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Hello,

I was underneath my 1995 Mk3 yesterday for a 'look round' and found that the rear strut rods (are they also the rear trailing arms and rear axle carrier arms??) had a fair bit of play in them when I wiggled them by hand. I don't notice any problem when driving but suspect the bushes are pretty warn. I can find loads of threads and web info for 1990-1994 models but not 1995 models. Some sites appear to show that I can use that same bushes for Mk1 - 3 models. Can I?

Has anyone replaced theirs recently? Where did you source the bushes? Any advice? I've read that Lexus dealerships only supply the whole arm. Is that the case?

Cheers,

Jim

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Hello,

I was underneath my 1995 Mk3 yesterday for a 'look round' and found that the rear strut rods (are they also the rear trailing arms and rear axle carrier arms??) had a fair bit of play in them when I wiggled them by hand. I don't notice any problem when driving but suspect the bushes are pretty warn. I can find loads of threads and web info for 1990-1994 models but not 1995 models. Some sites appear to show that I can use that same bushes for Mk1 - 3 models. Can I?

Has anyone replaced theirs recently? Where did you source the bushes? Any advice? I've read that Lexus dealerships only supply the whole arm. Is that the case?

Cheers,

Jim

Hi

I have spent the last three weeks researching this very subject after experiencing progressive vibration at high speeds in my 1990 ls400.

The USA lexus owners club and lextreme which covers oz have loads of info on this problem as they especially in the states have more Ls 400s than anywhere.

My car as done 170k and it is not uncommon for the trailing arm bushes to fail at 100k .

The other bush that goes is the lower arm (hubside),this when it as deteroirated enough gives a sidewards movement in the wheel often mistaken for a failing wheel bearing.

The problem with the bushes is that you really have no Idea that they are failing until the car as the problems mentioned .

I have decided to replace the bushes on the trailing arm and the lower arm and have bought them from the States the full set for both sides cost £107 shipped I expect I will get hit for vat and handling which will add another £30 but I can assure you that is cheap.They are ADUS bushes and from all accounts the same as Lexus use anyway but badged as Toyota.

If you go to Lexus for these Bushes you wont get them first of all they will try to sell you the whole lower Arm as they do not replace bushes last shout on a arm was £160 plus vat.

As for the fitting of the bushes there are several links on the web for this and it is not beyond the individual to fit them or you could take them to your own preferred mech to do it for you.

Mine or going on next couple of weeks and I am assured by the research I have done that the ride on the car will be a new experience.

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Hi

Just an update

With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models.

www.armstrongdistributors.com

The source I am using for the bushes is

USA eBay Auto wearhouse.

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Hi

Just an update

With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models.

www.armstrongdistributors.com

The source I am using for the bushes is

USA ebay Auto wearhouse.

Hi,

I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40.

I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday.

I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered.

Im about to order a set today.

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Hi

Just an update

With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models.

www.armstrongdistributors.com

The source I am using for the bushes is

USA ebay Auto wearhouse.

I presume that 'wearhouse' is an unconscious mis-spell? Wearing bushes from a Wear-house?

Warehouse? :tomato:

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Hi

Just an update

With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models.

www.armstrongdistributors.com

The source I am using for the bushes is

USA ebay Auto wearhouse.

I presume that 'wearhouse' is an unconscious mis-spell? Wearing bushes from a Wear-house?

Warehouse? :tomato:

Please read and understand the post as written I only type the information as I read it.

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Hi

Just an update

With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models.

www.armstrongdistributors.com

The source I am using for the bushes is

USA ebay Auto wearhouse.

Hi,

I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40.

I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday.

I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered.

Im about to order a set today.

Looks like the rear axle carrier/trailing arm/strut rod has the same bushes for all 89 - 00 models. That's my first project! The rear suspension arms (No 1 and 2 in my manual but also called Upper and Lower Arms) appear to be different. There are aftermarket bushes for 89-94 models but can't find anything yet for 95-00 models for these two arms. Anyone with a Mk3 done anything other than replace the whole rear arms? There seems to be more 'choice' for front suspension parts. Is that because they wear out quicker?

Got the first MOT tomorrow since buying the car so fingers crossed.....

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:shifty:

Hi

Just an update

With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models.

www.armstrongdistributors.com

The source I am using for the bushes is

USA ebay Auto wearhouse.

Hi,

I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40.

I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday.

