Devh

I'm going to have to disagree. I have a 2011 with 29k miles and it does not have a bouncy ride at all. I could describe it as a soft well controlled ride with a little bit of boat on extreme slow speed turns if you push it hard but otherwise it feels completely normal for the size and weight of the car. In many ways it feels like a luxury subcompact nothing like an old Caddy or as awkward as an SUV.
I have tuned and helped tuned several street suspensions systems on other cars built for handling which are much tighter but well dampened and controlled . I'm also a former five series BMW owner and have driven a variety of vehicles from every decade including a few exotics.

The LS in sock form is not bouncy. It actually has what I would call a modern luxury car ride that is both soft and controlled.

If there is excessive bounce even if the struts have been replaced then there is something wrong with the car period. It could be that the strut bearing bushings are the point of compliance. It could also be that the suspension geometry is out of alignment and this can be something that cannot be fixed if the car was in a bad enough accident as Doublebase pointed out.

bramble

Hi thank you for all comments and replies , I think I found the problem but still not sure if it is the cause of it. I will explain and please give me thoughts, inputs answers whatever that will help me solve this problem. So far I changed all 8 front control arms front stabilizer link and sway bar bushing. Car feels alot better from how it was before, But I still feel the car goes side to side mostly the rear on high speed over big bumps uneven pavement. So I suspect the rear control arms has to be replace too so I had my mechanic check the rear control arms bushing he couldn't really tell if they were worn because of the bushing boot cover. But he notice that when the car was jacked up and even when the car was on the ground that the rear driver side wheel was not really center to the fender wall. He measured with his fingers and two fingers would fit in there from fender to the tire. On the other side of the rear wheel he can fit three fingers. So this means the tire was off and this makes sense that when I had the wheel alignment he asked me if this car has ever been in an accident, I told him I wasn't sure. After alignment he state that's the best he can adjust for the car. The alignment printout was for left rear -2.6 degree camber and right rear -2.0 degree camber. Back to my mechanic we checked and see that the car has been repainted on the that driver side near fender and back door. We also checked to see if any control arms were bent or damage but couldn't tell it looks fine and normal. He suggested to replace all the arms on that side first 5 arms in total because it is made of aluminum and he said it could of gotten a little bent if it ever gotten hit. I checked the sunroof all lines were straight so I don't think the car was involve in a big accident also the carfax is clean of any accident. My mechanic guessing that it might gotten sligthly hit on the rear driver side but couldn't tell. With all this being said is this the possibility of being the main problem? As Devh mention It could also be that the suspension geometry is out of alignment and this can be something that cannot be fixed if the car was in a bad enough accident as Doublebase pointed out. and Lavrishevo mention if your rear arms are causing the back to be out of alignment and the car moves or bounces over bumps it will cause lateral motion.
So I already ordered all 5 rear control arms stabilizer link all on the driver side as well as a new sway bar i couldn't just order the bushing for the rear as how I did with for the front. For the rear you have to buy the whole sway bar that comes with the bushing. I'm crossing my finger that this was the problem and it will solve it. I will replace all 5 control arms and link for the passenger side after. Any other parts of the suspension or other parts that you guys think I need replacing? Thank you everyone for the help and any input suggestion and answers will be greatly appreciated.
Anyone near or from Orange County CA area?

Devh

This could be your problem and I think you are on the right track. I wouldn't be concerned with the .6 more negative camber on one side however it seems to me from the description you gave that the caster in the rear is out of specification and it can have a profound effect especially if the other side is in spec.
I have seen this kind of thing before and it is usually a previous accident or someone hit a really bad ditch in the road and one or more of the arms bend ever so slightly that it is hard to see on visual inspection on the car but it shows up clearly on the alignment.
When you replace the control arms see if you can compare them to be certain that is the fault.

dlbuckls10

Bramble I hope you get our problems solved with your '07 LS. The extra $$$$ you are spending you could be driving a '09 or newer LS. Personally I would have taken it to a Lexus dealership for a complete inspection due to the fact that most independent mechanic shops aren't experts at repairing the complicated suspension system on the LS. I think the dealership could have saved you money and fixed your problems the first time. Interesting problems so keep us posted.

Doublebase

I hope replacing all those parts fixes your problem, but I worry that your rear and possibly front suspension cradles might be shifted. I know that the front is adjustable - you can move it/align it - I imagine the rear might be as well...although I don't know for sure. I have a slight pull on my car and my front tires wear funny on the shoulders. I put it on the rack and everything is in the green, but my car has been hit before, so I know it will never be perfect unless I align that cradle, but I'm just going to live with it. It's not anywhere near a problem, in fact most cars with some miles on them have trouble driving perfectly straight. Of course your problem unfortunately is much worse than that.

bramble

So yesterday I helped my mechanic installed and replaced all the rear control arms, sway bar , stabilizer link. I can see that one of the rear upper arms were a little bent the one that is connected to the subframe and to the knuckle. So I was happy to see that it was bent and that was the cause of the caster of the rear tire to be out of specs. When all arms were replaced we put the wheels back on and the problem is still there. The tire was touching the fender well as the car was up on the lift. My mechanic said there is only two parts left that could be damage and bent that is causing that wheel to be out of specs. 1 my knuckle is bent 2 the subframe is bent. So what do you guys think replacing first the knuckle if that don't fix it then replace the subframe or both and hopefully that will solve my problem. The knuckle is gonna cost me $365 for the part and a use subframe $350. The car must of hit a big ditch or pothole or even gotten hit slightly from the side before. But I couldn't tell if anything was bent or out of place beside the one arm which puzzle me how it gotten bent. After the installed I didn't get a chance to get a wheel alignment and I must tell you the car drove like how it was when I first got it wobbly side to side a little bit scary, but I know it's because wheels are out of specs and I need the alignment. I'm getting that done Sunday. But I'm gonna try and see if the alignment guy can tell me which of the 2 parts are bent. I just can't wait I'm getting real close to finding and fixing the problem. I'll keep you guys posted and Thank you for the help and support.

Doublebase

My lord!! I can't believe the patience and positive attitude you have. I'd be going out of my mind if I were going through this, I can tell you that. There's no way I'd replace all those parts...still have the problem...and feel excited that I was almost to the point of fixing it. How much do you have invested in the repair now?

My car has been hit before, as I stated earlier. Now my alignment angles are perfect, but I do have a slight pull and the shoulders of the tires wear a little funny for my tastes on the inside of one of them and the outside of the other. Here's the thing...I'm not touching that cradle. That's a big job, everything is attached to it up front and you need special tools to adjust it. I'll live with the tire wear and rotate them more often and the pull is not too bad on mine.

It's too bad you're in a different position with yours. Best of luck.

bramble

Hi Doublebase believe me I'm not excited at all about this situation, I already bought the car and shame on me for overlooking the problem when I first test drove it. It was the color I wanted pearl white with alabaster interior rare combination here in CA all the white cars usually comes with the tan/cashmere color I didn't want. So when I came across this car I jumped on it and got it after test driving it but funny I did not feel anything weird about it while test driving it but on the way home I felt the suspension up and down thought it was blown shocks. Boy am I in for a surprise after taking it home from 300 miles away. So now that I own the car I have to deal with it and fix what I can to get it right regardless of how much it will cost me I think I surpass that feeling of spending too much on it already is 8k sound crazy? Yes it for a use car and yet it still hasn't fix the problem, with what I spent so far I could of gotten a newer model like what dlbuckls10 said a 09' or later model. I do feel bad and I do kind of regret getting rid of my GS430 my stuborness gotten the best of me even when my wife didn't agree with me of getting the LS460 but I talked her into it. And worst feeling I'm keeping all this from her she has no idea of what I've done and what I've been doing to the car. I guess too late for all that just wanna get this done right and get over with it.
When I looked at the rear cradle/subframe it didn't look to crazy to replace I have to ask my mechanic and see if it's a lot of work. I'm just hoping it's not the subframe that is giving me this problem, I'm hoping it's the knuckle that I will be replacing next week. What the heck another $365 is not gonna kill me after what I already spent. Do you guys think any other parts that have gotten bent that is making my wheel out of specs and hitting the fender. I took some pictures but I'm not sure how to post them here. I will look into it and maybe post it so you guys can see what I'm talking about. Thanks guys!

bramble

the rear driver side wheel notice how close it is to the fender well





the rear passenger side wheel see the space gap between the wheel and fender well.





this is the only arm I can see that is bent compared to the new part





I replaced all the control arms as well as the sway bar and stabilizer link wasn't sure which arms were bent.





as you can see originally bent arm before the replacement





subframe where the bent arm was after taken it off

bramble

spec sheet for wheel alignment

bramble

see how close the wheel are to the fender this is when the car is on the lift





I can fit 2 fingers between the wheel and fender gap on driver side when car is on ground





I can fit 3 fingers between the wheel and fender gap on passenger side when car is on ground





driver side





hardly any space there





some space on passenger side

bramble

My main questions is I want to know is this wheel problem that I'm having that it is out of spec and alignment, is this whats giving me the lateral motion in high speed over bumps uneven roads. Or the problem is elsewhere like maybe the subframe/cradle is bent or damage that's causing this problem.

satiger

iTrader: (1)

bramble, sorry to hear all the issues that you are going through with this car. I just took picture of front and rear wheel of my car for you to compare. On mine, wheels are equally spaced.

As another poster said, it may be worth a try to take the car to Lexus dealer and explained all the work that you had done to car and see what they find/say. It may be worth $100-200 spend to get their opinion. They are definitely well equipped and staffed to diagnose such issues.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

So sorry to hear of your ordeal. I'd want to get it fixed as well. You can't return the car and I assume that you're planning on keeping it for several years. Only makes sense to
get this squared away.
I do want to say that I'm walking away with another thing to look at when buying a used car. Uniform gaps around wheels and the sun roof area for telltales of previous accidents/damage.
Keep us posted and good luck.

NickTee

I hope you weren't under the car with that lift arm only halfway on the lifting point.
I would take it to a specialized shop and have them check it out, unless you want to keep throwing money at parts in hopes of fixing the problem. Just because you replace the subframe and the knuckle, doesn't mean it will be fixed. That's just hoping it will based on what the mechanic says. But if the mechanic were such an expert, why didn't he figure this out in the first place? Did he also check the subframe and frame alignment, to make sure your frame itself isn't bent and that the subframe is still aligned properly?

With the suspension damage done to it, I think the car may have been hit or gone through the world's largest pothole and it's more likely that the subframe is damaged rather than the knuckle. The knuckle is a very beefy part and think the subframe mounts would fail before the knuckle would bend.