Busy Day for my IS200 SC

[djwozza]

Ok time for an update.

 

In early December my car went back to WIM for a regular Geo check, and something umpleasant was discovered. The dreaded inner front

tyre wear (systematic on an IS200/IS300) had returned. Just on the very inside edge so it was almost unnoticeable. After Tony checking

the GEO on the Hunter machine, for some reason that isn't as yet quite clear, both my front camber adjusters were unable to recover the

GEO back into the required range. Both were at the absolute limit of their adjustment range.

 

This I am guessing is because of the initial lowering taking that adjustment up to it's limit back in June, and now for some reason both front

cambers are outside of an acceptable range and have eaten my two front Falkens. The solution to this is a camber correction kit.

 

My rears still have enough adjustment to compensate, so only the front ones were required. After some phone calls around different suppliers,

the best price was around £85 + VAT plus delivery in the UK, so the USA was the obvious place to look to try to save a bit of cash. The IS300

uses exactly the same suspension/brake set up as the IS200. Result !! :thumbup:

 

Helpful information was gained as to places to sourced after a phone call to B15RUP & Tango as these guys had previously had issues with their cars.

 

The kit available from the USA will allow you to recover correct the geometry if the car is low/very low. The car will need this kit fitting, plus a

full WIM GEO to ensure everything is pointing in the same direction again after fitting.

 

Front Camber Correction Kit $165.00

 

Rear Camber Correction Kit $119.97

 

or for both from an alternative source

Front & Rear Camber Correction Kit $279.00

 

Front Ball Joint adjusters at the top, rear adjusters below

 

Picture showing the SPC part number #67525

 

Prices stated (correct at time of posting) are plus shipping & customs charge (I got charged £12 plus £8.00 admin charge for Parcel Force)

 

I am due to get this fitted on Wednesday at WIM along with 2 new tyres, and will take some photos of the fitted ball joint adjusters.

[SHAHZ]

Hello Woz mate! Mine was also maxed out when i went a couple of weeks ago, however with the little miles that i do at the moment, didnt bother getting the ball joint adjusters......havent changed the tyres on the front since 2005 i think, so its not that bad going....saying that not sure how many miles its been so may need to dig out the paper work and check to see if it may be worth while getting these!

[Gordon]

Ok time for an update.

 

In early December my car went back to WIM for a regular Geo check, and something umpleasant was discovered. The dreaded inner front

tyre wear (systematic on an IS200/IS300) had returned. Just on the very inside edge so it was almost unnoticeable. After Tony checking

the GEO on the Hunter machine, for some reason that isn't as yet quite clear, both my front camber adjusters were unable to recover the

GEO back into the required range. Both were at the absolute limit of their adjustment range.

 

This I am guessing is because of the initial lowering taking that adjustment up to it's limit back in June, and now for some reason both front

cambers are outside of an acceptable range and have eaten my two front Falkens. The solution to this is a camber correction kit.

 

My rears still have enough adjustment to compensate, so only the front ones were required. After some phone calls around different suppliers,

the best price was around £85 + VAT plus delivery in the UK, so the USA was the obvious place to look to try to save a bit of cash. The IS300

uses exactly the same suspension/brake set up as the IS200. Result !! :thumbup:

 

Helpful information was gained as to places to sourced after a phone call to B15RUP & Tango as these guys had previously had issues with their cars.

 

The kit available from the USA will allow you to recover correct the geometry if the car is low/very low. The car will need this kit fitting, plus a

full WIM GEO to ensure everything is pointing in the same direction again after fitting.

 

Front Camber Correction Kit $165.00

 

Rear Camber Correction Kit $119.97

 

or for both from an alternative source

Front & Rear Camber Correction Kit $279.00

 

Front Ball Joint adjusters at the top, rear adjusters below

 

Picture showing the SPC part number #67525

 

Prices stated (correct at time of posting) are plus shipping & customs charge (I got charged £12 plus £8.00 admin charge for Parcel Force)

 

I am due to get this fitted on Wednesday at WIM along with 2 new tyres, and will take some photos of the fitted ball joint adjusters.

