02 sc suspension question

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Dec 19, 2009 | 05:15 PM

azkaty

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From: az

02 sc suspension question

For those of you that have been following my (previous) tire balance/vibration problem...SOLVED!! Now , since that is solved, have a new question...my SC has 54,000 miles since new, driven mostly in the city. When I go over a bump, manhole cover, large seam in the pavement,...there is a "secondary" vibration that I feel through the suspension...kid of like a "ripple"...when I compare my 02 with my wife's '04, her car does not have the same feel...feels '"tighter"...anyone been here before? Shocks? Suspension bushings? Bob

Dec 27, 2009 | 07:50 PM

martini3

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From: Da Bay

i got 87k on mine. from your description, my guess would be shocks.

i have original shocks w/ tein s-tech springs and have not noticed any second vibration on mine. of course, I've changed my bushings out at around 30k already.

martini3

Dec 27, 2009 | 07:59 PM

intdiamond

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Lower control-arm bushings could be the culprit... if you've never replaced them, you're already past due. If they're worn out you can get a rattling ("ripple") feeling and sound when crossing over rough surfaces and bumps.

Dec 28, 2009 | 06:12 PM

azkaty

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From: az

"rippling over bumps"

Thanks for your reply..getting them replaced tomorrow morning...seems to be an early sc problem (build date 11/2001)...will let you know if this fixes this problem...wife has an '04 SC, and she does not have this problem at all...@ 43,000 miles...maybe the design of the bushing was changed!? Bob

Dec 28, 2009 | 07:56 PM

Peter_Klim

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From: CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by intdiamond

Could this also be the cause of vibrations felt in the stearing wheel between around 50-60 mph?

I bought my 02 used last summer with 49K and have always felt it in the speed range.

Dec 28, 2009 | 11:20 PM

howdybob22

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From: WA

Quote:

Originally Posted by intdiamond

Lower control-arm bushings could be the culprit... if you've never replaced them, you're already past due. If they're worn out you can get a rattling ("ripple") feeling and sound when crossing over rough surfaces and bumps.

Awsome guess (diagnoses) by the way

Can you expand further on the highlight comment? So what sort of time/miles do we associate with the bushings wear? Thnx.

Dec 29, 2009 | 11:01 AM

intdiamond

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Klim

Could this also be the cause of vibrations felt in the stearing wheel between around 50-60 mph?

I bought my 02 used last summer with 49K and have always felt it in the speed range.

I'm not sure if these bushings would cause your vibrations; typically, steering-wheel vibrations at those speeds are caused by tire/wheel-issues. Do you have OEM wheels with no mods (spacers,etc.) ? You may have a bent wheel, out-of-round tires, poor balancing, or similar issues that tend to cause high-speed vibrations. With aftermarket wheels, this problem is very common.

Quote:

Originally Posted by howdybob22

Awsome guess (diagnoses) by the way

Can you expand further on the highlight comment? So what sort of time/miles do we associate with the bushings wear? Thnx.

My '02 is an early-build, too, and my mechanic @ The Dealership told me it's common for these bushings to go 'quickly'. What 'quickly' means, I'm not too sure... but I have relatively low miles (37k) and mine went bad after approximately 3 yrs./20k, which seems like an extremely short life-span for a bushing. However, I have much larger wheels and tires than OEM, which puts much more stress on everything suspension-related, so premature wear on my vehicle may not have been so premature. I had the same annoying rattling as the OP, and we discovered the bushing problem when we hoisted my car to change out my sway bars from OEM to Daizens.

I believe suspension-bushings, not just these, are common contributors to rattling/rippling/annoying noises in all cars, not just ours. All my past and present vehicles have had similar occurrences, and all seemed to occur earlier than what I would've expected. I hope this helps.

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Dec 31, 2009 | 06:52 AM

Bon

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From: KC, MO

Quote:

Originally Posted by azkaty

Thanks for the post! Can you help me out with what your picture show. I take it that there are factory cutout slots in each bushing and these are normal. Am I seeing stress cracks in the rubber bushing that extend away from these cutouts? How does you car feel now that they are replaced? Thanks!

Dec 31, 2009 | 12:42 PM

#10

scdroptop

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From: Tx

congrats! More great news for Bob and Katy!!!! Nice pics and write up. Those look pretty nasty. People forget that heat can put a toll on rubber too. Most people diss northern or northeastern cars but us in the SW heat can have issues with rubber stuff wearing out. See my serpentine belt replacement post. Looks like my 2005 will be due sometime soon as well with only 36k miles and CPO.

Another DIY for $40 and a gatorback belt from Autozone.

Dec 31, 2009 | 01:27 PM

#11

azkaty

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From: az

It get's better from here!

Bob's SC is getting there now..with new aluminum pedals and the Injen air intake..he says his car is screamin' now!

I will have to drive his baby..then see if Jade "needs" these mods!

Katy

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Dec 31, 2009 | 02:19 PM

#12

SteadyEddy

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From: Formerly Easton, Pa. Bradenton FL, now Osprey Fl.

Were the cracks in the lower control arms visible when on the car? Or can you only see the cracks once they were removed from the car? I guess I need to get my own SC so I can do some of the same changes Bob is doing. If I mess with "her" car. Well!!!! I'd never hear the end of it.

Dec 31, 2009 | 02:38 PM

#13

mdpuff

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From: Alberta

Now I am assuming that this refers to all four lower control arm bushings or is it generally isolated to the front or rear? Does anybody know of any after market urethane bushings or are we stuck with OEM?? I might have to look at replacing all 8 lower control arms in the spring when the snow melts away and we can get our babies back on the road. Hate to think of them just sitting there in the cold when they would rather be out cruising around with the tops down putting big smiles on our faces! We even had to go out and buy a 99 ES300 so we could still enjoy some Lexus during the winter!!

Dec 31, 2009 | 04:37 PM

#14

azkaty

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From: az

suspension bushings

To everyone....the cracks are visible when still mounted on the car...the cracks are off the cut-outs...easy to see...IF you know what you are looking for. No aftermarket urethane bushings are available, only OEM Lexus. The rear bushings are another problem, and covered by many TSB's...a "cracking" noise over bumps. I can definitely say that my problem is fixed..at last. The cracks can be seen with a high-intensity flashlight while still mounted on the car. In Arizona, rubber does not last as long as elsewhere, but from my research, probably happens to most of our cars around 30,000 miles. Well worth the replacement cost. Bob