BayAreaLex

Hi folks,

I recently cured the steering wheel shimmy in my 2001 GS430 by installing the following parts:

- Sewell Poly Caster Bushings
- Sewell Poly Rack Bushings
- MOOG Outer Tie Rod Ends
- MOOG Balljoints
- Megan LP Coilovers (These probably had no affect on anything but they did take the upper strut mount out of the equation which is why I am mentioning them)

The car is starting to feel solid but I am still chasing a faint clink/clunk going over uneven surfaces at low speeds coming from the front end. I can't seem to hear it at higher speeds and it only happens when going over nasty roads like potholes or broken concrete.

The only parts that I have not yet replaced other than the sway bar bushings and endlinks are the UCA and the LCA. Before I consider doing the control arms, I will start off with the sway bar bushings and endlinks.

Has anyone had their endlinks go bad? What were the symptoms? After doing a search, I found that this guy had a similar problem (although he described popping which I don't have and he owns a Lexus SC, but the endlink design looks identical).

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...use-pop-2.html

Anyway, I plan to replace the endlinks and sway bar bushings this weekend and hoping it cures things. Does anyone know what the torque spec is for the endlinks? Also, do MOOG endlinks need to be greased?

Thanks.

baconcake

As you know I replaced my UCA's with MOOG and I didn't notice any change in the ride. They probably aren't the problem. When I installed the sway bar bushings they helped quite a bit with that clunk you feel when driving over uneven pavement. I would wait until after you install those to see if the clunk is still too noticeable. I too feel like maybe my sway end links need to be replaced but I will probably replace them when I get TRD sways in a month or so.

Oh and don't forget to grease those sway bushings completely!

BayAreaLex

Thanks for the reply and I will definitely install these first before doing anything else.

Also, the sway bar bushings are MOOG rubber replacements, so I shouldn't have to grease them. The grease is typically saved for poly.

So you really didn't notice anything after those UCA eh? What problem were you trying to cure exactly?

Will report back after this weekend.

baconcake

Well my passenger side UCA had a tear in the boot and I noticed it when installing the LBJ's, outer tie rods and caster arms. When I pressed on the boot grease came out so I figured I might as well replace it. It didn't show any real problems though so that't why I think it didn't need to be replaced. I kept my old UCA's. They both seem pretty stiff still so just in case my MOOG ones give out I will have these to put back in. Why exactly did you get rubber MOOG sway bushings instead of the poly ones? Don't the poly ones reduce more body roll?

BayAreaLex

As someone who has tried poly on the sway bar on two separate cars, I will never do it again.

I am a fan of poly in places that don't articulate significantly like the steering rack for instance. However, the sway bar has huge movement under stress. No matter how much lube I've applied, I have never been able to keep those bushings from squeaking for more than a few months. All the movement just pushes the lube out after a while. I will never go down that route again as I refuse to relube bushings every few months.

baconcake

Oh lol....I greased mine with the prothane grease from energysuspension and I have never heard any squeaking. I have had them for several months now. I never drive without the radio or music on though so maybe that's why I don't hear any squeaking...but I think I would have noticed by now if they were. Anyways I'm not too concerned because the TRD sways come with rubber bushings and I can wait a couple months. Please do share how those sway end links go and how they made the ride feel because I plan on getting the MOOG ones too when I get the sways.

BayAreaLex

I will know this weekend. I am very much hoping the endlinks are it.

I can't imagine what else in there besides the sway bar could be moving that much to be creating a clunking over poor roads at low speed.

Will know on Saturday

Blanco

iTrader: (8)

So what was the result? I'm chasing a front end pop/clunk, and my end links are one of the few items yet to be replaced, and my symptoms sound very similar.

BayAreaLex

Give me a few days to drive the car and I will report my impressions. Keep in mind that this was a subtle problem so this week I will be going over some roads that I know showed the problem previously and will know if the new links made a difference.

I can say with certainty that the old links were toast. Torn boots and extremely flimsy! The new links have plenty of resistance.

