FIGS Engineering Blog

The circle is complete

2011-11-29T21:41:00.000-08:00

The rear Penske Shocks are on and the experience continues...
The rear is a bit higher now so it needs a little toe adjustment. Despite this, the car still settles quicker than before and simply grips the road constantly. There is compliance and bite all at the same time, how fantastic. Will report back once the car is aligned and the damping settings are characterized. We have Swift 8" springs on order and now sorting through the mounts.

After nearly 3 years or waiting, we fit the Front of the IS-F with Penske Racing Shocks

2011-11-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

PATIENCE.........

its been said that its a virtue and furthermore that good things come to those who wait. We initially spoke with Penske racing shocks some 3 years ago at the SEMA show when first embarking on our suspension endeavour for the IS-F. Immediately in the small booth with more dude than product it was clear that these guys were not about the standard over-the-top show persona with wildly flying displays of products on walls and models signing meaningless posters that would be crushed on the cab ride back to the hotel. They had their small selection of wares out on a small folding table representing the then meager offering for a handfull of aftermarket applications. Almost easy to miss if you were not paying attention, the small selection of shocks was elegantly simple, beautifully machined, clearly easily adjusted and thoughtfully integrated. This could be the winning product we had been looking for to deliver infinite configuration for our customers.

We exchanged info in the typical show-style card swap reminiscent of dogs greeting each other and went on our way, surprised, supercharged with hope, feeling that one item was potentially checked off the list. Flights back home with sore feet and the day to day grind ensued.

Well, as it turns out it was hard to get into the build process. With demands from Formula 1, NASCAR, IRL, ALMS, Grand-Am, AMA, Short Track, NHRA, IHRA, SCCA, it was hard to find time to get our small request for some Lexus shocks built. Email exchanges regularly resembled prisoner to family letter exchanges," Sorry but just cannot get to building them yet, its all out in front of me, just need to have time to do it." It seemed only for sport that we continued to press, but expecting failure only pushed us to go further in demand. When it came time to put our money where our mouth was and put a formal order in to apply further pressure from above in the build process, we obliged. The only good that seemed to have developed in the meantime was that Penske had released a more economical (for them) in-line double adjusting shock that would be much more digestable for would-be customers as the price point has dropped by nearly 30%.

The news came shortly before SEMA this year, "Building your shocks now.." " What?" I said. "Yeah everything is mostly done we are now just waiting on some machining for some parts we ran out of, should be done next week but it will be after the show most likely." It was almost a shock to put a pun on it. Would they actually be here soon and could we then peel ourselves away from all the other dendritic ventures and parts development that we had promised ourselves to in the meantime?

Absolutely! This was epic, this was more than a simple quest, it was groundbreaking. A pinnacle product to offer to an underserved market, this was almost certainly the definition of what FIGS was founded to do. We then waited with anticipation for the remaining weeks until they were in our hands.

Initial impressions were that these were understated. Precision at every detail, the type of manifested matter that looks so simple yet upon closer inspection presents its intricacy and addition to function. The pin-driven collars, the set screw locations if so desired for said collars. The beautiful anodizing of every inch was flawless and makes it look like each peice is molded instead of machined. Overall we were pretty happy with the results of the long wait and the reward of knowing that these were for a Lexus that was sitting close by.

THE INSTALL

Immdediatly there were things that needed attention. We needed springs and we needed upper hats to make this all come together. Since a rough road impact had forced our BCs to blow a seal several months earlier, we had a good donor set to attempt the fitment. Still a lot of variables- would the preload be enough to set the car at a reasonable height? Would the the upper hats fit on the provided thread posts and would the springs wrap around the perches without any major mods? The answers came as quick as the problems as we perservered to the get these beauties in there at all costs.

Pictures of the Penske along side the decapitated BC Racing shock.

Things were not all rosey. The Swift springs on the BC racing were in fact 62mm, 0.1" too small for the 2.5" perch design.

Good thing there is a tool for that. A carbide die grinder made short work of the spring flange and got things back rolling.

