Leaderboard

It keeps on giving... I am inviting my colleges to check it out, this is almost more interesting the Fifa world cup! Especially that part where you and your mechanic frantically turns the wheels on lifted car just to realise the truth - rear weal are in no way connected to front ones! Your hands in your comparison works as substitute for driveshaft, by turning each wheel by hand you turn it into AWD, if what you saying would be true, then turning front wheels on FWD car would make rear wheels to turn as well without touching them. When you reach some speed on FWD, you are right rear wheels will carry some mass, and because they are rotating, rotating mass = torque. But that rotating mass is dead mass as it is not connected to anything - when you start braking the rear wheels will continue to rotate, when you start accelerating they will resist acceleration - they not acting in any way to support acceleration. In corner the mass shift from side to side, to prevent tyres sliding you need lateral grip, better tyres on the front will grip more then rear ones resulting in tendency of car oversteer first. The reason manufacturers recommends better tyres on the rear is because it is commonly accepted that (for inexperienced driver!) understeer is safer then oversteer. Push or pull depends where you are in regards to driving wheels, therefore FWD can only pull. If you park your FWD Accord behind my RWD IS250 and start pushing me, you car even being FWD will effectively push me, if I attach rope to your car and pull you, my car being RWD will effectively pull you. BTW... I am actually amazed we having this conversation with adult. It almost feels to me like taking toy cars in front of 2 years old to explain what pushing and pulling means.

You guys are forgetting the most important topic in push or pull namely Headwind or Tailwind. with a hurricane force tailwind blowing at the trunk one does not need to apply the gaspedal as the push effect can be enormous on topic the salesfigures are not really impressive in europe are they.. the more i think about it the more it starts to make sense replace the gs and is by the es and develop more 🚙 in all sizes. If that is what the market asks that is what it gets!

Just a quick teaser shot of my new NX - prior to final PDI, valet and fitment of side-steps and protection strips. I'll collect on Wednesday once the private plate transfer etc. is sorted with DVLA (although the plates are already fitted in anticipation). The Mesa red is a very groovy colour...😃...and now I'll get the Premium Nav, electric seats, the electric steering column and loads of other bells and whistles that I'll probably never use...

The 'push' force you are feeling is being applied by the seat back, which in turn is being pulled forward by the only genuine motive force, that being applied to the front wheels. Those wheels are ahead of the observer, the driver (and his seat) and so commonly described as a pulling force. But of course as we all know a true 'pulling' force is one that is applied to an object in the opposite direction to that object's direction of motion. A true pushing force is one that is applied in the same direction of that object's motion. So, strictly speaking a FWD car is still being 'pushed' down the road.

If it only happens when you apply the brakes, it will most likely be unclean hubs as mentioned above. This is what Paul at Toyotatech did to my hubs:

This just came up in my News feed..... https://www.motor1.com/news/247133/lexus-is-gs-future-uncertain/ I thought it was only the GS that was at risk. Not sure I'd upgrade to the ES as it's FWD.

Hi all. That car was sold for £2540 in Feb this year now it's up for sale again for £9495 or make a offer !!! Is he having a laugh he is trying to get £6995.00 profit out off it ok it's very rare so i understand but dream on.🐖 might fly. 65mike

As I'm a bargain barge hunter when it comes to buying cars lets hope this is a sales flop so in a about 6 years time I can own one 😛

Looks the dogs in that colour. The red was my second choice but that was September too. Looking forward to seeing the sidesteps on it. I'm undecided yet so the more NXs I see with them the better.

It's worth pointing out that mine hadn't failed, I only replaced the radiator as a precaution after reading about the possible problem. You can see the rust beginning on mine and I believe it's the spread of rust that causes the joint to fail, that perhaps coupled with the slow failure of the o rings (as used to happen with the early LS400 power steering pump) Here are some more photos that I think show the real possibility of impending doom! The first is the radiator upside down showing the two connections that join the transmission via the rubber hoses, easy to access from underneath if raised up, the second is the bottom of the radiator cut away showing the cooler, the third shows just the cooler separated and how things were deteriorating. As you can see, the cooler is actually very small but in perfect condition in itself. And yes, the coolant needs to be drained but you don't really loose trans fluid, just a tiny amount.

