Bocatrip

I'm planning on getting my castor bushings replaced on my LS430 next week by my trusty independent shop. I stopped at Lexus yesterday and asked a service writer how many hours does Lexus charge to replace the front LCA bushings. To my surprise I was told 3 1/2 hours! I asked if they were pressing them out and he said yes, that is what he was told. Doesn't that sound over the top? Even with an alignment it shouldn't be close to that amount of time. What do you guys think?

Johnhav430

The Toyota Motor procedure it to replace the arms for $1400 including new bushings. However, they still have to press the bushings, because they do not come already in the brackets (like FIGS), not even for Toyota. The reason they say the arms must be replaced is that the small rubber bushings on the fronts of the arms do not come separately, only with new arms. So I think the advisor is correct, only he is missing the part where they do the whole arm on both sides, for 3.5 hrs. This job is scary if an indie provides non OE parts, because Mevotech arms are like $70 retail including the bushings. So if they charge you say $1000, all it took were $30 parts times 2 to them and their labor....

Seriously, I still find it odd that Toyota dealers install customer parts....very odd in the auto industry...at least to me. Firestone doesn't install customer parts, nor does that muffler chain, etc. That's their margin...

Bocatrip

I have both of the OEM bushings and was just planning on have the housings with the bushings removed from the control arm(still in the car) and then having my Indy shop press out and press in the new bushings into the housings and install back on the control arms without having to remove the control arms at all. On line it looks like a fairly easy job with the proper equipment (hydraulic press). One hour+ sound reasonable without the alignment?

bradland

It really depends where you take them...
A basic no frills machine shop, usually found on the more "industrial" side of town, might charge as little as $20 if you bring them the parts.
An independent mechanic knows your options are limited so they will ask a bit more but still less than a dealer. I've taken parts already off the car to a couple local mechanics for bushings, wheel bearings, etc and paid between $40 and $50. If have the tools to get them off your car and find someone with the right press you can save some $$$$$.

Bocatrip

I have not mentioned... I'm the owner of the car and have no mechanical skills. I'm not removiing any parts. Everything is done by my Independent shop. I never asked them the price and am hoping they will be reasonable as in the past. The housing for the Caster Bushing has 3 bolts....Then to the machine press for out and in and then to re install on the lower control arm. Am I missing anything? I'm assuming 2 hours or less. $200 labor? I tried to make an appt for Monday and was asked if I have 2 hours time to wait. SO??? 2 hours time to do the entire job? $200+ labor for removing old Castor Bushings and Pushing in the new ones? Cost of Caster bushings...$100... Total...$300 or more? Ok.. not bad.. Hopefully no more. Too be continued.

Johnhav430

The time is really short, I was sitting in the indie shop for only 25 min. and the owner handed me the first bushing to look at, just to point out that yes it has cracks, but at the same time, not torn, and he didn't believe the job was going to add any improvement to the way it drives....they don't have to charge by actual time spent, but by the book rate. I changed the oil on my BMW yesterday and I spent 2 hours, way longer than the book rate. That's me, inspecting everything and letting it drip and even torquing the oil filter cap and cleaning the oil out of the housing (I think I've proven this is not necessary, the dealer would simply use the green factory paint marks, but I do 16 ft. lbs.). So I think a shop could do it in 1/2 hour, but they can legitimately charge for about 2 hours of labor...I pored through the info on this forum and found $150 to $300 to be the going rate at indies, so I tried to get $150. That just doesn't seem to be an amount people in NJ want to charge, and the $150 I saw here was in central FLA. Mind you the Toyota dealer quoted me $700 and I told him I was thinking $150, and he laughed. Again although I don't think it is as necessary as the Lexus dealer makes it out to be (sky is falling), but it's just one of those things that's nice to get out of the way. For those of us doing it in 2017, it may very well be the last one for the car (how much longer will we have these cars, 10 years?)...

