Jic slammed on gs 400

has anyone bottomed out their  upper control arms riding really really low on jic coils? when lower my gs 400 about  an inch from the ground, the upper control arms hit the body of the car. the only way i can see to prevent this from happening is to droop the spring and keep the shock body longer,(which i have done with my tein flex coils that have a similar problem but just not as bad) or double up on bumpstops any insight?!?!?
i seem to be the only person i have talked to with this problem i even talked to paul at jic who is currently rebuilding them:ughdown:

[quote=volkgt7;109808]has anyone bottomed out their upper control arms riding really really low on jic coils? when lower my gs 400 about an inch from the ground, the upper control arms hit the body of the car. the only way i can see to prevent this from happening is to droop the spring and keep the shock body longer,(which i have done with my tein flex coils that have a similar problem but just not as bad) or double up on bumpstops any insight?!?!?
i seem to be the only person i have talked to with this problem i even talked to paul at jic who is currently rebuilding them:ughdown:[/quote]
 
 
the reason your the only person who is having this problem is cuz your one of the few gangstas running on coilovers low all day...i respect ppl who run coilovers..let alone run them low....i do that on cut springs lol...

yea thats hecka gangsta. how do you like your jic magic coilover. im still deciding on what to pick fo my ls400. i was thinking make jic magic adjusted hard. or i can go the route with tein cs and uas.

If you look at the vip mags, most of the low Aristos actually cut a notch in the strut tower to allow the upper control arm to go higher. The ghetto way is to leave the hole like that, UCA clearly visible. The better way is to weld a box of metal over the hole to protect your engine bay from road dust, and keep structural integrity

my jic came defective and blew in a week so... i did not like it. that is another reason why i sent it back to revalved/resprung. evryone recoomends it so i bought it. i also know jic is a reputable name so i gave it a chance. unfortunatly i got burned. i will see how it is when i get it back. i have been waiting for 4 months.  i know jic's us facility is small and paul told me it would have to wait till after sema so we shall see! My tein is too soft even after i had them stiffen it.

Dominik, thanks for the info. thought i was the only one with this problem, and i am tired of people telling me to raise my car to counteract this problem:gtfou:  is this actually safe to do if done properly? i drive my gs hard as shit and i dont want my front end fallin off  after i hack into it. do you have any pictures of gs's with this done? if it is feasable, i am actually hardcore enough  to do it. i need to get some vip mags man, i am obsessed with vip and i have no literature!!!

thanks SOOO Much for the info. today is a good day!:giggity: :dance: :dance: :giggity: 
-martin:biggthumpup:

i hope best of luck with you on the your second set of coilover. yea tein look on the soft side thats why im effy about picking those up. but there another company called k sport. im going to check that out because club lexus got a group vendor buy right now :]. if i can get a go price i will sit slammin like you on coilovers :].

I dont have any pics right now, but will try to look for some for ya (maybe someone else has some pics?)

[QUOTE=Dominik;110155]I dont have any pics right now, but will try to look for some for ya (maybe someone else has some pics?)[/QUOTE]

any information is heplful. thanks again!

There was a topic about this on a Japanese forum and good thing I remembered :P.

Some guy with a 17 Majesta (16 aristo, 17 crown...same difference, right?) was having the same problem and someone recommended getting his knuckle arms shortened by You Zealand.  

[URL]http://www.youzealand.net/[/URL]
^a really famous and reputable shop.  They do VIP, track cars, and I read somewhere that they recently made a "hybrid air ride"...supposed to be something amazing.  
[IMG]http://www.youzealand.net/car/14majiesuta/DSCF1286.JPG[/IMG]
I think they even track this car...
[IMG]http://www.youzealand.net/car/14majiesuta/DSCF1176.JPG[/IMG]
^no thats not a RC car

damn good luck with the problem .. should be ok if you notch that part ...  I would weld a plate on it too for protection 


post more photos of your car slammed  looks extremely low from that little pic

(sickness)


and that last photos is OMG tight too

[QUOTE=coco-puffs;110240]I think they even track this car...
[IMG]http://www.youzealand.net/car/14majiesuta/DSCF1176.JPG[/IMG]
^no thats not a RC car[/QUOTE]

i remember a photo spread where they were straightline running the cars. full camber, offset and laid-out. was pretty cool.

seee
i mnot the only one that wants to track their VIP

i am i am once i get some coilovers :] jic magic o yea

[QUOTE=pxrlex;110247]damn good luck with the problem .. should be ok if you notch that part ...  I would weld a plate on it too for protection 


post more photos of your car slammed  looks extremely low from that little pic

(sickness)


and that last photos is OMG tight too[/QUOTE]

Here are more pics:

[IMG]http://i4.tinypic.com/6sq57xh.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i15.tinypic.com/82u6hz6.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i1.tinypic.com/73nq2cg.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i19.tinypic.com/6u4sfic.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i12.tinypic.com/72vio7t.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i5.tinypic.com/6u8mf4x.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i15.tinypic.com/6xbs4t4.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i17.tinypic.com/6o45vk2.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i11.tinypic.com/7xl35sj.jpg[/IMG] 

Car is on factories now. had to raise the back up 3/4 inch because my exhaust was 1/4 inch off the ground

Coco, thanks for all the help and pics. even though i am not really thrilled about hackin up my car, i think it makes more sense for me to do that, as opposed to modifying the knuckel's. i say that cuz i am in boston ma and there would be too much hassle and downtime to take apart my car and send parts out. i also was planning to finish painting the car at the bodyshop b4 summer so  it is going  back anyway. what do u think?:shrug:

i  was bottoming out my upper control arm/ball joint
and it was making my ride horrible.. it sucked
cuz when it hits, its a nasty hit.. even though  my shocks
have PLENTY of travel.. 