Instructions for removing rear shocks and spring on GS450H without spring compressor:- Gain access to top of shock mounting in the boot by removing carpet covers. With the car still on it's wheels remove the electric drive motor over shock (twist and pull like a light bulb). Undo the centre top nut on the shock absorber shaft. Jack up the car with the suspension hanging. Remove the wheel, the anti roll bar link long bolt through the bottom arm, remove the outer bottom arm bolt to hub (undo the bolt not the nut) remove the shock bottom bolt (again move the bolt not the nut). The bottom arm can now be pushed down a little and the shock removed with the spring sitting loosely on top of it. The spring cone will remain in place. You will need to undo the top three nuts holding it, and the two small bolts through it's side lugs to remove the cone. Fitting is a reverse procedure , but do not tighten the shock bottom bolt until the suspension is loaded (a jack under the bottom arm to take the weight of the car) This is to stop the rubber bush being wound up as the suspension rises. The the bottom hub, and shock bolts have nuts with a large flange with three embossed lines that press into the nut's mating face designed to stop it coming undone. This is the reason for turning the bolts, and not the nuts. Any questions just ask. John

Just to add to what Lee's done regarding the link: when you're typing your post you'll see a chain-link icon at the top of the composition box in between the U and the quote " symbols - click on that and paste the link into the URL box to give a clickable link like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Set-of-4-Lexus-LS430-facelift-alloy-wheels-42611-50410-42611-50460-sterling-18/263747008611?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D3e25440b01144fde9d08a712f9976b4f%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D292140916676%26itm%3D263747008611&_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042 Or to make it look better, do that and then type in the 'Link Text' box for a neater-looking link, because you'll find that this will take you to the same place as the above link., which means that in your original post at the top, you could have said: These ones have the perfect look and appear to have been done properly - just the way Lexus has them out of the factory.

after some research - agree. All this time I was avoiding because of CVT

They really should have cleaned up all the hub when the new Mintex rotors where fitted - it could be this - it was enough to resolve my wobble when I changed all my front braking 6 months ago on my LS430 2001. However, the stresses that are applied to such a heavy car at the front on the bushes while breaking are massive - they almost certainly will improve the holding and handling when braking/cornering as would a struct brace. My previous SC430 needed the same a year ago (now sold) and I bought the upper/lower control arms and track rods ends from Ebay - not the cheapest but quality parts that stated OEM or similar with good feedback and UK seller - some of the parts delivered were manufactured by Toyota but much cheaper than from Lexus - they were a easy to fit. If you pockets are deep buy original otherwise perhaps the same seller would make sense? a2zmotorspares - lower control arms (Pair £58) doctor_car - Track Rod ends (Pair £58) ziggy-a2z - Upper Control Arms (Pair £95) Good luck

Hey Mark, they look good and are a fair price. I've seen that MK vendor offer numerous Lexus refurbs and didn't someone on the forum recently grab themselves some F-Sports from them? Maybe I can I add a working link for you; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Set-of-4-Lexus-LS430-facelift-alloy-wheels-42611-50410-42611-50460-sterling-18/263747008611?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D3e25440b01144fde9d08a712f9976b4f%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D292140916676%26itm%3D263747008611&_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042

It will have full 12 month warranty The 30 days is for exchange - i.e you can give the vehicle back and exchange it for another one

Muchas gracias, I give it a try.

Hey Linas, You are correct with my point around the surcharge (additional bloody tax). On the TFL website they said they will give residence of the inner and outer zones a few months to adjust (sell their cars for nothing in a panic). I emailed them with the points you guys made and they got back to me. I have attached the response below. They want a copy of my V5 to confirm..... I'll keep you guys updated.

My choice would be the 400 or 430 all day. This is my personal opinion others may disagree but I dont like the CVT gearbox which youll get in the 460 and you can feel the drive in a 430 where as the newer shape 600h I have feels far too comfortable to actually enjoy driving. There is no feedback from the car or the feel of the road. Excellent if its being used for chauffering but as a drivers car it would have to be the 430. Ive got the full range of LS from the facelift 400 to the 600h (460 shape) mainly id say its the gearbox which sees me get into the 430 everyday. The noise from the V8 is excellent too!

Saying neither as i dont know dont work with lexus product development so i dont know their plan But i would not be surprised if the IS will be phased out as well. if the ES will be priced just above hmmm... By the way i dont think the ES will sell in numbers outside of the states

Same here, whenever we going to have discussion with noby re: FWD vs. RWD this evidence has to be preserved. I guess that explains why Honda Accord is such a good drive - "it is because it is FWD which pushes from the rear!".

Have a look here. I fitted one of these to an IS220 I had a number of years ago. Doddle to fit and excellent in use. It tricks the system into thinking you have a multi disc changer fitted and works through your existing stereo via the steering wheel controls. Highly recommended and a reasonable price. http://www.connects2.co.uk/products/ipod-adapters

It does mean removing the rad if a ramp isn't available to do it underneath. Also a word of warning, do one side at a time because the two unions are the only thing holding the cooler in place, there are two o rings on each joint, one as seen in the photo, the other visible when the connection is removed.

