2001 Lexus LS430 - Lower Control Arm & Ball Joint Replacement
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- čas přidán 3. 02. 2021
- Step-by-step directions on replacing the lower control arm and ball joints on a 2001 Lexus LS430. The process should apply to model years 2001 - 2006.
- Auta a dopravní prostředky
At first I'm thinking "why is he working on a new car?" An exceptional car being worked on by an excellent mechanic! Very heartening.
Hey John, thanks for the comments. You are correct, these LS430s are exceptional cars. I have owned them since they were first introduced. When it is time for another vehicle, I simply get the next model or version that is out at the time. I keep them forever and simply ensure all service is done. The vehicle in the video is a 2001. I have since replaced it with a 2006 with fewer miles. Love - These - Cars!
Great video! Thanks for giving me the confidence to do my rear knuckle replacement. I snapped a bolt in the aluminum knuckle that attaches the caliper was unsuccessful in removing the snapped bolt and have been dreading this repair. I bought a second hand knuckle last year.
Excellent job, clear and concise with torque information. I liked the clock as well to give some perspective. Thank you for putting this out, I'll be following along when I do mine.
Just remember to simulate the vehicle being at ride height (weight on the control arm) when setting the torque. I did this off camera, but placed two written notes in the video. You would simulate ride height & weight by lifting the control arm with a floor jack until the weight of vehicle is on the jack and not jack stands. Good luck with your project and glad the video helped. Take care and be well.
Hello JSG
Thank you for making the Time to share this Detailed & Time specific Video that all others should follow on CZcams.
Cheers from Toronto, Canada!
Hi Grazyna, thanks for watching. More to come. Hope it helps in some way. Take care and be well.
Awesome video! Please share more as you're doing additional repairs
Hi Eric, I will absolutely share more. I have bits and pieces of quite a number of videos. Simply have not had the time to edit them. As a DIY guy, I'm finding it is not as easy to hold a cell phone, stay in focus, do the repair work and edit/upload a video. My hat is off to all those professional CZcamsrs. I'll also be posting lots of work on my backyard find...which is a 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser. Now THAT project has kept me busy. More to come. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you will subscribe and follow my repairs/upgrades. Take care and be well.
Fantastic work, thank you sir for this very well illustrated tutorial. I have an 01 as well that needs this treatment.
Hi Gabriel, this job is common on the 01 to 06 430s. I hope the vide helps if you should decide to take on the project. It is not a bad project. Just be sure you have the right tools.
Dude awesome video!!! This is how all DIY videos should be like. Very detailed and articulate.
Keep up the good work man!
Hey Dragger, I really appreciate the feedback. I hope to make additional videos with the material I have recorded and simply stored. Hope the video was informative and someone can benefit from it...especially, the time aspect. Time aspect is what I found missing in most videos. I want to address this issue with the videos I post. I hope you will like and subscribe and follow my journey with future projects. Be well.
Thank you, just did the front left lca, very helpful
Thanks Moofin. This was my first video. CZcams has been very helpful to me so I wanted to try and share. I found that it is not as easy to record, stay in focus, do the work and make sense of what is being said all at the same time. I hope to get better at this video thing. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for your detailed video with all the torque specs. With your guidance I was able to change both my front lower control arms in just over 4 hours total. This would have taken hours longer without your video. Thanks again!
Awesome! That's great to hear. Just curious, was the nut that holds the strut to the control are difficult to come loose? Thanks for watching and hope you will like and subscribe. I have other vids that I simply have not had time to edit. Take care and be well.
I’m also replacing my lower control arm and Thank you for the video it was very helpful
Hi David, glad to hear you found the video beneficial. All the best with your project. Fairly straight forward job.
Great video! Very instructional and realistic time required.
Hi Edward, glad you enjoyed the video. Do you have an LS? Anyway, they are great cars. I'm on my third one. I just keep replacing them with the newer model when the mileage dictate. Take care and be well.
This is probably the best DIY car repair video on CZcams! Thanks 🙏
Hey Chris, thanks for the nice comment. I plan to post more of the vids I have as soon as I get the time to edit them. I hope you will subscribe so you get them when ready. Feedback is always helpful in order to improve. The plan is to keep doing things that are beneficial and change the things that are not. Again, thanks and I hope to see you in future videos. Be well.
I'm a mechanic by trade. I normally like working by myself and not with another mechanic. But I like watching videos of other mechanics doing a task. Always more than one way to get the job done
Solid stuff! Much respect to this awesome content! Thank you
Thank you Adeel. Will post more of my project work with clocks for perspective.