Springs finally fitting it was time for the next hurdle.

The next step was the upper hat fitment. We had 2 versions from BC: a pillow ball mount we had been running and a rubber bushing version. The attached studs proved to be too short for the rubber uppers but would work with the pillow ball if we made new spacers. So, off to the lathe with some of our spacers from the IS300 toe links, chopped down. Worked like a charm and delivered at least 6 threads of top hat nut engagement. Taken down on the task list, we moved on.

Top hat mounted it was time to preload the spring. Just wanted the minimum at first in case the spring length was too long.

This was starting to look like a real coilover shock, but would it offer the necesary ride height and would the spring rate chosen be effective with the new damping dynamics?

Mounting went smoothly, the only "to do" here is to create a collar to hold the ABS sensor line. As a temp fix we used rubber hose to wrap the sensor bracket and 2 zip ties to hold it secure.

The ride height was a bit high but suitable for testing. For further lowering we will work on a helper spring and collar combo.

DRIVING HALF AND HALF

Being that the front took so long to tweak, it left the day spent for the rear. The front were set at 24 clicks out from full hard - out of the copius 44 clicks of available adjustment on both compression and rebound. Now that is adjustment! The rear remained BC racing 10K sprung BR coilovers with damping set at 15 clicks out of 30.

As an added twist, the season demanded snow tires be mounted. So the 18" Kosei K1-TS wheels with Michelin PA2 tires had to go on. We had already expected the worst when we headed out to our short test loop, a sweeping uphill corner with a crowned profile, some good manhole pokes and pavement dips. It's a simple but effect quarter mile or so to get the feeling of gross dynamics of the setup. I thought to myself it's a shame we did not wrap up before the winter sun went down at 4:30. A day test drive is always better.

On the way to the location we noted very compliant response to low speed pavement blips. The BCs had done a good job, but now things were damn near silenced. Pavement was soaked up comfortably and the F started to feel quite tame and comfortable. The first hard corner teased a bright future, the body roll was contained yet not harshly so. Instant support was there on demand and yeah, tragectory was held, this is pretty cool.

As we entered the dark road section that would be the testing grounds for the evening the coast was clear, hit the high beams and let 'er rip. Time to get used to these snow tires again, although the PA2 is a pretty firm snow tire. First uphill right at moderate speed again settled in perfectly and just stuck there despite numerous undulations, the suspension was well damped. Uphill away and into the next corner which featured a manhole dimple followed by a subtle channel in the asphalt, surely this would be challenge and we woul get a bit of a chassis twist. Nothing. The F powered right through without even a thought of lost control. All bumps were presented but quickly digested and the tire patch was firmly planted the entire time, the dynamics were unbeleiveable. The evening progressed and I took a few laps as passenger to get the feeling for that angle. We went through all the phases of Sport Mode, Trac on and a final rally with no Trac at all. Even with Trac completely off the power was strangely contained. I say strangely because at this point I am used to some violence with this car, it can be downright hard to contain under full power and no trac assistance. Its at this point I realize this will be a game-changer. If the rear improves handling 1/10th, this setup will be unstoppable. Everything felt better, braking, acceleration, high and low speed damping. I was feeling frustrated frankly because I was not sure where if anywhere I would add adjustment. I am a perfectionist, but even I was stumped. How the hell does this drive so much better? The answer I am afraid is simply pure applied engineering of what works in the real world. All of the fluid passages and valve stacks just work better and its partly due to design but also largerly in part because of the process and expense in making such components.

CONCLUSION

The Penskes are not cheap - but they have us drinking the Kool-Aid. The top quality components, the ease of install even in our quick fix mode of piecing things together and the unbelievable performance make these our new favorites and well worth the wait . On the to-do list, we still need to fit the rear shocks and find our final spring solution, but this is a huge start. A production hat will also need to be made. We will weigh in on the rear and get some video to share with everyone shortly.