im running jic af2's..
but let me show u my fix..  it will give u another inch of 
travel which improved my ride significantly. 
[IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/gs300/shocktower.jpg[/IMG]
i used a whole circle saw. like for door knobs or whatever.
MAKE SURE you get one that does metal and go at a SLOW speed.
or else u'll burn up your bit.

i was able to get my car rolling(at this height) pretty decent like in this picture:
[IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/parking/parking4.jpg[/IMG]

a few problems i started running into was:

there are wire harnesses running across the top of the inner fender well
and my tires would start to rub away on those wires, as soon as it
catches it'll probably rip it all out, so i relocated the wires a little bit recently.

as for "welding" another plate on there for "protection" i really dont think 
you need it, just look at where it's hitting and make sure its not a crucial weak
point in your car's frame/body.

in case u needa do the wires, i snapped pix of it while i did mines..
[URL=http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/11272007333.jpg][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/th_11272007333.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/11272007334.jpg][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/th_11272007334.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/11272007335.jpg][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/th_11272007335.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/11272007336.jpg][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/th_11272007336.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/11272007337.jpg][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/th_11272007337.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/11272007338.jpg][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/th_11272007338.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/11272007339.jpg][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/th_11272007339.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/11272007340.jpg][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/th_11272007340.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/11272007341.jpg][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/wirerelocate/th_11272007341.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

AHA! so it really only needs to be a hole, not a big ass section of the car cut off. THANKS hahajoey. and it does hit hard as shit!  The gs 400 has a similar problem with wiring harness's bit the relocation was a whole lot easier. i only really had to do something on the drivers side. i used one of those big ass butterfly paperclips and clipped it to the hood pop cable! its been holding rain, sleet, snow 4  over a year! i think the passenger side i just ziptied it in another place. this was when i had 20's in the front too!! now i have 19's i plan to be sittin lower than i do now tho!

BTW why is your ride rollling only "preety decent" why not better than that? ony other problems or just personal preference.
i have been sooo worried about this. thanks all
-martin

no prob Martin, just helping out a fellow GS owner :).  The Japanese VIP guys were recommending not cutting for a 16 Aristo since it uses a GOA frame and that cutting a hole might lose a lot of structural rigidity.  You might want to ask some drifter guys, I know they have crazy tricks up their sleeves.  

Tempting to go lower now that I saw your pic once the snowy season is over....

the hole is small because you only really need a little area for
the tip of the joint to come through.  that 2" or whatever i used
was more than enough even though at first you're thinking its not.

as for the ride being "decent".. well ive been in an aristo 16 on bilstein's
and it rides as good or better than stock on 19" wheels.

my car doesn't even come close to riding that good and i have fully adjustable
suspension. i can set my dampening, and my shock body's threaded so i have
full travel. the bilsteins DONT have threaded shock bodies but it rides soooo
nice.. thats why i feel that it doesn't ride as good. 

i think the reason why it doesn't ride as good as it could is really the thinner tires.
to lowered stance and what not. from what know, the suspension arms were
designed to go at a downward angle and work that way, at the heights we're at,
the arms are practically horizontal or angling UP!!! its totally not the way the
car was designed to work, and i think all these things makes the ride a little
harsher, a little bit at a time. but when u combine it all together.. it doesn't
ride as nice as it could. don't get me wrong, it rides good for the height my car's
at, but its not as good as stock feel. and thats why i say its "pretty decent"
and not PERFECT.

damn dude your running hella low at all times ... I am sure with the coils it rides nice ... I haven't seen anyone running that low out this way at all ... esp now that there is a kit ... I'm a 4x4 until landing ... 


good luck and looks like there was much help with your problems ...

Props for riding so low on coils!  Nice 19/20 setup as well.

I would cut the strut tower as well and weld a plate to cover it.

[QUOTE=coco-puffs;110630]no prob Martin, just helping out a fellow GS owner :).  The Japanese VIP guys were recommending not cutting for a 16 Aristo since it uses a GOA frame and that cutting a hole might lose a lot of structural rigidity.  You might want to ask some drifter guys, I know they have crazy tricks up their sleeves.  

Tempting to go lower now that I saw your pic once the snowy season is over....[/QUOTE]

GOA frame?!!?!?!!?:dunno:

and what does your car look like?

hahajoey, did your car feel any "weaker" after you cut the hole:turbonoes_3:

no it didn't. i was sweating it, but it's been over 6 months now and its
perfect.. i put on a good 8000 miles on it if not more and theres no signs
of weakness or cracks or anything dangerous or i should be concerned with..

i think in my situation, welded a plate would just make it look nicer.
but i think leaving it as a hole, and painting the inside and outside area
flat black looks normal. i think i would just use a piece of metal tape
and paint it black to cover the hole up if it came down to that.

[quote=volkgt7;110897]GOA frame?!!?!?!!?:dunno:

and what does your car look like?[/quote]

some safety standard and technology(?) to increase structural rigidity by Toyota.  I've heard from the dealerships in Japan that GOA is a PITA to fix if you bend a frame compared to older models (JZX90, JZS147, etc).  It was pretty heavily advertised in Japan when Toyota first installed it but I guess it didn't catch on in the States.

And my GS4
[IMG]http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u73/Coco-bun/Lexus/CRW_0980_resized.jpg[/IMG]
just lowered on HKS coilovers and G35 18"s.   Not even close to VIP, probably never will be...too much dedication/time/money for me to make a VIP car.

still looks good IMO coco-puffs ...

