igorxx

I have a 2002 sc430 with 65,000 miles. It seems to be riding rougher than usual and noisy over bumps. When I had the timing belt changed and asked the Toyota mechanic to look it over, he said everything looked good. I hate to take it to the Lexus dealer since I have had bad experiences with them. Appreciate some help.

rudyH

I'm sure there can be a lot of reasons for this but in my case here's what worked to fix this. I just bought a 2006 430 6 days ago. On the test drive, this 123k car had a bit of a roar and what I would call a "coarse" feeling/vibration on the freeway. I didn't care. For what I was offering for the car, I was sure I could fix anything. I take the car to an independent shop and ask them to look at the front end. They tell me everything looks good except for some very minor tears in the ball joint boots. He tells me the shocks look good. No leaks. Well, in my book, no leaks doesn't mean no wear. They were the factory originals. I tell him to install OEM shocks on the front. I get the car back two days ago. It's smooth as silk on all roads. I'll do the ball joints and the rear shocks next service. I'll check the bushings myself and if they need it they'll be changed as well. Lexus is great but parts still wear out! Tires can mess up a ride too even if the tread appears to be adequate.

igorxx

Thanks I guess I will have to go through the same procedure.

rudyH

Well I know you aren't going to "shotgun" the problem by just changing everything at once. Start wthi the easy stuff. The tires come to mind. A good tire person (that you trust) can do a close inspection and check for odd wear patterns or scalloped edges, cupping and all sorts of oddities. Invisible damage is common too. You'll get it fixed. Free advice, which some may not agree with, stay OEM with the parts.

Bgw70

Have them check the motor mounts while they are in there.
My '02 has 64k and both mounts where wornout.

rudyH

Excellent point!

igorxx

Went to reliable alignment company in hometown and had the front end checked. They said everything was good as well as the motor mounts. Maybe it is the rough roads here.

rudyH

Is the car stable at high speeds on a highway or does it wander a bit requiring constant steering input? There are bushings that are hard to inspect. Obviously no one can experience the car over the internet. Without trying to waste your money, you might need to go to someone who is versed in this Lexus model. A dealer is a good place to start IMO. They can give you a report but of course you don't have to let them do any repairs.

bb430

iTrader: (1)

It could be your tires. Are they really old or worn? Lexus are known to have bad tire noises, from the GS and LS I used to own to my friend's RX and IS. When the tires are half way worn, they become noisier and noisier. I had checked my SC, when the tires are down to 4/32, they really rambling bad.

rudyH

I found this when I was searching for some other subject. I have NO IDEA how relevant this may be to your situation. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...d-sc430-s.html