Another important note. The key to successful install is the following - After the parts are installed, you will need to shake the whole suspension up and down preferrably from the bottom of the car to ensure it settles down (!). Only this grants the perfect moment to start tightening bolts in the VERY SPECIFIC sequence according to the manual, while the weight of the vehicle is evenly distributed in the front. This will ensure your rubber parts will not wear out a month later or right after the install, if torqued incorrectly.
Hi Dmitry, thanks for the comments. I agree with you and at 12:53 in the video I put up comments that suggested the viewer simulate ride height (by raising control arm before setting torque). This was my first video and I found it a bit more challenging to explain, do the work, ensure video of what I was doing, etc. I actually missed this step while doing the video and went back "off camera" and loosened nuts and re-torqued while weight was on suspension to simulate ride height. I tried to address this by adding the comment overlay on the video. Thanks for the comment though. The next time I have to place text over a video to explain something I will have to be more clear and more specific. Again, thanks for the comment. I sincerely appreciate it.
Great video. You work clean, I like it!
Thanks City! Really appreciate that. Trying to get more videos up. Hope you will follow. See you in the next video.
Thank you so much!!! You are awesome!!! Love the torque specs. Very detailed and I am ready to start on mine now!
Hey Sov, thanks for the comments. Also, I hope you will follow me. I have other videos that are in the works. Good luck with your project. It is a fairly easy job and saves quite a bit of money. My only update would be to reconsider the Beck/Arnley parts. I was fortunate in that I got good parts. They held up fine. However, since doing the job, I found that Beck/Arnley is a distributor only. They do not manufacture their own parts. Parts are sourced from around the world. Some parts come from OEM Toyota manufacturers and others are not. In fact, some have received Beck parts that were in OEM Toyota packaging. I received a Beck/Arnley part for my truck and it simply did not look like the Original part. It looked flimsy. The part broke while I was placing torque on the bolt. This is when I researched more on Beck/Arnley and their quality control. I liked that Beck is a U.S. Company, but this is when I found they don't make the parts. So, I would try and find another parts distributor. Preferably, a company that makes their own parts, even if they are made outside of U.S. In my view, this at least gives the company some oversight on quality control. Ok, that's it and all the best with your project!
@@justsomeguy4941 Thank you for the update on Beck/Arnley. I purchased a lot of their products in the past for Nissan, Honda, Toyota, and Lexus. Now I will try to avoid them. Can you give me some more info on your Milwaukee Angle Impact tool there? Is that a cordless or air tool? I need to purchase one for the job. Always wanted one and now is a good excuse for me to go buy one. I will need a high torque power ratchet for this job. I have a breaker bar, that should work too right? Thanks again.
@@sovmak8388 Hey Sov, great question on the angle impact tool. When this Milwaukee Angle Impact tool came out I thought...awesome, that is exactly what I need. In fact, when they first came out I purchased two of them. The problem is that I find the tool to be lightweight for suspension work. I have been VERY disappointed in the tool. I periodically go to the junkyard for parts and right after getting the tool, it took it with me on one of my trips. It simply would not remove some fasteners. When I got home, I tried some fasteners where I knew the torque values. Still, the tool struggled with torque it should not have had a problem with. So, now, I barely use the thing. I have both 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch. My go-to tool for suspension work... actually, all work that is not under the hood is my DeWalt mid-range impact wrench. That thing is awesome! It is not too big, packs loads of power, long battery life and is just a great all around tool. If I were going to purchase one thing for this job, that DeWalt mid-range impact would be the tool. I love it. By the way, the Milwaukee is battery and part of the M12 battery system. Also, breaker bars are essential when doing suspension work. In fact, in the video even my favorite DeWalt tool had trouble with one bolt that a shop over torqued. I had to use my breaker bar. Sov, good luck with the project!
Amazingly, all the bolts are clean, no rust, no any dirty
Hi Hat, the vehicle is a southern California vehicle. Rust is typically not a problem for us. I cant imagine having to work on a vehicle where the parts are rusted together, stuck in place, etc. My hat is off to those guys who deal with rusted parts on a regular basis. That must make every job a little unpredictable. I just replaced a bearing hub assembly on an Infiniti. It came right off with no problem.
Well done vid! Thanks!
Very Nice. Thanks. Ordering parts for my 05.
Glad you found the video helpful. All the best with your project!
Great Video Best I have seen Great Job
Hi Laszlo, thank you so very much for the kind words. Take care and be well.
Thanks for the content, very informative
Thanks Marcello. Hope you were able to benefit from the video. Take care and be well.
Excellent, good detail.
Thanks Bill. Glad you enjoyed. There are more to come. Hop you will subscribe if you have not already. Take care and be well.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed, hope it helped in some way. Be well.