I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered.

Im about to order a set today.

Looks like the rear axle carrier/trailing arm/strut rod has the same bushes for all 89 - 00 models. That's my first project! The rear suspension arms (No 1 and 2 in my manual but also called Upper and Lower Arms) appear to be different. There are aftermarket bushes for 89-94 models but can't find anything yet for 95-00 models for these two arms. Anyone with a Mk3 done anything other than replace the whole rear arms? There seems to be more 'choice' for front suspension parts. Is that because they wear out quicker?

Got the first MOT tomorrow since buying the car so fingers crossed.....

Hi

You are correct and the lower arm configurations were changed on the Lexus LS400 after 94 when the suspension was updated ,I think that the lower arm was redesigned to incorporate the bushing on the hubside within the arm rather than the knuckle on the hub and as there are no bushings shown anywhere for that after 94 period I am assuming it nessacary to purchase a arm and that will be from Lexus I am afraid to say.

With regard to the upper arm I have not seen any reference to wear problems on this arm probably because the hubside fastening is a balljoint and could not be replaced anyway and to that end it is probably a new arm .

I should as you say concentrate on the struts first get them done and see how the suspension feels then before you embark on any further effort and expense.

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:shifty:

Hi

Just an update

With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models.

www.armstrongdistributors.com

The source I am using for the bushes is

USA ebay Auto wearhouse.

Hi,

I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40.

I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday.

I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered.

Im about to order a set today.

Looks like the rear axle carrier/trailing arm/strut rod has the same bushes for all 89 - 00 models. That's my first project! The rear suspension arms (No 1 and 2 in my manual but also called Upper and Lower Arms) appear to be different. There are aftermarket bushes for 89-94 models but can't find anything yet for 95-00 models for these two arms. Anyone with a Mk3 done anything other than replace the whole rear arms? There seems to be more 'choice' for front suspension parts. Is that because they wear out quicker?

Got the first MOT tomorrow since buying the car so fingers crossed.....

Hi

You are correct and the lower arm configurations were changed on the Lexus LS400 after 94 when the suspension was updated ,I think that the lower arm was redesigned to incorporate the bushing on the hubside within the arm rather than the knuckle on the hub and as there are no bushings shown anywhere for that after 94 period I am assuming it nessacary to purchase a arm and that will be from Lexus I am afraid to say.

With regard to the upper arm I have not seen any reference to wear problems on this arm probably because the hubside fastening is a balljoint and could not be replaced anyway and to that end it is probably a new arm .

I should as you say concentrate on the struts first get them done and see how the suspension feels then before you embark on any further effort and expense.

Hi

Need to make a correction to my last post ,the part I reffered to as the upper suspension arm is in fact the lower suspension arm no 1 and it is also called the toe in arm.The upper suspension arm is in fact the dished wishbone and as a bush to each end,These were replaced on my lexus 10 years ago and according to the tech who did it a ballache

as the exhaust as to come off.

At the time I got a deal from the service manager as they had cocked up a previous job on the car so he underestimated the time it took by four hrs he had it in for 2 and the job took six and that was replacing the arms not putting new bushes in because at that time bushes were not available anyway so it was not a diy job.

I would seriously check out the need for replacing these componenents before starting the job because the cost of the bushes alone from prirace is nearly £200.

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:shifty:

Hi

Just an update

With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models.

www.armstrongdistributors.com

The source I am using for the bushes is

USA ebay Auto wearhouse.

Hi,

I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40.

I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday.

I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered.

Im about to order a set today.

Looks like the rear axle carrier/trailing arm/strut rod has the same bushes for all 89 - 00 models. That's my first project! The rear suspension arms (No 1 and 2 in my manual but also called Upper and Lower Arms) appear to be different. There are aftermarket bushes for 89-94 models but can't find anything yet for 95-00 models for these two arms. Anyone with a Mk3 done anything other than replace the whole rear arms? There seems to be more 'choice' for front suspension parts. Is that because they wear out quicker?

Got the first MOT tomorrow since buying the car so fingers crossed.....

Hi

You are correct and the lower arm configurations were changed on the Lexus LS400 after 94 when the suspension was updated ,I think that the lower arm was redesigned to incorporate the bushing on the hubside within the arm rather than the knuckle on the hub and as there are no bushings shown anywhere for that after 94 period I am assuming it nessacary to purchase a arm and that will be from Lexus I am afraid to say.

