Chuckd30

Wheel feels like it wants to fall off while on the highway giving ANY sort of left input to the steering wheel. Violent rumbling and shaking that transmits all the way to the steering wheel. 2012 RX with almost 250K. Still looks and runs great otherwise and I want to see how long she'll go. All suspension parts are original AFAIK.

The alignment has been off for a couple months and I've neglected it. The steering wheel is not at 12 o'clock while going straight, I'd say 1 o'clock to compensate for the for tendency to drift left. Might have hit a pothole and bent something or certain components are wearing out, IDK. The tires look ok and there's no abnormal wear that I can see. Will go for alignment ASAP after my repairs.

Some googling said that control arm bushing can cause this and based on age and inspection (pics below), I'm currently in the process of replacing. Also installing new ball joints, tie rod ends, shocks and sway bar links. Basically rebuilding the entire front lol.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone else has had this experience?

Other thoughts:
Wheel bearing - I've sorta ruled this out as there's no noise at lower speeds or when going straight or banking right on the highway
Wheel balance - probably a contender
Lug nuts - re-torqued to 76-80 and the symptoms were still present

Anything else I might be overlooking? I'm a weekend warrior trying to navigate this before going to the shop.

Chuckd30

Drivers side

Passenger

Clutchless

Left ball joint is a possibility and far easier to replace than the control arm as they bolt onto the control arm.

salimshah

If you want to diagnose by elimination, swap wheels front to back [only wheel based issues and yo will be counting on the fail is due to the bad wheel ... both wheels being bad is yet a possibility].

For suspension elements, I suggest going to a suspension shop and let them diagnose properly. They have the right lifts [to transfer weight] and proper long levers to strain members. A good shop will show you the play. Regular mechanics have two post lifts which are reasonable to work on vehicles but they do not have two layers of lift mechanism. For this I suggest visiting a speed shop. They charge more but keep in mind that you are paying them for their expertise. You may not be able to find appointment time quickly. Most of the time suspension work will require alignment too. They can perform that as well. They can also tweak numbers to your liking without falling out of spec. My experience with them locally was superb, as I found them to be enthusiasts and they let me do the work after diagnosis and bring the vehicle to them for alignment.

Salim

PS: My hunch on your problem is that it is not related to control arm. Control arm problems are more observable based on road condition and not speed. There are second and third level impacts but I am doing a gross determination.

Chuckd30

Thanks guys for chiming in.

Clutchless, no doubt, but I already purchased the control arms last year at a nice discount thinking one day I'll do them. I'm in too deep now. New control arms are in!

Salimshah, sounds like you have a nice hookup. We don't have any high tech suspension shops around here AFAIK. Most shops aren't open on the weekends so regrettably (hopefully they prove my doubt wrong) I may have to go to firestone for an alignment. I will try your tire swap suggestion if the vibration is still present.

This job was a monster! Everything was rusted to ****. Torch, penetrant, and a 1/2 impact were absolutely mandatory. The tie rod nut required a torch + a pipe wrench with a cheater bar haha. Cotter pin tip - if they won't come out, cut them close to the nut with a dremel or something and then hammer a socket onto it. The 1/2 impact will obliterate it easily!

Anyway, teardown is complete and I will pop in the new components tomorrow. If the vibration is gone, it may be hard to pinpoint the exact cause because I changed a bunch of things. Crossing my fingers.

Chuckd30

Pictures for the record

Passenger is right side