A Bit of Center Console USB Charger Cleanup

 Inspired by the cigarette socket USB charger thingy I got for the GT-R, I purchased another but in the standard black color for the Lexus - the blue anodized one was almost twice as expensive - and since this is hidden away anyway...

Same USB-C charging cable as the one in the GT-R (there were 2 in the package)

Ever since I got the car, I had used a rather large cigarette socket charger that had two regular USB-A sockets, into which I plugged in a USB-A to USB-C cable.

What a mess

After installation of the new one, I realized it is so short that I could shut the cap!

But with two cables plugged in - one USB-A for the cell phone charger, and the USB-C to Lightning and USB-C for guest phones...

Now I can actually put stuff into the center console like drinks!

Here is a closer look at what I removed

I guess it still works, so I won't quite throw it away just yet...

LEMS Carbon Fiber Lip Spoiler Install

So this is indicative of how long it's been since I last updated this blog (for real, not the sticker stuff in my last post) - this mod was done last July 9 (2017!!)! So over a year ago! Sorry friends, but obviously I don't do much for this car compared to the GT-R so updates don't seem as urgent...now that the car is off warranty (as a CPO car, it had a comprehensive warranty that expired in August 2018), I'm itching to do some stuff to bring out the car's best.

Anyway, soon after I bought the car, I was researching the various types of cosmetic mods - such as carbon fiber front lips (and other body part) options, and stumbled upon LEMS. There are other companies here in Japan that do Lexus stuff too such as NOVEL and ThinkDesign but each seems to have their own speciality. For example, ThinkDesign has some very tasty interior parts, and NOVEL has the market cornered with race developed engine and suspension mods.

The car without the carbon lip spoiler

So one day I was casually looking at items on Yahoo Auction, and found the item below, being sold by LEMS themselves (I could tell as the Seller ID was different but the address was LEMS).  The lip spoiler was being offered for substantially less than retail price of over 220,000 yen, so I figured maybe it was a one off or maybe slightly damaged.

When I got the box, it didn't inspire much confidence on the contents.

But yes a genuine LEMS product, with these instructions...

Wow. Gorgeous weave. Too bad this is on the UNDERSIDE and can't be seen

I had my friend Alessandro come over to help. 

The white stuff is clear silicon, not glue!

The lip spoiler is very well made. In fact, I could have simply slipped it on and it would have stayed on. But I went ahead and used some silicon as you can see in the above photo. First, I didn't want any water accumulating. Second, and more importantly, I was concerned about scratches to the bumper paint.  So we just slipped on the lip spoiler and I think there were a couple of screws on the outer sides, and voila!

One of the easiest mods I've ever done. Didn't even need to lift the car up (had jack stands ready just in case)

Really makes the car look better!

Verdict - great mod! Makes the front end of the car look much sharper and lower to the ground. I've only scraped a couple of times in tower parking lots as I'm going up or down a steep ramp, but the scratches aren't noticeable.

I'd say the problem now is, I am very tempted to add more carbon to the front of the car... it can certainly use more of it!!

USRS by RR Racing!

So as I mentioned in a previous post, I took the opportunity while the car was at BeAmbitious to get something amazing installed.  Well, it got amazing reviews anyway.  After owning and driving my car for a bit over a year, and getting used to it, there are a few things that are annoying me and so I've decided, must go.

So what is this amazing p It's the crazily named "RR Racing Ultimate Steering Response System" or "USRS" for short, which actually is a properly engineered lower control arm bushing.  No doubt you've seen the photos from their website (the three that follow):

Also, they have a video which explains, and actually shows in split screen, the difference between the stock bushing and the USRS.

So putting aside all of this propaganda, as well as the numerous and overwhelmingly positive reviews on the Lexus forums - how was it for me?

Well, I immediately noticed that the steering was tight, and not as light. So the steering didn't feel as numb as before, although this translates into only slightly better road feel. But, I feel like the steering is much more accurate.

Also, I didn't realize this until I re-road the forum reviews, but yes braking stability has improved dramatically. Even at relatively low speeds, the car is stable, and the brakes feel more effective. So yes, this was definitely a good mod.

I just wish there was a way to improve the actual FEEL of the steering. And, as I learned from test driving a GS-F recently (see, previous post), I need to do something with the E-accelerator...

"New" Wheels (Part 3)

So I was really eager to pick the car up! And not just because of the "new" wheels...

So in addition to getting "clean new" wheels put onto the car, I decided to use this opportunity to resolve another issue, one that had been bothering me ever since I bought the car.

