LS 400 Control Arms

[Guest]

For the LS 400 owners on here who have had control arm issues, was it bush deterioation or corrossion on the arms that caused the issue. I note where I sourced my track rod end that they sell control arn bushes as well, if it is not a corrosion of the arm issue why not go for bush replacement ?

[Razor61]

The front/strut arm/control arm bushes were deteriorated and split on my car, it wasn't corrosion. They are solid rubber bushes and it was a circular split, probably the rubber was detaching itself from the inner metal tube bit. The arms themselves were corroded but they cleaned up really well and looked as good as new after treating and painting.

[runsgrateasanut]

Cheap UCA's are not too bad as long as you swap out the Rubber cover before fitting, as it will fall to pieces quickly, as one owner on here said, just hanging on a hook in his garage.  Replacements from South Wales Propshafts Ltd - check them out for a variety of sizes. .

[Razor61]

1 hour ago, Wisemonkey said:

I note where I sourced my track rod end that they sell control arm bushes as well, if it is not a corrosion of the arm issue why not go for bush replacement ?

I can only speak for my 1995 production year LS400, getting the correct bushes was the issue as they are not available anymore. If you can obtain the correct bushes then that is the way to go.

[Malc]

1 hour ago, Razor61 said:

it wasn't corrosion

these really are lumps of thick steel and never likely to corrode until about 150 years young methinks,in normal operation 

when MOT Testers say corrosion it's often just a figment of imagination with a light brown wash thereupon 

Malc

[The-Acre]

40 minutes ago, Malc said:

these really are lumps of thick steel and never likely to corrode until about 150 years young methinks,in normal operation 

when MOT Testers say corrosion it's often just a figment of imagination with a light brown wash thereupon 

Malc

I reckon they say "corrosion" because they can't, in most cases, find anything else of note!😁

[Razor61]

Arms with bushes pressed out and cleaned up etc.

 

[Guest]

Dear All, Good series of info there thankyou all. So why have some owners spent so much wedge sourcing new control arms at huge expense when new bushes would presumably sufficed

[ambermarine]

20 hours ago, Wisemonkey said:

For the LS 400 owners on here who have had control arm issues, was it bush deterioation or corrossion on the arms that caused the issue. I note where I sourced my track rod end that they sell control arn bushes as well, if it is not a corrosion of the arm issue why not go for bush replacement ?

The answer to that is the UCA front on the LS400 is non servicable and new bushes cannot be bought and even if they could there is no way of inserting them.

I had the problem on My Mark 1 of worn top hub connection bush and after much research and trying second hand from the states gave up and purchased them from Lexus. Reports on this forum suggest aftermarket refurbed units failed after short lives.

The trailing arm bushes on the rear are servicable and I did a photo topic which is in the archives on that project I even made my own extraction tool and that was a succesful outcome.

[Cotswold Pete]

I have always heard from every Lexus mechanic that UCA is (and always has been) been a full replacement.

All other parts bushes can be replaced.  I assume the greatest stresses are on the UCA, and to be honest amazed that the original bushes last as long as they do.

On the point of corrosion, I would go with

16 hours ago, The-Acre said:

I reckon they say "corrosion" because they can't, in most cases, find anything else of note!😁

My sons MOT last week pointed out corrosion, when I think it should have read, the brake pipes need a bit of a clean and making sure they are not corroded (which they are not).

[steve2006]

It’s more common I think for the UCA ball joint to fail especially so with the general condition of UK roads!