Blanco

iTrader: (8)

I eagerly await your feedback. I'm sick of this noise!!

BayAreaLex

It seems to have improved but it is not 100% cured.

Again, I want to be clear that this is a very faint noise. Most passengers won't even notice. And it's interesting that I hear it only at low speeds over uneven surfaces. If I speed up over those same surfaces, the noise is history.

I'm going to replace the sway bar bushings (even though nothing is obviously wrong visually) and then forget about this. The problem is too minor to start going after high dollar hardware like upper or lower control arms (which is essentially all that's remaining since everything else has been replaced).

Even though the links didn't cure the problem, I can 100% confirm that after 95K miles, the stock links were absolutely trashed.

Blanco

iTrader: (8)

Thanks for the feedback. I've replaced just about everything on the front within the last 50K miles or so.

Steering rack, and bushings <5K
Moog LBJs <1K
Castor arms w/bushes (stock) <30K
SPC UCAs <30K, just replaced passenger side UCA LBJ <1K
KYB GR2s <50K w/top mounts
New front brake pads w/new rotors & fit kit <5K

Only things left are the LCAs, sway bar bushings and end links. Keep in mind I'm in a 98 with 205K on the clock, and I've had the car since 48K. I've never replaced the LCAs, or endlinks, or sway bushings, so I'm sure they're beyond their service life, especially the bushes and links. My mechanic said the LCA bushes had no play, and visually looked ok.

I'm replacing the endlinks over the holiday with Moogs. I may order sway bushings next week. IF that doesn't fix it, I may replace the struts again. They're significantly cheaper than the LCAs. Last piece will be the LCA themselves.

My symptoms are just like yours with one addition it sounds like. When I hit a "jarring" bump/pothole, regardless of speed, I get this nasty "slam/thud/bang". It's pretty loud and disconcerting. So 99% of the time it's this somewhat intermittent, very subtle "pop". Like you, my passengers don't notice it. The other 1% is the violent sledge hammer slam. I'm more concerned about the 1%, but eliminating the the 99% issue will be nice.

I'm wondering if an iPhone video would capture the sound. Was thinking about posting it here to get more feedback about solutions. I'll post up whatever I find out here as well.

BayAreaLex

You know, every car model is going to have it's issues but it really is head scratching at how temperamental the front suspensions are in these cars. When I first bought my car, it had the steering wheel shimmy on the highway and this faint clunk going over bumps at low speeds. I took it in to the Pleasanton Lexus dealer as well as my own independent mechanic. Lexus balanced the wheels and claimed they couldn't find any problems and weren't willing to chase it further. My independent mechanic said the same thing but did point out that the caster arm bushings weren't in the best shape but probably were fine.

Even though my mechanics told me that there is really nothing wrong, it took caster bushings, new balljoints, new outer tie rods to cure the steering wheel shimmy issue.

My point is that I've cured a problem by replacing parts that didn't show any severe signs of problems.

It looks like you've replaced most things and I do recommend that you replace those sway bar links and bushings since they are cheap. The lower control arms don't typically go bad, but with your mileage, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Although I am not rushing on it, I will soon replace the sway bar bushings. This guy (randee973) described a similar issue to what you and I are experiencing and claimed to have solved it with the sway bar bushings: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...ing-noise.html

Also, it was pointed out to me that sometimes the sway bar problems aren't related to the end links or bushings themselves, but rather the U-bracket that compresses the sway bar bushings or the bracket that holds the sway bar to the frame can get loose. That's why it's recommended that people use loctite on those bolts.

I was under the car this weekend and was inspecting the end links and the sway bar bushings. The end links were dead and the bushings look great. Even though I had replacement bushings, I was convinced that the end links were the problem and I didn't replace the bushings. Then it occurred to me that I didn't check the bracketry to make sure it was tight.

Some people have also suggested looking at the front wheel bearings, but I doubt that's it.

I agree with you that although it's minor and most people wouldn't notice, it's a luxury car and you don't want to be hearing noises just because you encounter a rough road at low speed.