LeXuSrAcIn

When I go 75+ MPH it feels like one of my rear tires is loose and the car starts to wobble and sway. I have already checked the lugs on my rims and they are properly tight. It feels as if the rear is drifting away from the car... its really hard to explain. Its not because of alignment because I have had it recently done. IT feels like the car is giving way under me or something. Its as if the car is going to the side. Not pulling to the side(which would be due to alignment) but abrubtly sort of drifting to the side. I have had problems with wheel alignment so I know this is not the case. The car doesnt feel safe at all on the freeway(where I do 98% of my driving). Has anyone had this problem before? What could be the cause?

brit_lex

Hope this helps dude.

My rear end used to be out of sync with the front of the car, felt like it was drifting at the back like you say. I particularly noticed when driving at 40-50mph, and if there was a ridge or bump in the road, then the back of the car would almost skip up and across, which didn't inspire confidence. Lots of understeer was present too.

Main culprit was the rear axle carrier bushes (which were split), which Lexus only sell as part of new rear hubs (a small fortune to replace). Luckily, you can obtain aftermarket bushes from Ozzi's Automotive in Atlanta, which is where I got mine ($48 for both sides). They are polyurethane versus factory original rubber, so ride will not be as pillow soft as new, but I did save myself the equivalent of $1,500!! The back end is much tighter now, but not perfect. Next to change are the rear upper control arms, in which the bushes are worn too. However, they only cost about $100 each.

If you search the forums for "ozzi", you should find his contact details.

Best to get a mechanic to check the components I have listed above. In fact, ask them to check the entire rear end.

How many miles has you car got?

persian451

how much was labor on that brit?

brit_lex

The labour was about 1 hour per side to get the old bushes out and put the new ones in. A good mechanic will apply plenty of grease to the new bushes before installing them. Make sure your does too!

The good thing about these bushes is that they are split into two pieces, with a gap in the middle, which corresponds to the factory rubber bushes. Some types of bushes are just one piece with no split and so the installation can be less than satisfactory.

LeXuSrAcIn

thanks Brit.. I will shortly get this checked out. The car has 90k miles. Ive had this problem hmmm Id say about 6 months now. It shows up every now and then.