With regard to the upper arm I have not seen any reference to wear problems on this arm probably because the hubside fastening is a balljoint and could not be replaced anyway and to that end it is probably a new arm .

I should as you say concentrate on the struts first get them done and see how the suspension feels then before you embark on any further effort and expense.

Hi

Need to make a correction to my last post ,the part I reffered to as the upper suspension arm is in fact the lower suspension arm no 1 and it is also called the toe in arm.The upper suspension arm is in fact the dished wishbone and as a bush to each end,These were replaced on my lexus 10 years ago and according to the tech who did it a ballache

as the exhaust as to come off.

At the time I got a deal from the service manager as they had cocked up a previous job on the car so he underestimated the time it took by four hrs he had it in for 2 and the job took six and that was replacing the arms not putting new bushes in because at that time bushes were not available anyway so it was not a diy job.

I would seriously check out the need for replacing these componenents before starting the job because the cost of the bushes alone from prirace is nearly £200.

Ordered the bushings for the rear struts from Auto Warehouse and will tackle that job first and see how she feels. Jerry from Auto Warehouse says he has bushings for the lower suspension arm for a 1995 model too. He has sent me his rear suspension diagram and it is the same as mine and the same as the one I got from my local Lexus dealership today. They are the Adus 536 bushings. Gonna get him to include those as looks accessible for a DIYer. Removing the lower arm does affect the rear wheel allignment but if I mark it up before removal I should be ok!?

BTW car failed MOT today because one of my tyres was on the wrong way round!! Got a tyre changing machine at work so will get it turned round tomorrow and then another years motoring!

Jim

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:shifty:

Hi

Just an update

With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models.

www.armstrongdistributors.com

The source I am using for the bushes is

USA ebay Auto wearhouse.

Hi,

I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40.

I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday.

I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered.

Im about to order a set today.

Looks like the rear axle carrier/trailing arm/strut rod has the same bushes for all 89 - 00 models. That's my first project! The rear suspension arms (No 1 and 2 in my manual but also called Upper and Lower Arms) appear to be different. There are aftermarket bushes for 89-94 models but can't find anything yet for 95-00 models for these two arms. Anyone with a Mk3 done anything other than replace the whole rear arms? There seems to be more 'choice' for front suspension parts. Is that because they wear out quicker?

Got the first MOT tomorrow since buying the car so fingers crossed.....

Hi

You are correct and the lower arm configurations were changed on the Lexus LS400 after 94 when the suspension was updated ,I think that the lower arm was redesigned to incorporate the bushing on the hubside within the arm rather than the knuckle on the hub and as there are no bushings shown anywhere for that after 94 period I am assuming it nessacary to purchase a arm and that will be from Lexus I am afraid to say.

With regard to the upper arm I have not seen any reference to wear problems on this arm probably because the hubside fastening is a balljoint and could not be replaced anyway and to that end it is probably a new arm .

I should as you say concentrate on the struts first get them done and see how the suspension feels then before you embark on any further effort and expense.

Hi

Need to make a correction to my last post ,the part I reffered to as the upper suspension arm is in fact the lower suspension arm no 1 and it is also called the toe in arm.The upper suspension arm is in fact the dished wishbone and as a bush to each end,These were replaced on my lexus 10 years ago and according to the tech who did it a ballache

as the exhaust as to come off.

At the time I got a deal from the service manager as they had cocked up a previous job on the car so he underestimated the time it took by four hrs he had it in for 2 and the job took six and that was replacing the arms not putting new bushes in because at that time bushes were not available anyway so it was not a diy job.

I would seriously check out the need for replacing these componenents before starting the job because the cost of the bushes alone from prirace is nearly £200.

Ordered the bushings for the rear struts from Auto Warehouse and will tackle that job first and see how she feels. Jerry from Auto Warehouse says he has bushings for the lower suspension arm for a 1995 model too. He has sent me his rear suspension diagram and it is the same as mine and the same as the one I got from my local Lexus dealership today. They are the Adus 536 bushings. Gonna get him to include those as looks accessible for a DIYer. Removing the lower arm does affect the rear wheel allignment but if I mark it up before removal I should be ok!?

BTW car failed MOT today because one of my tyres was on the wrong way round!! Got a tyre changing machine at work so will get it turned round tomorrow and then another years motoring!

