J Henderson

I believe a sunroof is also quite rare on US-spec cars. Plus they didn't have the folding mirrors, either.

According to the listing the offset is ET40, but only the 8.5" width is mentioned in the detailed description. You would need to ask the seller to confirm the offset of the rear wheel.

255/35R18 would be the ideal tyre size for the 9.5" wheel.

If you can stomach paying £50 for a set of wiper blades, then PIAA Si-Tech.

I've had them on my car for about a year and they've always been silent and judder-free regardless of the intensity of rainfall. This is because they actively coat the glass with a thin layer of silicone which ensures the smooth operation. Plus, as an added side-effect, any water hitting the screen just beads up and rolls off the edge. Such is the effect, that at motorway speeds you can actually just switch the wipers off because you don't need them.

I believe the original spec rear wheels of an IS300 SportCross should be 7.5" wide, with 225/45 tyres. And the spare should be a 7" one like the fronts, wearing a 215/45.

225s will go on a 7" wheel no problem though. That extra half inch smacks of typical over-engineering by Toyotal/Lexus. :)

No. They're not quite a straight fit.

Reason being, the front suspension has a banana-shaped arm that connects the top and bottom wishbones, and about halfway up it there's a kind of "knuckle" that sticks out a few mm that will foul the wider IS250 wheel. If you remove one of your front wheels you should see what I'm on about.

You can either grind down that knuckle (it's just a raised piece of metal that doesn't seem to serve any purpose), or use a 5mm wheel spacer to ensure the wheel runs freely. I took the latter route.

They fit on the rear axle no problem though without any spacers or modifications. You can use your normal IS200 wheel nuts too.

Note, that this only applies to the 17" IS250 wheels. The 18's will go on without any issue at all since they're taller and avoid any contact with the suspension.

Where are you putting it?

I had one on my LE grille and thought it looked pretty good there.

I quite like the look of that. Where did you purchase the VVTi badge from? Also how did to attach it to the grille?

Thanks

The badge came from eBay. It had a self-adhesive backing on it, plus I used a small zip-tie.

Anyone know what bulb goes in there?

W16W.

Here's an eBay link for a genuine replacement - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-BRAND-NEW-TOYOTA-W16W-BULB-99132-YZZBK-/350740220775

There is a mod that can be done to have the map light come on as well.

http://my.is/forums/f90/rtuneds-map-light-unlock-doors-open-pics-video-inside-413645/

However, as mentioned, swapping the halogen bulb in the centre light for a 16 LED one makes a huge difference.

235 section tyres are a bit wide for IS200 wheels. I'd recommend searching for IS250 wheels instead. Those are 8" wide.

Just swapped my OEM Battery today for a new Bosch one. The old one would start the car and the voltages were within spec as per Chris' photos, but the engine was starting to turn over much slower than normal, especially if some electrical stuff was on (ie: sidelights).

They're listed in one of the sticky topics at the top of the forum.

Same here. Had them on a previous car but have no experience of them on an IS200. They are excellent quality so I considered them when I refreshed my suspension last year but just opted for OEM-spec shocks in the end.

I done quite a bit of research on the Konis before deciding which way to go and they are apparently very stiff, even on their softest setting. They also have the added bonus of lowering the car by at least 5mm. This can even be increased to around 15-20mm lower if the upper spring perch is used. since they have 2 positions the coil spring can be seated on.

Yes, that's normal if you have the 17" wheels.

That's a standard IS stud on the left. Looks like it's approx 1.25 inches or 32mm.

What about wheel nuts? Do the Subaru wheels have a flat seat the same as Lexus?

Some IS200s left the factory on 16" wheels so the smaller diameter isn't an issue and there's a few OEM Lexus wheels that can be fitted no problem.

I use a set from an early RX300.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who experiences this! So annoying having to gently squeeze the fuel in whenever I fill up.

It'll be about £250 for Eibach springs too, but at least you'll be getting 4 of them.

And trust me, the ride is far from awful. The springs are progressive rate and only really firm up when under heavy loads. During normal driving I doubt they'd feel any stiffer than Lexus Sport springs.

Those are upper ball joints. It's probably the lower ones you need replaced.

They'll fit, but expect a larger wheel arch gap and rougher ride due to the smaller sidewall. Plus of course less grip since they're narrower.

I also got my car aligned by Wullie at CLCM back in July and would highly recommend others going there. The settings were all over the place beforehand and had caused me to go through two sets of rear tyres in about 12000mls.

As soon as I drove home I could feel the difference. It felt like the car was gliding over the road surface.

13mm should be fine. That would bring the offset out to +40 which is the same as I have. My tyres are 225/45R17 and I've heard them rub a few times when cornering hard, but just on the plastic liner inside the wheel well, not the actual bodywork. Since you're not as low you might get away with the 235s.

Keep us updated. :)

They're about £20-30 each and a garage should charge less than an hour for fitting.

Describing it like a creaky floorboard makes me think it's probably a worn ball joint. That's what they sound like when they need replaced.

Need to know the offsets.

+1 for painting the discs with Hammerite. Done mine 2 years ago and still looking good.