IS400 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Well, I finally got the car up on ramps. It appear that they DID lube the sway bar bushings as they had said. Unfortunately, I think I will still have to replace them. That way I can eliminate this as a cause of the noise. I would bet that the sway bar bushes are not the problem, and to lube them took about 30 seconds a side. They got neurosurgeon rates from you and I'd still report them to the BBB. Yes that was the name, Lindsay had the showroom in one location and the shop down the street a half mile or so. I guess they do not want the used Lexus types mixing with the LS460 buyers... Anyway, my suspension noise was solved by installing new strut bars, the horizontal pieces that connect the frame to the front wheel spindle and a pair of arnott industries upper control arms. The UCA's were cluncking like mad over speed bumps when I got the car, but I knew how to fix the prob., the strut bar noise only happened once in a while and took me some time to feel it was worth taking care of. The car is quiet now and the new sway bar bushes I bought before figuring out the strut bar was the noise I was hearing, are still sitting un-used in a garage drawer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 Well, I finally got the car up on ramps. It appear that they DID lube the sway bar bushings as they had said. Unfortunately, I think I will still have to replace them. That way I can eliminate this as a cause of the noise. I would bet that the sway bar bushes are not the problem, and to lube them took about 30 seconds a side. They got neurosurgeon rates from you and I'd still report them to the BBB. Yes that was the name, Lindsay had the showroom in one location and the shop down the street a half mile or so. I guess they do not want the used Lexus types mixing with the LS460 buyers... Anyway, my suspension noise was solved by installing new strut bars, the horizontal pieces that connect the frame to the front wheel spindle and a pair of arnott industries upper control arms. The UCA's were cluncking like mad over speed bumps when I got the car, but I knew how to fix the prob., the strut bar noise only happened once in a while and took me some time to feel it was worth taking care of. The car is quiet now and the new sway bar bushes I bought before figuring out the strut bar was the noise I was hearing, are still sitting un-used in a garage drawer. I was looking at lexls.com tutorials for removing the "Rear axle carrier arm bushings". The first step is pretty much to remove the strut rod. Is this the same for my '97? http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/suspension/rcabushings.html Also, how simple is it to remove the front strut rods? I appreciate your help! And what about cost? I looked up bushings for the strut rods and I can only seem to find them for the front. Even aftermarket "AST" brand bushings are $64 each!!! New strut rods are only about $90 each--should I just go ahead and get new strut rods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 Well, I spent about 5 minutes under the car lubing every single bushing I could find and the noise I was describing is much less frequent. However, it is still there occasionally, but now only on the right side. I spent more time lubing up the front and I will see what the result is later! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 Well, I spent about 5 minutes under the car lubing every single bushing I could find and the noise I was describing is much less frequent. However, it is still there occasionally, but now only on the right side. I spent more time lubing up the front and I will see what the result is later! Right side is still making noise. I will see if I can get the car loaded up with people and see if it makes the noise from all four corners as it did before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Yup, the problem is as bad as it was before. I assume it's the cold weather. Does anyone have some sort of tutorial on how to remove the strut rods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IS400 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I got two new strut rods since, as the others say, the labor to assemble the new bushes to the old rods with be more than buying the rods complete. They are pretty straightforward to replace. If you can do a 4 wheel brake job, you can do these too. Just spray all the bolts the night before so you don't get !Removed! knuckles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Would bad ball joints also exhibit the kinds of symptoms I've described? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IS400 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Would bad ball joints also exhibit the kinds of symptoms I've described? Not from my experience. They will make noise when the car is not moving and you move the wheel left to right a little. You can also feel play in the tire when you try to move it side to side when the car is up on a lift or up on a jack with both wheels off the the ground. Your steering will also wander if they are worn enough to make noise. Track along grooves in the road and such. My money is on the strut bars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Would bad ball joints also exhibit the kinds of symptoms I've described? Not from my experience. They will make noise when the car is not moving and you move the wheel left to right a little. You can also feel play in the tire when you try to move it side to side when the car is up on a lift or up on a jack with both wheels off the the ground. Your steering will also wander if they are worn enough to make noise. Track along grooves in the road and such. My money is on the strut bars. The problem is I haven't seen