Got stuck in sand... (DIY help needed)
#1
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Got stuck in sand... (DIY help needed)
First post.
Posting for a friend who owns a 2013 GS 350 (2wd).
Went fishing with him yesterday. His car got stuck in the sand.
Tried everything but the rear wheels just kept digging deeper and deeper into the sand.
Finally, a fellow fisherman in a lifted 4x4 Tahoe offered to assist.
Not knowing where the jackpoints are on the back of his car, my friend asked the fisherman to tie his rope to the passenger side trunk arm (see picture below).
gs350 trunk arm
I had a feeling this was a bad idea but didn't voice my concern until it was too late..
The car was pulled out of the beach but in the process, as far as I can tell, the passenger side trunk arm is now bent OUT so when we try to close the trunk, the truck lid sticks out ~1 inch on the passenger side. Needless to say, the trunk latch is also misaligned due to the passenger side trunk arm being bent.
Having explained the situation now, any comments on how to fix this?
Anyone have a DIY for replacing the trunk arm?
It looks like it's only $80 (#14)
Any diagrams or DIYs or pictures to help replacing this trunk arm would be appreciated.
TIA
Posting for a friend who owns a 2013 GS 350 (2wd).
Went fishing with him yesterday. His car got stuck in the sand.
Tried everything but the rear wheels just kept digging deeper and deeper into the sand.
Finally, a fellow fisherman in a lifted 4x4 Tahoe offered to assist.
Not knowing where the jackpoints are on the back of his car, my friend asked the fisherman to tie his rope to the passenger side trunk arm (see picture below).
gs350 trunk arm
I had a feeling this was a bad idea but didn't voice my concern until it was too late..
The car was pulled out of the beach but in the process, as far as I can tell, the passenger side trunk arm is now bent OUT so when we try to close the trunk, the truck lid sticks out ~1 inch on the passenger side. Needless to say, the trunk latch is also misaligned due to the passenger side trunk arm being bent.
Having explained the situation now, any comments on how to fix this?
Anyone have a DIY for replacing the trunk arm?
It looks like it's only $80 (#14)
Any diagrams or DIYs or pictures to help replacing this trunk arm would be appreciated.
TIA
#2
Pole Position
Wow, I'm surprised that part didn't rip out of the car. Putting the whole weight of the car on it and all.
Isn't the arm attached to the car by screws? Maybe you just need to remove and replace.
Isn't the arm attached to the car by screws? Maybe you just need to remove and replace.
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Should have spoken up about not tying the rope there..
But what is done is done.
Now we need to know how to fix it.
Any specific repair manual diagrams or pictures to replace this trunk arm would be greatly appreciated.
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... a body shop/mechanic is what we are trying to avoid.
It's seem too simple of a process to take to a mechanic or body shop.
There is no body damage. It's purely mechanical and it's not even relating to the powertrain; it's a hinge.
But we just want to make sure of the process before getting into it, no matter how "simple" the process may look.
Any diagrams or pictures relating to the removal/installation of the trunk hinge/arm will be appreciated.
TIA
It's seem too simple of a process to take to a mechanic or body shop.
There is no body damage. It's purely mechanical and it's not even relating to the powertrain; it's a hinge.
But we just want to make sure of the process before getting into it, no matter how "simple" the process may look.
Any diagrams or pictures relating to the removal/installation of the trunk hinge/arm will be appreciated.
TIA
#6
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Okay..
It looks like that hinge/arm is held onto the unibody by two bolts threaded in from under the rear deck.
Does that mean I need to remove the rear deck inside the car to access thes two bolts?
Anyone remember seeing these two bolts when you removed the rear deck?
It looks like that hinge/arm is held onto the unibody by two bolts threaded in from under the rear deck.
Does that mean I need to remove the rear deck inside the car to access thes two bolts?
Anyone remember seeing these two bolts when you removed the rear deck?
Last edited by kkamakasi; 12-07-15 at 10:12 AM.
#7
I would think at the very least that the hinge would need to be replaced. That is assuming there is no damage to the structure that the hinge attaches to. I am very surprised that it wasn't damaged more severely as that is a lot of stress put on the hinge.
Good luck!!!
Good luck!!!
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I did tell my friend to, in the meantime, take his car to the stealership to get them to see what the issue might be so that we can at least verify that the issue is a bent trunk arm and not something more extensive.
I'm just trying to be proactive by assuming that the problem is just a bent trunk arm and am proactively looking for a DIY or repair diagram or something along those lines to understand how to attack the repair if/once the stealership determines the issue to be a bent trunk arm.
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#13
Lexus Test Driver
Let's get past the fact that it was a dumb thing to do and move on to helping out with a solution
Having come from an E46 M3 myself, I find that the lexus crowd sort of lacks in the DIY resources department..
I'm just trying to be proactive by assuming that the problem is just a bent trunk arm and am proactively looking for a DIY or repair diagram or something along those lines to understand how to attack the repair if/once the stealership determines the issue to be a bent trunk arm.
Having come from an E46 M3 myself, I find that the lexus crowd sort of lacks in the DIY resources department..
I'm just trying to be proactive by assuming that the problem is just a bent trunk arm and am proactively looking for a DIY or repair diagram or something along those lines to understand how to attack the repair if/once the stealership determines the issue to be a bent trunk arm.
You and your genius friend went to the beach and got his Lexus GS 350 stuck in the sand. Then, you and your genius friend talked a fisherman with a rope into 'tying his rope' to the car's trunk arm to pull the 4,000 lb car out of the sand. That sounds like something a BMW owner would do!!! Anyway, do you really expect us to think that you and your genius friend are smart enough to fix this yourself...without the fisherman's help?
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Let me get this right.
You and your genius friend went to the beach and got his Lexus GS 350 stuck in the sand. Then, you and your genius friend talked a fisherman with a rope into 'tying his rope' to the car's trunk arm to pull the 4,000 lb car out of the sand. That sounds like something a BMW owner would do!!! Anyway, do you really expect us to think that you and your genius friend are smart enough to fix this yourself...without the fisherman's help?
You and your genius friend went to the beach and got his Lexus GS 350 stuck in the sand. Then, you and your genius friend talked a fisherman with a rope into 'tying his rope' to the car's trunk arm to pull the 4,000 lb car out of the sand. That sounds like something a BMW owner would do!!! Anyway, do you really expect us to think that you and your genius friend are smart enough to fix this yourself...without the fisherman's help?
#15
Lead Lap
Yeah, no doubt. Coming on here calling Lexus owners morons....well, we're not stuck in the sand.
Good luck. Prayers sent.
Good luck. Prayers sent.