[QUOTE=pxrlex;111010]still looks good IMO coco-puffs ...[/QUOTE]

Agreed!..... but u already know i think u should come down like 3 inches!:dance: :hsughhyper2: :hsughhyper2: :hsughwerd: :hsughcool: :eek5spin: :eek5r: :eek5r2: :eek5spin: :giggity: SLAM THAT S$#*!!!

i put the super street back on and did not adjust it so its higher..... for now. Looks like i will be making a hole in my near future

[QUOTE=volkgt7;111068]Agreed!..... but u already know i think u should come down like 3 inches![/QUOTE]

Yeh but i'm sure on those HKS he's pretty much maxed out in the front.

o welll..:shrug:

[quote=hahajoey;110496][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/hahajoey/gs300/shocktower.jpg[/IMG]
[/quote]
i don't know a whole lot about gs suspension but this looks like a good solution. if you're worried about strength you could weld on like a 1" spacer made out of steel pipe, you could even cap it off to make it look real nice
[quote=hahajoey;110679]from what know, the suspension arms were
designed to go at a downward angle and work that way, at the heights we're at,
the arms are practically horizontal or angling UP!!! its totally not the way the
car was designed to work...[/quote]
this is true. i am working on a solution for my chassis so i can go gangster low on coilovers. for my car it involves lca length adjustment and ball joint relocation. the goal is to fix the geometry issues, because when you are dropped passed a certain point compression of the suspension causes a positive camber gain rather than negative resulting in unpredictable handling. just be glad you don't have to deal with fwd axles.
[quote=xplayazplayzonx;110108]but there another company called k sport. im going to check that out because club lexus got a group vendor buy right now :].[/quote]
if thats all you can afford, do what you gotta do but i don't recommend them. something along the same lines are d2, same design, just a little more $, and more reliable.

QUOTE=BLACKonBLACK98 "this is true. i am working on a solution for my chassis so i can go gangster low on coilovers. for my car it involves lca length adjustment and ball joint relocation. the goal is to fix the geometry issues, because when you are dropped passed a certain point compression of the suspension causes a positive camber gain rather than negative resulting in unpredictable handling. just be glad you don't have to deal with fwd axles."

the lower control arm cannot be at more than a 90 degree angle or the bottom of the strut moves inboard creating postitive camber right? so u more the ball joint outward?
seen this on the old school sentra se-r's

[QUOTE=BLACKonBLACK98;111116]i am working on a solution for my chassis so i can go gangster low on coilovers. for my car it involves lca length adjustment and ball joint relocation. the goal is to fix the geometry issues, because when you are dropped passed a certain point compression of the suspension causes a positive camber gain rather than negative resulting in unpredictable handling. just be glad you don't have to deal with fwd axles.[/QUOTE]

What about one of these?

[B]Roll Center Adapters[/B]
The RCA blocks (roll center blocks) do a couple of things. First they move the roll center of the front control arms closer to the stock location after you lower your car. This helps your corner entry as the weight transfer is better ballenced. Second is bump steer, after you lower your car, the amount of angle on the lower arms and tie rods affect how much change in toe you recive as the car goes threw its suspension travel. You may notice it as you go threw a corner and hit a bump, the wheel will jump or jerk. By putting the angles back to stock, it lessen the amount of toe change you recive which will give you a smoother wheel. 
Install is quick and simple, just remove the bolts out of the bottom of your struts, place the RCA block in between the lower arms and struts using the spacers provided to line up the holes, then use the bolts provided and tighten to 50 ft lbs. 

-OR-
[B]
Negative Camber Roll Center Adapters[/B]
The NCRCA's work the same as rca's (correct for bump steer, move roll center closer to stock) but add some width to the track of the lower control arms by moving the bottom of the struts outwards. By doing this, they also add camber. On Battle Version NCRCA's, if you notice there are 2 levels of adjustment, The first level is 20mm wider and the second level is 35mm wider. I suggest going with the first level of adjustment to start with. 
The install is pretty simple, just remove the bottom 2 bolts out of your struts (on both sides at once or the sway bar will hold the control arm), Next take the sleaves supplied and place them into the ncrca blocks, then bolt the blocks to your struts using the supplied bolts. You need to have a 10mm allen socket, and tighten them to 50 foot pounds. Once the blocks are on, simply bolt the lower arms to the blocks using the stock bolts you just took out. Again, 50 ft lbs tight.

Since they do widen the front track of your car, pay close attention to clearances you have in your fenders, You usually have to remove the fender liner and or clearance the fender well and fender gap. Sometimes pulling the castor rods forward 2 complete turns will also help give a little added space.

[quote=volkgt7;111134]the lower control arm cannot be at more than a 90 degree angle or the bottom of the strut moves inboard creating postitive camber right? so u more the ball joint outward?
seen this on the old school sentra se-r's[/quote]
from what i understand thats the right idea, but not completely correct. some of the research i've done has shown angles over 90* gaining negative camber until they reached a certain compression, then they started kicking out. what i will try to do is recreate the angles of a ~2" drop (which is accepted as the maximum functional drop on my chassis) on a 3.5"-4" drop. i will be attempting to do this by lengthening the lca (effectively move the ball joing outward) as well as raising it. keep in mind i'm no suspension geometry expert but i do have a fair understanding of how it works. if it gets over my head i am going to turn it over to a profeesional.
 
[quote=augdogg;111136]What about one of these?
 
[B]Roll Center Adapters[/B]
The RCA blocks (roll center blocks) do a couple of things. First they move the roll center of the front control arms closer to the stock location after you lower your car. This helps your corner entry as the weight transfer is better ballenced. Second is bump steer, after you lower your car, the amount of angle on the lower arms and tie rods affect how much change in toe you recive as the car goes threw its suspension travel. You may notice it as you go threw a corner and hit a bump, the wheel will jump or jerk. By putting the angles back to stock, it lessen the amount of toe change you recive which will give you a smoother wheel. 
Install is quick and simple, just remove the bolts out of the bottom of your struts, place the RCA block in between the lower arms and struts using the spacers provided to line up the holes, then use the bolts provided and tighten to 50 ft lbs. 
 
-OR-
 
[B]Negative Camber Roll Center Adapters[/B]
The NCRCA's work the same as rca's (correct for bump steer, move roll center closer to stock) but add some width to the track of the lower control arms by moving the bottom of the struts outwards. By doing this, they also add camber. On Battle Version NCRCA's, if you notice there are 2 levels of adjustment, The first level is 20mm wider and the second level is 35mm wider. I suggest going with the first level of adjustment to start with. 
The install is pretty simple, just remove the bottom 2 bolts out of your struts (on both sides at once or the sway bar will hold the control arm), Next take the sleaves supplied and place them into the ncrca blocks, then bolt the blocks to your struts using the supplied bolts. You need to have a 10mm allen socket, and tighten them to 50 foot pounds. Once the blocks are on, simply bolt the lower arms to the blocks using the stock bolts you just took out. Again, 50 ft lbs tight.
 
Since they do widen the front track of your car, pay close attention to clearances you have in your fenders, You usually have to remove the fender liner and or clearance the fender well and fender gap. Sometimes pulling the castor rods forward 2 complete turns will also help give a little added space.[/quote]
link?

[QUOTE=BLACKonBLACK98;111149]link?[/QUOTE]

This site no longer sells them, but i'm sire you can find them or build one yourself? Either way GL!:biggthumpup: [url]http://www.battleversion.com/rca_blocks.htm[/url]

[url]http://theorywebdev.com/nagisa-auto/b-10321.aspx[/url]


dont know what car u got Black on Black98 but thay have a lot of stuff

are u guys talking about that stuff youzealand of japan sells?

[QUOTE=hahajoey;111159]are u guys talking about that stuff youzealand of japan sells?[/QUOTE]
Dunno post up the link..

[quote=pxrlex;111010]still looks good IMO coco-puffs ...[/quote]
wow, thanks!  glad you like the car b/c I love your car!

[quote=volkgt7;111068]Agreed!..... but u already know i think u should come down like 3[/quote]
Thanks!!  I could go lower but this is my dd.  I don't want a snow plow.

[quote=augdogg;111102]Yeh but i'm sure on those HKS he's pretty much maxed out in the front.[/quote]
Actually it goes about a 1 finger lower in the front and 2 finger lower in the back.  I'm surprised how low they go.  But then again, I'm on 18"s.




Anywho, back on top, you don't have the SS kit on yet?  

[URL]http://www.youzealand.net/sskit/1020plus.html[/URL]
look at the top row pics of the Celsior.  Left is BONE STOCK, the right is JUST with the SS kit (air suspension, etc not touched)

about 500bucks for front and rear for our GS 
[URL]http://www.youzealand.net/sskit/16ari.html[/URL]

[QUOTE=BLACKonBLACK98;111116]if you're worried about strength you could weld on like a 1" spacer made out of steel pipe, you could even cap it off to make it look real nice[/QUOTE]

i would suggest the same. reinforce it.

[QUOTE=coco-puffs;111275]
Actually it goes about a 1" lower in the front and 2" lower in the back.  I'm surprised how low they go.  But then again, I'm on 18"s.[/QUOTE]

Your not on Hks hypermax?

[quote=augdogg;111282]Your not on Hks hypermax?[/quote]

I meant to type 1 finger, not inches:pat:
and yes, I'm on HKS Hipermax.

Ummmm... what the hell is he ss kit. i dnt understand most of the text even though i have seen that site b4. i just dont quite understand what is going on.  i wsh i could understand!!!

it's just a metal block that goes under your lower ball joints.  it'll lower your car w/o sacrificing suspension travel.  You may be able to (somewhat) correct your suspension parts to where it is supposed to be.

how the helll do you get these things if you cannot read the website!:runcoold:  thanks a lot though.:smiley:  how do i find prices and contact info? i need more asian friends!

Edit: you already said the prices. still need to figure out how to order

[QUOTE=coco-puffs;111308]I meant to type 1 finger, not inches:pat:
and yes, I'm on HKS Hipermax.[/QUOTE]

I am too and my front is @ it's limit, I can only assume the rear prby has 1-1/2 travel left which should be enough for the proper stance. I'm gonna try one of those blocks.

[quote=volkgt7;111336]how the helll do you get these things if you cannot read the website!:runcoold:  thanks a lot though.:smiley:  how do i find prices and contact info? i need more asian friends!

Edit: you already said the prices. still need to figure out how to order[/quote]
hmm....I hope they ship though.  I know that "exact motorsport" or something like that makes them for our GS, but only the front.  YouZealand is the only company I know that has front and rear.

[quote=augdogg;111345]I am too and my front is @ it's limit, I can only assume the rear prby has 1-1/2 travel left which should be enough for the proper stance. I'm gonna try one of those blocks.[/quote]

I have the first one, the LS, and not LS+.  I tried it at the limit when I first installed it but it was definitly rubbing the fender when I turned so I had to raise it up a bit.

is there a way i can order from YouZealand?

i translated it, but it still didn't make much sense. from what cocoa is saying, and looking at the pics, it seems like a ball joint relocator. what it would do, i assume, is allow you to raise your coilovers about an inch and still be at the same level by essentially pushing your wheel up rather than bringing the body down. i guess you guys have uca's which are whats binding correct? this has definitely given me some ideas as well.

i assumed that was how it works. i just want to know how to order!!!

