My wife has a 2004 Lexus RX 330. Lexus offered air ride suspension on the 330 for one, yes one, year. The @#%#$%(@ thing was clearly designed to fail. The tops of the strut towers are in the area under the windshield where water drains away, and the 'seals' that protect the struts are laughable. I won't go into that, but after only 50k on the car, both front air struts have failed. Specifically, the bearings that allow the strut to rotate have failed.
The bearings are integrated into the strut, and an individual replacement bearing is not sold.
Lexus charges
$1500 each for these struts. And because it is such a limited run, no one makes an after market part. MFing rip off......
Conventional strut/springs are available. I have located a conversion kit from a company called Suncore in FL that replaces the air ride with conventional gear. Given that the kit is only $1900, and that my wife insists she is keeping the car forever, I was going to go for it. For less than the price of the parts to replace the air struts, I can be rid of the air suspension forever.
Does anyone have experience with Suncore? Any thoughts about safety/performance?
Any input would be appreciated.