SPECS
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS 7500DA SERIES IN-LINE RESERVOIR
STREET PRICE: $3500 FOR SET OF 4 (SHOCKS ONLY)
44-WAY ADJUSTMENT COMPRESSION AND REBOUND
COMPRESSION ADJUSTMENT: ALLEN HEAD AT SHOCK BASE EASILY ACESSED
REBOUND ADJUSTMENT: ALLEN HEAD AT SHOCK TOP
SPRING COLLARS AND PERCHES: PIN DRIVEN MACHINED ALUMINUM (SET SCREW OPTION)
SHOCK BODIES: HARDCOAT BLACK ANODIZE ALUMINUM
LOWER MOUNT: TEFLON SPHERICAL BEARING 18MM

AS TESTED WITH ADAPTIONS MADE TO:
FRONT SPRINGS SWIFT 62 140 014
BC RACING PILLOW BALL UPPER HAT
CUSTOM MACHINED SUS 303 FIGS PILLOWBALL SPACERS

FIGS Sway Bar Endlink Install

2011-01-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

A quick DIY on installing FIGS sway endlinks. This will be shown on the Lexus IS-F and our MEGA arms although the IS, GS models are similar and the process should be the same.

Tools required:
-3/8 allen sockets to remove stock endlinks
-14mm/17mm box end wrench to get on the endlink nuts.
-14mm socket
-measuring device, steel rule, calipers, measuring tape.
-two jacks or ramps to measure vehicle under load.
-PB blaster or penetrating oil to get into the certain rust on the threads.

Process:
1. remove stock endlinks.
You can jack the car up for this one, place on jack stands of course. Done with box end wrench on the retaining nut and the allen driver on the center stud. Oh and this is where soaking with PB blaster comes in. Worst case scenario if you are replacing bad endlinks anyway....cut them off with a cutoff wheel.
Remove control arm mount, should be 14mm both sides. Drivers side has auto headlight leveling device on the front side. Be sure to install with linkage like instead of like \
2. Lower vehicle so it is loaded, the sway bar is not freely disconnected. Rotate the sway bar so that it is flat -- not \ or /. This is to create a neutral preload on the bar.

3. Once in the flat position measure the distance from the sway bar mounting hole to the mounting hole of the control arm. This is your center-to-center distance that you will modify the endlink to.

4. Adjust the FIGS adjustable endlink to the new distance, set the jam nut so that it will not move. Make sure that the two endlinks are 90 degrees rotated from one another so that it will all line up when installed.
5. If you have MEGA arms, choose the position that gives you a vertical linkage or move it further outside to increase sway link influence.

This shows endlinks installed. Do not forget the drivers side headlight leveling adjustment linkage

Replacing the IS-F Front brakes with Raybestos and Hawk HPS

2010-08-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Lexus IS-F is truly an amazing vehicle. As remarkable as it is at accelerating it is just as impressive harnessing the road and coming to an abrupt stop. But as any IS-F owner will tell you, the brakes are a double edge sword when it comes to maintenance and cosmetic overhead. The most popular topic I have seen thus far with this vehicle has been brake discussions such as "how long should they last", "What can I do about this horrific brake dust" and my personal favorite " The dealer wants to charge me $1400 for a brake job, is it worth it?"

I write this as the FIGS IS-F was due for its brake job and therefore we had to make the decision ourselves on which pad and rotor replacement we would use. I hope to convey several things with this post:

First the Brembo calipers on the IS-F are some of the easiest calipers to change pads on.
Second the pad inspection and brake health can be done by the owner if there is any question of how much life there is left in the current pads.
Third, the aftermarket offerings for pads and rotors offer flexibility and compromise to suit each drivers application. You do not have feel helpless with your current setup, take control and try a few options to see which works best for you. The choices are not too expensive if you do end up going astray.

At 31K miles I am pretty happy with the pad life we have gotten so far. I have heard other owners claim they needed to replace them at 9K or as low as 5K which I am very skeptical of, however a good track day or spirited drive can take its toll on pad life. this is to be expected. But for the daily driver, I think this should be typical. 25K to 35K miles. I am sure the pads could have been stretched a little further with degraded performance when we took them off.

