nc211

Update: Partial success!!! I got the fronts done...what a difference! No clunks, no front end dive, easier steering and smoother ride. It took me 12 hours of hard labor to get it done. The outer tie rods were toast!! The rubber boot and grease wasn't even there anymore, but the screw that attached to the wheel was actually bent up! We had to cut them off to get them out. I was really suprised at the condition of the control arms though, they didn't look that bad at all! Infact I've still got them. There was no sign of tearing, leaking or anything along those lines, just dirty. Oh well...I don't care, no more clunk. However, the rears are a different story. I tried my best to get those off, but the angles of attach was just too tight. Plus, I couldn't get the lower control arm bolt to budge at all, not even with a 24 inch breaker bar plus 36 inch cheater. So, looks like I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and pay a shop to take care of the rears. I've still got a vibration coming through the cabin during acceleration. I'm really thinking the struts are just shot. The back bounces around. The front doesn't anymroe, and you can really feel the difference when driving. Feels like I'm draging my butt on the concrete. Would worn out struts create that type of vibration? I notice it's not as bad when I've got a trunk load of stuff, putting more pressure down on the struts. Or do you think it's the rear strut rods allowing the wheels to push forward to far? Anywho....Thanks lords of the boards for the advice!! Victory was mine!!!! PS: My lower back is screaming in pain.

Take from someone who just did shocks, and was only capable of doing the fronts, it's no small chore. You better have a 24 inch breaker bar, plus a cheater bar, deep sockets, liquid wrench, torque wrench with settings up to 150lbs, a comfortable seat with wheels and a lot of shop rags. It's not as simple of a process as it looks. You take off one thing, and realize you need to take of a couple others to get to where you want to go. Oh, and don't forget the asprin, 'cause you're gonna need it! I replaced all control arms on the front and struts this past weekend on my 95....12 hour chore.

I've said that phrase a couple times myself with this car, but not in a good way....well....NOT YET. It will be my b*&tch soon though. If it breaks the bank on tools....it will be mine!

Opps, forgot the 3 new shocks going on as well. Leave it up to us Good Ole' Southern boys to hillbillie up a lexus. Driving around in a shiny ls400 with a bunch of spare parts in the trunk for a month. Hahahaha. YEEEEEE--HAAAAWWWW!!

jzz30, thanks for the info on the tutorial! That was an awesome post! Well gang, I'm going back in this weekend, for the 3rd and hopefully the last time "at least for this issue at hand". I've got a 2 foot, 1/2 inch breaker bar, a 150 lb torque wrench, pitman ball joint puller, tie rod popper, and a crazy looking bearing puller for the rear differential bushings. I'm ready to bust those bolts off! Got a very tall order to fill this weekend, hope it all works. Gonna change out : all control arms on all wheels, rear differential bushing mounts, outer tie rods, steering rack mounts, filter liver due to beer consumption based upon a. Joy of completetion :D , b. frustration and anger of being defeated yet again :chairshot: . Wish me luck, NC211, signing off until monday morning.

HAHAHA!!!! I had a 94 4 door Jimmy SLT, biggest hunk of crap ever made. I did like the driving position though, and it was nearly impossible to get stuck, well, until it overheated, which was often. My dad has a 02' Envoy with 28,000 miles on it. He bought it new. It's been recalled 8 times, and now it needs new suspension bushings! Hahahaha, what a joke! Pay $35 grand for something like that. Ever notice that almost every GM vehicle will need a new alternator, power steering pump, a/c compressor between 39k-45k miles? Right about the time the 3 year / 36k mile warranties expire. I read an article a long time ago about how they use hardend plastic bearings in those components that are designed to actually wear out at certain times, so the owner has to buy new ones. I don't know what it is about american automobiles, but they just can't stand up like the Jap's. I bought the Jimmy in 96 with 31,000 miles. Traded it in 98' with 54k miles for a 99' Subaru outback. 2 years and 23k miles cost me: 2 brake jobs, drive shaft, 2 steering pumps, 1 alternator, 1 a/c compressor, new leaf springs, weather strip for all doors "leaked water like crazy", new seat frame, RUST bubbles under paint, 3 batteries, 1 starter, 2 sets of tires, 2 thermostats, 1 fuel pump, hundreds of gallons of new fluids and countless hours hunting for rattles. Now you would think I beat the car up, not the case. Pampered it, even took it easy when off road which wasn't but a few times. Just a hunk of crap. GMC = Generally Made Crap.

Well, that's a first! I've never heard of this before. It sounds like the engine is missing. Has he flushed the tranny fluid recently? Tune up, that sort of stuff? What kind of fuel is he running? Maybe he's getting bad gas with water in it. That happens more often than not. But in reverse only? That's a new one. Sorry man, I haven't a clue.

And when they do finally decide to break, you'll be 2 miles from a gas station, at night, in the rain and probably in the back woods somewhere with banjo's playing off in the distance. Fuel pumps tend to obey Murphy's Law...If it can....it will. Oh wait, sorry, this isn't the Chevy forum....Ooops, my bad.