My uca is hitting the wheelwell

so notch it....

omg I have this same problem... I am lowers on Tein Fex's...I was hoping someone would had this issue too

well  you should be happ you found this becauase this thread if full of useful info!

i know i am!

[quote=BLACKonBLACK98;111589]i translated it, but it still didn't make much sense. from what cocoa is saying, and looking at the pics, it seems like a ball joint relocator. what it would do, i assume, is allow you to raise your coilovers about an inch and still be at the same level by essentially pushing your wheel up rather than bringing the body down. i guess you guys have uca's which are whats binding correct? this has definitely given me some ideas as well.[/quote]

yeah, it does bring the wheel up.  which means you retain your suspension stroke and you should be able to lower your entire arm down a bit (youzealand says itll lower by 20mm)...hopefully enough to clear your body.

with my car ucas are not an issue (don't have them) but suspension geometry is. honestly the more i think about it, the less i think the blocks will help the binding issue the gs guys are having.

because in effect, raising the lower balljoint wich is on the bottom of the spindle, which raises the wheel, which lowers the car, also raises the upper control arm because you have moved he spindle up.... i think....right???:thumbsup: :naughty:

i was under the impression the problem was that the uca was already too high. like i said i'm just assuming here...

i was agreeing with your previous statement.... i was about to buy the damn things too!. good thing you brought that up

oh ok... we're in agreement then. time for that hole saw huh?

HELL YEAH!:naughty: :naughty:

wait, doesn't it lower the lower control arm and as a result bring down the upper control arm, and raising the wheels up?
 
 
...i'm confused lol.

[QUOTE=volkgt7;112817]because in effect, raising the lower balljoint wich is on the bottom of the spindle, which raises the wheel, which lowers the car, also raises the upper control arm because you have moved he spindle up.... i think....right???:thumbsup: :naughty:[/QUOTE]

raises the LOWER ball joint i am allmost positive

OK I am finally caught up..It has taken me a while but i finally read all these posts...But anyway....as you know I am having the same issue with the UCA hitting the wheel well...

[QUOTE=volkgt7;112817]because in effect, raising the lower balljoint wich is on the bottom of the spindle, which raises the wheel, which lowers the car, also raises the upper control arm because you have moved he spindle up.... i think....right???:thumbsup: :naughty:[/QUOTE]     

I agree volkgt7: but on the contrary don't you feel that youzealand would know that the UCA would be an issue and then what would be the point of this product.  

Moral of the story is we need someone to translate the youzealand site and find us a contact number.  Then one of us can call and figure this situation out... instead of all of us guessing....

So can anyone translate????

[quote=volkgt7;113145]raises the LOWER ball joint i am allmost positive[/quote]

yeah, I think you're right.  I was confusing myself...:runcoold:

[quote=Dr_Drift;113857]
Moral of the story is we need someone to translate the youzealand site and find us a contact number.  Then one of us can call and figure this situation out... instead of all of us guessing....

So can anyone translate????[/quote]

I'll translate/contact youzealand for a fellow GS4 member if you want them volkgt7.  but it'll be after my finals are done.

[/QUOTE]I'll translate/contact youzealand for a fellow GS4 member if you want them volkgt7.  but it'll be after my finals are done.[/QUOTE]

That would be awesome...I am considering purchasing them as well...so let us know what you find out

PLEASE DO!!!!!!!!!:giggity: :ughrun: :crunksd: :e5cyippee: :bowrofl4wj: :hsughr: :eek5spin: :eek5r: :eek5spin: :eek5r2:

what do you guys want to know?

[QUOTE=coco-puffs;114283]what do you guys want to know?[/QUOTE]

Questions:
!. If I add this piece to my 2001 GS430 will it lower the upper control arm so that it does not hit the shock tower wall? More specifically, how does this piece change the geometry of the suspension?

[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/SpinCycle450/youzealandGS.jpg[/IMG]

2. How can we go about placing an order?

3. Do they ship to the US?


THANKS ALOT coco-puffs this helps us all out alot!!!

my guess is it will not fix the uca issue, it might even make it worse. it will change the geometry by lowering the lca, there for drecreasing the angle between the lca and the knuckle. hope it works out for you guys, i am going to try an adapt the technology to my application since we don't have ucas. and yeah coco puffs, those are they questions to ask.

[QUOTE=Dr_Drift;114307]Questions:
!. If I add this piece to my 2001 GS430 will it lower the upper control arm so that it does not hit the shock tower wall? More specifically, how does this piece change the geometry of the suspension?

[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/SpinCycle450/youzealandGS.jpg[/IMG]

2. How can we go about placing an order?

3. Do they ship to the US?


THANKS ALOT coco-puffs this helps us all out alot!!![/QUOTE]


:hsughwerdv7:

[QUOTE=BLACKonBLACK98;114322]my guess is it will not fix the uca issue, it might even make it worse. it will change the geometry by lowering the lca, there for drecreasing the angle between the lca and the knuckle. hope it works out for you guys, i am going to try an adapt the technology to my application since we don't have ucas. and yeah coco puffs, those are they questions to ask.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you! will be  nice to see what they say though:biggthumpup: :biggthumpup:

I agree too...but i hope we're wrong cuz I really don't want to drill a hole in my engine bay.

[quote=Dr_Drift;114307]Questions:
!. If I add this piece to my 2001 GS430 will it lower the upper control arm so that it does not hit the shock tower wall? More specifically, how does this piece change the geometry of the suspension?
 