anything resembling what I imagine a strut bar looks like when I looked under the car. Does anyone have a photo of it? I see this wishbone looking thing. Is that a strut bar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Or perhaps one of you guys can show me the part in a catalog or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IS400 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 The strut bar looks like a long bar of steel that runs horizontally from the frame of the car in the front to each front wheel. There is a left one and a right one. You have to get on the ground on your back to see them. If you look real close you can see the bush on the frame side as a black lump of rubber in a round hole. The wishbone thing is the upper control arm and at least two feet away from the strut bars. Don't look on top of the tire, look at the front of the tire where it meets the ground and crawl under and look around with a flashlight. Be careful and used jack stands if you are raising the nose of the car with a jack though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisher972002 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 on my 1991, it did creak like you describe and it was the lower ball joints.. those hold lots of weight and wear out.. After I replaced those, no more creaking.. Then all i had left was the popping, or hollow kind of sound going over small potholes... I too thought it was my Strut bar's, mine were cracked.. replaced but didn't help I think on the older LS's the strut bar's aren't so critical as it didn't help me.. But on your 95 or newer, I think the susp is a little different and they are more of a wear point, so that is probably your issue.. I didn't fix the clunk until I replaced my Uppere control arm's.... But those are $$$ so change everything else before those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisher972002 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Remember to mark or count how many turns you took off the old strut rod on the nut.. Just mark it with some white out or something on the back.. So you can replace those and not have to have it aligned again... If you do the UCA's then have it realigned, but I was able to be ok and reinstall the strut rods because of my marks, but then again, mine were visually cracked but I don't think they were bad.. Or at least they weren't a cause of my clunk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Hmmm... I was just reading another thread about the rubber door/window seals causing a creaking sound when going over dips... Could this be the culprit???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Okay, which part in the attached photo is the "strut rod"? Is it the one with the rubber boot over it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blake918 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Okay, which part in the attached photo is the "strut rod"? Is it the one with the rubber boot over it?The arm circled in red is the strut rod (and I attached another pic of the bushing end of the arm)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Thanks. Where can I find a replacement part online? Also, what is the procedure for removing it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blake918 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Thanks. Where can I find a replacement part online?Sewell, Park Place, Carson, Irontoad (aka Thompson Lexus in PA), Lexus Parts Mall, etc. shop each of them and buy from whoever is the cheapest.Also, what is the procedure for removing it?Unbolt the shock mount (some unbolt the shock too; I find that unnecessary), mark the alignment washers on the strut rod, and then unbolt the strut rod's nuts and bolts. It's a very easy job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Thank you so much blake918!! I appreciate your help (and the help of everyone else as well)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Holy moly these parts are expensive. $185 each roughly. If it solved the problem, I would gladly pay that, though. Is labor to press new bushings in really that cost prohibitive? Instead of paying almost $400 for the parts, I could get new bushings for about $100 and have them pressed in. Wouldn't that be cheaper? EDIT--looks like Carson Lexus in California has them significantly cheaper at $100 each. I think i will do that!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 UPDATE--I ordered the parts for a total of $209.97 from Carson Lexus. I spoke to Gordon--he was great to do business with. My parts should get here by the end of next week, so I should have a fun Saturday replacing these things! I will keep you guys posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 17, 2009 Author Share Posted January 17, 2009 Well, just to make sure the problem is going to get solved, I went ahead and also ordered front swaybar bushings. They are MOOG brand--I hope they don't suck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 Blast! The Rock Auto website didn't say that each order was actually a kit. Now I have four front sway bar bushings. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 Well, today is the big day! I will let you guys know in a couple of hours whether the sway bar bushings were the culprit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonal86 Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 Okay! The sway bar bushings were NOT the problem. I replaced them and put an abundant amount of grease on them and the creaking noise still occurs. That's pretty disappointing, but I still have some more ammunition! My strut rods arrive on Monday. They will probably go on by the next weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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