Pilot

I have installed new ball joints, struts and new tires about 3 months ago. Now I have a clicking noise or banging noise on the right front side. I jacked up the car, and removed the wheel, I have some play in the upper control arm bushings. I called Lexus about parts and was told that they only sell the complete control arm for 323.00 each!
Does anyone know about aftermarket control arms, or the ability of changing just the bushings over to aftermarket?
I have never used any aftermarket parts on my Lexus, but I can't justify spending 700.00 on 2 control arms for the front end!

In the past year, I have replaced the A/C Compressor, Evaperator coil, expansion valve, water pump, steering pump, timing belt, rear engine crankshaft seal, front crankshaft seal, camshaft seals, ball joints, struts, brakes, tires, brake fluid, Trans fluid, antifreeze, battery, and airbag computer, new set of keys with transponders, complete antenna assembly with motor.

The total cost of these items is in the thousands of dollars. I guess I am now reaching my limit with this love affair. I have spent more money on this car, than any car I have ever owned, if not all cars combined in my lifetime, and I am age 48!

Pilot

Lvangundy

I feel you on the money thing.

To get an old Lex running back to factory specs can cost waayy too much.

I've spent thousands too, but I still haven't even done some of the things you listed.

PM - doublewhoosh. He's a parts vendor/shop owner with years of experience. He's working on a set of bushings for the SC that are alot cheaper. Maybe LS control arm bushings are being developed.

Pilot

Yeah, I have searched the entire forum on control arms, and wrote to Daizen & TM Engineering. I hope one of them has the upper bushings.

Pilot
91 LS400
01 RX300

Pilot

Well, I got an Email from Daizen, and here is what it said:

This particular part is on the drawing board as a future product, but will probably not be available until towards the middle of the year.

Unfortunately, nothing is available at the current time.

Thank you for your interest in our products!

Daizen Sport Tuning Inc.

So now I am back to square one, and still looking for bushings!

Any idea's what others have done with the a worn out control arm?

Pilot

91 LS400
01 RX300

GA400

Pilot,

I would ask Steve Ganz at Carson Toyota (SupraTRD here on the forum) He seems to have the best network for getting parts of any description. Here is their website http://l-tunedparts.com/ You can also check lexus-parts.com Both of these are Club Lexus vendors.

Good Luck and keep us posted, I may need to replace mine soon too.

GA400

Pilot

Well, not good news. Here is what Steve has to say about this:

Thanks for the inquiry.

These seem to be a sore spot on the LS400. I don't have any other option but order new as well, even at a discount there $300.00 each

-Regards,
-Steve Ganz
-CarsonToyota/Lexus Parts
-TRD/L-Tuned/TTE/JDM Body Kits/Tein
-TOM'S Racing/Jic-Magic/L-Sportline/RMM
-Rotora brake systems/Auto Couture
-gonzo4u@earthlink.net

GA400

That sucks, Pilot. The only other option I can think of is to pull some off of a low mileage junked ls400. Any junkyards nearby you can call? I would hesitate to order from the offline junk engine search engines unless you can get some good references. In any case, if it is more than a couple hundred dollars, I would go ahead and get the new ones. On a positive note, you have already replaced every common failure item I have heard of on these automobiles. Hopefully this will be the last thing you have to mess with for a while. You could also call Daizen and offer to be a test vehicle for this product since theirs is due for mid year release. Then continue calling until they push up the release date so you will stop bugging them . You can go ahead and tell Daizen I will commit to be a future purchaser (and most likely everyone else on the forum who has a high mileage LS)

Cheers,

GA400

lspower

i think this is pretty old but i might as well post for anyone else my control arms went bad on my ls and the mechanic said i could buy new control arms or do w/ he did w/ his ls and put 4 1/8 90 degree grease fittings in the ball joint (2 on each side) and before there was alot of play but now it is hard like it should be, so i did it and definitely noticed a difference he showed me on my car and it was hard like it should be so 38$ vs 630 or so$ + and i have much better feeling on the road (while he was doing this he put in my daizen bushings and did half of them for 30$ and to do the other ones w/ in a week for another 30$ or so
(check grease every 4 -6 months)

just putting it out there for you all

-ryan