Meekoman

Hello All, I am wanting to replace the steering rack and sway bar bushings on my 2002 SC430 with 115k miles. i just completed the same job on my 2001 Tacoma (230k miles) and it made a big difference in handling. My SC has had an elusive vibration at about 65mph for several months. I Have had several tire shops and the local Lexus dealership look at it. The dealership said they believed it was a “slightly” bent wheel (aftermarket TRD). Two other tire shops said the wheels were fine. All rebalanced the tires - one road forced balance but none cured the problem. I have read that worn steering bushings can also cause a vibration. The replacement on my Tacoma was fairly easy but I did detach the outer tie rods and I removed the sway bar for easier access. I didn’t find any specific directions for doing the job on an SC430.

Has anyone out there done this job on an SC430? If so, do the outer tie rods need to be detached? Sway bar removed? Any pointers will be appreciated.

Seattle SCone

I used the Figs Engineering bushing kit. By far, the most difficult part was driving out the old bushings.
Didn't have to remove tie rods, but definitely undo the bolts to lower the rack and gain easier access.

https://shopfigs.com/v5/by-vehicle/c...cat-sc430/A439

You can expect more crisp and immediate steering response, but I rather doubt this is the source of your shake.

Meekoman

Thanks for the advice - tighter steering would be nice but you are probably right about it not being the root cause of my vibration. Looking forward to replacing my Sumitomo tires in the future. They were on the car when I purchased it but they have too much tread to buy a new set of tires just to see if they are the problem. Thanks again

teigen

Are your front struts original?

If so, they could be part of the issue. Ours were original, looked fine upon inspection, no leaks, etc. The car was night and day better after new front struts. Our SC had constant vibrations from 50-60mph (along with being jittery/unsettled on bumpy roads). We still get a slight flutter/vibration around 55, but I’ve been told our lower front bushings are showing signs of wear. I’ll be replacing them in the next few months. Here’s my entire post on the drivability issues we had: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...om-needed.html

Hope this helps!

Meekoman

I have owned the car for a little over a year. I am pretty sure the struts are all original. Thanks for the info. I read through the thread and have more things to troubleshoot. I also found my driver’s side inner tie rod has some play and I will be replacing it soon. Looks like lots of rabbit holes to be inspected😀