Awesome job. Thank you
Thanks Trent. Glad you enjoyed. There are more to come. Hope you will subscribe. Take care and be well.
Thanks very much. About to do this.
Glad the video helped. By the way, I used Beck/Arnley ball joints. I would stay away from Beck/Arnley. My parts are fine. The car is smooth as butter. However, on another vehicle I own, Beck/Arnely parts were used and they broke before putting them to their intended use. See Notes Belo at "Deep Relecance" for my thoughts. Also I like Moog parts. I would go with a Moog ball joint or OEM going forward. Good luck with the project.
A true mechanic!
Thanks Yue. Be well.
@@justsomeguy4941 You too!!
For anyone watching that lower control arm bushing can be removed without removing the lower control arm. I think he meant that in the video but I'm not sure.
Great video
Thanks Zach. I hope you benefited in some way. I plan to post other vids I have as soon as I can edit them. Hope you will subscribe. Take care and be well.
👏Bravo, excelent 👍, bro that was a very well made and detailed video! You did a beautiful job of detailing everything! This is how a "how to" video is to be made without all the extra fluff and getting down to the nitty gritty! I don't own this car but i am looking into possibly getting one. These are the best models to own in the big body Lexus lineup as far as reliability and a diy'er friendly. I love the ls460 but they say it's harder to work on, more expensive, and not as reliable as the ls430! How long have you owned this car and has it been good to you?! Thanks bruh and keep up the GREAT WORK on your vids!
Hey Marcello, thanks for the kind words. Regarding my thoughts on the car, I LOVE IT! I have owned the LS since the 2nd gen vehicle years ago. I drive them until I think I have put enough miles on them then I buy another. Same color (white) with beige interior. I would buy the exact same car each time if I could. I am not a fan of the model and body changes from LS430 to the LS460. Not sure what I am going to do when it is time to replace my current vehicle. In fact, the vehicle in the video was replaced by another that looks exactly like it with the exception of the lights in front. Anyway, I could go on for a while about how much I like this car and for the reasons. I would highly recommend it. I now have a 2006 and would recommend it. All the best and good luck. Glad you enjoyed the video. Hope you will like and subscribe. I have other videos, but have not had a chance to edit and post. Been posting on a truck I got out of a guys backyard. Kinda been a project for me. Take care and be well.
Awesome video
Thanks Cmoreno. I'll have more coming for my truck and others for the Lexus. I hope you will follow and subscribe. Glad you enjoyed. Be well.
@@justsomeguy4941 subbed! I think i will be doing this soon.
Absolutely awesome video very thorough and informative!
Thanks bigjizz, glad you enjoyed the vid. Hope it helped. Take care and be well.
Man your good need you for my mechanic
Thanks Krazy, hope the video helped in some way. Take care and be well.
My SC430 needs a good control arm job on both front sides. It squeaks like an old bed, clunks when going through bumps and sometimes when braking, it does that too. I removed two front wheels and checked, everything seemed tight on the upper section. So, it most likely is the lower control arms on both sides
Asian, it is probably easier to check initially with the wheels on. After you lift the vehicle off the ground, place a camera (like a cell phone) pointing at the bushings, one at a time. Then, with your hands at 3 & 6 o'clock positions, move the tires back and forth. Do this again with your hands at 12 & 6 O'clock. See if there is any movement at the bushings. Finally, if this does not produce any definitive results, try removing your wheels. Check the upper control arm bushings. They can be broken, but you may only be able to see this with lateral movement and not moving the tires back and forth as mentioned with the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock hand positions. You would want to take a prybar and move the upper control arm from front to back and see if the control arm "slides" back and forth on the bushing. If it does, this would mean a new bushing is needed AND it is unlikely this would have been discovered by moving the wheels. Anyway, good luck and thanks for watching the video. Be well.
Also one more thing, big bushing is liquid filled and does a lot for a smoothness of the ride, if you have a chance grab those from dealership $100 a pop plus an hour of labor at the shop with press.
Not critical, any bushing should do if you have old cracked one.
Very Nice! I am curious if you did both sides and also how well the mevotch part is doing.
