rwallican

Definitely get the inspection. $1200 sounds good for the timing belt package. You might want to look up an independent shop in your area that specializes in toyota and lexus (usually n yellow pages). Talk to someone there and get a feel for them. They should be answer all of your questions and give you an idea about the condition of the car.

I had a complete power steering system replacement done on my 96 ls about a month ago. Afterwards, I noticed a steering wheel vibration at 50-60 mph. The dealer had noted that I needed new strut rods, motor and tranny mounts, and rear knuckle bushings. Had my indie do all that work a couple of weeks ago. I had the tires rotated and balanced today thinking that may be the problem (I never had a vibrating wheel problem prior to the remanned rack). The tires are balanced perfectly. Is this a possible symptom of a bad remanned rack?

I have 20s and got my strut rods changed along with the rear knuckle bushings. I got the parts off lexuspartsonline.com. You'll save a lot of money buying them yourself and having someone else put them on.

That's definitely forgery!!

I've got 20's too and haven't noticed a difference in performance. Nice wheels. I've got 245/35/20 on mine all the way around.

Try: americanlexusparts.com lexuspartsonline.com trademotion.com/partlocator

Oh my goodness!! What a difference in ride I'm getting from the strut rod replacement. I got that old, tight drive back. And the wobble in the steering wheel is GONE! I had the mechanic hold all my old parts and they were totally gone. The motor and transmission mounts were busted as well. I guess a good word of advice to everyone with older models and over 100k is to get all the rubber based parts inspected. It'll save you a lot of worries.

I've got 20s on my 96 ls. No shakes or rubbing (245/35/20). If you go 255 I think that's when you get a little rubbing when you turn. You will be shocked how well it still rides with 20s.

I had the V4Ss on my 96 ls400. Not too impressed. I bought them because of all the great reviews I read. They got noisy after about 10k miles and only lasted 30k. I was dumbfounded because most people had good experiences with them. I ended up getting new wheels and tires (20") with Toyo Proxes 4. I'd probably buy the michelins and call it a day.

I'm not a DIYer. I don't seem to have the time. I can't wait to see the difference in the ride with the new strut rods.

I feel your pain. Just put $3k into my 96- power steering system, strut rods, motor mounts....but it's worth it. I've driven the car for 4 years hassle free. For me, it's better than buying another vehicle.

I went ahead and ordered the parts for my work on trademotion.com (through Park Place Lexus Plano). Got both strut rods, motor mounts and transmission mount for $450. My indie is going to charge $600 for everything including the alignment. Thanks for all of your advice. You saved me quite a bit of money! Now that the steering and suspension issues are taken care of, I should be good for another 100k!

It was my everyday car!! I drove that thing through college and 4 years after graduation. Finally burned up the transmission after 275,000 miles!

No, I'm not having any issues. The car is riding as smooth as ever. I know how the dealership will try to change out everything on the car years in advance. I had a Honda Accord in college and was told that it needed back brakes. After 7 more years, I finally had them changed! I called my indie and they said they'll check things out at my next oil change.

Here's my ride. I usually go to an indie for all other service. I just happened to call around after my indie diagnosed the problem and found that I could save at the dealer by getting remanned parts. This time, the indie was looking for $2500 for the PS replacement. I couldn't believe it either! I just checked all the parts at lexusparts.com and found a tremendous savings over the prices quoted at the dealership. Thanks for the info! I had the 90k service done already by my indie. I figure I'll invest another $1000 in my car and, hopefully, won't have any more problems for a couple of years. I know that some of this stuff is designed to go out and I'm willing to replace, especially since it's paid for. I also know that dealers want to replace things that could go for another couple of years. That's why I was asking what really needs to be done right now. I'll do the mounts,bushings, and strut rods and save the EGR tube for later. Thanks for all the info.

Had to get my power steering system replaced this week. The dealership was actually cheaper than my indie and I got the loaner. Paid $2000 for the pump, rack, pressure hose and gear assembly. I'm ok with that. They also told me that I need an EGR tube, transmission and motor mounts, rear knuckle bushings, and front strut rods. I've never heard of an EGR tube but I'm guessing the mounts would be most important to replace. What do some of you "experienced" owners think my plan of attack should be? And how much do you estimate the whole job should cost (The dealership wanted another $3000 for the job!!!)? Any advice would be appreciated. I've got 108,000 on my 96 and I'm trying to keep all the maintenance up so she can last me for years to come.

Looks damn good! I'm sure you are glad you kept the rims. After I put 20s on mine I was excited. Makes you feel like you got a new car. Happy driving.

20" but it doesn't have anything to do with them. The problem was diagnosed back in Jan 06 and, I made a mistake, it was the rack and pinion that was going out. Went to the shop today and was told they'll replace it for $1100. That beats $2500 at the dealer!!

I hear a rubbing noise when I turn either left or right. It's getting louder and more frequent. Is this a sign of the control arms, suspension, etc???? My mechanic told me about a year ago that I was starting to leak PS fluid but said we should just wait to see what happens. I'm due for an oil change next week so I'll let him take a look at it but thought I'd get some opinions from some of you as well.

Your opinion should be first and foremost! I don't know what the roads are like in Australia but I have 20s on my 96ls and lowering it would cause rubbing when you hit minor bumps. Just a word of caution. Definitely post pictures when you are done with it!

Too much chrome for me. I like wheels that are a little more sleek.

I actually like them. They are nothing like mine but I've seen something similar in person and they are ok. I'm interested as to why you bought them and now want to sell them so quickly. Did you not see them before purchasing or have you had a change of heart?

Go with the 20s. One problem that I have heard from people with 22s is that the wheels rub when they run over bumpy surfaces. You also have to be verrrrrrry careful not to hit potholes or you'll be replacing or fixing rims often.

Try getting the suspension raised an inch or 2. I have 20's and I have to hit a HUGE dip going very fast in order for it to rub. I'm sure you have more problems with 22s. By the way, you should post some pictures of the car with 22s. I'd be interested to see that!

Yeah, that's stock suspension. No lowering or raising or anything. I've had them for about 2 weeks now and no rubbing, shaky steering wheel, etc. You can barely tell the difference between stock wheels and 20s. If I would've known this before, I would've gotten them a long time ago. They're 245/35/20 Toyo Proxes 4. The tires are awesome. Thanks for the complement.