Magill

I am interested in making my 2008 Lexus ISF a much more comfortable riding car. I won't be taking it to the track so I am wanting a smoother ride as it is my Daily Driver. How did you resolve your issues with the harsh ride? Did you install the 2014 suspension on all 4 corners to soften the ride? I am interested in doing this and need as much info as you can give me. What do I need to swap out 08 Suspension to the updated 2014 suspension on my ISF? Do you have have the complete parts list with part numbers I will need to convert my car? I appreciate any help you can give me. I look forward to hearing back from you when you get time to respond. Thanks a lot buddy. And if you think I should go another route that is even better for a softer ride, just let me knoe or stear me in the right direction or leave me other contacts to contact. Thanks in advance!

Ryan Magill

812-660-0379

Rockport, IN 47635

On 12/18/2015 at 11:46 AM, mrfunex said:

A few weeks after buying my 2008 ISF, after the honeymoon period, I began to realise how firm the standard suspension was. Actually, that's a total understatement - it was ridiculously firm to the point of pain; my wife hated it and I got weary of constantly weaving about on the road to find a smooth path through the potholes, bumps and other minuscule imperfections. Even small potholes sent huge bangs through the chassis, expansion joints made my teeth rattle and I had little confidence in the car around fast corners. The car is my daily driver, so a crashy, nervous drive becomes tiresome very quickly. This was one of the few complaints most journalists had with the car when it was released.

I tried lowering the tyre pressures a bit (quite high as standard), which made the ride softer, although gave the steering a heavier, "wading through treacle" feel - not a permanent solution.

I researched a few coilover options, specifically the KW V3s and the cheaper BC BR kit, but choosing my own spring rates for front and back presented a level of uncertainty I was uncomfortable with. I'm not an engineer/suspension guru and I'd hate to choose the wrong springs, change them, get it wrong, then have to buy more and have another go. I couldn't afford that kind of "wild stab in the dark" approach. As these cars are pretty rare, chances to have a ride in one with the suspension options I was interested in were almost nil. Even if I got the right combination by luck, I have no idea how to set bump, rebound, etc and wanted the ride height to remain standard.

I'd almost given up, when a great guy on here (PeterP18) put me in contact with a chap who'd fitted 2013 spec coilovers to his 2008 and found the ride much improved, but after 500ish miles, swapped again to an adjustable setup in order to lower the ride height. A few emails later, he seemed genuine and still had the old 2013 ones for sale, so I snapped them up!

My local main dealer fitted them and were extremely competitive on price too. The springs and shocks were a straight swap but unusually, the 2013 setup doesn't use rubber cups between the springs and the shocks. They're metal-on-metal.

So....

What a difference! The ride height is unchanged and bumps are now damped extremely effectively. Larger lumps are still evident (it'll always be a firm car), but the effect is much reduced without feeling detached from the road. The car seems more composed and flat around corners, and inside the cabin seems a bit quieter.

All in all, how the car should have been when it left the factory! I'm really happy and I'd recommend the change to anybody! If anyone's interested in the part numbers required, I can dig them out and pop them on here...