We not discussing sales "success", what we are saying one is nicer to drive then another. Yes RWD cars, especially performance ones will sell in low volumes, but that doesn't mean that "we won't feel the difference between FWD and RWD". Just general lack of logic an consistence in your arguments - it is like saying "tea is hot and I have it with two spoons of sugar, > hence elephant is blue..." there are several separate questions here: does RWD feels better then FWD under acceleration and cornering which is cheaper to make (hence higher profit margins/more competitive price) which sells better If there would be no difference how FWD and RWD handles, then we would make all cars FWD and to some extent we do where performance doesn't matter, but to say there are no difference is just incorrect.

Hi Jay, As Gib has stated already, I'd also opt for the full system. If you find it too loud, can always add some extra silencers which is what I did. Now I am running PPE headers and the supercharger, noise is inevitable! Lol. I'm actually ok with how loud mine is as a weekend/show/fair weather car. If I had to daily drive it on short journeys I'd probably be ok (although neighbours might get annoyed if I fired it up early every morning!), but the drone/loudness would be an issue if I had regular long distances to cover. Maybe consider the electronic valve setup others have opted for? That way you can flick a switch for the loud moments you crave, and keep them closed for the more regular/early starts? Just some thoughts. Cheers, Pete

I know I've posted this in the past but it's worth putting on again. This was the the connection from the radiator to the transmission hoses on my first LS430, it's easy to see from this where the problem begins, corrosion breaking the seal. It's a shame it wasn't all made from stainless steel. The cooler within the radiator is aluminium and was like new when I broke it apart. It's just these two connections that are to blame which is why I think another preventative measure could be taking the joints apart, cleaning and re-fitting, that'll save replacing the rad altogether.

Phil I think this is very much a personal decision especially for us lexus enthusiasts - some of the members love their 460s whilst some (Pete) did not like it - I think a few extended test drives are in order.

I love that orange and would have no issues owning it. RCF is supposed to be something special after all. Had a focus ST 225 in another life. Got a black one and spent the next 4 years regretting not getting it in orange.

There is another thread discussing the idea the IS might go. I suspect it’s replacement will be a transverse engined fwd car, based on a smaller platform. Grab these rear drivers whilst you can Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

here is the pictures of my new ride. Couple of minor issues with it - the most annoying is a small rust bubble in the paint below the number plate on the rear (size of my little finger nail). Only spotted it today after car had to be washed because of a bombing attack by a seagull with poorly tummy. Strongly suspect a previous bigger plate chafed the paint and then water has got in and travelled under the basecoat . I've spoken to the salesman who assures me they will come up with a solution to fix it (car of course is under 30 day Lexus assured warranty). Hopefully it will be resolved quite quickly as I know a good repairer will be able to lose the repair easily into the rest of the paintwork. Service book is apparently located and will be posted to me (again that I see is a condition of the approved used car waranty. another 170 miles today so I refuelled and my average mpg is in excess of 36mpg.

Noby76, you're not suggesting that undriven wheels will push a car when accelerating? A FWD car squatting under acceleration is just weight transfer.

Agree. There’s a “rightness” to a north south mounted engine driving the rear wheels which no transverse front drive car can hope to match. My next one will be an IS to replace the GS not an ES Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

After fitting the tow bar the exhaust occasionally knocked (very occasionally) so I renewed all 6 hangers. The two bigger hangers sit in the middle of the car with four smaller ones at the rear. Here are the old rubbers flanked with their new counterparts; SealeyTools part numbers EX01 and EX02 are a fair bit firmer than the tired old OEM items and worked a treat with no more knocking. Was quick and easy to swap them over too, once the rear was jacked up. Since fitting I've covered over 1k miles with approx half of that fully loaded with 4 adults / luggage in the boot and on the Bak-Rak. Reminder: the tow bar bolts in between the rear zoorst hanger brackets and the boot chassis rails. The slightly lowered exhaust coupled with the narrower tow bar mounting plates/bolts caused the knock.

You don't really need to drive fast to appreciate the appeal of RWD. I "feel" it every time I accelerate out of a slow corner and experience that natural-feeling push from the rear wheels. It's one of those small things that makes driving more of a pleasure, much like using a manual gearbox that has a nice mechanical action.

You can't really compare an IS to an RX. Compare a Audi A4 to a BMW 3 series. It's not really about the driven wheels, but the balance the layout offers. Hard braking, and corning on a car with balanced layout give a completely different feel. hopefully the IS will last, although I would like the latest gen RX as my next car (even though it is FWD)... 😉

