Replaced Flexible Coupling

[bicol-ini]

hello, replaced my flexible coupling, both tranny and differential, took some pix, old one has cracks in it, when shifting, that loud clunk that sometimes comes, and even accelerating, when you let your foot off the gas and steps on it again that sort of clunk or thump, now its quite seems like new again, this in conjunction with the other replacements that i ve done lately,

rear carrier bushing

strut rod bushing front

front and rear sway bar bushings

tranny mount

and the engine mount,

[95LS400Bob]

Great pics and you've even given me the part number. My front one has a few cracks....haven't noticed any symptoms but I am going to replace them. In 150,000 miles..they have flexed enough.

[lexus400]

How much did the couplings cost you ?

thanks

[bicol-ini]

hello, got them from newlexusparts.com in plano texas, a lexus dealer costs 145, free shipping, :D

[bicol-ini]

check this thread for the tranny lurch problems you guys are having

[nc211]

Bicol-ini, did you get two for $145, or were they $145 each?

[bicol-ini]

thats a piece

[nc211]

Does this cause a propeller shaft vibration? I've noticed I've got that loud clunk from the transmission area when putting the pedal down in a more aggresive manor. But I've also got what feels like driveshaft vibrations. The control arms and so forth reduced it quite a bit, but it's still there. I really notice it under normal speeds "35-40mph" and going up hill when the load increases. It's a vibration that seems to run through the whole car, not just the front or the back. Feel it in the wheel, and in the seat.

[bicol-ini]

hi inspect your guibo or flex coupling and the universal joint, if after inspection per manual, you still having problems and replaced the coupling then youve got to have the propeller shaft inspect and balanced, but this rarely happens unless you really abused the car on take off, and such.

[nc211]

Well I purchased the set off of ebay for $60 total, and dang if they don't look exactly like yours Bicol They even have the correct part number on them, those little "O"'s with the crosshairs and dots in the circle and the Toyota imprint too. What gives? They're definetly a substantial piece of super thick rubber! Things weight probably 3 or 4 pounds each. I wonder if Toyota hired a 3rd party to make these and now that 3rd party is selling them directly to the public now? They told me they were not oem, but I must say, pretty damn good knock-off if they're not. They'd fool me if they weren't. Of course, proof is in the puddin' as they say and we'll see how easily they install and how well they function..... <_< That has yet to be proven....I'll definetly post up the results!!

Bring on the pneumatics!!! AND...we get to "spring forward" tomorrow night too!! More daylight after work!!! :D

I'll post up pictures of mine later tonight or in the morning.

[nc211]

Here are some pictures: Mine are definetly not as clean as yours though Bicol. Mine had a layer of white protector wax on them..probably due to shipping from manufacturer.

[lsrxlex]

nc211,

please give info of the seller to order. i couldn't find it on ebay by searching "flexible coupling ls400".

thanks.

[nc211]

got mine from www.powerprousa.com

$29 ea.

[morg96ls400]

Hey nc,

Did you get these installed yet? Any noticable change/reduction in manual shifting noise/lurch? Thinking about buying these to put in but I wanna hear if they did anything for your vehicle as it seems we have a lot of the same car woes. Hope all is well.

Dan

[nc211]

Hey Morg, just now getting to them today. I had to drop the car off at my indi to do the job as I'm too busy to get to it myself. When I walked in with one in my hand, my mechanic knew exactly what it was, said they've replaced several in the past and knows exactly why. He also knew how expensive they were "oem" and asked me where I got mine. I told him "ebay" and he said "good boy." Not sure what that meant, but this is a small shop that handles all kinds of imports, and for them to know exactly what it was and familiar with it like that, makes me think others have been there already with the same thing. I'll try and post up tonight what the difference is in the shifting and such. Busy as all hell these days.

[Ross W.]

My car's couplings are starting to do that too. Hope they're not too expensive. Thanks for the photos.

[nc211]

Don't want to leave anyone in suspsense over this one....

Had them replaced yesterday with the ebay ones......WELL WORTH THE MONEY! I can't say if it killed the lurch, I haven't driven the car yet when the engine was cold, but I can say I can definetly feel a difference in the smoothness of the car's operation! Mine had cracks in them that you can't see from just looking at them while they're attached. I had several hairline cracks around the rings. I can confirm the ebay ones are identical to the oem ones! I mean identical in every way! Same rubber feel, same everything. I would not buy the toyota versions at $150 each. Instead, I would buy the ebay ones and save yourself a butt load of money.

Blake, at your mileage, there is no doubt in my mind that yours are cracked too, probably a lot more than mine were at 114k miles. I don't think you'll be wasting your money or time at all by doing this project. It's a DIY project "I just didn't have the time". They killed all vibrations from the driveshaft!

[Sweet95LS400]

Do you have any pictures of the old ones? My car only has 80k on it but does the lurch.

[Sweet95LS400]

Any luck getting rid of the lurch and vibration between 35-40?

[nc211]

Quick update #2....might have jumped the gun on my excitement over these ebay parts....went to beach this weekend for batchelor party, car has developed a low pitched humming noise "like a 12 inch subwoofer humming" and a severe and rapid vibration that makes the rear view mirror useless unless I put my hand on it to stop it from vibrating. Car is going back to shop in the morning for reevaluation and possible reinstall of the old couplings. My thinking is improper installation "bolts probably unevenly torqued" creating an uneven "y" plane.

Or, "had the 4 wheel alignment and balance last friday morning" and something is off in the back. Vibration is too fast to be a wheel though. As I was pulling out of driveway this morning to drag my hungover !Removed! into the office, the car was cold, and it shoook like beyonce's tail end from 30mph on up. Once it warms up, it gets better, but still there. Something's up in the driveshaft......will try to up date again after tomorrow. wedding is saturday, guests start arriving wednesday...and got a job interview that just poped up last friday for a DREAM JOB in Chapel Hill on Thursday at 3:00......Jeezzzz am I gonna sleep like a champ come sunday during our 15 hour flight to new zealand.

[Jacob]

nc211

Could it be the aftermarket couplings?

[Sweet95LS400]

But how is the lurch? Still there?

[ko90ls]

so the couplings go on the driveshaft?

[nc211]

Hey fellas...

I think it is the flex couplings...I did get them off of ebay after all. I'm not up set by any means, well worth the $150 to answer this question of those couplings on ebay for everyone. Sweet, the lurch is reduced, it's more of an engagement now with a slight kick in the pants when cold, not that lunge forward and the tail end squats down like before. ko90ls, yes the flex couplings are the rubber bushings that connect the driveshaft to the rear differential and to the transmission. Car is in the shop now, should beable to post up results tonight.

[nc211]

Final update for a few weeks......the vibration was the flex couplings.....in short...I retract my previous statement that you should buy the ebay ones and save yourself a ton of money, they're simply NO GOOD. It appears to be in the bolt sections. You will see in the pictures that there are raised sections on each side. The ebay ones are not to spec after all, which caused the drive shaft to be mis-aligned, and vibrated like crazy.

I tried to "one-up" good ole Bicolini on this one, and learned my lesson...the student is not ready to take on the teacher! I shall take my seat in the back and put on my "dunce cap" now....