Lazyj321

I have bad bushings in my lower control arms, check the manual, 3 easy steps for removal.
1. Remove the engine
2. Remove the engine mount
3. Remove the arm

Now I'm not going to remove the engine. One of the bolts for the lower a arm is under the engine mount. I'm thinking of supporting the engine and lowering the sub frame enough to get the bolt out.
Anyone have any experience with this? I have a 400h so I did not know if this is unique to this model or for all gen 2 RX.

VNTR

I read that's what many rx home mechanics do for the engine mounts. Lift engine JUST enough to work the bolt out.

Let me know how it goes as I'll have to be doing it soon too.

Are you going to replace motor mounts as well? Also what brand/type of bushing are you going to use? I wonder if there is a polyurethane option for our cars

dganapol

Hi,

I just did this job and it is a "bear" it is about a 7 or 8 job. Things to be careful:

1. When jacking up the engine on the transmission make sure you use a very flat block of wood and it is the whole size of the transmission pan or you will cave it in. (ask me how I know).

2. Disconnect the Maf from the air cleaner and engine. As you jack it up it will disconnect on it own. (don't ask)

3. You will need air tools to get the bolts off or very long levers.

4. Change the ball joints and motor mounts as long as you are in there.

I followed the following directions: For my RX 350

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ts-w-pics.html

Download the pdf file.

Use plenty of jack stands and make sure everything is safe. You are going to used a lot of leverage while the tires are off the ground.

Good luck!!

Lazyj321

Dganapol, Thanks for the info and the Link. Don't know if I'll attack the ball joints, maybe the motor mount if I've got to remove it. I've got that Hybrid engine so I'm guessing it takes up a little more room than the rx350, more stuff for me to hit by raising the engine, raising te engine has to be the aproach a Service technician would use.

Looking at Amazon and Rock Auto for the arms, didn't know I can just replace the bushing, the arm does have 2 bushings, kind of leaning towards new arms.

dganapol

Hi Lazyj321,

For me at 150k miles the ball joint made more difference in driving feel more then the control arms. You are correct the ball joint was difficult to get off due to I rounded the nut holding it on. I had to cut the nut off. If the nut does move for you then you are in good sharp. The directions are a little off. you do not have to remove the drive shaft as described. Just unscrew the nut as far as it will go and then "pickle fork" the ball joint and it will release to the nut then unscrew the nut more and fork more then unscrew more. Look at the picture and you will understand.

David

HtownBlue

If you loosen the engine mount bolts on all sides of the engine, you can easily use a jack stand or Jack to raise the engine enough to release the a-arm bolts and take out the engine mounts on both sides which prevent access to the a-arm bolt. If you do this before hand it is not a tough job. It's when you try to do one side at a time with all mount bolts and the transmission mount bolt tight that this is a pain.

rns

For me hardest was to put back bolt in the rear lower engine mount.
The new side mounts lifts the engine/transmission higher and alters this position.