TK Chan

In desperation I purchased all alloy wheel sealant from Turtlewax and put just one coat on before a round trip of 220 miles yesterday. Didn't get home until midnight, but having checked this morning all the wheels are almost dust free, whereas previously the fronts at least would be black. That is real good stuff. Nice catch, Tango. I cleaned the wheels to their shinny glory yesterday and they are now "weathered" after 60km ride today.

Thanks for the info guys. In the meantime, more frequent wheel washing will do :sleeping_03anim: .

Over in the US Lexus Club people are complaining about the IS250 and IS350 emitting heavy brake dust after a short ride. The link is here http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274234. Actually I notice this problem with my IS250 which is more serious in the front wheel than the rear wheel. For just about 60 km ride, a thin layer of black dust had deposited all over the front wheel rims. The rear wheels seem OK though. Do other IS250/350 owners notice the same problem? My previous Mit VRM didn't have this problem. Any observations from you technical people?

PS Correction - we don't have a Lexus Club in Hong Kong . We only have the Altezza Club that caters for the Altezza and IS 200 species. Recently I note that they've included the IS 250 and IS350 but it is not a Lexus Club per se .

Tony, thanks for the question. As far as I know, there is no government restriction for import of car accessory such as wheel rims, suspension springs or other dedicated components provided they are within safety regulations. It is largely a matter to do with the importer or the local authorised agency. Rarely would they keep ready stock for most of the products. I can however understand their difficulty. For example, wheel rims, customer's preference may vary from different combination of off set to rim width, not to mention body kits. Perhaps the most common types could be more readily available, the exquiste types you can bet to wait at least 6 to 8 weeks time the shortest. Another reason I can think of is that rarely a car owner would DIY the mod except the garage owners. There is no need for "look, buy, take" scenerio . There is also law forbidding heavy modification against factory specfications. I ordered the Volks Racing Progressive ME rims for my IS250 at the end of November last and won't have them till early March. The answer was the factory in Japan was loaded with back orders plus the local agent has to group the orders in one shipment to save cost. The same problem existed with my order for the Eibach springs though it was from another shop and the answer was Eibach Japan could not promise when the items could be shipped so the shop refunded my deposit. According to our local Lexus agent, they have sold over 600 to 700 IS250's since last year but I haven't seen a single one with after market wheels on the road - all rolling on stock wheels, and of course none with lowered suspension. At least 90% of our local car owner population can only own one car and rarely a 2nd car as toy due to the government's greatest effort to discourage people from owning private cars. We have 100% tax on the vehicle cost !!!!!! plus very heavy fine for speeding that most of the time we can only cruise with sporadic touch of the gas paddle. Coupled with the traffic jam and the confusing traffic lights, it is no fun driving most of the time. However, we do have a very active group of city night racers :closedeyes: But then they belong to live show of Need for Speed gamers . And then we have a good collection of classic car lovers, plus, of course, the exquisite Ferraris, Porsche, BMWs, and many other car clubs etc. etc. that I still need time to explore myself . Sadly, however, our local Lexus Club caters for the IS200 species only and I did see quite a few wearing exotic modifications.

Good stuff.... TK Chan tell the boys/girls in HK we are here to help! not only in products but all manner of assistance, and it's free!! I must say i have seen a few links from HK..... is this your doing Well, I did spread the news a bit that I am getting the UK spec Eibach springs soon. I could be the first one here to have them

Mark, a thumbs up for your great service . If I had known WIM sooner, I would not have wasted 3 months waiting empty handed . Yes, please send them after Easter. TK

Thanks Tony and Tango. This is good news. It means the Eibach springs work well with the original factory config, except the adjustment of toe position. Hope I can receive the set after the Easter Holiday and have them installed before end of April.

My tyres are Yokohama Advance Sport and the shop said 36 psi is recommended by the factory. I think it should be the right pressure to use. My IS 250 is for leisure driving, still taking the public transport to work.

Adie, if you look carefully, Tango's 250 has the front lip spoiler installed. Mine just comes in stock version. Lexus has an aero pack designed for the IS250 and IS350. As Tango said, the pack changes subtle styling of the under skirt with the most obvious one being the rear duck wing.