[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/SpinCycle450/youzealandGS.jpg[/IMG]
 
2. How can we go about placing an order?
 
3. Do they ship to the US?
 
 
THANKS ALOT coco-puffs this helps us all out alot!!![/quote]
 
you should ask nissan4u2nv here  on the forums. he has the youzealand kit on his ls400. he can explain how it works and where he got it at.

The RCA will space everything above the lower control arm upwards.

Think of it like running dropped spindles on a pickup truck; it moves the 
wheel's hub point upwards, effectively lowering the car more.

If your upper control arms have interference issues now, this will 
make it worse, not better.

[QUOTE=SoCalSC4;114664]The RCA will space everything above the lower control arm upwards.

Think of it like running dropped spindles on a pickup truck; it moves the 
wheel's hub point upwards, effectively lowering the car more.

If your upper control arms have interference issues now, this will 
make it worse, not better.[/QUOTE]

Figured that, and i still plan on cutting a hole! just is good to hear from youzealand themselves how it works

Cut the hole, then weld a cover over it that will clear both the hood and the UCA. That way you can keep come of the structural rigidity, and it'll look nice. Is it THAT bad that you need to cut a hole? or can you just bang the shock tower with a mallet to push it up enough.

[quote=SoCalSC4;114664]The RCA will space everything above the lower control arm upwards.
 
Think of it like running dropped spindles on a pickup truck; it moves the 
wheel's hub point upwards, effectively lowering the car more.
 
If your upper control arms have interference issues now, this will 
make it worse, not better.[/quote]
bad example... dropped spindles don't change the geometry at all. they simply relocate the spindle higher on the knuckle.

[QUOTE=SoCalSC4;114664]The RCA will space everything above the lower control arm upwards.

Think of it like running dropped spindles on a pickup truck; it moves the 
wheel's hub point upwards, effectively lowering the car more.

If your upper control arms have interference issues now, this will 
make it worse, not better.[/QUOTE]


So suposse a new question to ask youzealand is What did they do in order to clear the UCA?


[QUOTE=Caoboy;114703]Cut the hole, then weld a cover over it that will clear both the hood and the UCA. That way you can keep come of the structural rigidity, and it'll look nice. Is it THAT bad that you need to cut a hole? or can you just bang the shock tower with a mallet to push it up enough.[/QUOTE]


I feel like covering the hole would be counterintuitive, your cutting a hole for clearance.  I would think that be capping off the top you would starting back at the same place.  Unless you you welding a dome shaped plate.  But i suposse that it all depends on how much clearance you need.

I am against cutting the hole at this point becuase of where the UCA hits.  The hole would need to be drilled too close to the shock tower.  Even thou hahajoey has not seen any issues I am still concerned.

[QUOTE=Caoboy;114703]Cut the hole, then weld a cover over it that will clear both the hood and the UCA. That way you can keep come of the structural rigidity, and it'll look nice. Is it THAT bad that you need to cut a hole? or can you just bang the shock tower with a mallet to push it up enough.[/QUOTE]

that bad buddy... my car is 1' off the ground and i drive HARD through boston streets and i drive DIRECTLY OVER POTHOLES!. the shock towers are too thick to hit with a hammer at that part, it is double layered.  i have had 2 repalce many upper control arms because of impact and improper angle wear at 391$ a piece. this only seems to happen when u have full tap coilovers because when i put my super street all the way down this never happens. it hits the bumpstops instead. i believe this happens with people with airride when they drive all the way dumped.  the car has too be really slammed 4 you to understand. STILL CUTTING THE DAMN HOLE!:giggity: :dance:

[QUOTE=BLACKonBLACK98;114722]bad example... dropped spindles don't change the geometry at all. they simply relocate the spindle higher on the knuckle.[/QUOTE]

gotcha... so its kinda like a lower balljoint shim or spacer

wow.. every interesting.  i am on tein HA and last time i checked my suspesion area, i noticed the UCA is hitting.  it hits only on heavy bumps on the freeway and some large pot holes.  cutting a hole is a very interesting idea, i am gonna think about doing it also.  but i was wondering if you cut the hole and allow more room for the UCA to travel, wont the car just hit the ground instead?

Let's cut it and find out sir! =p



[QUOTE=ShaneC;114907]wow.. every interesting.  i am on tein HA and last time i checked my suspesion area, i noticed the UCA is hitting.  it hits only on heavy bumps on the freeway and some large pot holes.  cutting a hole is a very interesting idea, i am gonna think about doing it also.  but i was wondering if you cut the hole and allow more room for the UCA to travel, wont the car just hit the ground instead?[/QUOTE]

sigh this is going to go on forever, just do what u want or what u think.
its the internet here.. u'll have people that will tell u to do things, and u'll
have people that'll tell u not to do things. its only reference..

and think about it this way. you really DONT know how "safe" or "unsafe"
cutting a hole is unless you do it.. theres a lot of people who speculate that
it'll be unsafe.. are they engineers who know the car's chassis inside/out?
i doubt it. is cutting a hole really a perfect solution, probably not. is it 100% safe..
maybe? maybe not.. its a gamble.. its like slamming your car.. is it safe? well
some will say its too low and u have no ground clearance so it's not safe.. 

your car, do waht you want. you have more than enough information on this post
to make a decision for yourself.

[QUOTE=volkgt7;114884]..... i believe this happens with people with airride when they drive all the way dumped.  the car has too be really slammed 4 you to understand. STILL CUTTING THE DAMN HOLE!:giggity: :dance:[/QUOTE]

yup,i have the same problem.and its disapointing that i cant ride super low.i might cut a hole on my car also.

