Jump to content


Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/05/2015 in all areas

  1. That wasn't the bushings they were lubing up amigo ;) And most of the time, for the noise you're referring to and the circumstance for creating that noise, it's not the lower control arm, it's the strut rod or something similiar in design. It's been that way since the 1st LS400 hit about 80k miles. But, sometimes it starts with the lower control arm. Take a look at the attached diagram. The lower control arm is #9. It has a suggested RETAIL price of $267.14. But can be bought for $184.69 from parts.com (where I got this diagram). However, look at #s 12 and 10 in that diagram. #12 is called a "stopper", sells for about $10 bucks. And number #10 ($62 bucks) is the LS430's definition of the "strut rod bushing" of the older LS400's, which were 99% responsible for the exact same noise you're describing. Or, even more common for the noise, is the stabilizer bar bushings, #15 in the diagram, for $12 bucks. But either way, say you go with their suggestion and have them replace both control arms "which by the way, don't wear evenly, so the odds of both being bad at the same time are pretty remote", and pay the full retail price of $534.28 for both parts. That leaves a whopping $865.72 in labor charges alone! Trust me, I've replaced suspension components before on my own, on my old LS400. NOTHING about changing two control arms even comes close to warrant that kind of labor charge. Especially since those guys have all the power tools to do just about any repair within an hour, may two. So, you've now experienced a visit to a Lexus "Stealership". Hope you liked the cookies, because they might appear to be free, but actually cost around $90 per chocolate chip. What I would do: Find an indipendent mechanic that works on toyotas in general. Ask them to take a look at your car, but DON'T tell them what the dealership is saying. Just see what they come up with. But before you do, drive through a carwash with a good undercarriage spray to clean up the grease stains on the bushing from the dealership. You don't want to tip them off. My guess? Something different other than a lower control arm, for your first suspension noise. But, if I'm wrong, just buy them from parts.com, take them to any mechanic and say "please install these", and wait for him to do it. I just paid $879 today to parts.com for new Lexus rotors, pads, ball joints, and engine mounts for my GS. Just one of those repairs alone would cost that much, at a minimum, at a Lexus dealership. And "except for the motor mounts", I'll do all of these repairs myself over the course of an afternoon soon.
    1 point
×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership