cyfi66

Hey everyone, I recently purchased my first 99 ls400 with 223,000 miles. The car is immaculate and has been very well maintained, I am loving the car so far.

I noticed that everytime I would remove the key and the steering wheel would tilt up out of the way, it would make a squeeking sound and would jitter/vibrate as it moved up, like it was binding.
I found lots of guides on the 90-97 steering fix where the plastic gear would strip, but nothing on the 98-00 which was completely redesigned. I was able to take mine apart and fix the problem completely without any special tools or parts. This is an easy free fix!

Place the wheel in its fully down and extended position and remove the three screws holding the cover on which surrounds the steering mechanisms. You will have to rotate the steering to get to two of the three screws.
One on the bottom cover (not pictured) and one on either side under the steering wheel:


Remove the top cover first, then remove the bottom cover, carefully spreading it over the tilt control joystick.

Here's a picture of the components you will see. I have unbolted the connector bracket with the single 10mm bolt for more access, but it isn't necessary.


NOTE: Before you move on to the next steps: Apply a liberal amount of grease to the two threaded rods and cycle the tilt/telescope back and forth several times. Just doing this MAY fix your problem. If you are not so lucky, then you will need to move on to the next steps.
I prefer to use sil-glyde lubricant. It is a silicone based lube and is compatible with all plastics. There are not many plastics in this mechanism, but it is safer than using something that would harm any plastic that comes in contact with it. White lithium would be my next choice.

Also make sure you apply a lot of grease all around the area where the large tube slides in/out:


Our focus will be on the tensioning bolt highlighted in yellow. Under this bolt is a spring and a saddle shaped piece of metal which is pressed against the rotating threaded rod in order to maintain a tight joint. Without this piece, there may be some slop in the mechanism that would be felt by the driver. The problem with this is that the grease leaves the point of contact over time, and begins to create a lot of friction. I also found that the spring tension was so great that it was actually causing a lot of strain on the motor by effectively "braking" the threaded rod and preventing it from turning easily.
There are two parts to this fix: re-lubricate the contact point and reduce the spring tension.

Start by removing the allen bolt marked in yellow on the first picture. Be VERY careful as it is easy to strip. Make sure you use to correct size allen. If you strip it, you can get it off with some patience and a pair of vice grips.:
You will need a small magnet to fish out the spring and the saddle piece.




Clean these parts thoroughly and apply a liberal amount of grease to the spring and saddle.


Next, find yourself a thin washer to put under the bolt head. This will space the bolt out farther and reduce the tension on the saddle. I found this to be the most effective way to smooth out the steering movement. I used a small copper washer I found in my bin of hardware.



Insert the saddle and spring, and then reinstall the bolt with your new washer.


Cycle the motor in and out several times and enjoy how smooth it is!

For the telescoping function:

Move the telescope to the most extended position and note the amount of rod sticking out of the threaded nut. You will need to put everything back together in the same orientation.

Remove the two 10mm bolts holding the bracket on and remove the bracket. There will be a rubber bushing around the nut, remove this as well. Finally, unscrew the nut off the shaft.


Thoroughly clean these parts and apply liberal amounts of grease to all of the components. Screw the nut back onto the shaft making sure to put it back on the same amount as it was when you took it off. Reinstall the rubber bushing and metal bracket.

You are now all done and should have a perfectly smooth steering wheel. Reinstall all the components in the reverse of the uninstall.

If your steering mechanism does not operate at all, there is a good chance the motors or wiring are defective and need replacement.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

Thank you very much
HAY PD put this in the stickeys

AandSC

That's for the superb tutorial!

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

Excellent write-up. I do ask that you please duplicate the pictures onto a gallery here on ClubLexus (or just reattach into this thread) so we have no future issues with the photobucket links dying.

YODAONE

Great job highlighting parts. The lubricant used however is not Lithium DiSulfide body grease...expensive, but it lasted over 20 years.

Silicone based lubricants have not been recommended.It is unclear whether the jackscrews on telescopic (with motor on tilt) were extracted to permit removal of old, metal particle laden grease, before applying new grease....

Also; new telescopic parts from Lexus are inexpensive investment ...check out

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-1st-and-2nd-gen-1990-2000/828934-1998-2006-telescopic-steering-solution.html

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

I second this suggestion.

Scraape

nice tutorial , luckily I learned my 98 had the older style teloscopic steering, a lot easier to fix.

I wonder if all 98's have the older design?

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

nope, depends on when it was made.............

Sherl

Like a 97 mfd but 98 would have older design, i guess?