JimsGX

Jacked up the car this weekend and used a 6' pry bar to check for front to back movement on the rear wheels. The drivers side had no play whatsoever, the passenger side I could get to move maybe 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch... I tried twisting the lateral arms by hand and I am able to twist them maybe 1/4" or more in either direction. They weren't loose though, it took pressure to twist them. I have replacement OEM lateral arms coming this week. Think I should bother putting them in? What about the carrier bushings? My single issue at this point is a vibration between 25-30mph.

Here's a pic of my 91 LS...

JimsGX

Here's one additional Pic...

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

it's only worth it if you're feeling the vibration coming from the floor of the car/up through the seat.

if you're feeling it in the steering wheel then it's something in the front suspension.

JimsGX

I wish it would just get worse so it would be easier to identify. Its been the same for 8k miles... I feel it in the seat, through the shift ****, and through the wheel ever so slightly. I think its only through the wheel because the whole car is vibrating. It feels like its all around you when its happening. Sounds similar to the wap, wap, wap you hear if you're traveling on the highway with a window partially open, but at 25-30mph...

Lexus recommended the drive shaft, which I replaced. I've also replaced the front upper and lower control arm bushings, the steering damper, and the transmission mount. The brakes and rotors are all OEM and were done about 10k miles ago. I have four new Michelin tires on it. The vibration was there before the tires were changed. I've taken off each wheel one at at time, replaced each wheel with the spare, and test drove it each time to see if it was a wheel/rim problem. I've also had a four wheel alignment done twice.

When I was checking the rear end play this weekend, I did notice that the parking brake wasn't catching on the right rear wheel the same as on the left. Other than that, it continues to drive me nuts!

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

change the diff fluid, and also check the wheel bearings for runout.
might be a bearing going byebye

JimsGX

I'll check the bearings... When the problem first started, I had the differential fluid changed and a transmission flush done. Neither one had any effect.

Thanks

boris

can someone please explain strut rod bushings vs strut bar bushings, I am getting quite confused as to which is which? Picture would be even better. Sorry people use so many different terms and catalogs use their own, I have a hard time making head or tail? Help

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

strut rod bushing=strut bar bushing.

Amskeptic

I have heard of them being referred to as drag struts on other makes.

Since their job is to hold the control arms in the longitudinal plane against braking forces, bad bushings should make themselves known primarily in longitudinal moments, like slow speed quick short sharp stabs at the brake pedal. Ball joints like to make themselves known in quick vertical moments, like a pot hole or a sail-over-the-railroad-tracks where they will unload inside the socket and bang back in. Tie rods, steering rack, and steering shaft slip joints and u-joints will usually chatter or clunk in horizontal moments, like a slow speed sharp turn with a bump in the middle of it.

A special case of impossible-to-figure-out occurs when a shock strut goes bad, like the innumerable MacPherson strut front suspensions out there, where the strut loses a piston internally or a mounting bushing bearing, you get plenty of up-and-down clunking, AND the stupid thing will clunk upon braking. I do not know if a failing Lexus shock absorber will give the vertical clunkiness.
Colin

Schnitz

iTrader: (5)

Call me crazy but when the tire shop put my wheels on they would do the star pattern and then go around in a circle one last time. Every time they did this I would get a shimmy on the highway. Once I told them to only do the star pattern it went away for good.

fourthmeal

You aren't crazy, they were tweaking it a bit by torquing improperly. Why anyone would star-torque (correctly) and then go and mess up their work next is silly.

jasonm

iTrader: (5)

I just changed my suspension on my new 97 LS400 and cant remember if I need to remove the bottom of the strut to get the strut rod bolts out?....PD?

boris

Thanks Amskeptic and others, I see which part is the strutbar. It bolts onto control arm. Got it. Thanks guys.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

yeah, you need to at the very least unbolt the bottom strut mount. honestly, i'd say you have to take the strut/spring assy. out of the car so you can take off the lower strut mount.

jasonm

iTrader: (5)

Actually...I think it's coming back to me. I think if I unbolt the ball joint on the UCA it will drop it down low enough to back those bolts out right???