Jim

Hi

Glad to hear you got the stuff needed ,I did not need to speak to Jerry as I have the workshop Manuals for the LS400 1990. With regard to the Arm removal the diffside fastening of the arm is a cam adjuster and as you have already eluded this is were you put in the matchmark before you unfasten and remove it. failure to do so will result in the wheels being mis-aligned when you put everything back together and as these settings are factory settings you will have a hell of a job finding out what they were.

It will mean a Lexus workshop and they will insist on renewing all the cam adjusters before attempting to re jig the teletremy of the car.

I am pointing this out so all of the readers of this subject appreciate the serious nature of this procedure.

Good luck with your project and remember those bolts are on at 136lbs so you will need a breaker bar and a swear box.

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Hi,

I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40.

I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday.

I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered.

Im about to order a set today.

Hi mate.. are you sure its not Priracing.com????

prirace.com is just mg's/spitfires by the looks of it....

Just to let everbody know... :)

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and remember those bolts are on at 136lbs so you will need a breaker bar and a swear box.

LOL... :)

i'll end up using the bar on the swear box... but those moments are funny when you look back.. been there done that.... i remember being there a few times in fact... cut knuckles when you slip etc... people step away from you and go back inside the house etc.. great times :)

Can i ask another question on these rear bushings please????

I had a warning the MOT before last.... it was for both Nearside/Offside "lower (bush to hub) suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush"...

I didn't get around to doing it :tomato: and this years flagged up not those bushings, but N/s & O/s "rear wheel bearing has slight play"..

now reading above somewhere i noted one of you said that these bushings sometimes get mistaken for bearings.. is this correct?? you've just cut my bill in half :).. next MOT is due in Nov. but the O/s rear bush has just gone... sounds similar to the sound when the front arms/balljoints caved in... the grinding over bumps or turning..

excuse my lack of knowledge but would these be the same bushes as the above mentioned Priracing.com £40 delivered ones??

i can't book it in for inspection until next week and the anticipation is killing me... i've read about bushings, suspension arms, trailing arms, strut rods, and whatever else... even diffs & cams??? now im a bit lost :blink:

i've got a '93 LS and know it has upper & lower rear arms, but is there a 3rd arm in there somewhere too?

Just going off my MOT warnings, its the lower bush... how would i check if the bearings are really ok and it is just the arm?? it drives fine except 2 loose rear end moments at 40/50 mph - which, at the locations they occured, i thought were rather odd,

but it was country lanes so could have been anything....

and of couse the recent knocking / grinding ....

Or would i really be that unlucky to have the lower bushes, wheel bearings and maybe the upper bush to go all in the same six months?

wow.... that would be expensive :shutit:

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:shifty:

Hi

Just an update

With regards to the Mark 3 LS according to the following link the bushes fit the 90 -00 models.

www.armstrongdistributors.com

The source I am using for the bushes is

USA ebay Auto wearhouse.

Hi,

I too have been researching these bushes. My car is judderings when braking and castoring at the back. The car has been in my workshop for a week, jacked up, Wheels off, and ive been lubricating all the suspension nuts and bolts with WD40.

I got the bolts off the rear bushes on saturday.

I have found Prirace.com in the UK that will supply the rear trailing arm/axle carrier arm bushes for under £40 delivered.

Im about to order a set today.

Looks like the rear axle carrier/trailing arm/strut rod has the same bushes for all 89 - 00 models. That's my first project! The rear suspension arms (No 1 and 2 in my manual but also called Upper and Lower Arms) appear to be different. There are aftermarket bushes for 89-94 models but can't find anything yet for 95-00 models for these two arms. Anyone with a Mk3 done anything other than replace the whole rear arms? There seems to be more 'choice' for front suspension parts. Is that because they wear out quicker?

Got the first MOT tomorrow since buying the car so fingers crossed.....

Hi

You are correct and the lower arm configurations were changed on the Lexus LS400 after 94 when the suspension was updated ,I think that the lower arm was redesigned to incorporate the bushing on the hubside within the arm rather than the knuckle on the hub and as there are no bushings shown anywhere for that after 94 period I am assuming it nessacary to purchase a arm and that will be from Lexus I am afraid to say.

With regard to the upper arm I have not seen any reference to wear problems on this arm probably because the hubside fastening is a balljoint and could not be replaced anyway and to that end it is probably a new arm .

I should as you say concentrate on the struts first get them done and see how the suspension feels then before you embark on any further effort and expense.

