Knocking Front Steering

SAMKATIE · June 19, 2003

Has any one experanced a knocking when steering at low speeds like in car parks or pulling tightly on to the drive.Ive still got 2 months waranty , and have had this noise since i got the is200 6 months ago?

altezzaz · June 20, 2003

Yup, I've got something like that - seems to make some noise when I'm braking and turning (not something I do on the road, I hasten to add). If I had the warranty I'd definitely get someone to check it out - the car doesn't do it from new so it has to be a problem.... I asked my dealer to sort it out about a month ago but they seemed a little laissez faire about it all.

greeneyes · June 20, 2003

I think it is pretty common. It happens every time I take the car out of the garage, as the brake pads re-seat in the calipers with a distinct "clank" I don't know why turning moves them, but I do know the discs flex when turned and can push the pads back a little.

Rob · June 20, 2003

when you are pulling onto the drive i am assuming that you are braking also?????

I had exactly the same problemand i traced it down to the brake pads shifting slightly in the caliper housings, you have little spring in the ends of the pad housing to help prevent this but they dont always work - I cured mine by applying a little bit of copper grease to the ends of the pads and it has been silent for about a year now.

But be aware that the grease will attract some dirt and can over time form a rubbing compound ( abrasive paste) and can in extreme cases cause a bit of damage to the caliper - in EXTREME cases though.

Parthiban · June 20, 2003

is it a knocking or grinding? cos i had a grinding on my old car and i was told by kwik fit that it was the brakes, but it actually turned out to be a bent driveshaft

PaulFromSwindon · June 21, 2003

Hiya,

I had the same thing until recently. It was the front ball joints on the steering, and apparently this is a well known problem on the IS200.

I had a knocking sound when steering at low speeds, and like you it was very noticable when turning slowly round tight bends.

My car was recently in for a 50K service, and the dealer (Lexus Swindon) replaced them under warranty without hesitation (I'm told it would have cost £300 if not under warranty.

I would get this checked before your warranty runs out - If your dealer won't play ball, try another dealer - I have seen various posts on this site that all agree this is a common problem.

If it were the brake pads sliding backwards and forwards, the chance are you would find that when you first reverse, they'll knock and slip backwards, then when youi go forwards it'll do it again, but not every time after that because they are already pushed forwards -ie, it'll do it once each time you change from forward to reverse.

Cheers

Paul

Fargo · June 21, 2003

Yup, I've got something like that - seems to make some noise when I'm braking and turning (not something I do on the road, I hasten to add). If I had the warranty I'd definitely get someone to check it out - the car doesn't do it from new so it has to be a problem.... I asked my dealer to sort it out about a month ago but they seemed a little laissez faire about it all.

I also had this same problem .. but nothing a bit of copper slip didnt solve.

Rob · June 22, 2003

Has any one experanced a knocking when steering at low speeds like in car parks or pulling tightly on to the drive.Ive still got 2 months waranty , and have had this noise since i got the is200 6 months ago?

is it a constant click,click,click sound that you are hearing when turning???? or just click when you apply the brakes ( and you happen to be turning as well??)

if its a constant click click then as paul said have your Cv joints checked out.