Here is what both the system and the pads looked like upon removal.

You can see that the rotors started to develop uniform radial channels from the thermal expansion of the rotor material as it interfaces with the pad. The OEM ductile iron is actually quite soft, easily marring with a hammer blow. This is also where it gets a lot of its performance because the open pores of the surface will create more friction with the pad.

The pads were worn but still had about 1/32" before the wear indicator.The pad wear was uniform and even on both inner and outer pads. A good sign of proper bed in and fluid balance acting on the pistons in the caliper.

The Tools

Here is a snapshot of all the tools used when doing this brake job. Some more for convenience and redundancy but having the right tools is critical to making things go smoothly. I always like to think of the money saved doing a job yourself can easily be put towards a few new tools to make it worthwhile.

Brief Tool Description:

Gloves of course to handle the rusty and dusty parts.
Two M8x1.25 bolts to pop off the old rotors
1/2" drive ratchet
A 13mm socket for the main cross bolt on the caliper
A 17mm socket for the caliper bolts
A bent pic to push pins through, pry caliper pistons and pads back and to get int tight spaces as needed
Brass pointed chisel to start push pins through the caliper
Brake cleaner for general parts cleaning, shims, and grease removal as well as cosmeline removal from new rotors
Small pry bar to also push pads and piston calipers back into caliper.
Torque wrench
A penetrating oil or lubricant to free up parts, remove rust and assist with reassembly.
A small section of scotch-brite cloth or abrasive to clean up pins for reassembly
A paint bucket to support the free caliper when unmounted
Power drill to spin pins in abrasive cloth for cleaning
Sockets and impact wrench for wheel removal
Additionally if you care about your driveway a piece of cardboard to use as a drop cloth may be desired. Brake dust is messy.

The Install

I may not get into as much detail as some people want and in too much detail for others but if there are any questions after reading this please feel free to contact me.

First things first, take off the front wheels and expose the front brake system.
Next, start to remove the caliper pins. there are two press fit pins on the ends and one center cross brace/retainer. The center pin is held on by a 13mm bolt on its back side, remove this bolt, store it somewhere safe as it is easy to lose and easier to forget to put it back on at the end.
There is also a retainer clip that holds all of the pins in place and sets pressure on the top edge of the pads. During the next steps, it will need to be manipulated to allow teh pins to pass by. this is easily done with the afore-mention pick tool or common flat head screwdriver will also work.
With the bolt removed, the center pin should slide out easily but as with most things brake this is most likely covered with brake dust and will need a little coaxing. I use an air chisel to get it started and then wipe as much dust off with scotch-brite cloth as I can.
The top and bottom pins are held in with spring loaded retained and press out with light pressure from a brass pointed chisel. Be careful not to strike the powdercoating.
One the pins are out you will want to clean them up so that they will not accumulate more deposits. This is done with the same abrasive cloth and a power drill as shown.

Once the pins are clean its time to remove the calipers.
First the old pads need to be removed. With a small pry bar gently force the pistons back into the caliper. Since the rotors are being replaced in a later step, it is OK to leverage the braking surface. If the rotors were to be reused I would use two c-clamps to pull the pads back against the calipers. Either method will work in this case. The pistons must be pushed back to make way for the new pads since they are thicker than the worn pads. the pistons should be close to flush to maximize clearance and make pad install easier.
Two 17mm bolts on the backside secure the calipers, remove them with the 1/2" drive ratchet. It does make a difference to use a bigger ratchet so take it easy on yourself and step up to purchaing one if you do not have one already.
Set the removed caliper on the paint bucket or other prop stand that you have.
Now its time to remove the rotors but first lets take a look at the replacement rotors from Raybestos that we picked up from the great guys are Rock Auto.

The Raybestos rotors for the IS-F are spot on. Radial milling and balancing and the cross drilling and vein design is identical. At close to $100 per, its hard to argue that these are not an exceptional value. At first glance these should work well but only road testing and time will tell. Back to the install...

