Hi Guys,

got a little problem with my car been happening the last month or so. when i am driving around 50-60 my car shakes really badly. the steering shakes really bad and so does the car. if i go above 60 it is fine and there is no problem same if i am going below 45-50

Iv had it set by tony at WIM and also had it rechecked after this started happening but the set up was fine and nothing had changed. Iv had all the wheels re balanced. and the problem still happens.

Some people iv spoke to have said that it could be becuase my discs have bent/warped? or maybe the bushes?

I know that i need to change my front discs and pads could this be the reason?

dunno if this has happened to anyone before? any help would be good

Thanks

Hits

sounds like balancing and tracking to me...

I have had the tracking done by tony at WIM and also had all 4 wheels re balanced.

What else could it be?

have you had new tyres fitted recently?

I'm going to go with ball joints, I felt the same with mine, but not at any specific speed, took it to garage and the 2 front joints were almost dead, got them replaced, problem solved.

Good luck

i would check the tyres are not out of shape

I'd say it's wheel balancing, some of the weights could have come off maybe??

Most ppl seem to think it might be the tyres out of shape..

the reason i dont think its the tracking and balaencing is that iv had the tracking set by tony from wim and it was fine for about 2 - 3 months and i only took it back to him for a recheck after the problem was occuring and the tracking was the same as he had set it.

i also had all 4 wheels re balanced since the problem started occuring.

i dont understand why it only happens between them speeds tho.. if im on the motorwa at 70 its fine with no problems.

i have read on these forums that somtimes the breaks get warped could that be possible?

Thanks for the reply's

Once you come back from a run feel the 2 front wheels if 1 is hotter than the other the piston in your caliper has seized, had the same prob with mine, also check to c if the sub frame is tight, if it is kind of slack it will amplify the vibration through the car.
Caliper repair kit is about 60 quid.

I would say either tyres or possible a buckled alloy wheel or a balance weight has come off? Have you hit any potholes etc?

You could whip each wheel off or jack them up and spin them and see if any are sticking.

My dads old merc had a similar issue where it would vibrate/wobble at about 35. Turned out that one if his rear tyres was down to the braid on the inside!!

Yea i did hit a pot hole so it maybe the alloy has buckled.

would this be picked up on a MOT?

failable?

No not really, the mot guy might see dent in your alloy from the inside when under your car, try using you wheel in the boot to see if your problem is still there.

Jack the car up, spin the wheel to check if its buckled

i had this with mine, between the same speeds!

Firstly had the off side front lower ball jpoint replaced (cost £195.07 plus VAT) by Lexus Leeds, problem improved slightly but didnt cure it.

I was then told by them it was being caused by the caliper and would need to replace the O/S/F caliper (i thought sod this, if they didnt diagnose it correctly the first time and charged me over £200 for it, im not giving them another chance to change something that didnt need changing). Took it to the garage i used for my Corsa and the guy said he doubted it was the caliper but said he could change the pins to make sure the old ones werent worn causing it to move at high speed. He did it when changing the brake pads and the noise stopped but car still shook!

Bought a strut brace for the front it improved slightly again so went with the thought that it was the tracking balancing etc. bought 4 new tyres, had the tracking done the same day drove down to Hastings to pick up my mothers new car and it never once shook on the motor way and hasnt since! I must add that the un even wear of my old tyres was unbelievable, im pretty sure the old over must have had lowering springs or coilovers on it before he sold it which is wht the tyres seemed fine when i bought it but knackered after a couple of thousand miles.

Calipers could just need the brake dust cleaned out which causes pads to be sticky.

A sticking front calliper on my GS had similar symptoms as this. If I was doing under 40, no problem presumably cos they weren't generating enough heat. Between 40 and 55'ish, could wobble the stearing and car really badly, over 55 and the pads would wear quickly enough to release the pressure and problem would go away until I braked again.

This seems to be a big problem with the IS200 though i have never had this with any other car

Right quick update... drove it today on a 15-20 mile trip into leicester and it was shaking really bad so i just took it to the first garage and asked them to re balance all the wheels again.

