How-To Tuesday: Troubleshooting a Clunky Suspension
One of the hardest parts about troubleshooting a strange noise in your Lexus is being able to repeat that noise at will. So today’s DIY project may take a little patience.
This week’s How-To Tuesday article will help you determine why your Lexus IS’s suspension is clunking. And it recommends taking your car and your tools someplace you can replicate that clunking, like a parking lot with speed bumps, for instance.
Once you’ve got your testing area situated, step one is to check all your IS’s suspension bolts to make sure none of them are loose. Unless the clunk is loud enough that you’re able to determine which wheel is making the noise, you’ll want to check them all. As you can see in the rear suspension diagram above, that’s a lot of bolts. So again, patience is a virtue.
If it’s not a bolt, it’s time to move onto the bushings, which may be worn out. You can check visually first, but if nothing pops out, you’ll have to grease or lubricate them individually. If that doesn’t work, then it’s time to check for blown or broken struts and coils. And if you still haven’t found the clunking’s source, then finally you can check for broken motor and transmission mounts.
It may sound difficult, but the article is incredibly thorough and walks you through the whole process, pictures and all. So what are you waiting for?