Hi

Need to make a correction to my last post ,the part I reffered to as the upper suspension arm is in fact the lower suspension arm no 1 and it is also called the toe in arm.The upper suspension arm is in fact the dished wishbone and as a bush to each end,These were replaced on my lexus 10 years ago and according to the tech who did it a ballache

as the exhaust as to come off.

At the time I got a deal from the service manager as they had cocked up a previous job on the car so he underestimated the time it took by four hrs he had it in for 2 and the job took six and that was replacing the arms not putting new bushes in because at that time bushes were not available anyway so it was not a diy job.

I would seriously check out the need for replacing these componenents before starting the job because the cost of the bushes alone from prirace is nearly £200.

Ordered the bushings for the rear struts from Auto Warehouse and will tackle that job first and see how she feels. Jerry from Auto Warehouse says he has bushings for the lower suspension arm for a 1995 model too. He has sent me his rear suspension diagram and it is the same as mine and the same as the one I got from my local Lexus dealership today. They are the Adus 536 bushings. Gonna get him to include those as looks accessible for a DIYer. Removing the lower arm does affect the rear wheel allignment but if I mark it up before removal I should be ok!?

BTW car failed MOT today because one of my tyres was on the wrong way round!! Got a tyre changing machine at work so will get it turned round tomorrow and then another years motoring!

Jim

Jim, did your bush arrive, does it fit the MK-3 well?

I need to replace the rear, outer, lower, rearmost (no2) bush (bushing).

Auto-Wearhouse and armstrongdistributes only have the >94 items listed.

ADUS 583 is the >94 Item I think?

My car needs this bush for the MOT, as it was an advisory last year.

Many Many thanks in advance.

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK, had a go at tackling the rear trailing arm (strut rods/rear axle carrier arm) bushes at work today. Got the Adus 505 snd 5056TA from the states and the packaging says they are for LS400 '89 - '00 models snd so should be ok for my 1995 Mk3.

Got the arm off without too much bother but hadn't supported the hub with jack/axle stand and so this caused a bit of head scratching later in the day as it twists out of position once the strut is removed. Jacking up the hub under the brake disk did the trick to bring it bsck into line with the strut.

Also got the old rubber out with a 3-jaw, as shown on the LexLS.com site, without too much bother on the non-hub end of the strut first. However, while the Adus 505 fits very nicely, the metal sleeve is about 3mm longer than the one I removed and has a wider internal diameter and so the original bolt to attach it back to the frame would rattle around inside it !

I cleaned up the old sleeve thinking I could re-use that part, but this has a much narrower external diameter than the Adus and so wasn't a snug fit either.

I thought that maybe I had the 505 and 5056 the wrong way round but there was no way the 5056 was going to fit that end and the sleeve on that is exactly the same size. Although I hadn't started looking at the bush on the hub end at this stage, I thought I would have a quick look and realised that neither 505 or 5056 would ever fit that end and so decided to leave the orginal rubber where it was at that end.

Back to the other end I have a nicely cleaned up strut rod but no bushing that will fit! Was beginning to panic about how I would get home and be ready for camping tomorrow...... Made a couple of 'Help!' calls to mates who kindly came over to offer their advice/laugh. Ended up cutting up a Fosters can into strips the same length as the orignal sleeve and tightly wrapping the strip around the sleeve before threading through the new Adus bush. Nice fit! Bolted it all back together and although I am only expecting to use my Fosters beer can fix as a temporary one, the strut felt nice a secure and doesn't seem to need the hub end bushing being replaced.

However, I still have the other side to tackle and did wonder whether I would notice any difference on the drive home. The Foster-fix side did feel more solid but that may just be my imagination!

In short it would appear that the Adus 505 is not an exact replacement bushing for the Mk3 as the sleeve is not the right size. My next plan is to have a couple of sleeves made up to the right dimension at a local Engineering workshop for both sides (although I'm also keen to see how long my Fosters-fix will last!) The 5056 is definately not a replacement option for the hub end of the strut rod.

Happy days!

Jim

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Excellent news ....... I'll bear that in mind if my Mk3 ever needs the same treatment .............. only I'll make sure I drink the Fosters first ! :tomato:

Malc

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OK, had a go at tackling the rear trailing arm (strut rods/rear axle carrier arm) bushes at work today. Got the Adus 505 snd 5056TA from the states and the packaging says they are for LS400 '89 - '00 models snd so should be ok for my 1995 Mk3.

