How to Install Lowering Springs on a Lexus IS250
The rear struts on this IS250 come out from the trunk. The front ones are the slow part, mostly because the top mount has to go back in the same clocking it came off.
The Short Answer (TL;DR)
On this ClubLexus IS250, lowering springs meant pulling the trunk lining, unbolting each rear strut at the lower control arm and the tower, then doing the fronts from the engine bay. The writer cut the bump stops in half, used a spring compressor on the fronts because those springs were under more pressure, and jacked the control arm up before tightening the big bolts. First time took about nine hours. The store does not sell the springs. The related part while the front covers are off is a cold air intake for the 2005-2013 IS 250.
Tools the write-up used
- 19mm socket
- 17mm socket for the front strut bolt
- 14mm socket
- 12mm socket
- 10mm socket
- Pry bar
- Spring compressor for the front springs
- Jack and a block of wood to preload the arm before the final tighten
The thread says tighten to spec after preload. It does not list the torque numbers.
The Step-by-Step Process
Rear
Pull the trunk lining to reach the top of the shock. The write-up points at a separate lining-removal thread for that.
Remove the lower 19mm bolt that holds the strut to the lower control arm, then the 19mm bolt that holds the arm to the hub. A screwdriver tap and a little jack pressure on the arm got that bolt out. Three 14mm nuts hold the strut at the top. Two more 12mm bolts hold the strut to the side of the car, and two 10mm nuts on the fender liner have to come off to reach them. The arm drops a little. A pry bar in the arm hole pushes it down far enough to slide the strut out. Watch the brake hose.
The rear spring had a plastic cushion so the dead coils would not rub. The writer popped the spring off the strut into a box and said a compressor is the safer way. They cut the bump stop in half and reused the top half. The spring has to be compressed a lot to get the top cap on. Line up the upper holes and the lower hole before you release the compressor. You cannot rotate the cap once the spring is loose. Install is the reverse. Before the 19mm bolts get tight, jack the arm up on a block of wood until the car just lifts off the stand, then tighten. Do not twist the AFS sensor out of its original orientation. The writer later said it needed no adjustment and still worked.
Front
Remove the side engine covers to reach the top strut nuts.
Start at the lower control arm. The strut uses a 17mm bolt with a 19mm nut. The nut has a locking face and was very tight. Turn the nut from the easier side, then tap the bolt through like the rear. The strut stays sitting on the arm.
Next, either separate the spindle from the upper arm or unbolt the upper arm from the car. The writer unbolted the arm: two 14mm bolts, with the inner nuts captured so they stay put. The ball joint takes real force if you try to pop it instead. Also remove the two 10mm bolts holding the ABS line to the shock and the body. Then the three 14mm nuts in the engine bay. Move the spindle aside without stressing the brake line, and pull the shock.
The front spring was compressed before the cap came off, because it had more pressure than the rear. These Tanabe springs had a rubber trim and no dead coils up front, so no plastic coil wrap. The bump stop was cut in half again. Mark the upper cap before it comes off. The writer spent hours getting silver and blue marks on the cap lined up with the middle hole closest to the fender, and the ABS line holder has to land in the right place too. You cannot fix that clocking after the spring is released.
The shock goes back the way it came out. Top three nuts first, then the lower bolt, then the upper arm to the frame. A little jack help lines the arm up. Snug everything, preload the suspension the same way as the rear, then tighten. The front AFS sensor was hard to disturb.
Why you should upgrade while you are in there
The side engine covers are already off to reach the front strut nuts. This store does not sell lowering springs. A cold air intake for the 2005-2013 IS 250 and 2006-2011 IS 350 is the part that goes in through that same bay. Confirm the year and engine before you order.
Shop the cold air intake for the Lexus IS 250
Frequently Asked Questions
How long did it take?
About nine hours the first time, including hunting tools. The writer thought the next one would be under two hours. Someone else on the thread said the rears were easy and the fronts were not bad once they had done them.
Does the headlight level sensor need a reset?
Not on this car. The writer said leave the AFS sensor orientation alone and it worked afterward with no adjustment.
Source: ClubLexus IS250 lowering write-up. The install photos stay on that thread.