The Stock rotors may be nice and rusted on so first soak the hub area with a penetrating oil, I use a product called Jig-a-Loo :) which is a silicone based product.http://www.jigaloo.com/us/e_home.php

Letting the area soak a little bit locate two M8x1.25 screws/bolts. I use some socket cap stainless screw from some of the hood prop kits I make. The threads may also have rust in them so blow out the holes with some shop air or a stiff brush.

Alternate torque on each screw so that the rotor will pull uniform out of the hub. It should pop pretty good once it overcomes the seizure. Newer rotors may just come right off and not need this step.

Once free, the rotor can be easily removed, note the gap around the hub now.

Next remove any loose rust and clear the hub area so that the new rotor will sit flush.

A nice clean surface allows easier installation and few chances of misalignment and little premature failure or warpage.

Here the rotor is fully seated against the hub. Its pretty easy to tell because the hub ring is uniform and you should be able to see no gap on the two threaded holes in the rotor hat, you know, the ones that were used to pop the old rotor off.
With the rotor installed the caliper can now be remounted. I find that it is easiest to mount the lower bolt first then the top, but its is all up to your preference. Torque to factory specs or "really damn tight"

The new pads are Hawk's HPS model. I have used these in the past with great success on our previous gen IS300 with RacingBrake alloy rotors. These should provide lower brake dust and perhaps a slight degrade in high temp braking over the stock setup but for most daily drivers this will be adequate. Hawk also offers a HP plus (track and autocross high temp) and a ceramic ( ultra quiet and low dust) version of the front IS-F brake pads. We sell all three of these through our relationship with Racing Brake and have great prices so contact us to order.

From Hawk's decription:

HPS
Performance Street Compound.

High Performance Street disc brake pads are world renowned for increasing stopping power on your street legal vehicle. Increasing the performance of your vehicles braking system is easy when you choose Hawk Performance’s HPS braking compound. This unique Ferro-Carbon formula was developed for street performance using the safety and quality of Aerospace and Motorsports severe-duty friction technology.

The High Performance Street compound offers a higher coefficient of friction over stock brake pads and can provide you 20-40% more stopping power and higher resistance to brake fade than most standard replacement pads. Less fade means you’ll have a highly durable brake pad with less brake dust.

The Shims now need grease to keep a pliable interface between the back of the pad and the pistons. the stock shims are reused and cleared of all previous debris and grease. A small amount of grease is added at the contact points on both sides of the shim. It is pretty easy to distinguish these area and they should be burnished slightly.

Slide the pads back in such that the pin holes line up in all three areas. If pistons block the entrance of the pads use a C-clamp and some shop rages (to protect the powdercoat) and get them recessed enough to install the new pads. Remember these have a lot more meat on them than the old ones you removed.

And the Final step to reassembly is to reinstall the three pins and the retaining clip. It is usually easiest to the the end pins first paying attention to the channels that the clip will rest into. Then install the center pin last. Re-fasten the bolt with the 13mm head into the center pin to factory torque specs, about 30ft-lbs should do.

The finished product is ready for pad bed-in.

Mount the wheels and lets get these bed-in properly with several cycles of hard braking.

The following is Racing Brake's suggested bed in procedure.

All brake pads must be broken in with the rotor they will be used with. Even though performance street pads have been burnished at the factory, a transfer film must be generated at the pad and rotor interface for optimal performance. Whether you have new or used rotors, you must follow the bed-in steps listed below to maximize brake performance.

After installing new brake pads, make 6 to 8 brakings* from approximately 30-35 mph, applying moderate pressure. Do not go below 25 mph.
>Allow 15 minutes for the brake system to cool down. Do not apply the parking brake# during this cooldown period.Your performance street pads are now ready for driving!
Notes:
1. *These brakings refer to an abrupt and "snub and release" pedal action instead of dragging brakes to a complete stop. If you have to drive to another place to perform this procedure, it's OK to drive and gradually stop as you would normally on street.
2. # This refers to the floating caliper type rear parking brake. It's OK to use the parking brake if you have the drum type shoe brake. If you are not sure what type of parking brake you have, simply shift your transmission to the "P" position or 1st gear (for manual transmission).
3. The purpose of the break-in procedure is to generate a thin film (which can only occur when the pad is heated up) and transfer it to the rotor surface. You should avoid having the brake pad in contact with the rotor surface as much as possible during the break-in. This is why you should never drag the brakes to a complete stop.
Now we will wait to see how these pads work out, stay tuned for an update after about 5K miles or so.