Hi Alex, the Mevotech part held up well. Some time after the repair I sold the vehicle and purchased a slightly newer LS430. The repairs held up well. The only thing I would do differently would be to purchase the ball joints from a company other than Beck/Arnley. The parts I received were great, in fact, may have come from an OEM manufacturer. It is hit and miss with Beck/Arnley. On a different vehicle I purchased parts from Beck and they were inferior. In fact, they broker before getting them torqued down. Being surprised at the poor quality I contacted the company only to find out Beck/Arnley does not make their own parts. They are only a distributor. They source their parts from around the world. So, you could end up with a part from an OEM manufacturer and have a quality part OR one from a maker with poor quality and poor quality control. SO, I got lucky with my LS430 part. I was not so lucky with the party on my Land Cruiser. Lesson: Do not purchase any parts from Beck / Arnley. They have been removed from my list of companies I will buy parts from. This is based on my experience with them. Take care Alex and thanks for watching. Oh, and yes, I did both sides. I had the exact same problems on both sides.
thank you it helpfull
Hi Dan, thanks for watching. Glad it helped. I will be posting more vids in the coming weeks so I hope you will subscribe and follow me. Take care and be well.
Thanks
My honor Eric. Glad you liked the video. Take care and be well.
Not sure if I missed. But how did you torque the rear part of the control arm bushing?
Hi ToolD, I imagine you are referring to the caster bushings, which is what attaches the back of the control arm to the vehicle. You can see this being done starting at about 13:00 when I snug the caster bushing up to the vehicel. At about 14:10 or so I am applying torque to both inside and outside caster bushings at the back of the control arm. What is not shown is that upon snugging the bolts up to the vehicle, I placed a jack under the control arm and lifted it until the weight of the vehicle was on the control arm At that point, I torqued the bolts. Really wished I had shown this step. I commented on it in the text captions, but no video. Anyway, I hope this helps. The torque specs given were taken directly from the factory service manual (FSM). Take care and be well.
Excellent step by step. One question, you do mention it but did the simulation off camera. How do simulate ride height before tightening up to spec? TIA.
Hi 77, you would simulate ride height by placing the jack under the control arm, preferably with a piece of wood to help ensure the medal jack base does not slip. Then, jack up the vehicle until all of the weight is on the jacked up control arm and not on the jack stands. Don't left car too high off jack stands. Remember, they are there for our safety. Just lift enough to be able to determine the weight of the car is now resting on the control arm and jack. At this point, you would torque the nuts to spec. This helps ensure the bushings do not get stressed or wear out prematurely. Ok, that's it. Good luck with you project.
Hi Love the video literally made it very easy for me to understand, by any chance do you know what part number is for the 22mm bolt that bolts up the bigger bushing onto the vehicle
Hi Javy, unfortunately, I do not have the part number.
Wow we have the same taste in cars I have an 80 and a ls430 for daily
Hey there. I see I missed your comment from a while back. I just put a behind the bumper winch on my 80 series. 12,000 lb Badland. Editing videos takes time and I have not had a chance to go through the footage. I hope you will subscribe and check it out once posted. I would like to know your thoughts on the project.
This video is gold. Can you please explain how to put weight on suspension when tight ing the cam bolt. Thank you again
Hi Daniel. I'm happy to help. Whenever you are installing bushings, especially those that will have have suspension travel "around" an attachment point on the vehicle, you should place weight on the suspension to simulate the car being on the ground...since this is the state your suspension will be in for the life of the bushing. The reason for this is so there is no stress (twist) on the bushing. Stress will cause the bushing to wear prematurely. Ok, the way to simulate the cars weight on the suspension is to 1. Snug your nuts (do not tighten or torque). 2.Place the jack under the control arm nearest where the tire will be - ensure jack is securely placed where it will not slide away from the arm. 3. Slowly lift the jack until the vehicle starts to rise...as if you were jacking up the vehicle. You see, once the vehicle starts to rise all of the vehicle weight is now resting on the control arm JUST as it would be if the tire was on the vehicle and the weight of the car was resting on the ground. And that, my friend, is how you place weight on the suspension ("before" you torque the nuts/bolts). Now, once the weight of the car is on the suspension, you can torque your nuts and bolts to specs. This ensures there is no pressure/stress on that new suspension part that you just installed. I hope the explanation helps. Thanks for the kind words and I hope you will like, subscribe and follow. Take care and be well.
Thank you so much brotha . I’ll definitely subscribe to you channel. Im trying to get to get my LS running smoothly. So again I really appreciate your help.
Nice work except the only mistake was the control arm bushings are not supposed to be torqued down until the arms at at ride height. If those bolts are torqued while the arms are hanging down then there is stress on the bushing and it will wear out again faster. At 17:20 when you had the knuckle jacked up from below would have been a good time to torque the control arm bushings. It's best to measure exactly where ride height is before disassembling things so you know exactly how far to jack up the knuckle. Also I personally would have just replaced the rubber bushings rather than the whole control arm since that way it still has the nice OEM Lexus brand control arm rather than an aftermarket one.
