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2004 LS430
Recently finished replacing the upper/lower control arms/bushings, ball joints, and tie rod ends.
Lower control arms/bushings were OEM Toyota/Lexus.
Lower Ball Joints: Moog - Problem Solver Line
Upper Control Arms, Tie Rod Ends: MAS Industries.
Moog Ball Joint assembly fitted perfectly and came with a worthless Zerk grease fitting, as once it is installed, there is no access, because of the steering knuckle is blocking it. Ridiculous.
MAS Industries Upper control arms were a perfect fit, very well packaged, and OEM quality relative to arm thickness and weight.
MAS Industries tie rod ends were a perfect fit, very well packaged and OEM quality.
I would use again and recommend MAS Industries for other components on the car. http://mas-industries.com/
I used MAS Industries over Moog because Moog only carries a "value line" of control arms for the LS430. MAS specializes in control arm manufacturing so I went that direction. Lexus OEM was too high.
Here's a simple breakdown on Moog parts:
Problem Solver
Starting with the CK and K. Whether you see a “K” designation or a “CK” designation, you are getting the same part. The CK and K are Moogs Premium line of control arms. Utilizing their “problem solver” technology, these control arms address common factory design issues providing a better than original replacement for your vehicle. The CK and K control arms include ball joints that are powder coated metal with gusher bearings giving them a long life. These ball joints are serviceable and have grease fittings. The CK and K arms also have problem solver bushings and a precise fit and form for easy installation.
RK: Moog R Series
The RK series is a more value driven part. Because there are so many different vehicles both foreign and domestic, Moog has introduced the R-Series arms to provide replacements for a wide range of vehicles. The RK arms have OE fit and form geometry alignment, with pre-installed OE style bushings and ball joints. However these ball joints are not serviceable like the CK arms. All of the R Series arms have Moog validated construction and design, providing a less expensive alternative.
The Premium CK line has a limited lifetime warranty, and the RK has a 3 year warranty
it is called Freedom of Speech.
Are members being critized when they mention they have Vossen wheels or other parts they are proud of using on their cars.?
Nobody is forced to duplicate their choice.
Wether you install cheap parts or upgraded parts is your own choice.
I like it when I am given an option.
it is called Freedom of Speech.
Are members being critized when they mention they have Vossen wheels or other parts they are proud of using on their cars.?
Nobody is forced to duplicate their choice.
Wether you install cheap parts or upgraded parts is your own choice.
I like it when I am given an option.
grunner 58
I also use Mahle and Mann
"Freedom of Speech" means the government can't censor political speech, it doesn't mean an owner has to allow advertising spam on their website.
so, you bought new lower and upper control arms? I thought I saw another thread on here that claims you can just buy the LCA bushings.
not sure about the upper though.
Your recollection is good ... Replacing upper control arms is a waste of money & labor IMO, at least under 200 - 250K miles of normal driving conditions. My '01 with OEM upper control arms and 265K miles has no suspension issues.
@Coulter
thanks for the lecture
I hope the moderator does not remove entries because they contain names of products/manufacturers
This is what this forum is all about - exchange of information and experiences with their cars.
Spam looks very different and I am sure it would be removed if it is deemed to be so.
Your recollection is good ... Replacing upper control arms is a waste of money & labor IMO, at least under 200 - 250K miles of normal driving conditions. My '01 with OEM upper control arms and 265K miles has no suspension issues.
Upper control was arm was shot. There was under 10lbs of torque to the ball joint movement. Total mush. The bushings were cracked on the upper as well. Car has always been in the South and has 135k on it. No front end damage ever to the vehicle.
Lower control arm bushings (front) were cracked and the rear bushing was replaced but is a separate item from the arm.
The lower ball joint was still very firm and I probably could have left it but I had already ordered the part so on it went.
Are you being paid or given free product to make these reviews?
You seem to go out of your way to mention specific brands and how much you love them.
I go out of my way to name, names, because that is what is most helpful to other members.
I can hold only one job, so I am not employed by all of the "names" I have provided. matter of a fact, I'm not employed by any of them.
Mahle makes the best oil filter. Mobil 1 0W-40 is the best oil, MAS Industries makes great control arms and suspension components, Moog can be good as well.
Michelin Ultra wiper blades are excellent as well. I do not work for Michelin.
Put your money where your mouth is - run Mobil 1 0w-40 for 18k miles and your Mahle filter for 36k miles and get a Blackstone UOA on both oil changes.
I'll run whatever oil I want on whatever intervals I want (at least 7,500 miles) on whatever oil filters I want. And I'll do UOAs each time.
