gebo

Just took a 2009 IS350 in for an alignment. Mechanic said Camber was way off on right side front and left rear. He said he could adjust rear but there was no adjustment for the front. He said I could buy a special adjustable ball joint for around $180 and after he installed it my total cost would be around $350-$400 as there was a lot of labor involved. I got a funny feeling and said I'd have to think about spending that kind of money. It is gonna remain a stock vehicle and I can see the amount of inner lean (negative camber). He said my "toe" was perfect.

So, I've read around and just want to make sure I have being told the truth.

Thanks!

SeanO

iTrader: (1)

Its your lucky day.. I have a 10' IS350 and i had the exact same issue. My camber was about -1.5 on both my front wheels..

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SPC-FRONT-BAL...-/150994969747

I had these ball joints installed by lexus about a month ago now.. No issues at all to this day

I had an alignment done afterwards ($90 normally)
Pretty sure they charged me an hour per side ($250 CDN total)

The service tech gave me a good deal on the alignment after the installation as it was only a camber adjustment (being that everything was aligned properly earlier just like your car) So he charged me only $40 for the camber check.. this is what they normally charge for a camber adjustment

I managed to find a CL member that was selling the ball joints. If you want to avoid ebay I would call SPC directly (out of Colorado) and they can get you in touch with someone local

any other q's hit me here or PM me

Edit: you can thank Lexus for not having stock camber adjustment - AWD cars have adjustment but not RWD for some reason

scott1256c

Has your car been in an accident? Why would camber be off on the right front and left rear? I know you can adjust toe on the rear, there is an eccentric bolt. I thought there was no adjustment for camber on the rear. Since camber can't be adjusted (stock) on the front, if the camber is off, that would imply, to me anyway, that something might be bent.
I hope he was going to charge you $180 for BOTH front ball joints, not just one.
If $180 for one, I'd be tempted to seek a second opinion, or if your car is lowered with coils, make sure they are set correctly.

gebo

$180 for one...

Never been wrecked.

I'm seeking a second opinion...

SeanO

iTrader: (1)

I assumed both your front wheels were out..

Was the rear camber adjustment a big one? Did he give you a print out?

gebo

Well, the right front was "more" out to the negative.

He said the rear was not a big deal. You can visibly stand behind the car and see the tires leaned in like a BMW.

No, he did not give me a print out. He is under the impression I was gonna speak with my son and get his approval to do the front at which time he would do the back. You know when you sometimes talk with someone and you get an uneasy feeling about what they are telling you?

Well, I got that feeling and I don't believe I'm going back there. My son just purchased this CPO from Lexus and he has a nice loan on it so I'm predicting he will wait and see how tires wear.

VTsuckah

iTrader: (1)

If you are stock height, your camber should be within spec. If the car's ride height is lowered, natural camber is induced due to the change in suspension dynamics/angles. There is no way to adjust camber without aftermarket parts. You can buy SPC ball joints or Megan upper control arms for the front. You can buy a camber kit or FIGS Lower Control Arms for the rear.

gebo

I'm stock height. I don't know if my car is in spec or not.