Got the arm off without too much bother but hadn't supported the hub with jack/axle stand and so this caused a bit of head scratching later in the day as it twists out of position once the strut is removed. Jacking up the hub under the brake disk did the trick to bring it bsck into line with the strut.

Also got the old rubber out with a 3-jaw, as shown on the LexLS.com site, without too much bother on the non-hub end of the strut first. However, while the Adus 505 fits very nicely, the metal sleeve is about 3mm longer than the one I removed and has a wider internal diameter and so the original bolt to attach it back to the frame would rattle around inside it !

I cleaned up the old sleeve thinking I could re-use that part, but this has a much narrower external diameter than the Adus and so wasn't a snug fit either.

I thought that maybe I had the 505 and 5056 the wrong way round but there was no way the 5056 was going to fit that end and the sleeve on that is exactly the same size. Although I hadn't started looking at the bush on the hub end at this stage, I thought I would have a quick look and realised that neither 505 or 5056 would ever fit that end and so decided to leave the orginal rubber where it was at that end.

Back to the other end I have a nicely cleaned up strut rod but no bushing that will fit! Was beginning to panic about how I would get home and be ready for camping tomorrow...... Made a couple of 'Help!' calls to mates who kindly came over to offer their advice/laugh. Ended up cutting up a Fosters can into strips the same length as the orignal sleeve and tightly wrapping the strip around the sleeve before threading through the new Adus bush. Nice fit! Bolted it all back together and although I am only expecting to use my Fosters beer can fix as a temporary one, the strut felt nice a secure and doesn't seem to need the hub end bushing being replaced.

However, I still have the other side to tackle and did wonder whether I would notice any difference on the drive home. The Foster-fix side did feel more solid but that may just be my imagination!

In short it would appear that the Adus 505 is not an exact replacement bushing for the Mk3 as the sleeve is not the right size. My next plan is to have a couple of sleeves made up to the right dimension at a local Engineering workshop for both sides (although I'm also keen to see how long my Fosters-fix will last!) The 5056 is definately not a replacement option for the hub end of the strut rod.

Happy days!

Jim

Hi

The replacement bushing for the trailing arm as been designed as a compression fit so that as you tighten up the bolt the bushing spreads and compesses within the housing the fact that the bolt is not a tight fit when initially assembled is to aid the reassembly of the components.Because the sleeve is slightly longer the flanges of the arm compress against the ends of the sleeve and at the same time force the ends of the bushes against the ends of the housing this locks the whole thing up so that there cannot be any movement of the bolt within the sleeve.

The important consideration is that you torque up the bolt to 130lbs per sq inch to achieve this result.

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Hi,

The sleeve is longer than the flanges and so when tightening the bolt it cannot compress the flanges as the sleeve restricts any contact with the flange. Does that make sense?

Cheers,

Jim

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Hi,

The sleeve is longer than the flanges and so when tightening the bolt it cannot compress the flanges as the sleeve restricts any contact with the flange. Does that make sense?

Cheers,

Jim

Hi

I think there is some misunderstanding here of what are the flanges and what is the bush housing.

The original bushes were fitted flush to the edge of the bush housing and the flanges of the arm (Sides) fitted flush to the edge of the bushe housing.These adus bushes have a leading edge that butts up against the sides of the housing and the internal sleeve protrudes approx 1.5mm each side of the housing. When the bolt is tightened up it compresses the bushes into the sides of the housing at the same time it tightens up on the sleeve and grips it, the compression centralises the bolt within the sleeve.

This does the same job as the original bush but uses side compression as against the original bush which held all the compression within the housing.There is no need to wrap the bolt in anything as it is not supposed to touch the sides. These Bushes have been fitted as they are to loads of Lexus LS400s all across the USA and if you go on the Lexls the Lexus owners club US site there is a tutorial on fitting them as well as plenty of posts of people who have fitted them.

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Thanks for the feedback. I still have the other side to do so would love to be able to use the Adus 505 as is, without any modification. It is hard to explain the problem I had and I am no expert! I'll try again, if that's ok:

When assembled in the strut the sleeve is much longer than the bushes (which fit nicely as you describe). It is difficult to actually slide the strut back between the flanges but not impossible. The bolt slides back nicely through the flange, sleeve and out the other flange. The sleeve is now firmly wedged between the two flanges, with a gap between each flange and the sides of the bushes. So when the bolt is tightened there is no compression happening onto the bushes. I did think that maybe the sleeve was supposed to fit 'inside' the flange, through the bolt hole itself? I tried this but there is no way the sleeve would fit into either side of the flange.

