Replace air suspension with conventional struts? Safety?

HardDrive · 12-01-2012, 09:54 AM

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.

jwhcars · 12-01-2012, 10:35 AM

I would suspect that all four will need to be replaced if it raises and lowers the vehicle.

kaisen · 12-01-2012, 10:47 AM

People love to get emotionally attached to their cars.

Your best bet is to sell your 2004 RX330 as-is and replace it with a non-air suspended similar 2005.

Or better yet, upgrade to a 2007 RX350 that's the same bodystyle, but better in many, many ways.

I'd spend my $2000+ there before flushing it down the drain on yours.

YMMV

kaisen · 12-01-2012, 10:56 AM

Oh, if you're hellbent on keeping that exact rig, buy a complete low-mile suspension off a salvaged 2005-2007 RX.....It should cost well under $400 for EVERYTHING

OR...

Buy all new struts, including housings and mounts
My cost on Monroe SensaTracs are $122 each corner
Front mount kits are $60 each
Rear mount kits are $32 each
Springs are $35 each corner (or H&Rs are $230 a set)
That's for all new stuff

Then pull the wiring and hardware for the air suspension, and pull the bulb out of the dash warning light

I still think you're better off simply getting a RX just like yours but without the air susp

HardDrive · 12-01-2012, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaisen

People love to get emotionally attached to their cars.

Your best bet is to sell your 2004 RX330 as-is and replace it with a non-air suspended similar 2005.

Or better yet, upgrade to a 2007 RX350 that's the same bodystyle, but better in many, many ways.

I'd spend my $2000+ there before flushing it down the drain on yours.

YMMV

Your preaching to the crowd man. We can afford a new car for her. She'll have none of it. I guess I shouldn't complain.

HardDrive · 12-01-2012, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwhcars

I would suspect that all four will need to be replaced if it raises and lowers the vehicle.

The kit included all four corners. Vendor claims the ride height is not affected.

sammyg2 · 12-01-2012, 11:18 AM

Dunno bout the lexas but my neighbor has a land rover and he got sick of paying $2k a year on the air ride crap so he had it swapped out with conventional stuff, he's much happier with it now.
But its still a POS ..............

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaisen

Oh, if you're hellbent on keeping that exact rig, buy a complete low-mile suspension off a salvaged 2005-2007 RX.....It should cost well under $400 for EVERYTHING

OR...

Buy all new struts, including housings and mounts
My cost on Monroe SensaTracs are $122 each corner
Front mount kits are $60 each
Rear mount kits are $32 each
Springs are $35 each corner (or H&Rs are $230 a set)
That's for all new stuff

Then pull the wiring and hardware for the air suspension, and pull the bulb out of the dash warning light

I still think you're better off simply getting a RX just like yours but without the air susp

Since you are trying to reason with a woman (impossible) then this sounds like the best option.....

pavulon · 12-01-2012, 11:55 AM

year and model?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Dunno bout the lexas but my neighbor has a land rover and he got sick of paying $2k a year on the air ride crap so he had it swapped out with conventional stuff, he's much happier with it now.
But its still a POS ..............

sammyg2 · 12-01-2012, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pavulon

year and model?

Dunno, I'll find out the next time I see him.

onewhippedpuppy · 12-01-2012, 01:49 PM

Eric nailed it. Used parts from a salvaged RX, done with OEM parts for much less money.

HardDrive · 12-01-2012, 02:05 PM

Thanks for the input guys. Huge help. I will look at the OEM option. Can you guys recommend an online source for used parts, or is it better to poke around locally?

kaisen · 12-01-2012, 05:45 PM

car-part.com

onewhippedpuppy · 12-02-2012, 04:10 AM

Car-part.com is good but the website sucks. Lots of the bigger salvage yards are now selling on Ebay which is more user friendly, but may not have every part. I would use one of them to find a salvage yard selling some of the major components, then contact them directly to determine if they have the entire suspension. Buying everything from the same car removes the risk of piecing together a system that might not work together.