WHAT IS THIS BLANK SWITCH??

Why did Lexus do this? I mean, since this car was equipped with all of the options, should they not design cars to use up all available switch space?

So I found on eBay this "Rupse TPMS for Toyota."  I was naive in that I thought that all Toyota switches were standardized, but more on that later.

First, I had Ninomiya-san contact a tire fitter who took the tires off the wheels, and install the sensors.  He then hooked up the display unit in the car.

I'm happy to report that, for about $100, the electronics appear to work perfectly. Not only do I get fairly accurate tire pressure readings (off by 0.1 bar according to Ninomiya-san), but also the temperature in Celsius! Very cool.

The problem, as I alluded to above, and you can see in this photo, was that the display size is 34mm x 23.5mm. The blank switch, however, if 40mm x 22mm. So while it holds itself in place, there is a noticeable gap on top and bottom.

After some research it appears that these dimensions are the size for Honda switches. Figured it was too good to be true. But not all is lost. I've already figured out a way to, at very least, make this look better... I think.

In any case, and more importantly, the car looks fantastic now with the "new" wheels.

Amazing how NO curb rash improves the looks!

Even two Italians (Dino and Ennio) thought so:

Ennio was in town, helping Dino get his BNR34 ready for the annual GT-R Magazine meeting

In any case, I also had Ninomiya-san install ONE MORE ITEM. And this one is AMAZING. Check back for my report on that!

TRD Performance Dampers!

Ok - so it's been a couple of months since I last updated this blog, and although I have spent most of that time focussing on my GT-R - mainly due to it now being a "Speedhunters Project Car" - I HAVE been working on the Lexus as well. For example, these "dampers."

As I had had these installed on my GT-R, I know that they work, despite the loads of skepticism I've seen often on the forums - mostly if not all by people who haven't had these installed on their cars.

http://www.trdparts.jp/english/lexus/isf_ccsp.html

Made by Yamaha, when I fitted the Nismo versions on my GT-R, I immediately noticed a difference -the entire car seemed to ride smoother and handling felt a bit sharper.   But basically, all those micro vibrations (which I hadn't noticed before) were now absorbed by the dampers, making the entire ride seem smoother.

So while I knew that these work, I wasn't quite sure how they would on the Lexus, as it already has a relatively smooth ride.  In fact, the reason I ended up installing these, instead of the retrofit of the 2013 ISF shock absorbers (made by Sachs, vs the Tokicos the earlier cars have), was due to the advice by Ishikawa-san at the local Lexus dealer - the TRD parts have a 1 year warranty while installing the Sachs would invalidate the warranty my car currently has (at least with respect to the shock absorbers).  Whatever!

On the dedicated TRD website for the ISF, they claim:
Rigidity is improved by coupling the left and right sides of the body to achieve a flat and high-quality ride. In addition to firming up the body, these dampers increase the feeling of the wheels on the ground to ensure the chassis performance that enables steering to react linearly.

Here is what TRD claims (from http://lexusboutique.net) for the next generation IS cars:
Borrowed from TRD engineering the performance damper further improve the drivability of your 3IS. The Performance Damper is a chassis damping component that is set in the structural areas of both the front and rear of vehicles. It is a device that controls and absorbs minute distortions and vibrations. Mounted on the front and back of the vehicle, it rapidly absorbs the slight jolts and vibrations that road surfaces present. With this application, car body movements as a result of steering maneuvers are countered quickly, providing increased driving stability as well as a decrease in road noise.

In any case, I figured that I'd eventually install these TRD dampers at some point anyway, so might as well do it now, in the hopes that the ride quality would improve.

So when the car was getting the new front bumper cover installed, I had them also install these TRD dampers (installation requires removal of the front bumper cover anyway!).

My impressions - at low speeds, the car seems, for some reason, eerily more quiet. Was there some kind of low frequency vibration before? Not sure but for some reason the car is bank vault quiet.

Then at higher speeds yes the ride is marginally improved - maybe a subjective 10-15% better, but still not at the all around level of feel that the GSF had with its Sachs dampers.

In other words, I may still have to upgrade to the OEM Sachs at some point.

The biggest difference however was that indeed, the steering felt more direct and precise, with less on center numbness (the area of numbness seems reduced). However, after getting the Ohlins DFVs on my GT-R rebuilt, and experiencing how good those coilovers are, I now realize how much refinement is lacking in the IS-F.... what to do...