I had a good look at the LSLex.com site before starting this and the strut arm is a different shape on the older model in that tutorial. Would that make any difference?

As you say, these Adus 505's are pretty standard in the US for both my model and earlier and so I was surprised and disappointed not to get it to fit. One of my mates who came to give some advice is a mechanic and he too couldn't see how the sleeve was going to fit.

Suggestions welcome!

Jim

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Thanks for the feedback. I still have the other side to do so would love to be able to use the Adus 505 as is, without any modification. It is hard to explain the problem I had and I am no expert! I'll try again, if that's ok:

When assembled in the strut the sleeve is much longer than the bushes (which fit nicely as you describe). It is difficult to actually slide the strut back between the flanges but not impossible. The bolt slides back nicely through the flange, sleeve and out the other flange. The sleeve is now firmly wedged between the two flanges, with a gap between each flange and the sides of the bushes. So when the bolt is tightened there is no compression happening onto the bushes. I did think that maybe the sleeve was supposed to fit 'inside' the flange, through the bolt hole itself? I tried this but there is no way the sleeve would fit into either side of the flange.

I had a good look at the LSLex.com site before starting this and the strut arm is a different shape on the older model in that tutorial. Would that make any difference?

As you say, these Adus 505's are pretty standard in the US for both my model and earlier and so I was surprised and disappointed not to get it to fit. One of my mates who came to give some advice is a mechanic and he too couldn't see how the sleeve was going to fit.

Suggestions welcome!

Jim

Hi Jim

I have to take on board what you are saying and at this point I cannot argue. They did change the suspension on the LS400 in 94 and it may be that there is some slight differences I am doing all my rear bushes tomorrow so I will report back on the experience.

Incidently did you tighten up to the reccomended torque of 130lbs .

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Thanks for the feedback. I still have the other side to do so would love to be able to use the Adus 505 as is, without any modification. It is hard to explain the problem I had and I am no expert! I'll try again, if that's ok:

When assembled in the strut the sleeve is much longer than the bushes (which fit nicely as you describe). It is difficult to actually slide the strut back between the flanges but not impossible. The bolt slides back nicely through the flange, sleeve and out the other flange. The sleeve is now firmly wedged between the two flanges, with a gap between each flange and the sides of the bushes. So when the bolt is tightened there is no compression happening onto the bushes. I did think that maybe the sleeve was supposed to fit 'inside' the flange, through the bolt hole itself? I tried this but there is no way the sleeve would fit into either side of the flange.

I had a good look at the LSLex.com site before starting this and the strut arm is a different shape on the older model in that tutorial. Would that make any difference?

As you say, these Adus 505's are pretty standard in the US for both my model and earlier and so I was surprised and disappointed not to get it to fit. One of my mates who came to give some advice is a mechanic and he too couldn't see how the sleeve was going to fit.

Suggestions welcome!

Jim

Hi Jim

I have to take on board what you are saying and at this point I cannot argue. They did change the suspension on the LS400 in 94 and it may be that there is some slight differences I am doing all my rear bushes tomorrow so I will report back on the experience.

Incidently did you tighten up to the reccomended torque of 130lbs .

Hi Jim

Well we have just finished one side of the Ls400 mark 1 1990 and it took 6 hours. That is the lower arm bush the trailing arm bush and replacement of the parking brake shoes.

The Trailing arm bush had virtually disintigrated within the housing so we had to cut through the outer sheave with a dremel reciprocating saw, it works but is slow because the sheave is made of tough stuff.

For the lower arm hub bush we made up a bush puller (To see photos of this device and its methodology go to workshop tips and look for the link to this post)from continuos threaded rod three nuts a large washer and 50 mm of scaffold tube arranged in such a way as to pull the bush out of the housing and into the scaffold tube which sits precisly on the edge of the housing and allows the bush to pass through it on its way out of the housing,because this bush is made with a internal one ended oscillating housing it pulls everything out including the outer metal sheave.

The bolts have been in place for 21 years so no amount of torque would have moved them so they needed some help from a oxy torch just to crack the bond.