If my UOAs are better than your UOAs, you will never ever use a superlative to describe a product ever again. If I win, I'll pay you $40 or donate $80 to a tax exempt charity of your choice.
I go out of my way to name, names, because that is what is most helpful to other members.
I can hold only one job, so I am not employed by all of the "names" I have provided. matter of a fact, I'm not employed by any of them.
Mahle makes the best oil filter. Mobil 1 0W-40 is the best oil, MAS Industries makes great control arms and suspension components, Moog can be good as well.
Michelin Ultra wiper blades are excellent as well. I do not work for Michelin.
Are you given free product by any of these companies?
That's a pretty common advertising strategy these days, companies will give you free product if you make positive reviews about them. Amazon is littered with these reviews.
I have to say, most of your posts seem vey much like advertisements. Like the Mahle oil filter one.
I've never even heard of MAS suspension parts before and your "review" doesn't even have a write up of the work you did, just a glowing review about how awesome MAS parts are and their packaging.
There are some real dingbats on this forum. I mention which parts I used and all of sudden there is something sinister about it. Choose to use whatever parts you like - I DO NOT CARE!
You're like a bunch of children.
My posts are for those who are interested in doing the same work themselves and may wonder which aftermarket parts are worthy contenders.
No! I do not not work MAS Industries, Moog, Mahle, Lexus, or any automobile component manufacturer. Are you happy children?
You might want to look in the mirror and examine how you come across. When you post so much promotional material it makes you look like a salesman. Especially, for some products that are not known in this very well established forum.
Let's be civil. There is no need to insult the members here.
Dave has posted in other sections of CL about maintaining a sense of community.
Originally Posted by DaveGS4
A Request and Message to ALL 2GS Forum Members:
Over the last few months the moderator team has noticed an issue with the second generation GS forum.... while this forum continues to grow in new members and post activity, it is not experiencing a similar growth in sense of community. What makes Club Lexus a special place is that our members nearly always are mature, we help each other out and work through their differences like adults. We forge friendships with those we've never met and those that we connect with at local CL meets.
Lately there has been an increase in unprovoked personal attacks, rude comments and a general lack of respect for one another in the 2nd Gen GS model forum. New and existing members alike are often flamed or called out for simply asking a question or considering a modification other members don't care for.
These activities will not continue. We will regain our sense of community in the 2GS forum, starting now. If you want to post in order to simply flame other members or be an e-thug, it's time for you to find another forum.
HOW? We're going to accomplish this on in two ways...
Stop the bleeding
1) informing members of this request, asking for their help
2) increased moderator presence and attention in the 2GS forum
3) better education about our forum rules including personal attacks and response to comments (click here to review them) and stricter enforcement via recorded 'infractions' for members who break them
4) use of temporary 24 hour or 1 week ban from the forum as cool off periods after ignoring warnings
5) permanent bans for continued offenses against our community rules where appropriate
Resuscitate the breathing
1) better communication on sense of community and of use of the search feature to new joiners in their welcome email
2) nomination of additional moderators to monitor the 2GS forum and help members
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Help grow the sense of community by:
Before you hit the 'post reply' button, consider if your reply is adding to the community or detracting from it. If it's purely negative, don't post.
Thicken your skin, be 'better than that'. Don't respond angrily to a rude post. Rise above it, don't respond or use the 'report a post' button to notify moderators of an issue
Pitch in to welcome and help recent joiners. Refer them to the FAQ sticky posts or information they're looking for
Contribute to the knowledgebase of the forum as you can through DIY posts and helping others
I'd also like to ask each and every one to stop telling new members to 'use search' without helping them search by also telling them what keywords to look for and giving them a couple of links to helpful threads. Welcome them to the forum.
If you get an infraction or a temporary 24 hour or one week ban, please take the warning seriously. Don't come back angry and complaining and don't pick up in the same thread doing the same thing. We're using this method to try and provide 'cooling off' time when needed. Warnings sent in private and public just don't seem to be doing enough to discourage some of the recent behaviour here... we will show some folks the door if they can't participate in a mature manner that enhances our community instead of destroying it.
To be clear, we're not expecting only sunshine and flowers from everybody. Negative opinions of what someone has done to their car are just fine... if the original poster (OP) can't take the criticism along with the kudos then they shouldn't be posting on the internet. What we're asking is for the negative commentary to be posted in a polite and mature (if not constructive) manner. Treat others like you'd like to be treated by someone who disagrees with you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this message and taking it to heart.
12-14-15, 02:29 PM
Hands-on aftermarket suspension parts analysis
... Replacing upper control arms is a waste of money & labor IMO, at least under 200 - 250K miles of normal driving conditions. My '01 with OEM upper control arms and 265K miles has no suspension issues.
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