Hi Matt, thanks for the comment. I absolutely agree that the control arms should be torqued with weight on the suspension to simulate ride height. I did this off camera and placed a NOTE on the video to hopefully address this with any viewers. In fact, I placed NOTES at two places in the video to address. Regarding OEM vs non OEM... there are some things I am absolutely OEM and nothing else. For me, the control arm is not one of them. I get your point though. Thanks for watching.
Hi Matt, for the benefit of anyone who may be looking at this comment and reply, the references to simulating ride height before applying torque to the bushings can be found at 12:52 and 14:57. Those are not just comments in passing, the notes were there because that is an important step that was done, but not captured on camera.
How is it holding up? I just ordered the mevotech will have them installed this weekend.
The Lexus is holding up just fine. However, I wanted to share that I have used Beck Arnley parts in the past with no problems. For this reason, I was comfortable using Beck/Arnley for LS430 ball joints. The part was fine. HOWEVER, I used Beck/Arnley parts on a Land Cruiser (sway bar end links) and the part just looked flimsy and not solid. When I was applying torque to the nut, the part broke! Upon this happening I called Beck/Arnley and did a little checking about quality controls. Beck Arnley does not manufacture any of their parts. They are only a distributor. They source parts from many companies, some of which are OEM manufacturers, which explains the Toyota Labels, OEM stuff and other high quality parts. However, NOT all parts are of this quality, as evidenced by my Land Cruiser Sway Bar End Links. My point is that going forward, I will not use Beck Arnley parts. Since I had some BeckArnley in this LS430 video, I wanted to share this with anyone who might consider Beck/Arnley since I used them with no problems. The NEXT box of Beck/Arnley might be from ... who knows where. I was lucky with the LS430 Ball Joints (and prior parts). I would not, however, recommend anyone go with this company because eventually, someone will get a bad part. Suspension is just too important to roll the dice. Ok, that's it for now. It is 12/12/21.
Did it call for the thread locker or was that just extra? Thanks nice video. A+
That was just extra. Since those were two of the three bolts that keep the wheel and steering knuckle from coming off, I figured it could not hurt. Not to mention the manual did not say don't do it. Hope the video helps. Take care and be well.
whats the part number on the other buching vs using mevotec and making my lexus into a hyundai?
Hi jonathan, I am not sure of the part number. If you are not comfortable with after market parts, you could always go OEM and simply save the labor cost. You would have original quality parts. There are other manufacturers as well. I am with you though.... finding good quality parts is not as easy as it used to be. I understand even some Japanese parts are being manufactured outside of Japan. Moog is a brand that I have used quite a bit in the past with good results. The thing is, you never know where the part is made until it arrives. Good luck with your project.
I have this annoying clunk when going thru bumps and rough road, ball joints good, rods are good, sway bar bushings new, struts are good. I guess that is it. Ill have to change it and see. Thanks for the vid 👍
I had the same issue. In fact, at the start of the video you can see the bushing clunking when I moved the tire. It was very annoying, especially when going over multiple bumps in a row. For example, coming to a stop light where the asphalt was rippled where cars put pressure as they are stopping. These rapid lumps in the road sounded horrible...kinda like something was loose (cluck, cluck, cluck...). Just did not have that tight feel AND the sound was noisy. Just not how an LS430 should sound. Since this issue is common on these vehicles 2001-2006, I wanted to show exactly what the problem is before people spend money on parts they may not need. So, you might consider, jacking up the vehicle where the tire is off the ground (support w jack stands - always be safe), grab the tire at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock and push the top in while pulling the bottom out. Might also help to place a camera underneath and focus on your control arm bushing. In the video, the damaged control arm bushing that was clunking was shot on my cell phone that I propped up under the car. If the control arm bushing is bad enough to clunk, you will also likely see it move. Oh, one other thing, you might also check your upper control are bushings because they can make a similar sound. Ok, good luck with your project.
@@justsomeguy4941 thanks for the reply. I was thinking of saving original control arms and fixing busbing but I can't find them sold separately. Do you know for sure they can be purchased separately? Is it oem or aftermarket. Thanks.
@@apesintanks162 I have purchased the larger rear bushings (and brackets) separately. They come both OEM and aftermarket. I have not purchased the smaller front bushing that needs to be pressed in. When I realized there was clunking coming from my smaller front bushing, I decided to replace the entire arm vs buying the bushing in the interest of time. So, in short, I have only purchased the large rear busing, but thought I came across the smaller busing when I was doing the job, but don't recall where. I would check with the dealer for a part number.
