Stay with air or go coilovers

[Malc1]

New to me   Greenlight Insurers  ........ seeing it looks to be maybe a Corpn of Lloyds Syndicate ........  hope it works ok for you 🙃

Good luck

Maybe we can add it to the potential new names to be searched when seeking cover 

Malc

[DJT]

Greenlight are highly recommended for modified car insurance. Certainly understand modifications and what they do. 

[discharge]

On 4/1/2024 at 3:48 PM, Malc1 said:

Coil overs it might be then ……. and onwards to 500,000 miles 😄

Malc 

Just fitted Coilovers to my 2002 430 and it's perfect.

[DJT]

Hi everyone have eventually fitted new top control arms front and back, plus coil over suspension. Taken about 5 days around other nesscary tasks and compulsory overtime at work. Rear top control arms are not easiest to remove or fit. Rear subframe has to be lowered as only way of getting to bolts hold control arm. Had to resort to using angle grinder to cut bolts off 🤔 as heating bolts wasn't working. Bushes where smoking badly. Having a fire at back of car would not be helpful.  Replaced with stainless steel bolts with a film of copper grease to ease possible later removal. Ride is very good compared to air suspension. Need to soften rear springs a bit. Hopefully later this week I will have lightweight rims and tyres ready for fitting. It is good to be behind the wheel of my LS430 again. 🙂

[heartburnron]

On 4/1/2024 at 4:20 PM, DJT said:

Malc your right with mileage on 330k. Love to see 500k on my LS430. Have some more expensive parts to fit at same time. Adjustable top control arms all round and uprated drop links. All from Hardrace. Have two 2nd front seats to replace original seats. Leather is splitting on perforated holes. Can't complain about seats, strangely passenger seat is the worst. Probably upset those that like oem parts fitted. Knew I was going to be spending money on LS430. Probably saved it from being a parts car 🤔. 

So am I right in deducing that the original air suspension lasted you up to now?  Over 300K miles?  Gives me a lot heart if so, with mine being at 131K.  I just had the rear RH height sensor replaced under warranty so hoping it will all be grand for a few years yet.

[discharge]

I swapped out my air suspension for coilovers on my 2002 Ls430 absolutely best thing I've done to car, put Maxspeedingrods on fully adjustable they cost me £230 all in plus very easy job to do yourself with a few basic tools 😀

[Malc1]

You’ve all just got to make sure the radiator’s changed at 100k miles too to prevent the gearbox oil cooler devastation 

I’ve been preaching this for ages but didn’t do it, nor even think about it on my 2006 Honda Legend that went “ pop “ at 149k miles recently

Sorted now thankfully at ok cost for me, gearbox saved ,,,,,,,,, no air suspension for me on any car either

Reading all the air set-up requirements can piecemeal fail overtime ,,,,,,, a risk one takes ,,,,,,,,

There’s not that many owners hold on to their cars long enough to be able to plan this preventative maintenance stuff 

Lexus owners of older models seem to be in this rare group tho’  👏

Good luck 

Malc