How Low?

Hi, does anybody know how low a stock LS400 Air suspension with controller can go? Is there a set minimum clearance that so-called "performance" suspension cannot go (slammed to the ground) Also, how do I make the ride stiffer with these?
Sorry if this sounds newbie. But I am.

RJ
Thanks- (arigatou)

only way to make it stiffer is to go higher
Air pressure within the air bag determines the stiffness

So if I take stock suspension and add excess air pressure the suspension would be stiffer? What stops the rising of the car instead of adding stiffness? I have an offer for Cobra Coilover with airbags on top for 4000$ but I'm not willing to spend that much money in variable suspension :confused:

thats a HUGE amount of money
You can get Tanabae air over coilover for 3,000 adn HKS has a setup, tein has a setup and a few others.

Go with universal air for 2100 and change

Factory air has TEMS which varies the dampening rate of the suspension. There is a 'test mode' that can be enabled by bridging 2 terminals in the engine bay (cant remember which ones). This puts the damping setting one step stiffer than the factory 'sports mode'
 
Some of the later Air Suspension controllers have a "TEMS hard" mode which emulates that suspension setting. 
 
 
Now, the idea of pumping extra air into the bags is not particularly good, because the factory bags dont have the ability to cope with much extra pressure - particularly if they are a bit older and even more so if they have been lowered in the past. I still have a popped strut sitting in my shed as a testament to that. Its scary stuff when it goes, trust me!
 
Some of the Soarer guys around here (Australia) have had success with getting the shocks inside the airbags rebuilt with stiffer valving. You need to speak to a shock absorber reconditioner to see if they can help. You lose the damping adjustability though.
 
More improvements were achieved by upgrading sway bars as well...
 
Not sure on the second question
[quote]Is there a set minimum clearance that so-called "performance" suspension cannot go (slammed to the ground)[/quote]
What do you mean by that?

So pushing high PSI into the factory struts is a bad bad idea. Understood! I won't do this then. Had an S class with a failed air pump. That was pretty serious lowering. That is the EXACT "look" I am going for but the ability to raise the car at my command from within the drivers seat.

Coil over route.
I do have a pair of factory stock coil-overs in the car that I got really cheap. The factory air was bad, stock coil-overs worse :sad: But I'm willing to dabble in performance suspensions.

I'm looking at options and so far I can choose from:
JIC Coilovers
Tein SC Coilovers
Bilstein HD + Eibach 1 inch lowering springs
Buddy Club Coilovers
Insurance Coilovers
HKS Coilovers
Tanabe Air Cobra (only suspension with variable height)
 
I do like slammed cars, but the road conditions don't allow me to lower too much as I still need to drive the car, so the Air Cobras looked very good. Slam when i drive, raise when i drive over speedbumps etc. The problem is the expense, which I don't mind spending if they are worth it. If I am correct the stock shocks are Tanabe and I'm highly disappointed in their shocks.

I'm most familiar with the Bilsteins. They have mastered the black art of suspension and would like to leave them as a reference to as which all other suspension is compared to since that is what I am most familiar with.

If anybody knows, how are the JIC, HKS, Insurance, Tein, Buddy Club fully adjustable coil over suspensions? Road handling, looks, camber adjustability, stiffness?

Also how do people cope with speedbumps and raised driveways on their lowered cars? I know about coming in at an angle but some of these VIPs are WICKED low.Cool - (suteki)  I want mine to do that!!! :dance:

go Air cobra

its the way to go man

and i can get it for you at JP prices so your not paying inflated prices


actually any of it i can. let me know what you decide (on japanese brands)

and on the air cobras

THe cost on the air cobras are as much as a good airride setup, adn also if you compare other "Cup" kits it will cost about 800 more to do a cup kit with coilovers

WIth this you get the best of both worlds. Outstanding coilovers (you cant judge OEM stuff to aftermarket in suspension ever) With 3 inches of ride height adjustability

do they make air cobra for the Y33???

Thanks for the replies Thanks- (arigatou) 
This is the Air Cobra I'm looking at:
[url]http://page17.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/v5312354[/url] :drool: 

By the time I have it in my car, it's going to be about $4000 and I'm not sure I want to spend that kind of money for AirSus. I understand it's got the best of both worlds but that's a bit much. It doesn't even have camber adjustment pillows for that price. I'm a college student, and I was thinking $2000 tops, preferably under that, since my wheels are hitting into the 3grand mark. If I anyone has Air Cobras used for 1500-2000 I would gladly buy them.
I got another offer from an admin here for an air suspension, and if I do go AirSus, it will be that or Air Cobra. I'm hard of deciding since this is a big fairly big purchase (for a college kid!) and I absolutely do not want broken air suspension on a drive to So-Cal. I don't want to compromise reliability on my daily driver at this point.

I'm quite sure they sell Air Cobra for the Cimas and Cedrics. But I couldn't find it on Yahoo Japan. Here's a list, keep checking and it might show up!:thumbsup: 
[url]http://search1.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/search/auc?p=AIR+COBRA&auccat=2084005257&alocale=0jp&acc=jp[/url]

you shoulda bought used wheels so you would have extra cash

here's some pictures of my 90 LS on stock air with the datasystems ASI65X-M2 air ride controller.  this is as low as it can go.

[IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e240/ifphoto/buena%20park%20clublexus%20meet/DSC00288.jpg[/IMG]

here's a good one of the front that's more clear than the last one.  my car is the 2nd one in line there.

[IMG]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e240/ifphoto/buena%20park%20clublexus%20meet/DSC00276.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=antbo;43751]you shoulda bought used wheels so you would have extra cash[/QUOTE]
I did buy used wheel. LMAO I'm a pricey slut for wheels:dance:

[quote=pRaHjeC;43771]here's some pictures of my 90 LS on stock air with the datasystems ASI65X-M2 air ride controller. this is as low as it can go.
[/quote]
 
You gotta get that controller looked at... I've seen plenty of first gens MUCH lower than that... On SuperLow mode, you should be able to get at least 1" of tire tucked under the guards... Mind you it will ride like a marshmallow :p

with my model controller?  know anybody around the inland empire area that can look at it?

Hey, thanks for the good info man.

I'm going with the Buddy Club Sedan shocks for now.
 Looks the most solidly built and has decent looking spring rates and settings (compared to RS-R, Tein, Insurance, HKS, D2, etc, etc...) so I'm going with that before this turns into indecision. Too many to options!!!

 As for Air Cobra, sorry for the disappointment but wrecking the ride for looks will have to be a future thought. I don't hear good things about ride. I'm easily turned off by just a few negative comments.
Besides, if I'm gonna go through the trouble of fabricating panels for compressors and computers and making new console switches I'm going with hydraulics. I'm trying to get my friend to sell me his Citroen Hydramatics (cheap) so I can bastardize them for my UCF20. It's much easier for him to tell his insurance "THEY STOLE MY SHOCKS MAN!" :eek: j.k.
 Buddy Club is a good temporary solution I think, and right now I NEED decent bolt-on suspensions to boost my confidence for the car. To do that I must get the car to handle. Just two weeks ago I was so disappointed in the car I contemplated selling it. I'm still not sure I want to spend tooooo much money on it just yet.

 On a related note, cars in Oregon are subject to serious suspension travel so I need something to keep the damage to a minimum. Do you think running steel bars under the car will work? I'm hoping the sparks and noise will add VIP shock value instead of ghetto fab value Give me a break 

 After I get the car driving right, I will make the car look right :cool: I'm soooooooooo fond of the Insurance body kit! droolCool - (suteki)


[QUOTE=Yokotas13;43746]go Air cobra

its the way to go man

and i can get it for you at JP prices so your not paying inflated prices


actually any of it i can. let me know what you decide (on japanese brands)

and on the air cobras

THe cost on the air cobras are as much as a good airride setup, adn also if you compare other "Cup" kits it will cost about 800 more to do a cup kit with coilovers

WIth this you get the best of both worlds. Outstanding coilovers (you cant judge OEM stuff to aftermarket in suspension ever) With 3 inches of ride height adjustability[/QUOTE]

Insurance kits are the oldschool style and they sit VERY low... If the roads are as bad as you say, it would become a problem without decent adjustability (air, hydros etc). 
 
The pipes under the car sounds like a good plan... let me know if you go ahead with it!
 
Prahjec... If you have the ASI thats the basic model right?  With just the 2 bars representing front and rear heights? Did you disable the 'safety mode'? Easy way to tell is to see if you can set the height while driving - in safety mode it is locked while you are driving.
 
Just check the instruction manual for how to unlock safety mode. Its there so you can leave the controller in during registration inspection in Japan - stops the car being lowered below 8cm clearance, and no adjustment while moving. 
 
And when you turn safety mode off, you can use superlow - after you put it on the lowest setting, press and hold the Low button and the lowest bar on the graph will flash...

What about bold world parume cups? I think your best solution would be to get air. With big fiberglass kits your going to want it. I killed my JP bumper when i was on jic's and still have problems scraping it on uneven roads on air. I love to drive my car slammed that is a partial problem driving around on shitty hawaii roads.

[QUOTE=Dominik;43947]Prahjec... If you have the ASI thats the basic model right?  With just the 2 bars representing front and rear heights? Did you disable the 'safety mode'? Easy way to tell is to see if you can set the height while driving - in safety mode it is locked while you are driving.
 
Just check the instruction manual for how to unlock safety mode. Its there so you can leave the controller in during registration inspection in Japan - stops the car being lowered below 8cm clearance, and no adjustment while moving. 
 
And when you turn safety mode off, you can use superlow - after you put it on the lowest setting, press and hold the Low button and the lowest bar on the graph will flash...[/QUOTE]

thanks for the info man... i just wish i could read the instructions, they're all in japanese hahaha

[QUOTE=pRaHjeC;44109]thanks for the info man... i just wish i could read the instructions, they're all in japanese hahaha[/QUOTE]

Scan it man, I'll translate it

shit, alright thanks man haha!  let me get home where i have a scanner and i will PM it over to you asap.  thanks again!