@@apesintanks162 I have replaced steering rack because of looseness on the center (though i found out later the steering rack can be adjusted CMIIW) and it doesn't have a difference in terms of noise, then after that i changed my shock and mount (the old one isn't leaking) and the noise significantly reduced, and the remaining noise is probably from either of the control arm. Hope this helps
How to tell between the upper or lower control arm ?, i checked by jacking the car and rocking the tire at 9-3 and 6-12 and it felt solid, but i definitely feel clunking when going over rough road, especially when braking just like you mentioned in Khumoyun Turgunov reply. Thank you by the way for the video, very helpful
Hi Mater, the lower control arm is the big black piece of steel found at the bottom of the shock/strut assembly. See 8:00 on my video. At this point you see me remove the "lower" control arm. The "upper" control arm is near the top of the shock/strut assembly and is shaped kinda like a Y or a U. Ok, regarding clunking, a good way to identify the problem if moving the wheel feels solid is to see if any of the bushings actually move. To do this, perhaps place your phone or other video recorder at EACH bushing connection to the wheel. THEN move the wheel by using the 9&3 and 12&6 locations. Even if they "feel" solid, you may be able to see some movement in the video. So check the video after moving the wheels. See the beginning of my video at 0.04. When I move the wheel using the 9&3 and 12&6 method, you can see where the bushings are bad and allow movement. You can even hear the clunk sound. Finally, the upper control arm can be a little tricky if you move the wheels and don't see anything moving. The bushings might still "look" good. So for the top, if moving the wheels is inconclusive, you might try jacking up the vehicle, removing the wheel, place a jack stand for safety, then take a crow bar and place it against the upper control arm at the bushing and press the arm back and forth laterally (i.e., not up and down, but side-to-side along the bushing). If the arm slides laterally along the bushing...then the upper arm bushings will need to be replaced. The upper arm can also cause clunking just like the lower arm. Its kinda like a deep rumble/clunking sound over bumps. Even knowing this, the upper arm bushings can be missed, so extra attention may be warranted on the upper. Ok, I hope the above helps and was not too much detail. New control arms (or bushings) will cause your vehicle to ride quietly and smooth as butter when going over bumps. Good luck with your project.
@@justsomeguy4941 Thank you, no wonder every time i ask the shop to inspect the suspension when doing routine maintenance they always said its still in good condition even though i heard deep rumble noise when going over rough road and sometimes clunking too. Again thank you very much for the detailed explanation very helpful, i don't think too much detail would hurts especially for suspension parts. And Good luck to you too, can't wait for more videos. Cheers
@@materwelon4349 Hey Mater, I just came across a video from another person that shows the upper control arm for the LS430. You can even see what the upper control arm looks like at the start of the video. See Video: czcams.com/video/PZRP9dw4wLQ/video.html - At about 1:18 of the video you can see the upper arm attached to the vehicle and can see how the bushings are attached to the frame. So, this video can give you a visual of what I was referring when I suggested a pry bar against the upper arm and try and move the upper arm side-to-side i.e., laterally. This guy does not do this in his video because he is replacing his upper arm. But if you wanted to test the way I referenced, you can see the parts I am referring. Ok, that's it. Crazy how I came across this video and remembered our exchange about the upper arm. Anyway, all the best.
@@justsomeguy4941 Thank you, my left upper control arm ball joint looks similar to the one in the video, a bit leaking on the left side, at this point i might as well replace both upper and lower control arm. Again thank you very much
Good video except for removing the shock from the LCA. You should loosen/tighten from the bolt side; not from the nut. The nut has some small protruding notches that sit and lock inside indents on the outer side of the securing bracket. That's why you had to take a breaker bar to it and probably stripped the protrusions on the nut and/or the indents on the LCA bracket.
Hey Scorpio, thanks for the feedback. Upon seeing your comment I went back and checked the FSM. Interestingly, removal indicates to remove the "nut," but the image has an arrow pointing to the bolt side. I also went back and looked at the video and saw the notches on the bolt you are referring. Just for kicks looked for other vids and saw a mix of bolt and nut removals. Anyway, great observation. I think I will try bolt side loosening on strut next time to break free and see how that works.
Nice vid! Do u have the oem number för de parts?
Best regards
Hi Alexander. Unfortunately, I do not have the OWM part numbers. Just placed an order for another LS430 and will see if I have the part number. If so, I will circle back and post here. Take care.
