Guy's,

I was having a Issue with a Squeeking/Clunk/Grinding Noise whenever I went over Bumps or on uneven Pavement and when I turned.When I Parked if I were to turm my Wheel left to right I was hear and feeling a Grinding as I turned my Steering Wheel.I took it to 2 different Mechanics to have them tell me they couldnt find the Noise on the Lift.The Noise was only present when the Car was on the Ground.Well suprizingly the Noise actually went away after one Mechanic Touched the lower Ball Joint Boot.The Mechanic told me to bring the Car back if the Noise came back.Well it's back so I decided to take a look and found out it's definitely the Lower Ball Joint that was making the Noise.I noticed the Noise was coming from under the Dust Cover so I jacked up the Car and was able to Hear the Noise as I was Jacking the Car up.I looked at all the Boots and didn't see any Cut's,Cracks or Torn Boots.So I said I'd work from bottom up and see if I could find out the Culprit that was making the Noise.The Last time I was at the Mechanic he messed with the Lower Ball Joint Boot and the Noise stopped so I sprayed the Lower Boot with WD40 and lowered the Jack.The Noise was Completely gone!When I steered the Wheel back and fourth,Nothing.I want to know what is normally replaced when doing the Ball Joint?I heard if one is bad so is the other?Or should I go by the "If it aint broke dont fix it rule"?

 

If they're the orginal ball joints just replace them. You'll save yourself some headache down the line cause they will go bad. 1g and 2g GS's are notiorus for the ball joints going bad, I've seen some go bad in under 50k and others last to 150k. But they all go bad so just do them now, don't do just one do them both. Also check the upper control arms cause those go bad just as often, and those are alot more expensive.

 

Well said!

For $35+ its cheap and extremely easy to replace. It's not worth ignoring.

 

35 bucks? where??

 

No joke, my cost through the dealer I work at is 53 bucks

 

35???? hook us up man!

 

bump for 35$ hook up!

 

My steering wheel starts shaking once I hit like..55-60mph, is it the ball joints? Only thing is, I dont hear any noise. Suspension is not my thing, I dont know jack when it comes to this stuff. I do know that the upper control arms are like 250 bucks or more.

 

My steering wheel starts shaking when I brake while doing 100 k/h or more. Is that my ball joints?

 

Not likely in either case. Shaking at 55-60 is most likely wheel balance related. Does it go away at 60 or keep shaking? The first and second GS are very sensitive to wheel balance. Mine is onyl perfectly smooth if I go to a shop that does road force balancing.

Vibration on braking is likely related to warped rotors or brake pad deposits on the rotors.

I don't think ball joint issues are evident only under certain conditions. If the ball joints are bad, I'm pretty sure you'll always hear / feel the symptoms. If you do, get them replaced.

 

Yeah, the shaking stops after 60mph. Problem is that my one of my wheels is really hard to balance, not sure whats wrong with it, it has no curb rash on it, or anything.
Yeah, the shaking wheel when braking is your rotors LexusFits.

 

Your front rotors are warpped. Easiest and cheapest is to take them off and have a machine shop machine them. To preven it from happening again I'd buy some brembo blank rotors. Alot of people like drilled and/or slotted rotors, but I don't cause I've had a set of drilled rotors crack on me, as well as a set of slotted rotors.

If it's hard to balance you could have a bent wheel as well. Or, have you every put fix a flat in the tire? That could cause it to be really hard to balance, along with any type of weight actually inside the tire, that can also give you one hell of a vibration

Ball joints won't cause a vibration persay, they'll cause more of a temporary shimmy after hitting bumps or dips. It's really easy to check to see if your ball joints are bad, all you need to do is get your car in the air and stick a pry bar between the hub and the ball joint and pry up, if it moves at all it should probably be replaced. To check to see if you need upper control arms is even eaiser, just get the car in the air and hit the top part of the wheel with you balled up fist, and if it makes a claking, almost gong type noise you need a new one.

 

Thanks LS1. I think I do have a bent wheel, its really not that big of an issue, the car doesnt shake but at that 55-60mph, and not all the time, so its kind of a non issue for me. I need to change my oil, so next time the car is on the lift I will check the ball joints and control arms. Im almost certain the passenger side needs to be replaced, which sucks, Im tired of spending money on this car.

 

yea me too

 

My Mechanic gets 20% off the Beck/Arney replacement ball joint.
But even at ~$50 its cheap insurance against....

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