Those 4.0 litre V8 engines are awsome! I look at it like this: You get two of the best engines ever made, that Toyota built 2.0 litre 4 cylinder hook up together. I honestly think the reason why these engines last for hundreds of thousands of miles is because you never really have to use more than 30% of their capacity. When I'm driving around town, or even on the highway, I RARELY have to rev above 3,000 rpm. Only if I'm going 90mph does the engine hit 2,500 and stay there. These engines just purrrr along. The V6 engines can't say that, they are reved further up the band to get to speed. In my opion, the higher the revs, the harder on the engine. Now, that's not to say I don't blow out the carbon every now and then, and you know, it is a V8 ! I agree with e2vincent....hunt for a generation 2 model "started in 95". They made some drastic improvements regarding some of the constant issues with the 1st generation. Like the dashboard lights. Lexus is an automaker that LISTENS to it's customers. They see an ongoing problem, and they fix it. Not to mention....that 4.0 liter V8 engine gets 21 city / 26 Highway....or at least mine does with 99k on the ticker. That's better than my rev-happy 3.0 liter V6 Maxima engine ever got!

Lords of the Boards!! Thanks guys!! I am going to attempt all the repairs again this coming weekend. I live in Raleigh, and all my shop tools are down in Wilmington at my buddy's house. He has a nice, flat garage that I use. I have not found a shop that will let me use their lift "insurance reasons". And I can't find a mechanic who doesn't see the Lexus badge and doesn't run to the book to quote me price + his cut. So, it's up to me. I have a hefty set of jack stands to use. Thanks for the info on the breaker bars and steel pipes, that sounds exactly what I need. I will take off 3 of the 4 struts, as the front right is a new strut. I know it's a tight fit, but I think it can be done. I am going to put the spring holders on while the car is on the ground first, that way I can use the floor jack more easily to reduce the full extention when the car is on jacks. Pachocco, I have not done the differential bushings yet either. After that last attempt, I figured I would wait until I could hit everything at once. I did find a tool that I think will work from Autozone. It's a 2 ton adjustable pully. With the holes in the crossmember, I think it will latch on from the back perfectly, and then it's just a few turns of the handle. I'll take pictures this time, got a new battery in the digital camera. I think with the breaker bar information, I might have a chance now. Although their isn't a lot of room to work on some of these, still, it's just a couple bolts. I can tell my lowers are toast! When i'm moving slowly and stomp on the brakes, I hear clunk and I can actually feel the car shifting in those bushings. I can't wait for this to be finished! Now, with the car on jacks, will this breaker bar shift the car around so much that it's dangerous on the jack stands? I usually put just one side up at a time. Should I put both sides up at the same time?

My personal opinion, I would not buy the car. I've had cars from the north "94 GMC Jimmy" that I bought w/ 30k miles. The paint started to bubble at 40k miles "rust" and lots of it. BUT, I see you're in Conn, and I'm sure that it's tough to find a car that hasn't been exposed to the road salt up there. So, I would want to know where it lived. Was it garaged? The owner have it washed a lot with undercarrage spray? And I would definetly have a trust mechanic look at it "and ask to join him" when he put it on the lift. It's a tough call. I'd also take a good look at the rubber parts too, especially the control arm bushings. That road salt can eat those things alive!

I've got the impact wrench, but the space you have to work with on these sob's is very tight "uppers". Just found out a friend has a 4hp air compressor I can borrow. I'm gonna buy the air wrench and a breaker bar. If that doesn't do it, then I'm gonna flip! :cries: There is no way I'm investing another $1,200 into that car. If push comes to shove, ya'll might see me selling a lot of brand new, unused suspension parts and a 95 LS400.

Gang, as some of you know, I've been struggling for a few weeks trying to get my new control arms put on. Two weekends ago I attempted the project, but could not get the bolts to come loose. I decided to bargain with my local mechanic for some free computer work and $300 in exchange he do them at his house shop. That also included installing 3 new struts. Well, he was going to do it this weekend, but called me and said it would be more like $1,200. I said forget it. If I can just get those bolts to come loose, I would be able to do this myself. So, I need advice yet again from the lords of the boards on recommendations for the proper tools to get these dang bolts loose. I was thinking of buying an air compressor and an air wrench. But, I don't know what ones to get. I see sears has a craftsman air compressor for $179. It's 3hp, 150 psi. I've seen some air wrenches, but the max torque I've seen them rated at is 70 pounds. I would not think that would be enough. How do the pro's do this? Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated! It drive me crazy having that vibration and clunking, and knowing I've got all new oem parts in the trunk. But just can't get the old ones off. For $1,200, I'd rather buy the tools necessary and keep them forever for much cheaper. Lexls, got any suggestions amigo? Thanks all

