Gonna Jump Into The 97 Ls Front End

[uakicker]

Getting a pretty serious clunk on my wife's 97 LS400 from the front right. I think it's probably the upper strut mount, but am going to replace both mounts and both struts. Anyone know of a website that sells both parts? Trying to find quality parts at a reasonable price! Thanks for your help.

Mike

[Threadcutter]

Getting a pretty serious clunk on my wife's 97 LS400 from the front right. I think it's probably the upper strut mount, but am going to replace both mounts and both struts. Anyone know of a website that sells both parts? Trying to find quality parts at a reasonable price! Thanks for your help.

Mike

Mike:

I just did mine all the way around this past weekend. I purchased KYB-GR2's online;

http://www.pickproparts.com.

They had them in stock, had good prices & shipped promptly. No funny business. Do yourself a great big favor & go to;

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/suspension/fshock.html

In his write up, he mentions the "Ball Joint Puller". BUY IT! ($10.00) The front struts are a PITA, but if you have the puller, you can seperate the upper ball joint from the upper control arm. Having done that, you can spread the upper & lower arms apart & now have all kinds of room to work. Mine's a '95 & I disconnected the brake line from/at the caliper so that when I lowered the lower control arm, it wouldn't strain the brake line. If you don't have a strut spring compression tool, go to Sears & buy their "McPherson Strut" removal tool ($39.95, if memory serves me correct). Remove the strut assembly from the vehicle intact, then use the Strut tool to compress the spring so that you can change the strut.

If your present shocks are dead, the GR-2's will seem pretty firm. The biggest "before/after" difference for mine was when I did the rears. The ride is much firmer, but it sure drives & handles a lot better.

BTW, My old mounts were just fine, they definitely didn't need replacing.

[nc211]

For straight OEM parts at good prices, I use www.lexuspartsonline.com we've all got our favorites on here. Most are listed / linked from www.parts.com. Make sure you don't make the same mistake I made and forget to replace the upper strut bumper. Since you've got to take them out anyway, do yourself a favor and replace them. They are number #17 on the attachement....$13 and change from my website.

[Threadcutter]

Getting a pretty serious clunk on my wife's 97 LS400 from the front right. I think it's probably the upper strut mount, but am going to replace both mounts and both struts. Anyone know of a website that sells both parts? Trying to find quality parts at a reasonable price! Thanks for your help.

Mike

Mike:

I just did mine all the way around this past weekend. I purchased KYB-GR2's online;

http://www.pickproparts.com.

They had them in stock, had good prices & shipped promptly. No funny business. Do yourself a great big favor & go to;

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/suspension/fshock.html

In his write up, he mentions the "Ball Joint Puller". BUY IT! ($10.00) The front struts are a PITA, but if you have the puller, you can seperate the upper ball joint from the upper control arm. Having done that, you can spread the upper & lower arms apart & now have all kinds of room to work. Mine's a '95 & I disconnected the brake line from/at the caliper so that when I lowered the lower control arm, it wouldn't strain the brake line. If you don't have a strut spring compression tool, go to Sears & buy their "McPherson Strut" removal tool ($39.95, if memory serves me correct). Remove the strut assembly from the vehicle intact, then use the Strut tool to compress the spring so that you can change the strut.

If your present shocks are dead, the GR-2's will seem pretty firm. The biggest "before/after" difference for mine was when I did the rears. The ride is much firmer, but it sure drives & handles a lot better.

BTW, My old mounts were just fine, they definitely didn't need replacing.

BTWII......Once you've removed the strut from the vehicle, it is very easy to stand it up vertically on the shop floor, upside down so that the (top) three threaded studs are resting on the floor. DO NOT, under any circumstances, lean over the top of the strut. It would be about as smart as leaning over, looking into a missile silo or shotgun to see if/when something's going to come out. You will have to attach spring compressors, but do it from the side. It's not likely to happen, but if something does go haywire, you won't have to worry about the last thing you see being a pogo stick going through your chest and exiting through the roof.