gemineye

Huge thx to @mykvr6 (particularly for your post #181). Based on that post, I bit the bullet and ordered the same bushings you did ($94 for both IS/GS bushings on ebay). I took out my old bushings as you described, and went for a test drive after installing the new ones (simple unbolt the old ones, and bolt on the new ones - no shop press needed).......and WOW. I am upset that I didn't do this YEARS AGO.

I previously had a steering wheel shimmy from 45-55mph that I couldn't figure out for the life of me (I freshly re-balanced all wheels, had 2 of my wheels straightened due to having a slight bend in one spot....then went to go buy 4 brand new tires after the wheel straightening and balancing didn't work). But this bushing replacement solved it! If you have over 150k miles on your LS430 (I currently have 195k on mine), i HIGHLY recommend getting these bushings replaced. Upon visual inspection of mine, they didn't look too bad......they had noticeably cracks, but the bushing was still whole, and I saw no signs of fluid leakage that others have seen. At any rate, the car feels so much more planted when cruising, and the steering wheel feels more solid as well. I also used to get this weird feeling in the steering wheel when taking hard turns (kinda like the tires were made of jello, or like the 2 front wheels weren't turning at the same rate), and that is now gone.....Thx again @mykvr6! I appreciate your time putting together post #181, and appreciate all the others that contributed to this post (e.g., torque specs, general procedures for R&R, etc). Others quoted this job at Lexus for $750.......I got it done for $94 and 2 hours of work (and I work rather slow and meticulous).

gemineye

One more thing......if you're looking for the Toyota/Lexus part number for the bushings that @mykvr6 refers to, look at the pics in his post #181. It shows both part numbers needed. I didn't realize he provided this pic (with part No's) until I spent about 30 min on other sites trying to figure out. LoL

mykvr6

glad it helped! I'm still running mine with no issues, I got all new tires and an alignment and the car drives like an absolute dream. It is still a bit soft for my tastes but honestly drives really nice and actually handles fairly well for a big boat of a car.

Thecar

That post #181 was exactly what I was looking for. I had read elsewhere that you could use IS bushings, but no one ever gave a part number.

Perhaps if the mods are watching they can include your pics and info in the DIY FAQ so that the info is easy to find for new guys like me.

ipstat

I also was quoted about 700+ dollars to replace the front lower control arm bushings. The number the mechanic wrote is 48655-50012 which on ebay is the one for LS430. Is it worth it to DIY? How hard is it and what tools do I need and where would I need to place the car to do the job?

jasepb

I am trying to install the bushing bracket from post #181 (OEM for IS model). However, I cannot align the bolt holes to those from the bracket to reinstall the 2 bolts (17mm && 22mm). Is there any method that I can use to help with aligning these bolts?

mykvr6

you can use a breaker bar or big screwdriver to move the arm a bit. It will move around enough to get the bolt holes to line up. One of mine when in really easy, the other I had to put a pry bar between the body and the rear pivot point of the arm and move it a bit so the bolts would go in easy. dont tighten them down until all the bolts are in, be careful not to strip them as well

jasepb

I wished that I had heeded to the advice about being careful not to strip the bolt . My 22mm bracket bolt is stripped, and I hope that that there is still a possibility of replacing this bolt. I found the part number 90105-12332, but it does not indicate whether it's a 22mm or a 17mm bolt. Does anyone know the part number for the 22mm bracket bolt?

BCT

I would take the bolt to the dealer, and they should be able to help you. I can not remember what bolt that I was missing from my SC430, but I took the same bolt from the other side to the dealer, and they find it no problem. You can probably find the same bolt at Home Depot or Lowes, but may not have the same rating for the bolt strength.

jasepb

Thanks for the advice to take the bolt to the dealer. It still took a while for the part rep to find the part number for the 22mm bolt, 90119-16013. However, I still not tighten the new bolt. This is bad as it looks like I have stripped the threads in the bolt hole. What are my options at this point? 1) Thread chaser 2) Thread tap, etc.? Is there any chaser or tap that support bolt that is this big of a size. I am also thinking to take it to a mechanic shop. How safe is it to drive without this bolt on?

BCT

You are not the first person to do this, so yes I am sure there is a tap this large. Kinda hard to give advice without looking a the problem here.

If the thread is that bad, you may need to just create a new thread, then just use bigger bolt. Just make sure you are using the bigger bolt that has the same rating.

Another idea is, does the current bolt goes in and appears to the other side? Meaning, can you use a washer and a nut from the other side? This maybe a temporary solution but at least that would secure it (instead of flopping around unattached). Or you can use same size bolt but longer to make sure you can use a nut.

Mbodall

Great idea!

BlueMonkey

Thanks for the write-up mykvr6. I finally got around to replacing the LCA bushings on my wife's 147k 2005 LS430 tonight. I was getting a loose feeling in the steering over bumps and while braking, along with speed-dependant braking vibrations, etc. I used the stock IS bushings shown in post #181 as they were $90 shipped on ebay, and after a quick test drive would say 90%+ of the vibration issues are gone. Steering is noticeably tighter, especially while turning and braking, although I still have a faint clunk when going over speedbumps & washboard roads. No doubt the Figs & RRracing bushings would be an even better performance-oriented solution, but for a relatively high mileage kid hauler this was $90 well spent. Took me 2 hours to install, but that includes digging jack out of one corner of the garage, getting jackstands out of the shed, stopping for dinner, etc. Should be doable in an hour give or take.

Marston

Big thanks friend. Couldn't justify spending Figs money for the car despite wanting to.

Went the same route, and I think both sides were cracked and fluids gone. Car feels better when turning and going off and on driveways.

Here are some pics for others, hope it helps.

Romanova

Please be cautious when ordering these bushings. There are many vendors now on eBay from China selling these as OEM. Make sure you buy from a trusted OEM supplier.