Bon

My crossmember would move and I would be in a toe-in setting and sometime later after a turn, braking or bump I would be toe-out or toe-neutral I suppose. So it was random about how the car would behave from time to time. My alignment guy would think he got it right and even take it around the block and be happy with his work but the crossmember would shift later and everything would get out of whack. I suppose that one of the exasperating issues is that the rear attachment point of the lower control arms are connected to the frame and can't move with the crossmember. I sure don't know if this is your problem but there sure are a lot of folks that have aftermarket wheels and all kinds of tires but don't regularly report steering drift? I just know that I had to hang onto my steering wheel and constantly "steer" the car to keep mine in the lane. It was scary at times. Since my crossmember was tightened I would let anybody drive my car with confidence.

Stu

This is EXACTLY how I feel ! I am going to get the crossmembers checked. Thanks !

However, today, in the snow, driving on my other wheels I drove 80 mph IN THE SNOW and on snow covered highways with no wandering .... the car droves like it was on rails

Viper6

You Bon and I go way back on this highway wandering issue. We have both done multiple "fixes" with mixed results I believe. Sounds like Bon's has finally been vanquished with Subframe tightening... I myself have tried steering rack bushings, alignments, fluid flush, check for play in all joints, steering rack guide adjustment, and finally got a clicking steering column upper and lower replaced and lower control arm trailing bushing under CPO... this seems to have brought the mojo back for me. I still experience issues with cross winds and the car becomes flighty and still floats around the highway with need to saw at the wheel sometimes.

The "here today but gone tomorrow" symptoms you are experiencing is frustrating and difficult to trouble shoot. Good luck and let us know if the re-troquing helps out!

Bon

Indeed we do, Viper. My complaints with my LS weren't too bad as compared to my SC. I did the tie rods, steering rack bushings, lower control arm bushings and replaced my air suspension with steel springs and shocks. In the end a tire change was the final fix. As described in an earlier post in this thread I had let my tires go and once they were properly inflated they were round in profile and this is not at all good for steering stability: Lesson Learned.

My SC was entirely different. I changed everything including the steering rack as the old one was leaking. Since I purchased this SC used I didn't know how good it could feel when it was right. I think I replaced everything. Everything! Of course with something like loose bolts it just became worse over time. Not to mention that a loose cross member also invites lots of chassis flex. As it reached its worst, if I took a sweeper like an exit ramp and there were any undulations the car felt all out of sorts like all four corners were moving independently. Of course, a uni body car relies heavily on the cross members for chassis stiffness. Any slop at all and it gets ugly fast. Tire wear increased rapidly as the looseness worsened. The shop called me to come and look at the shiny wear marks around the cross member that were a result of the movement.

Now, it's one finger driving if I want to. For the first time the car feels like a Lexus. I'd let a grandmother or a young driver take the car without hesitation. I've wrenched for a lifetime but was really caught off guard by this one. As were quite a few mechanics.

Please, will you tell me the section of the shop manuals that references the cross member tightening and torques? I have all the volumes for my SC and as I said before I couldn't find anything specific. Maybe I just looked in the wrong place.

Viper6

I see them under the maintenance section, fyi

Stu

I will take it into Lexus again in the spring, and get the whole car checked out, again, and have them check to make sure the subframe crossmember is not loose.

As you recall the car wandered badly on the OEM 18s and Continental ExtremeContact DWSs .... I suspected one or all of the tires were bad ( they were purchased new!) so I got rid of both the wheels and tires and have aftermarket 17s with Michelin Primacy MXV4s - better but still not right. I know because the car tracks better on the aftermarket 17s mounted with cheap Firestone Winerforce tires ......

I buy my wheels and tires for my LS from established retail stores - new stuff - and have always been satisfied before. These guys know me, but I am starting to suspect the car is OK, but I am getting crappy, defective wheels and/or tires ....... we will see.