Yep, I do. Their QC has gone to hell post 2018 sellout and the steering is the most important system in your car. OE only

 

You might need the tie rod end but there is no reason applying the brakes would stop the clunking if this is the problem...keep looking.

 

Pretty much anything connected directly to the spindle can be affected by braking. And the more worn the part (especially excessive play), the more a clunk can become a rattle under the right circumstances. Braking can "lock" certain parts in the position they are in when the brakes are applied and prevent them from moving/shifting. This is one of the reasons it's generally not a good idea to apply the brakes in a high-speed corner (especially at or near the apex), as it may adversely affect suspension/steering (handling overall).

 

I had similar sounds coming from my LS last spring. Suspected control arms but all was fine. The sound was exactly like you described, sometimes one big clunk, sometimes rattle. I cant remember that if braking affected the sounds.

My mechanic also located the problem to be tie rods. However, as he began to remove the inner rod he spotted that it was indeed steering rack that was clunking and had some loose. I have video of the loose steering rack somewhere I think, if it helps, I can find it.

I hope you have a better luck than me, because new one from local seller was almost 8k in euros. Although I managed to find a good deal for used one.

 

To put a bow on this...problem solved, and it was the right front upper control arm. I replaced the right side outer tie rod end (it was clicking when I manipulated it by hand) and really thought I had nailed it, but was disabused of that notion as soon as I left my driveway. It did need to be replaced, though.

So I ended up taking it to Jeff's Lex-Toy in Londonderry, NH (https://www.jeffslextoy.com/). They were SUPERB. They went through the car with a fine tooth comb and even used "Chassis Ears" which place microphones all through the car to listen for noises while driving. They came back to me and gave me the definitive answer of "right front upper control arm." Replacing the control arms on both sides came to around $3,500, using all OEM parts, too. Considering how little trouble this 135k mile car has given me in my 65k miles of ownership, I had no problem spending the money. They also did some additional work while they were in there and didn't charge me for it.

My local Lexus dealer quoted me "$5,500 to $8,000 depending on what we have to do." Hell no.

Thanks to all for your help with this, your input was much appreciated. And to anyone in the MA/NH area, you just can't go wrong with Jeff's LexToy!

Brian

 

Great to hear you got it all sorted out and updated the thread for us as well. And nice decision to get all 8 control arms replaced. I'm sure you're a happy camper now and enjoying the ride again.