Anti Roll Bar Bushes And Rear Brakes

[Cruiser459]

Love my recently acquired 85k fsh 2002 GS 300 and it's going in for service on Friday at the excellent. Swan Coachworks in Basildon. (Highly recommended, ask for Steve. They look after our Rx too)

It clearly needs new brakes, lot of judder, just checked the mot history and it had front and rear pads at 64k, and rears again two years later at 76k. Only at 85k now

I know it's a heavy beast but does it really eat brakes that fast?!! A retired gentleman owned it before me, from new, so did relatively few miles.

Also it had an advisory saying that the front d bush anti roll bar bushes had deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement.

The car at times seems very slightly unstable at speed, may just be me, but could it be that? The vsc is fine.

I have to say that I am hugely impressed, my wife has run a 2002 RX for a while and raved about it, but I hardly got to drive it. Now I have my own Lexus I can understand why - and no she's not allowed close to it!!

Anyway, any comments re the bushes and brakes would be appreciated

[TigerFish]

The brakes last a reasonable time but most older lexus models have issues with the brakes. 9 times out of 10 there are either sticking caliper or sticking slide pin issues. I would get those possibilities checked 1st, as they can cause juddering and excess pad wear.

The anti roll bar bushes tend to result in knocking noises at low speed when they are excessively worn. There is a link in my signature block to a tutorial I did for changing them. Cost about £17 each or something like that, so not a bank breaker to change them both, especially if you are handy with a set of spanners yourself.

Stability wise, I wouldn't expect the arb bushes to be giving that. It is more likely to be either geometry out of whack somewhere, or shocks. Full goe setup is around £120, and worth getting done. Do get a full setup done though, not just tracking at Kwikfit ;)

p.s. Also double check the tyres and pressures in regards to stability.

[Lexnut430]

Can't comment on the brakes but I do know that new anti roll bar bushes cost me £70 odd from Lexus for front & rear, so not expensive at all.

IMO it should cut a bit of the unstableness as the roll bar will not be working to its best potential if they are worn.

I assume some of what you feel at speed is a twitchy kind of roll type thing?

The bushes will help limit that roll, hence the name Anti Roll Bar Bushes, lol, but I'm not saying it is the only problem.

I would agree with rick, maybe shocks as well.

My car felt the same as you are describing, but I replaced the bushes & put coilovers in at the same time so I can't say if it was just the bushes.

Car drives amazing now.

[TigerFish]

The bushes will help limit that roll, hence the name Anti Roll Bar Bushes, lol, but I'm not saying it is the only problem.

lol... despite the name, it is referring literally to the car rolling over, not slight undulations in the road at speed. In those conditions the arb is either doing absolutely nothing, or twisting ever so slightly (but nowhere near enough to induce instability). It is there for cornering purposes, i.e. to stop the car rolling over.

[Lexnut430]

The bushes will help limit that roll, hence the name Anti Roll Bar Bushes, lol, but I'm not saying it is the only problem.

lol... despite the name, it is referring literally to the car rolling over, not slight undulations in the road at speed. In those conditions the arb is either doing absolutely nothing, or twisting ever so slightly (but nowhere near enough to induce instability). It is there for cornering purposes, i.e. to stop the car rolling over.

Yeah, I agree. That is what I meant really. Whilst driving in a straight line or bumpy road conditions the ARB, as you say, does absolutely nothing.

In bumpy conditions it is the suspension that should be working.

The ARB is simply to limit roll whilst cornering & to try to keep the car as level as possible.

I know before I replaced mine, when on a straight road, fine no problems, but when you threw her into a corner at highish speed, she did feel very unstable, but mine were hanging in her & completely rubbish.

I think you even commented on it in one of my posts.

[GOLO]

Hi, I bought my ARB bushes from eBay UK, a USA site. They are Prothane bushes not the normal type, a lot cheaper then Lexus or Polybushes from the UK. Worth a look, easy to fit and save yourself some money. Search for Prothane Front Sway Bar Bushings 28.5mm Lexus GS300 1998-2004 181123. But make sure you get the correct size.