So much going on

2010-06-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

In the craze of the new product development storm we are soaked with tasks at hand. The RCA for the IS300 has now morphed into a 3 fold product offering. RCA spacer, RCA histeer with lowering spacer and RCA histeer with no drop. This means a little more work to productize all of these choices.

Also, the rear toe links have been shipping for a few weeks now. Its been difficult to assemble the photo montage and create the necessary updates to the site, yet we have managed to sell 6 sets or so through PM and paypal money requests. But wait, these toe links have been rigorously tested on the track on the IS300. They have been quickly modified to meet schedule and address a few last minute oversights. So why are they not on the site? Contact us if you would like to get some now. We are also trying to get to verifying them on the myriad of potential applications. The GS Gen2, Gen3, Gen2 IS: ISX50 and IS-F, the LS400 and LS430 so if you own one of these, please be patient. Or simply order up and see how it goes, we will take care of any mods needed.

The last major update is the ISX50 IS-F rear MEGA arms have been built up. 5 sets were ordered for proto type and things look great. The added eccentric adjustment is simple and will greatly assist in creating new suspension geometry correction when adjusting the ride height.

With all this influx of parts to verify, it has been hard to get to new designs including the tie rod ends and the upper control arms. Hopefully these get wrapped up so we can move to new development.

Thanks again for all your support

The FIGS Staff

Battery Tray Underplates

2010-02-12T16:39:00.000-08:00

Finally made some under plates for people who forget to get their spacers for optima Batteries. These plates fit in the edge of teh battery tray and space things up about an inch. Perfect height for a FIGS Battery Bar.

A great 2009 and 2010 will be even better

2010-01-01T22:57:00.000-08:00

As 2009 comes to a close FIGS is happy with the work we have done this year. Here is a quick summary of 2009 and the upcoming roster for 2010.

New 2009 products released.
-IS300/GS300 header heatshield.
-IS300 Clutch Damper Device Delete (CDDD)
-Release of the FIGS/Racing Brake IS300 OEM Caliper BBK.
-S2 and O2 MEGA ARMS
-IS300 Precision TRAC LINKS

2009 product development
We are quite close on many new products and will have these wrapped up in 2010
-IS-F Carbon Fiber Engine Cover
-IS-F Titanium exhaust
-IS300 Roll Center Adjuster/High Angle steering kit.
-IS300 Toe links (rear)
-IS300 adjustable upper front control arms
-IS300 Rear Diffuser
- NEW S3 MEGA Arms plus MEGA Arms forthe ISX50 platform.

New Market Products
-MINI Cooper Adjustable Rear Control Arms.

Also with the addition of 3D scanning capability, we will have increased design accuracy and reverse engineering speed.

Thanks to our customers for a fantastic a profitable 2009 and we look forward to serving you again in the coming year and beyond.
-The FIGS Staff

RCA's, Ti ISF exhaust getting close

2009-10-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

RCA parts on their way and we should get 5 proto parts on Monday to start testing. Also, the Ti canister exhaust for the ISF is getting closer. The first Stainless bends are complete, now its on the to the hangers for the mufflers and Carbon valance around the tips. Hopfully the Exhaust is final welded and ready for Dyno next week.

Fig

See FIGS in Super Street mag this month

2009-08-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Nate Davis' 2003 IS300 continues to get attention. Look for FIGS MEGA arms, foot plates, battery bar and hood prop kit on his car in Super Street this month or online in this article. Congrats on the feature Nate.
http://www.superstreetonline.com/featuredvehicles/130_0909_2003_lexus_is300/index.html

Trac links are in testing

2009-08-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Trac links were just sent for drift testing in the Vegas desert. Hopefilly ser get some good data and release them in the next few weeks.