How did you tell that it needed to be replaced? I’ve got movement on my wheel when I grab it and shake in all directions after I jacked it up. What is that
Hi Marty. I could tell that the bushings were bad because they allowed the lower control arm to move. See 0:03 - 0:10 seconds in the video. Also, the Caster bushings were cracked - see 0:11 - 0:15 in the video for the cracks. The loose bushings allowed a clunk sound when going over bumps and a weird slipping feeling when going slow and making a tight turn. Felt as if I ran over a banana peel when turning into the driveway. Replacing the control arm (with bushings), as, well as new ball joints solved the problem. No more noise over bumps, no more clunking sound over bumps and no weird feeling in the steering when making a slow tight turn. Ok, regarding your vehicle, I would recommend first trying to see what is moving in a way it is not supposed to move. I would place a camera under the vehicle pointing at the parts you suspect - e.g., control arm bushings where the lower control arm attaches to the frame, caster bushings for cracks and your ball joints and tie rod ends. Once the vehicle wheel is off the ground, grab tire in the 12 & 6 o'clock positions and move tire. Then place your hands at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions and move the tire left and right. Then check your video. If there are parts moving that should not, you have a place to start. Also, check to see if there is grease stains at your tie rod ends and ball joints. If there is what looks like black grease, this suggests your protective boots are cracked, which could let dirt and debris get to your joints, which of course, can cause failure of the joints. I hope this helps and good luck diagnosing the problem. Take care and be well.
@@justsomeguy4941 appreciate you! It had play everywhere. I replaced the hub assembly and the noise is gone. Removing it was a process, used a couple of the ideas I saw others use. Not something I want to do again anytime soon for sure. Lol
How is the NVH with the mevotechs? Still lexus butter smooth, or what?
Hi David. Thanks for watching. Oddly enough, Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) with the Mevotech control arms & bushings were fine. I could not tell a difference. Keeping in mind that I had gone so long with the vibration and clunking sound that I was comparing the repair to the broken and warn parts. From that perspective, night and day. Smooth and quiet. If I drove with Lexus parts and then replaced with Mevotech, that would be a better comparison. In any case, I have no complaints. The only thing I would recommend caution on are the parts from Beck/Arnley. I got lucky and received quality ball joint parts. It appears Beck/Arnley sources their parts from multiple suppliers and they are only resellers (not manufacturers). Some Beck parts are literally from the same OEM makers for Toyota & Lexus and others parts are not. At the time of this repair, I did not know this. Months after this video I purchased Beck/Arnley parts for another vehicle and they were sub par in quality. The quality was so different from the part I put on the LS430 that I actually called the company to better understand how this could happen. Upon speaking with the company I discovered how their parts are sourced and packaged. They buy parts from multiple manufacturers from all over the world. So, some parts are made in the USA. Others are made in Japan (by OEM manufacturers), others from Vietnam, China, etc, etc. I would not recommend Beck/Arnley because the part may not be high quality and if you cannot tell by looking at the part, hard to know what you are getting. So, since Beck/Arnley parts are hit and miss (I got lucky and perhaps got an OEM manufacturer), I would recommend ball joints be purchased from someone who makes their own parts and can monitor quality. On other vehicles I have used Moog and those have worked for me in the past. Anyway, sorry for the long answer, but I hope it helps. Also hope you will like follow and subscribe. Take care and be well.
@@justsomeguy4941 Good to hear. Those big oil filled rubber parts can be hard for aftermarket parts to match oem NVH. I got an exhaust rattle day one with ROCAR engine mounts, and had to redo the job with oem.
@@vollandt Yikes! I do actually try and do OEM whenever possible. If OEM is not that for away from aftermarket in price, I use OEM. If I can get the same OEM manufacturer through RockAuto, I buy at RockAuto and get the OEM manufacturer. For example, I used Aisin parts (water pumps, etc) or KYB struts, Denso Plugs, etc. These are the companies that manufacture the parts for Toyota / Lexus. Same part without a Toyota stamp on it. RockAuto will sell the part for 1/3 to1/2 the price at the dealer. So, I try that first. If you have never ordered through RockAuto, you really should give it a try. Take care and be well.
Where do I buy 2001 Lexus ls 430 rear right Cv axle dealership want 1000
Hi Aveon, truth be told, I am not sure. My first thought...and "go to" place is normally Rockauto.com. They sell OEM parts (distribute to manufacturers) at great prices. I don't know if they would have axles. You might try them. If RockAuto does not have the part, I would check the salvage yard, which is my second favorite place to shop for parts. You might try a yard called LKQ Pick a Part. You can input the type of vehicle you have and if they have one in stock, they will tell you. If they do not have one, you can be notified when the specific vehicle comes into the yard. As long as you are willing to pull the part yourself, you can save LOTS of money. Of course, you have to be comfortable with a used axle. Anyway, those are my thoughts. There may certainly be other options. Good luck and let me know what you decide.