Nice one mate, shame was not a day i was off work or would have come down to see yourself & Tony

[djwozza]

Took the car as planned to Wheels In Motion this week to sort out fitting the new adjustable balljoints. I had given the wheelarch a

blow round with the jetwash as I knew I would be taking pictures, however it rained just before I got to WIM so everything got covered

in road muck again

 

Here is the OE Lexus Upper Balljoint

Once the front wheels were removed, the next stage is to remove the upper wishbone from the chasis. The balljoint needs to be undone

& given a bit of a whack to release it from the control arm. I am unsure if that is the correct name, but is the vertical arm connecting the

upper balljoint down to the hub. The wishbone is held in place by two bolts which tread into captive nuts in the chasis, once these are

removed it just pulls away.

 

Upper Wishbone on the workbench (now upside down)

 

The rubber boot is removed along with the retaining ring/circlip

 

Then the balljoint is then drifted out of the wishbone

 

The new adjustable balljoint is fitted to the wishbone

 

There are two settings that can alter the range of camber adjustment, and these can increase either the positive or negative camber.

The collars on the balljoint can change the effect from positive to negative (& vice versa), and the adjustment range is alterred via the top bolt.

Wishbone view from above showing balljoint camber adjustment range

 

The wishbone is then replaced, but only done up hand tight at this stage.

 

Two new Falken FK-452's were fitted to the front, and the car was then driven onto the Geometry ramp. Tony then went through the usual

set up stages on the Hunter Hawkeye Geo machine. My geometry set-up is different to a standard IS200 due to a few factors. Not only is it

on larger diameter staggered rims, & it has a suspension drop, plus a slightly different rearward weight bias due to a heavy ICE system. All of

these things contibute to effect the geometry, so a tailored Geo set-up to ensure even tyre wear is needed. Luckily my car is a WIM development

chasis, so it is regualary checked, and the set-up has evolved as these changes have occured. Calibration didn't take long, as the rears needed

no adjustment, the fronts needing the camber set (obviously) and a touch more toe-in. Once the set-up was finalised, the balljoints were tightened

up to the recommended (& very high I might add) torque settings.

 

Here is a picture of my old Dunlops to show a good example of the effect of well set-up Geometry, along with correct tyre pressures.

 

The final step was to check all four tyre pressures were to the settings that suit my car best on these IS250 Sport rims 38psi front 37psi rear.

Testimony to these settings (which were the result of some head baffling chasis calculations by myself, a referal to Tony to check my logic &

also then including my own driving feedback) after several thousand miles the current rear Falken FK-452's were measured across their entire width,

and were found to be within a 0.5mm over the width of both tyres :thumbup:

 

After some careful driving on the new front tyres for about 100 miles, I gotta say I am very happy, not only with the new tyres, but also how the car

now "feels". It is suprising how over a period of time, (with tyre wear and the worn balljoints) how you get used to the way a car feels, and it is only

after a thorough Geo set-up (plus some fresh rubber & ajustable balljoints) you realise how things had slipped, & how good it really feels once corrected.

With the slightly better weather (ie no snow) & a sorted chasis, I am now looking forward to being able to use the available power once again

 

Thanks again to Tony & the WIM crew

[Gordon]

Nice work

[dazz33]

Very good right up there.....like the new adjustable ball joints.....makes me wish i still had my Lex.

[Tony]

Spot on explanation wozza, i'm proud of you .......

 

Like wozza said though, it's people like him who donate time so we can research the modified cars chassis in order to gain knowledge and transport this to forums like wim or Outlaw Jap or LOC, you gain the method and at the end of the research the data...... Happy days

[Rich]

Nice update wozza, always puts a smile on your face when you fit new bits to the car