My 2002 LS430 has done 25k fault free miles since I bought it. Just did 1,400 miles in Scotland. The gearbox is a 5 speed and is slilky smooth. Can't hear or feel gear changes. The power is amazing although we never use it as we waft everywhere in near total silence. The air suspension is like silk. It uses no oil and does 31 mpg, although that is mostly 'easy' dual carriageway and motorway milage. For a V8 it is remarkably economical on a run. Stop-start driving is not its real forte. Has all 4 brake pads redone. All the pads were about £55 on Europarts, and took 1 1/2 hours to fit at my local place. Easiest pads to fit in any car the young lad said. One bolt, up caliper, pads in. Shell oil and a Mann oil filter are about £25 all in at Euro car Parts. An oil change is easy, but the undercover plate is a pain as in most new cars. Starts on the button every time. The inside is pure luxury, and very spacious. Mine is my favourite colour silver and cream inside. The only problem is the £1,800 Mark Levingson radio (premier pack), which I think is nothing special, but in Suffolk the signal is sometimes weak. The CD is good. It has about 10 airbags and must be incredibly asfe in a crash. When I bought mine it had a new battery and Lexus fitted new cam belt. A full belt, water pump and pulleys is about £600 ever 90,000 miles. Best car I ever had. Plan to keep it for ages.

I find the 430 to drive very nice, I dont like the CVT in the 600H and the 460. I have never driven a 460 but I can only imagine its similar to the 600H. LS 400 - 1997 LS 430 - 2002 LS 430 facelift - 2004 LS600H -2007

Fair enough on your comments above Robert. I didn't realise that you're an engineer. I used to love working on my own car but I can't do it anymore now due to a back injury at work that was bad enough to force me into medical retirement. I can't confirm the torque setting off the top of my head but here's a link to a pdf version of the RX300 workshop manual. Just be sure to do as it says in the README file regarding how to open it and you should be good to go.

Same. If I was in a position to purchase... RCF carbon in orange for me. I would then pretend I was driving around in a GT3 RS 4.0 in the Porsche Orange 🙂

All done now (last week). Some miscommunication between Lexus and the insurer meant that the approval for the repair didn't come through to Lexus. Anyway, wasn't in a hurry myself as the car was driveable. Got an NX to drive for the week, which was nice. Wouldn't trade it in though, the RX is by far superior as others have commented. Thanks again for your responses earlier and now hoping that next year's premium won't go through the roof!

Very true. I've lived in this house for 30 years and in all that time I've never once had a car small enough to fit in the garage (well, not if I want to be able to get out via anywhere but the sunroof!) So I gave up on that idea and bought an RX 😉

Lovely Z4. My mate's just bought one. Nice straight six auto. RX passed its inspection which was a relief. At least it's not various cars welded together. An advisory on the state of the front pads and discs plus a tyre that I'd already noticed. 2010 and going on the sidewall cracks looks like it's been run underinflated. The spare is unused and recent so that'll go on the front with a new one.

Hi All I am new to this owners club and a new lexus owner after much research ,reading here, talking to existing Lexus owners I have bought a GS450H Sport ,2008, Black with black leather , 97k, flsh. it was advertised at a Lexus dealer for £7200, they would not come down on price even though I pointed out a few jobs that would need doing after a few emails over the next few days we agreed on a deal, they did exceed my expectations( I think they'd had enough!) and said if I pay full asking price they will, give fresh mot and do anything that is needed, a service is due which they do inc hybrid health check, scuff on bumper and 1 dent which they will remove, go over the car in full and remove any marks to make as new and re-condition the alloys, how could I say no?!, they've just called me and said it will be ready for pick in a few days and they are going to put on 2 new tyres aswell, can't wait to pick it up! I think I got a good deal, what do you guys think?

In a side note - Pagid Discs are coated so the top hats do not rust - these front discs have been on my 430 for over a year and look as good as new. I plan to change the rear ones aswell

Whilst trying out some scaffold boards under my jack/stands at the weekend (gravel drive) I decided to clean up the OSR arch/suspension before slapping on a good coat of rust converter. I applied some to the tired rear disk bells earlier this year, didn't coat them with anything else and they've stayed nicely protected. I hope to get all of the undercarriage cleaned, treated and under sealed before too long. Anyhoo whilst I was rummaging around the OSR tail pipe I found that a heat shield fixing had corroded through. I managed to remove the nut and add a penny washer back only to find a second fixing had also failed but in a more awkward position on top of the rear box. This nut wouldn't budge but still had enough thread for me to add a spacer and washer which nipped up the heat shield properly. A bonus of this find/fix is that the rattle I thought was the rear parcel shelf/boot has now gone

Found a neat feature on my GS today...parked up, closed the door and manually pushed in the wing mirror. On my return I forgot to pull out the mirror. When I started up the car, it automatically rotated the wing mirror back to the normal position. Clever Lexus.

this feeling is not unique to your car or RWD cars.... infact all cars will distribute a higher percentage of weight to their rear wheels resulting in a push from the rear when accelerating from a stop or exiting out of a slow corner.. next time you at traffic lights or exiting out of a corner watch very closely at all the FWD cars in front and see if the rear of their cars lifts up during acceleration or remains down until reasonable speed has been reached..