Looks like you torqued down the lower control arm to the vehicle without a load, this can contribute to premature control arm bushing wear.
Hi Preston, it does appear this way. You are correct. I did, however, place the vehicle load on the suspension but did it off camera after realizing I had just torqued without a load. I placed the comments in the video at 12:54 to ensure people knew a load needed to be placed on the suspension. I basically sat the vehicle down onto jack stands that were placed under the control arm. Once the floor jack was no longer supporting the vehicle and the weight was resting on the jack stands, the control arm was torqued to spec. Good observation. I hope other viewers know what I am referring to in my text comment at 12:54. Anyway, the text was the only way I knew to address this. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great DIY Video. But I have only one problem with the advice you provided - MEVOTECH Control arms are made of extremely low quality materials, not suitable with cars like LS430. Anything other than OEM metal and rubber parts is a bad investment. It will require the diagnostic a year later or even sooner, depending how and where you drive. AVOID Mevotech or Moog at all costs!
Hi Dimitry, very interesting thoughts on Mevotech and Moog. I have heard many things about these manufacturers. Some have positive views on them and others not so positive. I have used Moog in the past on other vehicles with no problems, but never Mevotech. Don't recall how I chose Mevotech this time. Anyway, just curious, what do you use as basis for your view? Have you had problems with Mevotech & Moog? What "aftermarket" manufacturer do you feel has quality suspension parts OR do you feel no aftermarket company has quality parts? Would be interested in your opinion. Also, do you know who makes the actual control arms for Lexus (I do not)? I know parts like struts are made by KYB and KYB also sells aftermarket. Aisin supplies some engine parts....Aisin also sells aftermarket. I don't think Toyota actually makes the arms, but I could be wrong. Again, thanks for the comments. Much appreciated and look forward to your response. Take care and be well.
@@justsomeguy4941 just came across this and don't mean to revive a month old comment, but I just did the wheel bearings on my 430 and I got the Moog instead of Toyota. Interestingly enough, both the original and new Moog wheel bearings have Koyo logos stamped on the back with the same part numbers. They also looked identical, but obviously the Moog being a lot cheaper.
Try to do this job on a car driven in snow, ice and salt
I can only imagine. Here in sunny southern Cali we don't have those issues. Makes nut and bolt removal much easier.
LOL, I was just trying to use that same Milwaukee Right Angle Impact to remove the strut bolt from my LS430... what a piece of crap that thing is. My compact Metabo HPT made slight work of that and they're both rated the exact same. GARBAGE!
I absolutely agree! It's crap. I was so excited when these things first came out. In fact, I bought two - a half inch and a 3/8 inch. My first sign something might not be as advertised was a trip to my favorite place to shop....the salvage yard. I was looking for a suspension part and thought I would use my new Milwaukee and leave my trusty and reliable DeWalt mid torgue in the bag. Hmm, that's odd, this thing just makes noise and no progress. Is the battery full I thought...hmm, yes. After working on bolts I could almost remove with my hands I realized I was HAD! Pulled in by the hype. The right angle idea is great. The form factor is perfect. Now, if it would just loosen fasteners Milwaukee would have a nice tool on their hands. You and I can't be the only ones with this experience. Perhaps Milwaukee will upgrade the tool in the future so that it is stronger than our bare hands at loosening fasteners. By the way, I have a new DeWalt Atomic with a PowerStack battery. Man let me tell you, that combo rocks! It is light weight, smaller form factor than my "go to" suspension impact (1/2 inch DeWalt mid torque) and enough juice to get through every job I have used it on. It appears that the Powerstack does not last as long as other DeWalt batteries, but it delivers more power early. That actually works for me since the objective is to loosen fasteners which only takes a few seconds. Now, if I were running it for 30 minutes straight, then endurance might become important. Ok, I am waaay off track. I like talking tools and cars so forgive me. How did this rant start.... Oh yea, the Milwaukee right impact is crap! Thanks for watching.
@F%98%ABannel/UC-tZqDFsfuyFenu9lvbxASA I'm just seeing this because I literally have over 400 comments to respond to on CZcams 🥴 but yeah, I think maybe the more recent ones work better? I too had the 1/2" and the 3/8". Both terrible. Just make noise and move nothing. On Home Depot's website the reviews say the same thing, but it seems the more recent reviews are better so umm, I might go and get a new one if you know what I mean. Buy one, swap them out and just say it's weak, which it is and return the darn thing! I need one that works. Thanks for this video! I'm going to start on mine in the morning, been traveling for the last 2 months.
Many many steps missed in the video. Also steps are out of order.