Steering Wheel, Alighnment?

[pwonder]

i have a 92 sc400. My problem is that when i turn left or right usually a sharper turn im feeling a void in the steering wheel. and when getting out of the turn my steering wheel is miss-aligned in the direction of the turn. just got this car and am tired of dumping money into it. I have no clue what might be the problem and cant afford to take it to a mechanic. please help

[JIBBBY]

Your Rack bushing and LCA bushings are shot...You need to change them out... I have a 92 SC400 and they all wear out by now... I replaced my LCA arms with Supra 93 arms (they bolt right in) and replaced the little rack pinion bushing and the car handled like new... Toyota dealer $500.

Or you can try Daisen bushing or OEM bushing replacement....

[TommySC]

Rack Bushings for sure. MIGHT also be the LCA bushings.

If your a poor man like me, do this step by step.

Go to TMengineering.com and get the Daizen Rack Bushings ... $47 shipped to your door. Go to clublexus.com, and do a search, there is a thread with a step by step with pictures on how to change these yourself.

I did it, and it fixed my the misalignment in my steering wheel, as well as tightened up steering a lot.

If this does not totally fix the problem, then you need to get the LCA bushings as well. Shouldn't be too expensive. I do have a used, but good condition, lower control arm assembly for sale ... on the cheap.

Hope this helps.

Now if only someone could reply to my Power Steering thread, I'd be set! lol

[pwonder]

Rack Bushings for sure. MIGHT also be the LCA bushings.

If your a poor man like me, do this step by step.

Go to TMengineering.com and get the Daizen Rack Bushings ... $47 shipped to your door. Go to clublexus.com, and do a search, there is a thread with a step by step with pictures on how to change these yourself.

I did it, and it fixed my the misalignment in my steering wheel, as well as tightened up steering a lot.

If this does not totally fix the problem, then you need to get the LCA bushings as well. Shouldn't be too expensive. I do have a used, but good condition, lower control arm assembly for sale ... on the cheap.

Hope this helps.

Now if only someone could reply to my Power Steering thread, I'd be set! lol

Thanks guys, this forum is like a gift from god. I am very gratefull.

[pwonder]

Rack Bushings for sure. MIGHT also be the LCA bushings.

If your a poor man like me, do this step by step.

Go to TMengineering.com and get the Daizen Rack Bushings ... $47 shipped to your door. Go to clublexus.com, and do a search, there is a thread with a step by step with pictures on how to change these yourself.

I did it, and it fixed my the misalignment in my steering wheel, as well as tightened up steering a lot.

If this does not totally fix the problem, then you need to get the LCA bushings as well. Shouldn't be too expensive. I do have a used, but good condition, lower control arm assembly for sale ... on the cheap.

Hope this helps.

Now if only someone could reply to my Power Steering thread, I'd be set! lol

thanks for the info. Im definitly poor after getting involved with this car. I tried to find the step by step instructions on clublexus.com but am having a hard time finding it. Do i have to search through every thread....? Is there any way you can locate it for me and let me know. I know Iknow im being a pain in the !Removed!. If not its ok, but if you can that would be great. thanks for your help

[pwonder]

Rack Bushings for sure. MIGHT also be the LCA bushings.

If your a poor man like me, do this step by step.

Go to TMengineering.com and get the Daizen Rack Bushings ... $47 shipped to your door. Go to clublexus.com, and do a search, there is a thread with a step by step with pictures on how to change these yourself.

I did it, and it fixed my the misalignment in my steering wheel, as well as tightened up steering a lot.

If this does not totally fix the problem, then you need to get the LCA bushings as well. Shouldn't be too expensive. I do have a used, but good condition, lower control arm assembly for sale ... on the cheap.

Hope this helps.

Now if only someone could reply to my Power Steering thread, I'd be set! lol

I just got a quote from a local mechanic to replace the rack bushings and do alighnment for $175 bushings included. Fair price????

[JIBBBY]

TM engineering is the biggest rip off, the guy named Todd is a jerk and lier...He will quote you one price the come back with another, he will say he is going to do a certain job and then cut corners...I am shocked he is still in business. I can't stand that guy and would like to beat him down if given the opportunity... A very shady business man...

I almost sued him... Go ebay for bushings if you can...Daisens suck anyway, short life expectancy, and can make noise after a short period of time...No side rails on those big rubber bushings that is the problem with the Daisens..They begin to mushroom out after a year or so and are useless...

[TommySC]

Thats the first I have heard of that.

Most of the CL guys have used the Daisens, and I haven't seen one complaint. My are good, although it has only been 2 weeks since install.

You obviously know much more about the car than me. This I admit, but I just checked Ebay, and all of the Rack Bushings that I see look really cheap. They all use plastic, as opposed to the metal cores in the Daisens.

Also, the price on the website for the bushings is the real price. When you say the guy is shady, perhaps you are referring to his personal mechanic work, or custom parts?

What ya think?

[JIBBBY]

I myself and a close freind both have used the Daisens bushing...Mine mushroomed after 3 months, my friends made noise and began mushrooming after one month...I ended up throwing my LCA and daisen bushing in the trash...Headed down to the Toyota Dealership and purchased new Lower Control Arms from the 93-98 Supra TT's with the OEM bushing already mounted ($550 for two)...They are still on my SC400 and it made such a big difference....

Yes, everyone uses the Daisens on the CL.... I would love to hear about all these guys after a year...Unless you keep those bushing lubed you will have trouble eventually...

OEM bushings are the best they have metal cores and metal side plates to keep the bushings from mushrooming out on the sides...

[TommySC]

I myself and a close freind both have used the Daisens bushing...Mine mushroomed after 3 months, my friends made noise and began mushrooming after one month...I ended up throwing my LCA and daisen bushing in the trash...Headed down to the Toyota Dealership and purchased new Lower Control Arms from the 93-98 Supra TT's with the OEM bushing already mounted ($550 for two)...They are still on my SC400 and it made such a big difference....

Yes, everyone uses the Daisens on the CL.... I would love to hear about all these guys after a year...Unless you keep those bushing lubed you will have trouble eventually...

OEM bushings are the best they have metal cores and metal side plates to keep the bushings from mushrooming out on the sides...

What should I be using to lube these? I can't really do much, as I already have the Diazens already installed.

2 Weeks and no problems yet .... *crosses fingers

Also, does that mean that the stock rack bushings that were on my car had metal side plates? If they did then mine vanished, because my bad bushings (OEM, but old as hell) were just some horribly rotten rubber... no metal that I could see.

[JIBBBY]

No the rack bushing are different, no sides for stability like the LCA bushings...Your ok, and the Daisen rack bushing are good to go...

Just keep an eye on the Daisen bushings over time and if the appear to be dry and begin mushrooming and making noise then go ahead and cake them with bushing grease which you can purchase at any auto parts store..The Daisens will last or they wouldn't still be selling...However, they will deform over time, dry up, mushroom, etc...Keep them lubed and maybe check every six months, you may just get by for awhile with the Daisens...Also look for that mushrooming effect to happen, if it gets really bad then the bushings will fail....

Good luck...

[TommySC]

Ok, good deal. I didn't realize you were referring to the CA bushings. I will keep an eye on the rack ones though.

Don't know if your interested, or if the rules on posting links to other forums, but if you go to the SC300 Suspension forums on CL ... one of the most recent threads is a picture install of a full 12 piece set of IKEA CA's. Really sick ... the guy spared no expense. Check it out if you care.

Thanks for the responses!

BTW: Your thread reviewing all the SC mods that you have is priceless man. Excellent post man!