2008 LS460 knocking/crunching while turning at parking lot speeds
02-08-24, 04:27 PM
#1
Dysfunctional Veteran
Thread Starter
2008 LS460 knocking/crunching while turning at parking lot speeds
I cannot figure this out for the life of me and it is driving me nuts. In the last 20,000 miles, I have replaced:
-all 8 front control arms with OEM arms and polyurethane bushings.
-tie rod ends
-ball joints
-sway bar bushings
-sway bar links
At speed, the car is dead smooth, and precise. in a parking lot or driveway, turn the wheel in forward gear or reverse while moving? you get a nasty crunch that lasts a second. its consistent, every single slow speed turn does it. I can't for the life of me figure out what it is! Any ideas?
-all 8 front control arms with OEM arms and polyurethane bushings.
-tie rod ends
-ball joints
-sway bar bushings
-sway bar links
At speed, the car is dead smooth, and precise. in a parking lot or driveway, turn the wheel in forward gear or reverse while moving? you get a nasty crunch that lasts a second. its consistent, every single slow speed turn does it. I can't for the life of me figure out what it is! Any ideas?
02-08-24, 06:28 PM
#2
Lead Lap
iTrader: (1)
Check front wheel bearings.
02-08-24, 08:39 PM
#3
Had somewhat similar issue on 2017 LS460 (RWD). After replacing knuckle assembly (with the ball joint) and the bearing on the front issue went away. I think that ball joint can be replaced without the knuckle, I think I've seen somewhere people doing it.
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swfla (02-09-24)
02-09-24, 09:02 AM
#4
I would have said tie rod ends because that caused a creaky sound in my steering when parking, but you replaced them. I'm not sure what exactly is lubricated there, but I'd check for that.
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swfla (02-09-24)
02-09-24, 11:35 AM
#5
Driver School Candidate
This reminds me of a problem I had. I wrote a post about it last year (linked and also quoted below). Mine was just a single (loud) click/pop for each change in direction.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...l#post11520497
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...l#post11520497
My RWD '14 would make a loud pop when I changed directions (generally slow-speed tighter turning and not curved roads), for instance after backing out of a parking spot or when making 90 degree turns in lots or at intersections. It would just do it once until I turned the other way, e.g. if I made a series of right turns it wouldn't pop again until I made a corresponding left turn. I didn't have any clunking or other noises going over bumps, so I didn't think it was related to the suspension components at all.
I ended up lifting up the front and retorquing the steering rack bolts as well as those for the front subframe. None of the bolts had much movement before the wrench clicked though, so I'm unsure of whether those were the problem. The other reason I say that is that not too long after I got the car I slightly bent the metal skid plate ("front suspension member protector lower") due to the manual being a bit fuzzy about the front center lift point. Having removed that plate while doing this work, I took the opportunity to hammer out the dent I'd put in it. I feel like this may have been the culprit all along, though it could indeed have been the rack or subframe, or even a combination of two or all three of these. (I mentioned that the dent happened not long after I got the car as I can't remember whether this issue happened before that).
Whatever the problem was, the popping I had completely disappeared after I did these things, so it's something you could consider if your bushings turn out to be fine.
I ended up lifting up the front and retorquing the steering rack bolts as well as those for the front subframe. None of the bolts had much movement before the wrench clicked though, so I'm unsure of whether those were the problem. The other reason I say that is that not too long after I got the car I slightly bent the metal skid plate ("front suspension member protector lower") due to the manual being a bit fuzzy about the front center lift point. Having removed that plate while doing this work, I took the opportunity to hammer out the dent I'd put in it. I feel like this may have been the culprit all along, though it could indeed have been the rack or subframe, or even a combination of two or all three of these. (I mentioned that the dent happened not long after I got the car as I can't remember whether this issue happened before that).
Whatever the problem was, the popping I had completely disappeared after I did these things, so it's something you could consider if your bushings turn out to be fine.
The following 2 users liked this post by BMCha:
Nospinzone (02-09-24),
swfla (02-09-24)
02-09-24, 09:35 PM
#7
Dysfunctional Veteran
Thread Starter
This reminds me of a problem I had. I wrote a post about it last year (linked and also quoted below). Mine was just a single (loud) click/pop for each change in direction.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...l#post11520497
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...l#post11520497
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