$5000 for upper & Lower Arm Bushings?i
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
$5000 for upper & Lower Arm Bushings?i
I’m in for the power steering to be repaired and my SM reports to me both my upper and lower arm bushings needs to be replaced. 10 hours labor at $150 per. I bought this car a year ago with 130K, hoping it would go 250k without a lot of money. Should I just plan on keeping a box of tampons in the glovebox and expect it to be shoved up my moon when I take it to the sign that says “Lexus?” Any advice would be appreciated as I am new to owning a Lexus and to the Forum. Thanks
Last edited by Blindsided; 04-28-18 at 07:59 AM.
#2
Lexus Fanatic
STAY AWAY FROM THE DEALERSHIP! Your car is well out of warranty and it sounds like you want to put a lot of miles on it without having to spend much in repairs/maintenance so DIY/Indy is what you want to be doing or at least take it to a Toyota dealership.
You can replace them for less then $1000 if you go aftermarket/DIY or independent mechanic. More people will likely steer you where to go but if you have a RWD you can get aftermarket suspension parts, especially control arms pretty cheap and they are not the hardest things to do yourself from what I have seen. Unfortunately Lexus did not properly design the suspension of this car to last/be durable and dealerships absolutely gouge you for parts/labor.
You can replace them for less then $1000 if you go aftermarket/DIY or independent mechanic. More people will likely steer you where to go but if you have a RWD you can get aftermarket suspension parts, especially control arms pretty cheap and they are not the hardest things to do yourself from what I have seen. Unfortunately Lexus did not properly design the suspension of this car to last/be durable and dealerships absolutely gouge you for parts/labor.
#3
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
UDel...the SM at Lexus was telling me that all 8 arms needed to be replaced. Would you recommend replacing all 8 arms and were you thinking this could be done for a grand by an independent mechanic? Thanks for your time.
#4
I would definitely take it to an indy shop and only tell them to inspect all the control arms. Ask this forum for a recommended independent shop near you. You'll likely get a recommendation for a good shop that will not rip you off. I would be surprised if ALL of them actually need to be replaced at once.
#5
Unless the control arms are cracked or damaged, all you need to do is replace the bushings.
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ALK (04-28-18)
#6
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (1)
here you go.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...tures-etc.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ue-spec-s.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ml#post9649204
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Control-Arm...UAAOSwa8dZyRzd
https://www.1aauto.com/lexus-ls460-c...xoCvdwQAvD_BwE
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...tures-etc.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ue-spec-s.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ml#post9649204
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Control-Arm...UAAOSwa8dZyRzd
https://www.1aauto.com/lexus-ls460-c...xoCvdwQAvD_BwE
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Blindsided (04-28-18)
#7
Driver School Candidate
You can buy all the parts cheap on Rock Auto, then find a good mechanic, it is bolt on stuff, not very difficult. I would think with an alignment you can be all done for around $1500 or less.
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#9
Lexus Fanatic
I think you can buy them in pairs and it might save you money doing it that way, I would just get all 8 for the best deal you can and then get a second opinion maybe from a Indy/Toyota dealership of all of the components are bad, it is probably cheaper just to do them all at once but if only 2 are really bad it may be premature. Are they making noise when you go over bumps? Do you have a RWD LS or AWD? RWD is what has all the aftermarket support for upper control arms. If AWD you may just want to get the bushings and then have someone replace the bushings because that is what actually fails. You have to ask around for costs, I doubt all the parts and labor could be a grand but probably just the labor could be a grand or less, look into a DIY to save a lot more money, if you plan on keeping it to 250K you are likely going to have to do this again, will save a lot of money to learn how to do it yourself. You definitely want to look around for the best deals and research before you buy, there is no need to immediately rush to replace those pieces, ball joints or shocks are a different story.
#10
Lexus Fanatic
I agree with UDel, never take the car to the dealership again. The dealership will bleed you dry.
I would take it to a trusted independent shop and get their thoughts on the control arms.
I would take it to a trusted independent shop and get their thoughts on the control arms.
#11
$1500 is more like it if you can find anyone to do that. I disagree with the notion its DIY. Maybe the tops if your capable of pulling the struts out. The bottoms can be a bear to do. I did them myself with a lift and used to be a mechanic and they still were pretty difficult. I also agree that driving a car into a dealership for service is insane if your out of warranty.
#12
Lexus Fanatic
Unless the control arms are cracked or damaged, all you need to do is replace the bushings.
Last edited by roadfrog; 04-28-18 at 08:24 PM.
#13
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
What concerns me about buying parts from Ebay and some of the companies listed, am I getting a part I can trust when i’m gliding my LS 460L down I75 to Naples or to Atlanta at 80mph? Also, how does one go about finding a good INDY Lexus mechanic? My mechanic is pretty good but he wasn’t able to diagnose my latest problem and told me to take it to the dealer so I think I need another Indy name or two in zip code 34655.
#14
Lexus Fanatic
What concerns me about buying parts from Ebay and some of the companies listed, am I getting a part I can trust when i’m gliding my LS 460L down I75 to Naples or to Atlanta at 80mph? Also, how does one go about finding a good INDY Lexus mechanic? My mechanic is pretty good but he wasn’t able to diagnose my latest problem and told me to take it to the dealer so I think I need another Indy name or two in zip code 34655.