I just got through putting the steering rack bushings on. I didn't think it would make that much of a difference since my rims and the rest of my suspension is stock. I am glad I was wrong. It made a noticeable difference on the freeway and while coming out of turns. It was totally worth it. Hardly any play at all.

 

Anyone who's car is a few years old with plenty of mles on it should consider this simple mod.

The steering rack bushing is subject to the rack moving ALL THE TIME since you're steering the wheel. It just happens that rubber gets weak over time and before you know it..it's softer than jello.

 

after i read this thread, i figured <$40...why not. with 95k my rack was rocking side to side. i was surprised how much the OEM bushings had worn. like everyone else, i love it. car feels much better even with my mushy winter tires, i can feel the difference. straight line tracking seems to have improved also. thanks GSteg. your tips definitely helped.
while i was at it, i also replaced the sway bar bushings with Daizen PU. oddly enough, car feels more solid. cant comment on cornering ability as I'm not really nailing the turns since I'm still on my winter tires; but im not expecting THAT much out of them anyway since the bars are stock.

 

add me to the list of happy campers here!

i took it to my mechanic and he had everything done within 20 minutes on a hoist

my alignment is a bit messed up (damn winter frostheaves/potholes are killing me), so i cannot comment on my tracking in a straight line. what i can say is that i've lost that miserable bumpsteer i would get while turning, and the kickback through the steering column over expansion joints is gone!

it's not bmw-razor sharp, but it's still a great improvement nonetheless over what i had before.

i'm hoping this will cure my steering problems. i had originally bought the daizen bushing kit for the front suspension in hopes of fixing the wandering vagueness in the front end, but now maybe i don't need to do it after all?

 

I was also about to get the daizen control arm bushing kit because my steering was looser than a hooker and it would be all over the place. Instead, I went for the steering rack bushing and it helped the wandering, but it wasn't until I changed the tires, balanced them, and then aligning the car that I got my car to drive the way it should. Though the tires made the biggest difference on my car.

 

i'm on 235-17 snows right now and it's much worse with my 255-20 summers in the front... it would tramline everywhere even after 2 wheel alignments

 

i've had these bushings laying around for quite a while and decided to do them today. few comments:

-i started to tap the old bushing out with a hammer and screwdriver then realised they would probably come out much easier with a pittman puller -- they did...
-i had some problems realigning the rack after installing the new bushings, if you have this problem put a jack under the rack to push it up into place
-my bushings didn't seem to be in as bad shape as some others, dunno why that was (car has 109k), changing them did bring a noticeable but not huge improvement. definitely worth the $40.

 

I have to tell you. With the Daizen rack bushings installed, it really made the steering MUCH more precise and took away all of the slop. With 98k miles, the key to getting my GS300 up to snuff was replacing the L-tuned shocks with new L-tuned shocks, and replacing the castor arms (OEM). Then the final stage is a good alignment and I finally got the tires balanced at Big O on the Hunter 9700. It is the first time that the shimmy at freeway speeds has been TOTALLY ELIMINATED. I chose not to mess with the steering pretensioner and to first make sure the suspension is re-newed.

Thanks for posting this thread on the bushings. Club Lexus has been an invaluable asset once more!

Steve

'01 GS 300; OEM 17" chrome rims; L-tuned springs/shocks; Bridgestone Turanza LS-Z tires (the best touring perf. tire ).

 

Thank you very much GSteg for the detailed writeup. I ordered the bushings from Sewell on Friday and they were on my door step when I got home from work today. I installed them right away. Install went pretty good. Thank you Lexforlife for the tip about cutting the lip off with a box cutter. That helped a lot.

I have 102k on my GS and there was quit a bit of play in the steering. Also when I went over small bumps or imperfections the wheel kind of jittered or felt loose. Those symtoms are gone now and steering is very precise compared to what is was. Defintely worth the $40! I would have never attempted this or the sway bar bushings without these writeups. Thanks

 

This has to become a STICKY!

 

Is there any need to get an alignment job after replacing the steering rack bushings?

 

Nope, just put in and drive.

 

Mine should be here any day now to.. what lip do you cut? Is this on the smaller bushings? thanks

Tony

 

awesome thread!

 

You don't really have to cut any lips. What I did is put a screwdriver through the bushing hole, and pushed the bushing through. It is actually easier than most people think.