Tango, I note that your IS 250 has the optional aero spoilers installed except the rear end bumper spoiler. How do you like them and why left out the rear end bumper spoiler? Are they more for aesthetic look than actual effect. My local agent has the full set at around 870GBP, including the rear end bumper spoiler, but again it will be a long wait for 10 to 12 weeks to get the matched colour set for my 250. The rear wing is love and hate. I don't know. I like how the rear trunk cover curved with the side styling of the car but the duck tail wing is pretty cool. The bad thing is you need to drill holes in the trunk to install the wing and it is going to stick there forever. Your beautiful 250 :rolleyes_anim: : My pretty much stock 250:

The UK spec will be less traumatic toward the camber gain :rolleyes_anim: . The toe position will need immediate recovery then after 1000km re-checking. Please do not allow the car to be lowered without toe correction, otherwise the tyres will wear and the handling will be impaired. Thanks Tony for the additional info. I'll see how the UK spec Eibach coils fit into my IS250. I'll talk to the garage when the coils are installed regarding the adjustment of toe position. Actually I am also concerned about the effect on the dampers caused by the shortened coil travel distance. How bad will it be? BTW, what is the tyre pressure used in Tango's car, front and rear? It should also have a direct influence on the ride quality. TKC..I'm running 36 psi all round, but have lower and wider profile then your 18" so I do not know if this information is any good to you? Tony? 36psi reads good to me. TK Chan if you can ask then to do a pictorial during the fitment, i realize this may not be possible but there is no harm in asking! Tony, I'll see if I can do the pictorial myself while watching the work in progress subject to their agreement. Tango, thanks for the info. Will 36 psi a bit soft for the rear? The factory recommends 35 psi for front and 38 psi for rear regardless of 16" or 17" wheels for speed ride within 100 mph. I don't know if the same also applies to 18" and 19" wheels or is there a formula for reference.

The UK spec will be less traumatic toward the camber gain . The toe position will need immediate recovery then after 1000km re-checking. Please do not allow the car to be lowered without toe correction, otherwise the tyres will wear and the handling will be impaired. Thanks Tony for the additional info. I'll see how the UK spec Eibach coils fit into my IS250. I'll talk to the garage when the coils are installed regarding the adjustment of toe position. Actually I am also concerned about the effect on the dampers caused by the shortened coil travel distance. How bad will it be? BTW, what is the tyre pressure used in Tango's car, front and rear? It should also have a direct influence on the ride quality.

Thanks Tony for the invalueable information. Do these data also apply to the UK spec Eibach set which gives 30mm drop all round? I have ordered the spring set from TDIPLC and I will get a reputable garage to do the change over. I has been told that the toe position will be adjusted after 1000 km run in of the new spring coils. I guess that is the correct procedure. Once again, thanks for your help. I'll certainly report the progress as this project unfolds.

Tango and Tony, You are the nicest guys. :rolleyes_anim:

It's an easy job to do as well... I did a "how to pictorial" here : http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/forum/ind...p?showtopic=860 this was on a IS200 but it's the same principle. Tony, I am ordering the UK spec Eibach Prokit from TDIPLC and with luck I may get them here in 2 weeks' time. I'll probably assign the installation to our local Eibach agent. Any technical info on the geometry adjustment you can offer? Or, nothing need to be done for the time being.

That is what I thought. I am hoping to get the UK spec Eibach springs asap.

Hi, Tango, Beautiful pics and beautiful car. The drop looks very good. I was told by my local agent that the UK spec Eibach spring set will contribute to a more comfortable ride and less settlement over time. I don't really know. Since my IS 250 is of Asia model with right hand drive, I guess it is better to go with the UK spec. Besides, our road condition isn't as good with endless bumps and uneven surface so less drop and softer spring will definitely be more suited to our terrain. I have here 2 pics of my IS 250 with the Progressive ME wheels fitted:

Hi, dear friends, I am new to this forum and I am from Hong Kong. I have my is 250 recently fitted with new wheel rims (Rays Volks Racing Progressive ME 18") and now desperately needing to lower the suspension to complement that new look . I have ordered an Eibach Pro set No. 10-82-009-05-22 from the Hong Kong agent but after nearly 3 months, they said Eibach cannot give them a shipment date and even willing to refund me the deposit. Can any of you friends tell me where can I get a set of these Eibach springs from UK. I can have the set sent to my relative in UK then forward to me. Thanks a lot for you help in advance. BTW, the offset of my new wheel rims are +35 for the front fitted with 225X40X18 tyres and +29 for the rear fitted with 235X40X18 tyres. Will the off set ok for the Eibach suspension modification? TK Chan