Ropey Handling Sorted

[Dave M]

I've had problems with my Series II GS300 since I bought it second-hand a year or so ago (I posted a few times back then) - it was handling like a dog and chewing up the front tyres like there was no tomorrow. Lexus said there was nothing wrong with it and wouldn't do the tracking as part of the warranty cover, so I just put up with it for a year.

Recently I took it to Tony Bones (wheels-inmotion.co.uk) over at Watford, as suggested here. He found that the geometry was well out of spec. and sorted it out for me.. it's made a huge difference to the car, no more drifting, no more hanging on for grim death when going over bumpy roads, and it goes where I tell it to rather than meandering off wherever it feels like. Bliss.

Seriously - I can't believe what a massive difference it has made.

One things he said was that he often saw GS300s and IS200s that weren't properly set up out of the factory - he also reckoned that mine had a manufacturing fault that meant he couldn't adjust it to the factory spec.

He reckons that keeping the tyres slightly overinflated should sort it to some extent but I suspect it explains the really fast tyre wear (only on the front) that I've been having.

I'm going to write to Lexus and ask if they can sort this for me as I thought there was something wrong with the car since a few days after buying it. What do people reckon my chances are of getting Lexus to pay something towards the extra tyres it's going to get through?

Anyway, if anybody has got a GS300 that seems to have a mind of its own, take it to see Tony and he'll put it right.

[Tony-Bones]

Thanks for the post Dave i'm happy things for you are now sorted once and for all.

The factory issue is hard to understand, even i dont know why Lexus continue to set-up the cars geometry in this tyre killer area, but i have concluded this?

1: The actual geometrical position for the front camber is not un-reasonable, so the pattern of wear 'must' be due to the spring rate.

2: The geometry position to compensate for the lack of rate will 'never' be confessed as the cost in compensation would be £a lot :D

3: Most places will set the geometry to 'stock' 5000 miles later the wear is back.

Any maths that surround geometry in any form is theoretical, there are no 'matter' of fact settings, even if we drive the same car in the same area at the same time we are still 'unique' you have two kids in the car, i have one.. any geometry forcast in reality now must scale 'down' to the theoretical, but there is a platform for an initial base, and its this base i use, the 'unique' side of all this is dealt with on the 'fine tune'......easy :D

[Dave M]

Thanks Tony

I've PM'd you.

Dave

[Scorpion]

If Mr Bones has had his hands on it i doubt wether you will get fast tyre wear any longer....

Ah happy days :D

[chips229]

I dont think you will get much joy from Lexus they only seem worried about selling new ones,unless there sales start to fall there not going to really listen :)

If Lexus only looked through this club forum,they could see where there going wrong.

[ivanfromtheuk]

Thanks for the post Dave i'm happy things for you are now sorted once and for all.

The factory issue is hard to understand, even i dont know why Lexus continue to set-up the cars geometry in this tyre killer area, but i have concluded this?

1: The actual geometrical position for the front camber is not un-reasonable, so the pattern of wear 'must' be due to the spring rate.

2: The geometry position to compensate for the lack of rate will 'never' be confessed as the cost in compensation would be £a lot :D

3: Most places will set the geometry to 'stock' 5000 miles later the wear is back.

Any maths that surround geometry in any form is theoretical, there are no 'matter' of fact settings, even if we drive the same car in the same area at the same time we are still 'unique' you have two kids in the car, i have one.. any geometry forcast in reality now must scale 'down' to the theoretical, but there is a platform for an initial base, and its this base i use, the 'unique' side of all this is dealt with on the 'fine tune'......easy :D

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hi tony,

could you forward your contact details? i need to come and see you.... my car is a little bitch in the corners....

cheers mate,

Ivan

[MacRS200]

Contact details are

Tony Bones

STS Watford

Tel 01923 234666