jeannaca

My 2000 RX 300 has a "whirring" noise and slight vibration from the font end that starts around 40 miles per hour and gets a little bit louder as I increase speed. Sounds and feels like I'm driving on coursely grooved payment. The noise and vibration STOP if I turn to LEFT (and sometimes when I'm changing lanes more sharply to the left), and then resumes in the middle stearing position and also turning to the right.

Initially the guys at Mark's Jap Auto in Bellevue said the left front wheel bearing needed to be replaced. Easy enough, but after $700 that didn't solve the problem. They then said the "trans-axle?" wheel bearing on the right needed replacing. Not so easy since it requires taking the motor out.

Now, I have another DIY fella helping me (trying to save money). And after $2k of repairing the trans-axle right wheel bearing, there is no change in the noise or vibration, or speed that it starts. He's trying to determine what might be causing the problem, and he's ruled out the back wheels having any connection to the front end.

Any ideas?

thomas1

I your car AWD (all wheel drive)? Just curious because maybe the transfer case is going bad...

salimshah

I typically start the debug by easiest first

Try doing a X rotation of wheels.
Block/chock the other 3 wheels and lift up the suspect side. Put in "N" and give the wheel a whirl to reproduce the noise.
Do a thorough look over the wheel well area ... looking for scrub marks, plastic deflection. try shaking various parts.
Have an observer sit in another vehicle and visually see at speed for non-smooth rotation.
Borrow or buy a run-out dial and measure play [A must before replacing the bearing]

Salim

Lexmex

Welcome to the Club.

I wonder, given the steering thing you mentioned, if you have a problem with your lower suspension arm bushings by your front wheels. See photo below.

You can have the front lifted up and see if there is play on these (shaking the wheel).

DigitalEye

Wow! Finally someone else has the same problem I've had for the last year or so. Your description of "driving on grooved pavement" is exactly how I described mine originally only mines when I turn the wheel left of dead center. Unfortunately I haven't found a solution and frankly, now I'm glad I didn't spend $$$ having the bearings replaced which was one of the suggestions I got when I originally posted my issue a long time ago.

I really hope you solve it and please post if you do, I certainly will if I fix mine.

I've rotated the tires, checked the bushings and had the front end aligned, all to no avail. I think I'll go back and re-check the bushings as I'm due for another tire rotation soon. I've noticed that the vibration has diminished a bit over time (or perhaps I'm just getting used to it!?) I'm going to need new tires in about 5-10k mi. and I'm hoping that somehow its related to the tires and it'll all be gone when the new ones get put on. Not very scientific (or likely) I realize but I'm stumped on this one and have been for a while. Good Luck

Lexmex

Another possibility are the tie rods to the power steering. I had a loose one on my passenger's side and we later fixed this, but the bushings seemed to be the real issue.

Nickv

Dadgum LexMex,
You have such good information, I almost want my RX300 to break so I can follow your directions. Almost.....
Thanks for all the help.
Nick V

jeannaca

I just spoke with my DIY mechanic, and he has fixed the vibration!

Two things were done since my initial post:
1. My front and rear brakes needed replacing. Highly unlikely this had any effect on the vibration or noise though ...
2. He replaced the other RIGHT standard (sorry, don't know the exact term here) wheel bearing.

My mechanic said that he had looked at the responses on this site (thank you all by the way!), and he did look at the lower suspension arm bushings by the front wheels as LexMex had suggested.

In summary: All in all, the final RIGHT wheel bearing replacement did the job.
$700 to replace the LEFT wheel bearing.
$2k to replace the trans-axle bearing.
$400 to replace the RIGHT wheel bearing and replace front/rear breaks.

Problem solved!

Nickv

LexMex and Others,
Shouldn't replacement of front wheel bearings be a DIY capable task? Admittedly it has been many years since I replaced wheel bearings in cars (read a 1959 Chevy Impala), but it wasn't hard at all. Why are our Lexus bearings so expensive to replace? Can a DIYer do this task? Maybe others would like to know also.
Thanks for any advice.
Nick V

Lexmex

I haven't had the luxury of doing this yet, but having done it with my uncles on some other vehicles, I don't offhand why the expense would be what it is in this case, would like to see the breakdown on parts labor. Were other parts replaced in the process?

boz

I had the exact same issue on my '06 400h AWD, except the noise happened when I turned to the left. The service manager tried to claim that I had worn tires, as did the mechanic when I took him for a ride. I asked them to check out the drive train anyway, and as it turned out, the right wheel bearing was the culprit.

Nickv

Boz, What did it cost to get it fixed? Do you recall the parts and labor breakdown? Just curious....

salimshah

One fundamental difference is that, in Rx the front wheels are driven. Other setup has a spindle and race .. all you need to work with is a cotter pin and a crown nut.

Here you need to deal with half-shafts and cv joints. Not too hard but more involved.

Salim

DigitalEye

Fantastic! Thanks Jeannaca, great info. Guess I should have listend to those who suggested wheel bearings originally. I really appreciate your efforts and for sharing with the forum. You've likely saved me a bundle in trying to track it down as you did. Thsnks again.

code58

Jeannaca- Yes the brakes could definitely cause the vibration. I have seen them cause a pretty serious vibration more than once, especially when the brake pads are through to metal, AND DON"T CAUSE THE HARSH METAL TO METAL SOUND. Seems hard to believe but I have seen it more than once, and the vibration is pretty bad. I have not had to replace an RX front wheel bearing but they aren't anything like an adjustable front tapered bearing like we're used to on American vehicles. The way to check a front wheel bearing is to find a straight street without much traffic and turn the wheel back and forth aggressively (as in weaving). If you steer left and the noise shows up, it's most likely the right bearing because it is loaded most heavily in that maneuver. Obviously the opposite is true. Be cautious though because occasionally it will load the inside of the bearing in the direction you're turning and can fool you as to which wheel it is. But most of the time you can tell which side it's coming from. I have said before and will say again, the cheapest and most valuable tool you can have in your arsenal for detecting revolving noises is a MECHANICS STETHOSCOPE!