Ball Joints?

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Hi everybody.

Last night on the drive home I noticed at speeds above 40mph there's a slight whistle coming from somewhere that you can only hear when the window is down. There's also slight vibration through the steering wheel again at speeds above 40mph.

I'm 100% certain it's not stuck brake callipers. Both callipers are less than 8 months old and there's no other stuck brake symptoms such as smell or hot wheels. Also the vibration goes when I apply the brake, when I had siezed callipers it got worse under braking.

So I'm thinking ball joints maybe? I'm a bit fed up as I'd just cured the front suspension arm bushes and the car was driving perfectly for a couple of weeks and now the vibration again! Anybody got any ideas? I'll prob take it to Lexus for a diagnosis, just want to know what's wrong!!

[LexIS200Sport]

Can't relate to the whistling noise, but vibration of steering wheel at speeds could also point to worn ball joints as you have hinted.

Do you hear a clunk when you apply the brakes at low speed and turn the steering? That was the case with my car just before I replaced the ball joints.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

I'll listen for the clunk on the drive home tonight. Thanks.

How much am I looking at if it is ball joints? Parts and labour? And Lexus prices if I get them to do it?

[LexIS200Sport]

The ball joints alone were £50 each, and I obtained them from http://www.lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/

The Toyota part numbers are:

• 43330-59135 (RH)
• 43340-59135 (LH)

I got WIM to fit them for me, but I also replaced the bushes at the same time and it took them 2.5 hours labour to swap everything over.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Thanks. That's a huge help.

Well the car drove 68 miles today absolutely faultless! The whistle was still there but not as loud and it wasn't constant, came and went. No sign of vibration tho. Smooth as you like!

There's obviously something wrong. I don't think it just miraculously cured itself! Lol.

I'm going to try to get to WIM a week Friday, book it in for full geometry and get them to look at it and see what's what before it gets worse.

Thanks again, if it is ball joints I know where to get them now.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Another 40 miles today. Didn't have the window down so couldn't hear the whistle. No vibration again, drove beautifully.

Could something temporary have been causing the steering wheel vibration?? I'll keep monitoring it and I'm still gonna get it set up by WIM.

[petayV8]

Can't relate to the whistling noise, but vibration of steering wheel at speeds could also point to worn ball joints as you have hinted.

Do you hear a clunk when you apply the brakes at low speed and turn the steering? That was the case with my car just before I replaced the ball joints.

Yes i do! but it sounds like the caliper moving a bit? is this a MOT fail? im about to open a thread on this anyway....

[petayV8]

I had the whistling over december but no vibrations. turned out to be grit of the road got lodged somewhere. If youve got vibrations prob not the case so this info is useless lol

oh and im sorry to hear youve got yet another niggle :(

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

I replied to your other thread mate, If it is ball joints it will fail the MOT if there is excessive play. You can test this yourself.

jack your car up so the wheel is off the floor. Now hold it and 12 o clock and 6 o clock and push and pull your wheel. It shouldn't move. Also do it holding it and 9 and 3 o clock

[lexusbingo]

well ive got a whistle and im fooked right off with it blowing. i had a clunk at low speed turning into parking etc etc, along with the whistle any faster the 20mph. had it in thick****s....twice as i dont get much free time and they could find no fault. then the balljoint popped and left me mrs n baby in the middle of road with a wheel off,out and only standing because my now warped wing caught it. changed the broken balljoint with a mate and soon after replaced the other. excellent walkthrough tutorials available for the is200 save some labour costs wherever you can! the clunk was still there and the whistle goes away until youve used the brakes a bit.

Anti-roll bar suspension droplinks cured the clunk. These were somewhat harder to remove on my 2000 IS but me and lewe-d got there with a hacksaw and an angle grinder so you may want to pay labour on that one just to avoid stress.

The whistle is still there. Shim kit from lexus helped but it returned soon after testrun. I believe the whistle is the brakes(cheap pads and lippy discs are screamin at me im hoping as the bearings are fine apparantly.

Drilled and grooved front discs and some heavy duty ebc pads are sitting in the hallway, hopefully this will sort the problem.

I have noticed when i take the brakes apart,once reassembled the whistle has gone. either as they warm up or bed in the whisle returns.

On one recent sunny day the whistle must have pestered someone else because for the whole day it was gone! next day....not you again.

i love my car! il love it even more once ive finished picking up the pieces from the last owner who clearly gave up on her . i nearly lost faith but my socks are still holy!

[lexusbingo]

discs and pads replaced. squeal gone! result!

[jimmy-g]

hi,new member so still trying to take every thing in,can some-one please tell me is WIM a company that deals with tracking ect,and if so were are they.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Hi, yes WIM are in Chesham in Buckinghamshire.

http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/

[jimmy-g]

thanks chris,interesting link