It is important to remember that when using this method of cracking a bond the heat as to land precise on the nut and it is virtually impossible to acheive this with any other form of direct flame, a blow torch or gas gun would not work and would heat everything up as well as the nut.

The first side as been a learning curve and we have made a tool that removes the lower arm hub bush in one go so we hope to take less time on the other side.

The other problem we encountered was the link arm nut as this just turned the bolt in the ball housing and we could.nt use heat as the link is made of plastic ,in the end we had to vice grip a pair of vice grips around the bolt so we could get the nut off.

Reassembly was quite easy and we noticed immediatly how solid the whole suspension had become it really is a revelation.We did recieve in the bush kit for the lower arm a bush for the diff side fixing but on inspection after removing the link arm and trying to move the lower arm around we found it was ok and decided not to replace it.We also found that the bush on the body side of the trailing arm was also ok so we did not replace that either.

It seems to be the two Bushes on the Hub that take the real pain and consequently fail also there have been some reports that the polypropolene bushes are much firmer and transmit noise more than the rubber bushes so by leaving the rubber ones body side in place this may reduce that possibility.

With regard to your problem on the bolt and sheave size. Our bolt fitted the sheave exactly and when we torqued them up to the 130lbs they were perfect so I can only speak for the Mark 1 on the Bush being an exact replacement.

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Good to read your progress. The LEXLS.com site suggests 2hrs. Like you, it took me a day to do one side. With my Mk3 the bushes on the hub seemed in good condition, the worst one was on the body side of the trailing arm. According to the various diagrams I had this should be the Adus 5056. Took everthing apart again yesterday and ended up taking the arm and bushes to Kwik Fit where a friend of a friend works and he had a go at pressing the bush in. No joy. I also had a pack of bushes for one of the suspension arms, the one which has bushes on both ends (the other has a ball joint on one end). These came as a set, Adus 583. Anyway, one of those proved to be an excellent fit for the body side of the trailing arm, although, once again, I had problems with the sleeve being too long for the flanges. When I torqued the bolts the bushing was still loose. So cut down the sleeve to allow the flanges to compress against the bushes when torqued. Success!

Had a go at the other side, feeling confident! However, took me two hours to get the bolt out of the body side of the trailing arm. Finally managed it. Car feels nice a firm and as I still have rubber bushes on one end I don't feel the ride is overly firm.

BTW did you have to jack up the hub in order to get the trailing arm to re-fit?

There definately seems to be differences between the Mk1 and 3.

Jim

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Good to read your progress. The LEXLS.com site suggests 2hrs. Like you, it took me a day to do one side. With my Mk3 the bushes on the hub seemed in good condition, the worst one was on the body side of the trailing arm. According to the various diagrams I had this should be the Adus 5056. Took everthing apart again yesterday and ended up taking the arm and bushes to Kwik Fit where a friend of a friend works and he had a go at pressing the bush in. No joy. I also had a pack of bushes for one of the suspension arms, the one which has bushes on both ends (the other has a ball joint on one end). These came as a set, Adus 583. Anyway, one of those proved to be an excellent fit for the body side of the trailing arm, although, once again, I had problems with the sleeve being too long for the flanges. When I torqued the bolts the bushing was still loose. So cut down the sleeve to allow the flanges to compress against the bushes when torqued. Success!

Had a go at the other side, feeling confident! However, took me two hours to get the bolt out of the body side of the trailing arm. Finally managed it. Car feels nice a firm and as I still have rubber bushes on one end I don't feel the ride is overly firm.

BTW did you have to jack up the hub in order to get the trailing arm to re-fit?

There definately seems to be differences between the Mk1 and 3.

Jim

Hi Jim

It sounds like you have solved the problem by trial and error I was thinking when we did ours that could be a solution to your problem (cutting the sleeves to the same length as the inserted bush) but without seeing it in the flesh was reluctant to do so for obvious reasons.

In answer to your Question on the jacking up of the hub to get the trailing arm to fit ,the answer is no, as we had also replaced the lower arm bush first and everything was slack until we torqued up the body side of the trailing arm, we loosened that fixing so we could swing it down out of the way while we got the hub bushes out.

We are doing the other side saturday and I will take a few pics to show the methodology of our approach to this task . After our experiences other members will need all the info they can get on what is a very demanding task and should not be attempted without the right tools and someone with a good deal of mechanical experience.

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