[QUOTE=volkgt7;114884]that bad buddy... my car is 1' off the ground and i drive HARD through boston streets and i drive DIRECTLY OVER POTHOLES!. the shock towers are too thick to hit with a hammer at that part, it is double layered.  i have had 2 repalce many upper control arms because of impact and improper angle wear at 391$ a piece. this only seems to happen when u have full tap coilovers because when i put my super street all the way down this never happens. it hits the bumpstops instead. i believe this happens with people with airride when they drive all the way dumped.  the car has too be really slammed 4 you to understand. STILL CUTTING THE DAMN HOLE!:giggity: :dance:[/QUOTE]

I am about 1/4 in away from maxed out on my tein flex.  My UCA hit when i go over small man holes and bumps in the road.

I was not aware that it was double layered, now it makes more sense.  maybe I'll start drilling from inside the wheel well.

volkgt7: when you cut the holes, take some pics and post those beasts up

[QUOTE=hahajoey;114949]sigh this is going to go on forever, just do what u want or what u think.
its the internet here.. u'll have people that will tell u to do things, and u'll
have people that'll tell u not to do things. its only reference..

and think about it this way. you really DONT know how "safe" or "unsafe"
cutting a hole is unless you do it.. theres a lot of people who speculate that
it'll be unsafe.. are they engineers who know the car's chassis inside/out?
i doubt it. is cutting a hole really a perfect solution, probably not. is it 100% safe..
maybe? maybe not.. its a gamble.. its like slamming your car.. is it safe? well
some will say its too low and u have no ground clearance so it's not safe.. 

your car, do waht you want. you have more than enough information on this post
to make a decision for yourself.[/QUOTE]

Agreed!!!!

[QUOTE=hahajoey;114949]sigh this is going to go on forever, just do what u want or what u think.
its the internet here.. u'll have people that will tell u to do things, and u'll
have people that'll tell u not to do things. its only reference..

and think about it this way. you really DONT know how "safe" or "unsafe"
cutting a hole is unless you do it.. theres a lot of people who speculate that
it'll be unsafe.. are they engineers who know the car's chassis inside/out?
i doubt it. is cutting a hole really a perfect solution, probably not. is it 100% safe..
maybe? maybe not.. its a gamble.. its like slamming your car.. is it safe? well
some will say its too low and u have no ground clearance so it's not safe.. 

your car, do waht you want. you have more than enough information on this post
to make a decision for yourself.[/QUOTE]

this is exactly why i keep saying i am going to cut the hole anyways. just want to kno wwhat my options are regardless, and the possible solutions. hey, its just metal!
i am going to have a body shop do it but it might not be for a month or 2 because i dont really drive the car in he winter and it is going back to be painted anyway. i appreciate all the info guys and i hope this thread hepls others
TIME 4 SWISS CHEESE BITCHES!!
i might just cut a bunch more 4 weight reduction LOL!! :smiley-rofl: :yahoo_24: :yahoo_39: :hsughr: :eek5spin: :eek5r: :eek5spin:

Is there any pics of this thing installed? I think that'll give a better idea of how it works.

I have the Exact lowering blocks, pretty much as the YouZealand kit. I want to install it to lower my car more in the front but the control arms will hit if I hit a bump. Any updates on cutting a hole? I don't want to do it but I don't know of any other way. Also, I have a white car so that might be pretty ugly in the engine bay. :(

good thread!  Gotta appreciate the info being shared.

[QUOTE=chrispy;118542]I have the Exact lowering blocks, pretty much as the YouZealand kit. I want to install it to lower my car more in the front but the control arms will hit if I hit a bump. Any updates on cutting a hole? I don't want to do it but I don't know of any other way. Also, I have a white car so that might be pretty ugly in the engine bay. :([/QUOTE]

You can see how people have cut the hole and boxed it out. i imagine it could be done a lot cleaner than that
[IMG]http://i29.tinypic.com/2lxv69.jpg[/IMG]

I suggest that you either cut the springs, remove one of the locking collars on your coilovers, buy a new suspension(I have flex 4 sale!!). if you buy a coilover setup that has threaded shock body you ill most likely have the problem with the control arms hitting unless you cut a hole. jic is making me a custom shortedned setup 4 me

That Aristo is nuts! Do GS's have this problem if they're on air? If not, I might just wait until I can get air suspension.

if u try to ride too low... you must have not read the whole thread becuz that was allready stated. it has to do with the control arm going too high (because of the car being too low) and titting the top of the shock tower

[QUOTE=volkgt7;118839]if u try to ride too low... you must have not read the whole thread becuz that was allready stated. it has to do with the control arm going too high (because of the car being too low) and titting the top of the shock tower[/QUOTE]

I read the whole thread but I thought the problem would go away with air suspension. I guess all us JZS guys have to make some holes, huh?

since reading this thread i have noticed a few swiss cheese gs in mags/on websites. its the vip thing to do. make it happen.

[QUOTE=chrispy;118910]I read the whole thread but I thought the problem would go away with air suspension. I guess all us JZS guys have to make some holes, huh?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=BLACKonBLACK98;118943]since reading this thread i have noticed a few swiss cheese gs in mags/on websites. its the vip thing to do. make it happen.[/QUOTE]
even though i am gettin a custom shortened jic made, i am still doing it

[IMG]http://i30.tinypic.com/2dihxf5.jpg[/IMG]

:dance: :dance: :naughty: :naughty: 
"Make it SO!!" sorry.. i just think piccard is the man :slap: :shrug: 
[IMG]http://i32.tinypic.com/90dmi0.jpg[/IMG]

Alright guys, I've decided I want to make that cheese in my engine bay. Any ideas on what to use to cut the hole? I have drills and holesaws availiable but I don't know how thick that metal is. Is there a shop I can take this to and have them weld it at the same time? I don't know if body shops do this type of thing often.