jadecuir, if you go to one of the sites, collision catelog, steering gear, steering gear and linkage, Gear Assy, you'll see "insulator" as the part name. on discount parts site, I'm seeing $21.64 for the right side and $20.37 for the left side. I've attached a photo. They're #2 in the picture. Econ: No sweat bubba. Million thanks to you and all the others on this site who have helped me out in the past! Ya'll are the ones who found the site, I'm just glad to pass along the info! This site has saved me big bucks and given me a wealth of knowledge. I've never gotten into a car as much as I have with this 95 LS. I enjoy this, and finding this site is a goldmine! I'll have an LS in the garage for life. I've thought about the Q45, even test drove a 2000 for comparision. I felt like a trader! Hahahaha. My brother has a 94 Jag XJ6 with 42k original miles and he is on their site now too, and loves it. I told him to not even attempt a Jag without meeting the community of owners all around the world first. Funny, neither one of us owns a car inside of 10 years old, but nicer than most cars 2 years old.

I'd have them road force tested when balancing as well, to make sure they're rounded right. I think it's the tire issue as well. I had a car that sat for about 3 months. It developed a flat spot on all four tires. I inflated the tires to max psi and drove it for about a hundred miles. Did some burn outs as well. That fixed it. But, you really can't hotrod an LS. But you can inflate to max psi set by the tire and not the car and see if that helps. I'd have the dealer do a balance and tell them you have new tires and need a road force done. Probably $75. You don't take these cars to Sears. Hell, you don't take any car to Sears if you ask me, but that's just my opinion.

When you say the mechanic....are you saying the Lexus mechanic at the dealership? The reason I'm asking is because these cars are so difficult to properly balance the wheels. The dealerships have a hunter made balancing system, and they use the right kind of weights. I've wasted a lot of money on balancing tires to try and save a penny. None have done it right. The dealership however nailed it the first time and it's been months since. Have you had the dealership look at it? Maybe strut rods? "I doubt it though with that mileage". Ball joints? Getting any wandering in your steering?

How many miles on the car?

I was talking to Army a while back about that darn clunk noise up front. He mentioned that the steering rack gromments go out too, being thin, soft rubber. So I figured I was $1,500 in the hole for all the control arms already, what's another $30? Hahahaha. I've basically taken a broad swipe at all the things suspension related that can, might and do go bad and replaced them. Army said when those gromments go bad, the rack actually bangs up and down sometimes when hitting dips in the road. That infamous clunking noise seems to have a few faces. strut rods, stabalizer bushigs, control arms and steering rack mounts. Got the stabalizer bushings and strut rods replaced already, didn't fix the clunk. So, I got tired of hunting and shot the whole dang thing at once, front and back. I figured I'm going to have this car until it quits on me, so what's a couple G's to bring her back to new status for another 10 years and 120,000 miles. Only paid $14,200 over a year ago for her, with 84k on the clock. Dealer serviced the whole time. The guy who traded it in was the original owner, grew old, kept getting lost, and wanted a navigation system. So, instead of buying an aftermarket set up for a few hundred bucks, he decided to get a new LS Ultra. Me jealous? You bet!! One man's chicken, is another's steak.

Hahahaha!!! ...and must have ghosts in the electrical circuits! You know, who really wants to lower the driver's side window with the driver's side window switch, when you can turn the A/C as well with the same switch! Hahahaha

I recommend you figure out what parts you need to convert it to normal suspension, then order them from a online vendor for A LOT less than retail at your local dealer. Then take the car to your favorite mechanic if you can avoid the dealer. The goal here is to avoid the dealer at all costs. This is a common problem, and they know it, and they charge out the tail pipe for it. Just like suspension control arms. They know they all go bad at some point, and they must be changed, and they charge big bucks for it. But, if you can get your parts online and take it to a local mechanic, you can literally save thousands of dollars. I've got all new control arms for front and rear, plus steering rack mounts for about 60% less than dealer rates. Taking it to my buddy up the road this weekend and he's putting them all on for about $150. That's about an hour's rate at the dealer. I go to www.parts.com, pick "lexus" and hit discount toyota parts. I've also ordered from Hoy Fox toyota as well, but find discount to have better prices. These cars can be very expensive to fix if you're not in the "know". If you know, then they're comparable to any other american made car to repair. Replaced my PVC pipe last weekend for a grand total of $2.84. Dealer wanted $175.00

Here is the TSB. it's for a 95, not sure what year your car is, but I'm betting they're the same seats. 23.pdf

Air suspension = BIG $$$$ to fix. Most people simply convert to normal suspension components when their air susp goes bad. I'm not kidding, the dealer rates for this type of repair are about a $1,000 PER WHEEL. That's why a lot of people avoid the air susp setup.

Your "knock" is a bad engine mount. My 95 did the exact same thing. Right when you start it, especially after it's been sitting awhile, a thump like knock is heard. I had the engine mounts replaced and it was fixed. Plus, they also smoooothed out the car big time! Made the engine much much more quiter in the cabin.

Could it be because all those cars are german / european? No Infiniti Q45 either.

Is it a slight shift, maybe a quarter of an inch? There is a TSB for this exact issue, something about a retaining spring I believe. My 95 does it as well.