How to check if control arm bushing is bad
10-15-05, 09:42 PM
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How to check if control arm bushing is bad
My 92 LS 400 with 194K has a bad steering vibration from 40mph and above.
How does one tell if my control arm bushings are bad. Will worn bushings really cause a gradual increase in steering vibrations as one goes faster? I do not hear and clunking noise when i goes of bumps. Just this horrid vibration when I go faster.
How does one tell if my control arm bushings are bad. Will worn bushings really cause a gradual increase in steering vibrations as one goes faster? I do not hear and clunking noise when i goes of bumps. Just this horrid vibration when I go faster.
10-16-05, 04:14 PM
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It's hard to tell what exactly is going on with your car over the internet, and most likely more than one thing is going on.
It's usually a good idea to start with the cheaper solution(s) first when one isn't sure exactly what is wrong. A vibration in the steering wheel at higher speeds can mean a few things, but usually the easy thing to do is make sure your wheels/tires are properly balanced. A tire shop should be able to do that for no more than $25/tire. With that being said, however, your car is 13 years old, and it is highly likely that your oem rubber bushings are worn out. How is your steering wheel control in general, aside from the shimmies?
It's usually a good idea to start with the cheaper solution(s) first when one isn't sure exactly what is wrong. A vibration in the steering wheel at higher speeds can mean a few things, but usually the easy thing to do is make sure your wheels/tires are properly balanced. A tire shop should be able to do that for no more than $25/tire. With that being said, however, your car is 13 years old, and it is highly likely that your oem rubber bushings are worn out. How is your steering wheel control in general, aside from the shimmies?
10-16-05, 07:44 PM
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Originally Posted by suloh
My 92 LS 400 with 194K has a bad steering vibration from 40mph and above.
How does one tell if my control arm bushings are bad. Will worn bushings really cause a gradual increase in steering vibrations as one goes faster? I do not hear and clunking noise when i goes of bumps. Just this horrid vibration when I go faster.
How does one tell if my control arm bushings are bad. Will worn bushings really cause a gradual increase in steering vibrations as one goes faster? I do not hear and clunking noise when i goes of bumps. Just this horrid vibration when I go faster.
10-16-05, 08:34 PM
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Hard for me to comment on steering control because I have always owned front wheel drive vehicles (I currently also have an Avalon). Compared to the Avalon, the LS feels overly assisted and not precise. I know that my car is 13 years old with 194K and because of likely worn out bushings, steering might not be accurate. Most of my driving is done on the highway so steering feel is not a major issue for me. But vibrations are another matter. I will get my tires properly balanced as you suggested.
However should the bushings be worn out, which bushing is most likely to cause steering vibrations. How much is labor to remove and replace control arm bushings with Daizen bushing. How many hours is it suppose to take? I read folks doing it from 3 to 10 hours??
However should the bushings be worn out, which bushing is most likely to cause steering vibrations. How much is labor to remove and replace control arm bushings with Daizen bushing. How many hours is it suppose to take? I read folks doing it from 3 to 10 hours??
10-17-05, 07:33 PM
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Well with higher mileage, it could probably stand to use new ones anyways, even if they have not completely failed. Keep this in mind. The LS' are notorious for wearing out all of the suspension parts, mostly due to the weight of the car.
As far as vibration when driving, it can be a number of things, including but not limited to:
Brake problems
Tire problems
Bushing problems
Ball joint problems
Tie rod end problems
Shock problems
If you are going to keep the car for any length of time you probably should just go through all of these and refresh the car. The car will thank you for it!
As far as the bushing job, it should be around 6-12 hours, depending on which one(s) you actually change. Do note that the upper ball joints are not changed with this bushing job, if those are bad you would need to replace the arms first. The new bushings can still be installed on the new arms for maximized effect. You would also need new strut rod bushings that you can get from lexus-parts.com
As far as vibration when driving, it can be a number of things, including but not limited to:
Brake problems
Tire problems
Bushing problems
Ball joint problems
Tie rod end problems
Shock problems
If you are going to keep the car for any length of time you probably should just go through all of these and refresh the car. The car will thank you for it!
As far as the bushing job, it should be around 6-12 hours, depending on which one(s) you actually change. Do note that the upper ball joints are not changed with this bushing job, if those are bad you would need to replace the arms first. The new bushings can still be installed on the new arms for maximized effect. You would also need new strut rod bushings that you can get from lexus-parts.com
10-24-05, 05:17 PM
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Originally Posted by suloh
My 92 LS 400 with 194K has a bad steering vibration from 40mph and above.
How does one tell if my control arm bushings are bad. Will worn bushings really cause a gradual increase in steering vibrations as one goes faster? I do not hear and clunking noise when i goes of bumps. Just this horrid vibration when I go faster.
How does one tell if my control arm bushings are bad. Will worn bushings really cause a gradual increase in steering vibrations as one goes faster? I do not hear and clunking noise when i goes of bumps. Just this horrid vibration when I go faster.
10-26-05, 09:45 AM
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Front & rear wheel
I have similar problem. When I drive over pot holes on road it feels like both wheels are going to break off. Would these be the bushing or the arm ...?
Please help. Winter is coming.
Please help. Winter is coming.
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