They told me that the back ones were off balance, got that done and drove it back without any problems. seems to drive better at the lower speeds and around 45-55-60 it was fine.

Gonna keep driving it later today to see if it happens. one thing i have noticed is that when i break my steering does vibrate but i know i need to get net pads maybe new discs.

also im not sure if anyone else has it but my gear stick shakes a fair bit at high revs and also when breaking?

need to get it services in the next week or so , hopefully with the breaks done and a service all these little niggly bits be sorted out..

Thanks for all the help guys

spoke to soon

still shakes

Get your wheels Road Force balanced on a Hunter 9700 machine.....had my wheels balanced 3 times because of a vibration issue - Seemed ok for a while but then back again. Got them balanced on a Hunter 9700 and sorted out the problem.
My wheels had also been cross balanced at a previous establishment - which can also create problems - check your weights on the wheels - they should all be together without any large gaps. WHen you have them re-balanced make sure all the old weights are removed prior to balancing to start afresh.

I've got the same exact problem, I bought my IS200 a couple of weeks ago and i drove it down from Leeds to London without any problems. I was on my way to Reading last saturday when the steering started vibrating very badly when i was doing around 45 to 50 mph. At first i thought one of my wheels was loose but after stopping on the hard shoulder at the very start of the M4 i realised all wheels were very well secured. I continued my journey and the vibration went away.

On my way back to London on the same evening, I experienced the same thing again doing the same sort of speeds. I took the car to Kwick Fit where i had the wheels balanced and tracked. The problem was still there so i took it to a garage yesterday where it was discovered that the front passengers wheel is not completely free. It seems pinned down but the rear wheels push the car along. If you put the car in neutral and release the handbrake, the car is extremely difficult to push.

It will be going into the garage tomorrow for a thorough going over and hopefully whatever holding the wheel down will be replaced.

It's the brakes - no doubt about it! Your fuel consumption will have gone up at least 10% as well just to make things worse. It will come and go as the calliper seizes and releases. When the vibration is at its worst, pull over - if safe to do so - and feel each wheel with the back of your hand (so as not to transfer dirt to inside the car). If you haven't done any really serious braking in the previous few minutes wheels SHOULD all be cool to the touch. One probably isn't. That's the culprit! With the calliper off the disk, (preferably not at the side of the road where you stopped!?) working it back and forth over almost its full stroke length can help. A touch of non-silicone lubricant can also help. I've done this twice in 18000 miles but am considering stripping and relacing the seals when it happens again - which I'm sure it will as it appears to be a Lexus weakness. Good luck!

I have just been hit with a £600+ bill.

Seems the Callipers has completely rusted and no longer moves hence the frequent seizure of the wheel. So i've been told i need a new caliper, caliper pump?, front brake pads and disc!

Does the quote seem reasonable?

Seems pretty steep? Is a Lexus agent doing the job? If not what is the source of your spares? And "Calliper Pump"? What's that? Never heard of of one of those in forty years of being in engineering? Is it the name for the mechanism that allows the calliper to float? Or did I just learn a strange form of English in South Africa? I'd shop around for quotes first.
Also consider signing up for Gold LOC membership which entitles you to some servicing / spares discounts - on £600 it could be worth it.

Maybe i got the name wrong but some sort of pipe was also quoted in the price. Nah its not a lexus agent, its my independent garage that i've been using for some years now. They managed to clean out the calipers and got it working again but the pads, discs and pipe was changed at £300. All the parts were ordered from Lexus.

I've just had the exact same problem - caliper seized up completely after wobbling badly for a while.

Had new caliper fitted, new front discs and pads at Lexus dealer - came to £550.

You'd expect a non-Lexus garage to be cheaper - so if they're hitting you for more - I'd go to a dealer.

