I just had my beloved 2010 RX350 serviced and inspected in a locally-owned garage. One of the findings is that the lower control arm bushings are deteriorating. While their condition is not yet bad enough to fail safety inspection, they will undoubtedly need replacing before the next annual inspection. The local garage reports that Lexus indicates that the engine and transmission must be pulled in order to replace the lower control arms, at an expense of $2.9K just to pull and replace the engine and tranny. The garage owner believes there must be another simpler, less costly way to do this. Can anyone in this forum point us to the way to replace lower control arms without removing the engine and transmission? Many thanks!!!

By the way, my RX350 has only 89K original miles, and the former owner had it faithfully and regularly serviced by Lexus.

 

The internet search bar is very useful; so use it.

Took me 1 minute to find this video. I typed "lexus rx350 lower control removal" in the search bar.

 

Control arm bushings show webbing [pre-cursor to rip]. So don't be in a hurry and ask for a second opinion.

Salim

 

people love getting spoonfed nowadays lol

 

agree

 

Tell me about it.

I understand that some cars are rare(or very new) and may not have a good amount(or any) online search results about repairs so maybe a forum inquiry is necessary. However, the 2010-2015 RX350 is a very common crossover with many repair videos available online.

Heck, most of the answers given on this forum(or any forum) is regurgitated information from other forums members posting their online search results that could be easily found by the original question posters themselves.

 

Guilty as described when it comes to our used but new to us RX350.

I'm sure that's true, and the forum would otherwise be completely dead.

I think most folks enjoy helping others even if it's repetitive and somewhat tedious.

In any event, I'm sure folks appreciate the help you and others provide as much as I have. Thanks.

 

I fully agree with the above posts regarding searching and spoon feeding etc.

Steideltc - you need to read this link to a related thread regarding differentiating between normal control arm bushings cracks and when the cracks are bad enought to require replacement.
Bottom line is you can probably drive for years without doing anything and your car will tell you when it is time to replace them because you will notice steering and ride issues long before they fail.
As stated above there are many shortcuts to replace the lower control arms that are much faster and less involved than the official Lexus method which appears designed to make dealers more profitable.
​​​​​​https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...20k-miles.html

 

Regarding internet searching and being spoonfed information, keep in mind that even the most properly-worded searches do not always result in the most helpful presentations. And with the various online automotive forums such as this one, consider the elevated confidence factor that often results when you establish communications with a member who has already encountered and repaired the exact issue you are attempting to resolve. Receiving that member's step-by-step guidance here on the forum can be extremely valuable.

 

To clarify.

I do not think that a member should not ask the forum an question they need to.

My point is to first "try" an internet search before making a thread because most of the time the information can be found easily with a internet search. The internet generally have many videos that are much more informative on performing the repair than what any member will post; if the videos are not posted as the answer.

 

No problem.

I have been part of a automotive forum for many different makes for decades so repetitive topics are just part of being in a forum. Many of the topics about octane,transmission fluid, engine oil, air filters, etc have been discussed in every single one; usually with no one clear decisive collective answer that all members would agree on.

My point is that some members can find most answers on their own by performing an simple internet search that can take literally only a minute like this thread question about removing the RX350 lower control arms without removing the engine. However, there will be some questions that an internet search will not answer such as certain part numbers, bolt specs, repair procedures not in a video; so then it would be time to make an thread about it.

 

no need to pull engine and tranny. consult with different mechanic.

 

My sincere thanks to all of you who took the time to address the problem I've encountered. I'm a 50-year experienced radio frequency engineer, but far short in experience from most of you in my knowledge and understanding of my very own car! I had searched the internet for possible solutions but, just as I had encountered so many times in my chosen field of experience and employment, so many "solutions" offered on the internet are incomplete, erroneous, undocumented, unproven, or just plain unclear that it is hard for someone experienced in automotive engineering to know whom to trust. That is precisely why I turned to this forum, because some number of you have faced this very same problem, and have learned, perhaps the hard way, what will work, what won't work, and what just might work if everything goes perfectly as planned. The owner of the garage that I frequent was honest enough to tell me that he doesn't--indeed, he can't believe that Lexus would require the removal of the engine and transmission to repair/replace lower control arms. So, I've come to you to ask for your help for both my garage mechanic, the owner, and myself.

Looking ahead, and perhaps daydreaming a bit, it would be incredibly wonderful if somewhere in this forum there would be a "proven solutions to the challenge of....." section to provide solid advice to folks like me, and the many others like me who may be experts in other fields, but are sometimes overwhelmed by the complexities of automotive design in today's world. Back in the 1970's I didn't just change my own oil; I changed brake pads, drums, shoes and rotors, swapped major engine components like intakes, carbs, exhausts, and suspension. I won't even try most of these today, not just because I'm too old to tackle some of these hard jobs, but also because I don't consider myself competent enough to pull them off successfully.

I tend to agree especially with the comment about spider-webbing on the bushing surfaces, especially given the age of the car, the very low mileage, AND the destructive properties of ground-level ozone and other harsh chemicals, in addition to very dry weather, that all take their toll on rubber components like bushings. I will continue to watch these bushings, together with my mechanic, to determine if/when they may need replacing, while in the meantime, hoping that someone has a proven, fail-proof, easier way to replace them without using crowbars, jacks, and specialized tools, and without removing the engine and transmission entirely.

Again, thank you very much, and of course, I'll continue to follow this thread, as well as others, that may be helpful.

 

disk brakes much easier to work on than drums, which I presume you encountered frequently in the 70's, I know I did. things have not changed as much as you might think. the real thing that has changed is everything is under computer control. other than that, its just been refinements.

 

Back in the 70s I could identify every part under the hood. Working on my car was a matter of necessity because something was always failing or required adjusting.... points, plugs, condenser, cap, wires... on and on... As a young man I figured that's why God made Saturday!