Bocatrip

LCA bushing were replaced this morning at my regular Indy. I brought the OEM bushings purchased on line. Cost for 2 ($105 shipped). Install labor including oil change (my Mobil1 oil and filter) 1.5 hours labor. Cost $175 including shop fees and tax. Total labor with bushings $280. Not bad all.

Johnhav430

Excellent deal! I believe that $150 is the lowest I saw on the forum, in central FLA. Unfortunately in NJ it was closer to $250. Plus the bushings list for $112 if I'm not mistaken, each....mine were like $64...again, an eBay supplier explained that these parts are from Japan (as if a North American distributor were cut out), but they are legit OE parts...

Gronemus

Boca, you forgot to answer the $64,000 question: Did it make a difference???

yoitskenn

iTrader: (4)

What symptoms were you having and can you feel any difference, as Gronemus asked.

Bocatrip

First of all let me be honest and say that the main reason they were changed was because I was planning on changing to new tires and knew I needed an alignment anyway. Yes they were very cracked and old and all the inside oil had already leaked out. . . Does it make a difference? I can't say yet because I've only driven 10-15 miles. Now this observation might be totally ludicrous.... but it seems that the steering is somewhat more precise and getting on and off the ramps seems tighter. Is this my imagination? Could be, but as I've heard before on this forum.....at least I now know I have new LCA bushings!

Bocatrip

No Symptoms. They were old, cracked, oil had leaked out, and a convenient time to change them as I was purchasing new tires which required an alignment anyway. My old timer has never exhibited any front end noises and has always tracked straight with even tire wear throughout my ownership for over 8-9 years. I got a good deal on the bushings and the labor was quite reasonable. I guess If I were to keep the car another 9 years there might have been a situation going on. I'll never know. Preventative maintenance?

mykvr6

could be, or not. These bushings have a lot of "play" and will definitely affect steering and breaking and handling feel as they flex and move. Through their range of motion they affect toe and caster, so yes new bushings could alter the steering feel and handling feel. Your bushings may not have been completely shot but fresh bushings could definitely firm things up. I think the key is if both of your bushings were probably worn evenly which helps keep your tire wear even. I had an original one that was completely shot and one that had been replaced due to the original owner hitting a curb or something. So one bushing had 160k on it and the other had may 80k on it. So on my drivers side I had inner tire wear and there was obvious shake and way too much play in the control arm. Pass side felt ok and the tire was wearing fine. When I pulled the bushings the drivers side (160k) bushing was obviously shot, cracked, and you could easily move the sleeve by hand. The passenger side was cracked but was much stiffer.

Johnhav430

Again, the Lexus dealer cried the sky is falling when I had only had the car 1 mo. Asked if I would pass an inspection, the SA (why would I ask him he knows nothing but was polite), said, "I can't say." I took it to mean maybe not, I think it really meant I don't know what I'm talking about so I can't say. This was a 2006 in 2016 with 82k. Indie assured me I would see no benefit at all, that the bushings had cracks but he's seen worse where they were torn and the arm moves by hand, there was no reason to change them but one was already removed. I guess unfortunately we have to try by doing. But at the end of the day, very few here spend the $1,400 that the dealer wants, so in the worst case scenario, we spent $200-$420 for OE, and we'll never have to worry again....my .02 (I have the OE trans and two motor mounts that the dealer wanted to do and said I needed as well, but I"m holding off, I'm sure that's no benefit either at this juncture, maybe at 120-130k?)

Bocatrip

Not one mechanic ever mentioned to me anything about motor or trans mounts even after I asked to have every bushing and mount inspected regularly. Only the LCA bushings every time! I guess the LCA was a money maker. I do have a torn lower ball joint boot, but it's been there for many years and after checking at every opportunity, there is no play, so no replacement yet. When do we stop changing rubber bushings and mounts? If they are truly defective with play, I can see it. Everything in our old LS430s is basically toast from the heat of the engine and time. I'd advise to be your own advocate and make wise choices rather than being led to spend unnecessary money. Many of our parts are robust but still age. Choose wisely what you believe needs to be replaced or we can easily find ourselves in the poor house even with our great cars.