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BillyBobby

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BillyBobby last won the day on August 17 2023

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  • First Name
    Bryan

Profile Information

  • Lexus Model
    GX470
  • Lexus Year
    2004
  • Location
    Minnesota (MN)

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  1. Good catch. Thank you again for the immediate help and great suggestions 🙂
  2. Thank you for your informative reply. I do have the tabs and will super glue them on for a fix. Then try a junk yard, if that doesn't hold. Thank you again!
  3. I have owned a 2003 GX470 for 2+ years now and enjoy it. Basic maintenance items, CV joints replaced, and brakes. My e-brake doesn't work either and I don't know why--I even had my mechanic look at the e-brake, but I don't remember if he did look at it or not, as it still doesn't work.
  4. I need help identifying and sourcing 2004 GX470 parts, please see the photos below. They have/had two tabs that broke off when I attempted to put the part back in place after servicing my vehicle. The following is listed on the back of the part: > POM< NF 0X8W LH I have googled this letters and numbers and not been successful, so I am turning to the forum experts 🙂 Thank you for any efforts finding the part, so I can replace it or information as to how critical this part is to replace.
  5. I google searched “Hunter (brand) road force wheel balance machine” and found the contact info for the “Hunter” brand, and emailed the local rep, who emailed me back on a Saturday morning with a partial list of shops in the Twin Cities who operated their “load bearing” wheel balancing machines. I was already 5+ calls into local tire shops and found two that verified they had this specific machine, 4 wheel balancing ranged from $59 to $89 plus tax. Some shops never even heard of the technology, or machine. I kept calling because I wanted to find a shop within 10-30 minutes from my home, and open on a Saturday. Discount Tire in Apple Valley MN’s Manager Dustin is a Stud! He verified they had the machine and “knew how to use it, too!” I guess this is an issue . Dustin also asked my what my issue was in detail and then offered that I might need specialized Lug Nuts because the Lexus Stud was 12mm and the holes in my wheels were 14mm, and this could also be the reason why my wheels “suddenly” became even worse after new CV Joint, Front Brake Rotors and Ceramic Pads—the front two wheels may not be centered properly on the wheel studs. He’d “personally” check out my vehicle once the tires were off of it. He then let me know that the new brake rotors/pads looked good, but I should upgrade the Lug Nuts with a specialized set that would “self-center” each wheel because of a sleeve/collar that would take up the 12-14mm gap. I said sure, as the total cost of Hunter Road Force Balancing and these new Lug Nuts was only $85 plus tax, and I wanted my “New-me” Lexus to ride smoothly again. When I picked my 2004 GX470 from Discount Tire, Dustin went into the shop to grabbed a standard lug nut and the Sleeved/Collared lug nuts he had installed—visually they totally made sense to me and I was excited to test drive my Lexus. Dustin also mentioned that my new front brakes seemed to be “on” the rotors all the time, and they were “grabby” compared to the rear brakes, possibly heating up the pads/rotors and told me to see if a brake shop could adjust them. I called the local Lexus dealership and they said they were not adjustable calipers. After paying, I eagerly drove my Lexus and tested the brakes and my vehicle at different speeds—no steering shake or shimmy! It felt even better than it did the day I test drove it prior to purchasing it! I am so relieved! I don’t know which service solved my shake/shimmy steering wheel and ride quality problems, but I am glad I did both as they were under $100 total. I am still going to have my Lexus get a four wheel alignment and it is at the alignment shop now. I am thankful for the forum members that post here and hope my experience helps others too! Here is a photo of a similar Lug Nut with the extended “sleeve/collar“, it is NOT the exact ones on my wheels but a good visual representation, and a photo of my broken CV Axle, and my Lexus.
  6. Thank you for taking the time to post and help me with my issue of steering wheel shake/shimmy.
  7. I test drove two 2006 Lexus GX470s, a 2013 GX460, a 2004 Lexus GX470, all with 135k to 225k miles and they all had some sort of shimmy/shake to their steering wheels. I then drove 2.5 hours North to private sale 2004 GX470 with 172k miles, and it drove fantastic with only little-to-no shakes, with only mild steering shake during medium to heavy braking. I was impressed and bought it! The next day my neighborhood mechanic changed out the front rotors and installed ceramic brake pads, changed the driver’s side (front, yes I know there are only “front”) CV axels, replaced the motor and cabin air filters, checked: the water pump and timing belt, differential oil, etc. I thought it would drive like a dream now—but it’s worse than any of the four other GX’s I test drove. It shakes without even braking at crushing at 50-65 mph, and it now shakes like it’s possessed with even under light braking! WTH?!? “Time to google”... I am going to find someone in the Twin Cities that does “Hunter (brand) road force tire balancing” and then, I’ll probably get an alignment, too. I’m grateful for this Lexus owner’s club and the members here—I’ll post what happens next after the two services.
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