WARNING! front lower ball joints!
11-30-06, 10:35 PM
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WARNING! front lower ball joints!
if you guys hear any sound once in awhile even if its very very light sound! take out your ball joints then check or replace them! I had a very very faint sound and i always thought i had a bad ball joint.ca My r been on the lift at work millions of times been shaking the wheel, but i never got play or movement what so ever and the sound got really loud yesterday and i was prying the balljoint shaking the tire retightened every bolt on the subframe, rack, suspension and i still got the noise, so today i just decide to take it apart and play around with the parts to look for it and when i took off the joints they had so much play in them. The funny thing is the dealer in brooklyn gotta special order every part i call them for, but for some reason they carried the lower ball joints im guess they must replace it very offen or know those ball joints are to weak for our heavy boats
My supra also need ball joints, sway links and stuff like that changed very offen guess thats what you get for drivin boats on the street 
. so better safe then sorry guys its only like 75$ more or less each for the balljoints!
My supra also need ball joints, sway links and stuff like that changed very offen guess thats what you get for drivin boats on the street . so better safe then sorry guys its only like 75$ more or less each for the balljoints!
12-01-06, 12:25 AM
#2
yup, ball joints is a problem on gs's. someone on here got screwed over some ball joints. $8,000 worth of damge/frame damage. my local lexus tech warned me about those.
12-01-06, 07:01 AM
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12-01-06, 10:48 PM
#9
Intermediate
Can I post a dumb question? Im not mechanic saavy. But what are ball joints and what do they do? I have a 2000 GS4 with 100K miles on it and sometimes like when Im parking and I press on the brakes I hear like this clanking sound. It doesnt do it all the time but its driving me nuts.
Thanks
Thanks
12-01-06, 10:55 PM
#10
Can I post a dumb question? Im not mechanic saavy. But what are ball joints and what do they do? I have a 2000 GS4 with 100K miles on it and sometimes like when Im parking and I press on the brakes I hear like this clanking sound. It doesnt do it all the time but its driving me nuts.
Thanks
Thanks
Ball joints attach the lower end of the suspension A-frame (control arm) to the body. The ball joint allows the suspension to travel around while still securing the suspension. The car also has an upper ball joint but rarely do they go out as the load in carried on the lower ball joint. Many cars have lower ball joint issues. The Porsche 928 had some serious issues with this and caused a few serious accidents. 944's were not allowed on the track unless they had proof that the owner replaced the factory lower ball joint with improved and safer aftermarket versions. Because if one pops out-instant loss of control and hopefully you are not on the highway.
Last edited by Pearlpower; 12-02-06 at 11:06 AM.
12-01-06, 11:26 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
if you guys hear any sound once in awhile even if its very very light sound! take out your ball joints then check or replace them! I had a very very faint sound and i always thought i had a bad ball joint.ca My r been on the lift at work millions of times been shaking the wheel, but i never got play or movement what so ever and the sound got really loud yesterday and i was prying the balljoint shaking the tire retightened every bolt on the subframe, rack, suspension and i still got the noise, so today i just decide to take it apart and play around with the parts to look for it and when i took off the joints they had so much play in them. The funny thing is the dealer in brooklyn gotta special order every part i call them for, but for some reason they carried the lower ball joints im guess they must replace it very offen or know those ball joints are to weak for our heavy boats My supra also need ball joints, sway links and stuff like that changed very offen guess thats what you get for drivin boats on the street . so better safe then sorry guys its only like 75$ more or less each for the balljoints!
My supra also need ball joints, sway links and stuff like that changed very offen guess thats what you get for drivin boats on the street . so better safe then sorry guys its only like 75$ more or less each for the balljoints!What is the noise that you heard to indicate bad ball joints? My car makes a creaking/groaning, noise that can be pretty loud coming from the front suspension area generally when going under 30mph and hitting road imperfections especially during slow speed turns on hills and dips, it is very noticeable when going over speed bumps. There is also a rattling like sound coming from the front tire suspension area. Funny thing is when there is a passenger sitting in the car and we are listening for it it usaully cannot be heard or is extremely faint. I had a machanic ride along and it never really made the noise but later that day it was very noticeable. I have had it looked at twice and even looked at it on a lift where we could not find anything wrong, broken, or loose. It is extremely annoying having this creaking noise and not being able to least diagnose it.
12-02-06, 05:30 AM
#12
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I just changed mine out last week. Cost me $180 (new rear brake pad's too) shipped. When I took them out there was some serious play and wear. After new one's went in, the car felt a lot tighter in the front end.
12-02-06, 07:05 AM
#13
Racer
Anyone have a mileage recommendation for replacing the ball joints?
85k? 100k?
85k? 100k?
12-02-06, 10:44 AM
#14
Intermediate
Sounds like your brake pads moving in the calipers is all. Very common on all Lexus's.
Ball joints attach the lower end of the suspension A-frame (control arm) to the body. The ball joint allows the suspension to travel around while still securing the suspension. The car also has an upper ball joint but rarely do they go out as the load in carried on the lower ball joint. Many cars have lower ball joint issues. The Porsche 928 had some serious issues with this and caused a few serious accidents. 944's were not allowed on the track unless they had proof that the owner replaced the factory lower ball joint with improved and safer aftermarket versions. Because if one pops out-instant lose of control and hopefully you are not on the highway.
Ball joints attach the lower end of the suspension A-frame (control arm) to the body. The ball joint allows the suspension to travel around while still securing the suspension. The car also has an upper ball joint but rarely do they go out as the load in carried on the lower ball joint. Many cars have lower ball joint issues. The Porsche 928 had some serious issues with this and caused a few serious accidents. 944's were not allowed on the track unless they had proof that the owner replaced the factory lower ball joint with improved and safer aftermarket versions. Because if one pops out-instant lose of control and hopefully you are not on the highway.
Thanks again.