Hi all,

mine was the brakes as well. failed MOT with Break binding.

just had new pads put in and its been fine for the past month or so.. no problems so fingers crossed

Just been through all this (IS200 sport) Car had been stood for a while, calipers were sticking, garage reckoned on new calipers etc. Bu**er that, remove,strip, clean pistons etc re(rubber)grease pins and no longer sticking,BUT......vibrated like a wobbly thing under braking, shook the steering AND gear stick, but not particulaly prevelant at the pedal. I thought probs with ball joints etc but found no slack and discs seemed ok, no washout or warping that i could detect. Finally, everything off again and presto, offside disc, inside face is pitted. New discs and pads (EBAY, £55 deliverd!!!!!!! - planet car parts) and all is much happiness. woohoo!

Have you still got the item number on ebay?

Blimey, glad u made me look on ebay, just found out the missus has bought a sodding shower unit on my account!!!
Anyhow, item no is 300204573728, Can't believe the price and the guy has a really good rating. I presume they are hewn from a solid block of crapite and will never last as long as quality items, but hey, at that price!!!!!

I was looking to get a set of Mintex Discs and pads for the rear... Any squealing noises from them?

Seem fine, car stops fine, passed MOT yesterday withoutbeing bedded in yet. no sqeaks, and joy of joys, no shuddering!

Yep im getting same problem, shaking between 50-60. Felt the calipers after a 30 mile run and one was red hot while the other is cold...looks like i'm going to need a new caliper to me. why does noone on ebay sell Lexus alternative calipers lol. Probably gonna cost me about £400+ in parts and labour.

Why not try changing the seals? you can get a seal kit for about £40 i think.

Stav

Mm...sounds like a good alternative, hope my disc etc isn't warped...although i'm already looking at grooved disc from prolex.

Is there different types of seals? Recommended ones etc, good thing i got this week off so they can work on the car, bad thing is i have to drive 20 miles to the nearest Toyota garage, my brakes are going to melt! My poor car this is the second brake caliper to go. Wonder if it would be wiser to use different brake pads..like mintex ones.

Dont know if there's different types mate, but you can get them from the dealerships.

Have a search there's a few threads on the seal kits.

Stav

Part number L04478-30240 is the front seal kit. Enough to do both sides. About £60 + vat.
Part number L47731-30170 is a caliper piston. About £18 each + vat. 2 in each caliper.

TG

Cheers for the part numbers TonyGoose, but i asked the garage and they said that they don't use the kits anymore as the fault usually comes back. And i've asked its going to be around £500. Also does anyone know if Lexus Canterbury have members discount?

May be worth giving these people a call clicky. They don't list Lexus on their site but I got a pair of brand new rear callipers for my GS300 for £49 for the two. I doubt there will be a bargain quite that good for fronts but they may well have seal kits etc to sort out your problems.

I've got the same problem and have had it for a little while. Although saometimes there is no vibration and the calipers do not get hot!! I may have to reseal the calipers as well and see if it helps.

Although i would need help with this, any offers

Im in a bit of pickle....my n/s/f calipers are seized, but lexus garage is 30 miles away and they charge around £600 to replace. I don't want to drive that far incase it will cause more damage. Kwit fit is only down the road and they do it for roughly the same all in (not including pads). And also i will need car by end of the week, luckly (if you can call it that), i've got this week off work, so no need to use car. I've phoned RAC and they will only do a 10 mile trip, and this is classed as a private recovery (£150) I can't send them to get them reconditioned as it will take longer than a week to do and both garage will not fit them as it's not a part they ordered. To me this seems like the glass on ur door mirror is broken, u will need to change the whole door mirror, including the shell and motor?!!?....help!

p.s. all those with '01 lexus...beware, both my front calipers have gone now, and as mentioned above, looks like a common fault...expensive too.

Try a different Garage or Chris.S for the seal kit and get it sent special delivery. Your local place may just be trying it on by saying they dont do the seal kit?

I had one seal on mine but i got a cheap one off ebay and they were fine before i upgraded them.