Its a fender, so it shouldn't be thick metal, probably a few layers of 16-18ga metal? just drill slow and use lubricant so you don't damage the bit and your car. And use a pilot hole first or punch the middle with a punch set so that the drill bit doesn't dance around the fender :)

But I could be wrong..never done this before haha.

the wheelwell not the fender

and i believe its multi layered.. i am gonna have the bodyshop do it

[QUOTE=chrispy;119590]Alright guys, I've decided I want to make that cheese in my engine bay. Any ideas on what to use to cut the hole? I have drills and holesaws availiable but I don't know how thick that metal is. Is there a shop I can take this to and have them weld it at the same time? I don't know if body shops do this type of thing often.[/QUOTE]


read the post. there were pics and description about  how to do it. u can always pm.people

Btw i thought ls  and sc did not have this problem. the uca is a bit lower. NEWS TO ME!:shrug:

See: [url]http://vipstylecars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8703[/url]

thats where i got the info from! thanks!

oops..sorry, I meant wheel well! same reference as hahajoey's post :)

[QUOTE=volkgt7;119660]Btw i thought ls  and sc did not have this problem. the uca is a bit lower. NEWS TO ME!:shrug:[/QUOTE]

If in fact this doesn't affect the SC or LS if it possible to use their UCA? I don't know the terms for the suspension but maybe use their UCA and the arm that attaches to it if it is shorter. Just an idea.

if the arm is shorter or longer it will only affect the camber. you would need to trim the upper spindle length which youzealand apparently has done b4 to bring 
the uca down.... not interested

Lemme knows how it goes when you cut it. Id like to do it to my LS but its not that big of a deal since I have air, but it would be nice to roll full dumped and not worry about even the slightest bump. At first, i thought it was my shock bottoming out, but after adding the youzealand ss kit it just made it worse and shock travel wasnt changed. On moderate pot holes it hits so hard it makes the cd changer skip when full dumped.

so you could have cleared up the debate that the youzealand kit makes the problem better/worse

[quote=volkgt7;120100]so you could have cleared up the debate that the youzealand kit makes the problem better/worse[/quote]

Yes it does. It lowers the car by raising the lower ball joint thus shifting all the suspension up without losing shock travel. Thats what it says on their site if you translate it, of course you gotta read it like 10 times for it to make perfect sense.

[QUOTE=nizzan4u2nv;120103]Yes it does. It lowers the car by raising the lower ball joint thus shifting all the suspension up without losing shock travel. Thats what it says on their site if you translate it, of course you gotta read it like 10 times for it to make perfect sense.[/QUOTE]

we understood how it workes. it just took a bit of brain power to realize the confrol arm would still hit even wih the kit on

I had my parents send me the new Aristo mook from Tokyo and look what I found.

A hole!!lol  It says that to cope with the lost structural rigidity, they welded around the hole.  
[IMG]http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u73/Coco-bun/Lexus/DSC02652.jpg[/IMG]

this is so low...good thing Japan spends a lot of money on roads.  it wouldn't last a day on the streets of the salt infested in the midwest.
[IMG]http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u73/Coco-bun/Lexus/DSC02653.jpg[/IMG]

and the new mag :)
[IMG]http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u73/Coco-bun/Lexus/DSC02650.jpg[/IMG]

so how does a SS kit work again?  it raises the upper control arm and moves the muffler bearings which way?  LOL.  

found a great pic explaining it on NightPager's site.

stock
[img]http://night-pager.com/parts/parts_etc/rollcenter/image1.gif[/img]


lowered
[img]http://night-pager.com/parts/parts_etc/rollcenter/image4.gif[/img]

lowered+RCA blocks
[img]http://night-pager.com/parts/parts_etc/rollcenter/image5.gif[/img]

red dot = roll center
blue dot = roll center at the moment
yellow dot = center of gravity
i think those are the right terms...excuse my engrish, the last time I took physics was back in like 11th grade.

GOTCHA!!:thumbsup: 

willmake my car drive better but only exasorbate the problem

[QUOTE=Yokotas13;111665]so notch it....[/QUOTE]


i have a good understanding of what the problem is and how to fix it but i have yet to see a lot of detailed pics of  the control arm clearancing.  i talked to my body shop about doing it nd they said no because it would be a safety issue. that might be because they did not understand what exactly i was talking about and i did not  have any pics. does anyone have any pics of this work being or done or deailed tips on how to do it?

ok
here ya go
a crude ass MSpaint drawing

Basically, cut out a 3 sided square, where it is hitting
then push it up from under until it doenst hit anymore. THen box it in basically, so its not a random hole.
[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2317397870_3e1e74a013.jpg[/img]

gotcha... thanks! i am having a hard time  finding  people to do this  probably  because they think i am going to make the car fall apart. what do you cut it with...? i might have to   try and do it myself... wich i really dont want to do

its not super duper thick, Id do it with an air saw, the roatry ones. HOWEVER if you dont have one, use a drill bit to put a hole at each corner, then use a metal blade jigsaw, you will be welding over that section anyways

Yeah, i imagined there would be some hesitation by bodyshops to doing this sort of thing. If you have a magazine, you could take it down with you to show them that there are people in Japan doing it successfully.
 
Over here i know some bodgy bodywork places that would do whatever you tell them to. When it comes time to do this mod for my friend (soon since it is definitely hitting now), we will just take it there