair to me, especially as the rears would involve removing the rear seats, well at least the base cushions and part of the backs. Did they stop the suspension warning coming on?

Lexus_2023 · October 23, 2023

Yes, they stopped suspension warning coming on and performed wheel alignment as well. I believe anti-seize type lubricant or wax was applied to the suspension to avoid any damages due to height adjustments.

Tomtit · October 24, 2023

15 hours ago, Lexus_2023 said:

Car looks much better now, ride is slightly harsher than I expected, happy with the suspension though!

You now have new suspension all round for the cost of a single air strut, and it should last for many years. If you had kept the air suspension you may have been wondering which component would be next to fail. I did this job on my car. I agree that the ride is not as smooth but it made sound financial sense.

steve2006 · October 24, 2023

It looks a very clean well looked after example with no rust on the doors or window delaminating. Have you had the wheels refurbished as they look very good too.

Lexus_2023 · October 24, 2023

2 hours ago, Tomtit said:

You now have new suspension all round for the cost of a single air strut, and it should last for many years. If you had kept the air suspension you may have been wondering which component would be next to fail. I did this job on my car. I agree that the ride is not as smooth but it made sound financial sense.

Yes, I agree with you. Garage guys advised me the same. Their recommendation was that if I kept the air suspension, there is a risk of potential issues with either the height sensor or suspension components, which would require frequent visits for repairs. Therefore, they advised me to opt for coil overs instead.

Lexus_2023 · October 24, 2023

Video that shows all four sides..

Lexus_2023 · October 24, 2023

59 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

It looks a very clean well looked after example with no rust on the doors or window delaminating. Have you had the wheels refurbished as they look very good too.

Yes, it looks great even after 20+ years. Nope, I haven't refurbished the wheels(may be previous owner did it!)

Tomtit · October 24, 2023

7 hours ago, Lexus_2023 said:

Yes, I agree with you. Garage guys advised me the same. Their recommendation was that if I kept the air suspension, there is a risk of potential issues with either the height sensor or suspension components, which would require frequent visits for repairs. Therefore, they advised me to opt for coil overs instead.

I read somewhere that the cost of one suspension strut was in four figures, and that there are no aftermarket suppliers. The car was sagging at one corner, and I knew the strut had failed. At 20 years old, the other three struts had a limited life expectancy. My insurers valued my car at £1100 at the time, so converting to coil springs and shock absorbers was a no-brainer for me. I used Toyota and KYB components and my insurers did not consider it to be a modification. A good result all round.