Stav

Right, (sorry for hijacking thread, but it's kind of related..lol), decided to get the work done down the road (kwit fit, as they can get the part in for Wednesday), decided to try some mintex pads as everyone seems to favour them. Also going to change the disc, as it is just at the minium safe requirement (something like 29.8mm thinkness as it is), plus i think the shaking is the disc being warped, eitherway they need to be changed, decided to go for RS-10 discs. Anyone fitted these before? Also hope they don't have that build up of rust after a few minutes of water on them like the oem ones suffer from.

i no long bought my 2nd is 200, coming home first night i bought it theres like a wheelbearing noise coming from front drivers side when driving around town i replaced bearing still as bad as ever, next step is get tyres checked incase theyre misshaped, i get wobbling bout 50-60mph its making me really dislike driving the car

GAZ, Post is going forever lol...it's not tracking as WIM has already checked, wheel bearing u have changed (u can't mistaken a worn bearing noise). Wheels balanced? is one caliper hot to touch after 2+ miles run (if it is its a seized caliper, the gear stick also shakes when disc is warped)? im sure everything that it can be has been mentioned, very unlikely its the tires to be honest, but as a last resort it worth checking out, but i would have thought the person balancing the wheel would have work that one out, just by looking at the wheel when its rotating on the balancing machine. Really can't think it can be anything else as yet...but do let us know as im puzzled as what else it can be, well without seeing the car. Yes i know what u mean when mine did that it just makes u wanna stop driving as it shakes the steering like mad.

Hi guys..

well i can see the original thread is still going.. well i figured out that my problem was the breaks. failed MOT on break binding. anyway had the breaks changed and passed the MOT and the car was fine for about month and a half 2 months and just recently it has started doing the same problem... shakes really bad at about 50 - 60 mph.

I have read a a few other posts about this and seems like the calipers need changing.

just wandering how much they normally are and whats the best place to get them from?

Car: Is 200 sport Y plate

Thanks

Hits

I went full out, paid @£700 for new caliper, grooved disc and new mintex pads. Yep still hurting now, but it's peace of mind and car drives like a dream again!

Have you tried getting the discs skimmed?

It sounds like you have the classic symptons of pedal pulsation. If so, then the brake disc has either been worn away through friction with the pad or there is some pad material left on the disc (esp with automatics when the brake is always on when you stop and your discs are hot). The end result is instead of having a flat disc, you have one with DTV (disc thickness variation) with peaks and troughs instead of a flat surface (imagine a mountain range). When you apply the brakes pedal the pad is bouncing from peak to peak instead of having constant contact with the disc. This causes your brake pedal to jump.

Pedal pulsation is very noticable and usually only occurs at certain speeds (in your case 45-50mph) which is why I think that could be the problem. Visit www.skimmydiscs.co.uk to find your nearest lathe. There are some out there but make sure they have a black one called a PFM 9 - it compensates automatically for lateral run-out which be the cause of the problem and skims discs in 10 minutes. Make sure you know the manufacturer minimum thickness for your discs though as it's illegal to skim below this.

Whilst on brake skimming, think about getting your discs done when you have new pads fitted too. It costs a bit extra but at least you have 100% braking efficiency straight away instead of having bad brakes until they bed in 500 miles later.

It could be the wheel balance as well though - I have little faith in wheel balancing in shops mainly due to the people which carry out. Many shops i've been to can't balance a wheel to zero and are quite happy to put over 100 grams on which is diabolical. Do you know how much weight they put on your wheels?

Take your motor back to your wheel balancing man and ask him to put it back on the wheel balancer and see if it comes up zero - it won't !!!! If they "fix" the problem and get the zero read out, take the wheel off, rotate it 90 degrees and do it again - it won't come up zero twice. If it does then pay the man and take a business card because good wheel balancers are rare in the country.

Good luck, I hope you get it sorted soon

Yep this has been happening to mine for nearly a year or so now :S fed up of it will tot up the fixes soon but I'll prob just try an get rid of the car as it will cost more to fix then its worth

although mine is 9 years old and 107k miles so it's probably due some new parts still need the 100k service doing eek mega pennys to come....

I've not long owned a lex but with my previous cars, what you are describing is either shot tie rod bushes - holds the front wheels pointing forwards - at speed the wheels wobble and do so when breaking. Or, prop shaft centre bearing rubber surround perished - prop rotates out of true between certain speeds normally 45 upwards.

Good luck

Jack

Sorry, it should say 'I've not owned a Lex LONG' ..6 months in fact...

Cheers

Jack