MEGA Arms for the Gen 2 GS

2009-06-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

I am working on adapting the Mega arms for the GS. Prototypes are build and first testing will begin next week.

CD³ parts are in, OVAS 2 (O2) and more updates.

2009-03-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

I was traveling around last week quite a bit and did not update the blog. We received CD³(Clutch Damper Device Delete) parts and they are now shipping. Also, I had a chance to weld up the first set of O2 Mega Arms, complete with cross tube bracing for a customer. These were the first fittings we got in and they are lighter, stronger and easier to adjust than the first OVAS design.
DETAiLs:
-7/8 male thread increased from 3/4" on OVAS1
-End fitting is more heavily machined to reduce weight as well as create better weldment engagement. O2 fittings are nearly 1lb. lighter...talk about weight reduction.
-New pinch clamp and snap ring offer completely flexible mounting locations while applying more force on the clamping area. Both end fitting and clamp are conical mates. So when the collar is clamped it butts against the snap ring and creates tremendous force on the coupler. This means positive locking at a fraction of the weight.

Also we got back the first part from the Carbon Fiber Engine Cover for the ISF and it looks great. A few more tweaks, and it should be ready for primetime.

Just in...first round protos of BC racing coilovers for the IS-F

2009-01-28T22:26:00.000-08:00

Hot off the UPS truck, hopefully the spring rates I chose work out.

red powdercoated MEGA ARMS Concept B

2009-01-21T18:08:00.000-08:00

We just wrapped up our Concept B version of the FIGS MEGA Arms.
These are the protos for the next release of the static adjustment arms.
They use a simpler end fitting and are lighter weight.

CDDD parts verified

2009-01-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

This weekend we installed the first CDDD part on a donor IS300 5MT. The results were as expected with no system leakages. Pedal feel is improved significantly along with a lower release point.

Bleeding was simple with the help of a one-man bleeder purchased from Harbor Freight tools. An excellent value at $2.99 :)

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37201

Also needed is a 10mm flare wrench, which, by coincidence is also available from harbor freight for 9.99 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=99993

Install time took 45 minutes with removal of the lower underpanel cover to access the clutch slave cylinder.

Fig

Racing Brake OEM +1 BBK PREORDER OPEN

2009-01-09T23:42:00.001-08:00

We are now taking preorders for the Racing Brake OEM caliper BBK kits. Delivery in Mid Feb, up to 30% now
http://figsengineering.com/brake.htm

Prelim info on Control arm camber kit for gen2 IS

2008-12-27T14:07:00.000-08:00

I took some measurements today and things look good for a control arms solution for the IS250, 350 and F for camber correction on the rear. The next question is, what are the geometry ramifications. Given the second gen has a multilink upper, a few links may need to be replaced by fre pivoting heim joint links. This will be taken as a lower priority task after I finish the gen 1 rear links. The target product will have the static inboard adjustment and an eccentric outboard adjustment.

FIGS on Blogger.

2008-12-23T15:17:00.000-08:00

I figured I would try out blogger to make an easy plugin for updates in the world of FIGS Engineering. Currently its tough to get time to update the website when I have a lot of products and testing in the works. This will augment the information on http://www.figsengineering.com/ and provide an easy feedback mechnism for our customers.

This Month we wrap up development on the long awaited CDDD or CD3 parts. These are aluminum bypass couplings for the factory Clutch Damper Devices found on the Lexus IS300 manual transmission 2002-2005.

Also, we should have new Carbon Fiber Engine covers for the 2008/2009 ISF ready shortly. The mold is complete and we are just working out the mounting scheme.

We have a few specials on our website for the holidays including great deals on our CNC battery bars, drivers foot plates and free shipping on G2 Hood Prop kits.

More updates soon, we wish all of our customers a warm and Happy Holiday

Mike Figaro
FIGS Engineering