Nodding_Dog

Hi Dicodonal. I guess I fluked it really. I did a search online (Ebay, US Parts suppliers etc) and there just happened to be a supplier in the USA who was selling out a heap of old stock. Fortunately it's a standard Toyota part rather than an exclusively Lexus one, so it was quite cheap I thought. There are many aftermarket bearings available, but I've read online that some cheap and cheerful ones really don't last, so I was determined to buy a genuine one (at a cheap price). Sorry I can't be more specific and helpful, but just keep trawling the net. I seem to remember the name RockAuto in the USA, but not 100% sure if that's the supplier I used. They have good prices though. Cheers, Nodding_Dog

CD Player - fixed! Having put up with the clatttering Mark Levinson CD player for over 12 months, and being unable to find a swap-out replacement genuine unit, I bit the bullet and gave the head unit to a local car audio repairer. They could get a new identical replacement CD changer mechanism from Pioneer, but 6 weeks wait. They then did a bit of digging and discovered that the up-market Hondas have a Pioneer CD changer which is virtually identical to the Lexus one. 2 hours in the shop, and $295 later, all is fixed again with a complete new CD stack mechainism transplanted into the original head unit case. Not only do I now have a brand new fully working CD changer, with warranty, but my ear is getting some relief from constant complaining from the passenger seat............ Worth every cent I reckon...!! Cheers, Nodding_Dog Toowoomba, Qld, Australia

Oops. Fat fingers. Couple of minor problems with the car, if anyone can help: 1. CD player has stopped loading. I've tried pulling and replacing relevant fuses, and it did make noises like it was attempting to work, but alas, no. CD worked perfectly when I bought it. 2. The decorative cover on the glovebox latch is missing. The black plastic base part of the handle is still there, so I can open the glovebox, But the beige (tan?) cover has been hooked by someone's fingernails and is gone. Can anyone help? Cheers, Nodding_Dog

Steve, by all means place this in the "How To" section. I hope it is useful for many LS owners. I bought the car with 137,500km on the clock, and noticed the bearing noise on my initial test drive. After reading many horror stories about owners paying a fortune to have the bearing replaced, and others about it being necessary to remove drive shafts, exhaust etc, I thought I'd better investigate, and was surprised at how easy it was to do the job. My only regret is that I didn't have time to take progress photos. Strict work deadlines and little spare time to clean up hands and photograph periodically unfortunately prevented me doing so. BTW Rupert, I found a bit - M25, Down the hill from Junction 8, anticlockwise....... (Bit hard to dodge & weave from side to side to see which side the noise is though.....) Couple of minor problems with the car: 1. Cheers all, Nodding_Dog

Instructions for replacing rear wheel bearing hub assembly on Lexus LS430, 2000 - 2007. Hi all. Having read so many threads of how to replace rear wheel bearings, but none with any real detail, I tackled the job myself and thought it may be helpful to give detailed instructions. (Before I forget them...) To ascertain which side is noisy, take a test drive. Pick a smooth surfaced road so you can clearly hear the bearing noise above tyre noise. When going around a right hand bend, the weight of the car shifts to the left, so the left hand bearing will load up and start its classic "wooooommm, wooooommm, wooooommm" noise, which will revert back to just an audible, low pitched consistent growl, which varies in pitch with road speed, when you're going straight. Ditto for the right hand bearing. It will make the noise when going around a left hand bend. Having determined which wheel bearing is at fault, time to replace the bearing. Buy a complete hub assembly. Don't bother trying to replace just the actual bearing out of the assembly. Not worth the hassle. I trawled the net and got a genuine Toyota one for $94.50 delivered. You will need:- Torch or leadlight. Mirror 10mm socket 17mm short socket 19mm socket 32mm 12 point socket (1/2" drive) and either a breaker bar or impact gun. ratchet wrench and a couple of short extensions pliers Medium sized 2 or 3 claw puller (even a relatively cheap one will do the job). A short length (6") of flat steel, say 1/2" wide, which you can bend the last 1/2 " to make a hook at 90 degrees, and the other end to about 1" at 90 degrees the opposite way. Sort of making an elongated Z. Procedure:- Jack up the rear wheel with the noisy bearing, and remove road wheel. Put axle stand under subframe mount at front of wheel arch for safety. Remove brake caliper (2x19mm bolts) and tie up to take strain off brake hose. Remove brake disc (not held on by anything other than roadwheel. Remove split pin from end of axle and remove castellated locking cap. Using 32mm socket and breaker bar (or impact gun) undo axle nut. Remove 10mm bolt from ABS sensor and pull sensor out of the way. Look in the hole and you'll see a hole in the sheetmetal cover over the ABS cog. Spray WD40 into axle splines in hub. You may have to give the end of the axle a gentle tap with a hammer and copper drift to loosen it in the splines. Place puller claws around hub and position threaded part in centre of axle. Tighten puller to push axle towards differential. It will move about 1" to 1.5". Note that you DO NOT have to remove the CV joint rubber boot. (Experience..) The hub assembly is held in place on the hub carrier by 4 x 17mm bolts. They are partly obscured by a round pressed sheetmetal cover protecting the ABS cog wheel. Using the strip of steel which you bent earlier, manoeuvre the end which you've bent 1/2" in behind this sheetmetal cover to hook under it, deep within the hub carrier. You'll need the torch and the mirror to see what you're doing. I used a drift pushing on the other 1" bent end and gently tapped at it towards the centre of the car, in a couple of places around the cover, and it popped out and came loose. This enables you to manoeuvre the 17mm socket with short extension onto all 4 bolts behind the hub carrier. They were not excessively tight, so were relatively easy to undo. Once all out, manoeuvre the drift inside the parking brake mechanism to tap the old hub carrier (which you're replacing) to loosen it. It will eventually move and come away from its circular recess. Carefully pull it out, and clean the circular recess with a fine wire brush or similar. Replace with new bearing/hub assembly and as they say, installation is a reversal of removal. Partly tighten the 4x17mm bolts in diagonally opposite sequence to ensure the hub sits straight in its housing. Then tighten securely. Be careful to align the hole for the ABS sensor on the sheetmetal cover in the same place you saw before when you removed the sensor. Release the puller and let the natural tension in the axle poke it through the new hub. This will push the sheetmetal cover into position, but give it a GENTLE tap from behind to ensure it's seated. Axle nut on & tighten with impact gun or bar. Castellated cover and split pin in. ABS sensor back in and bolted. Brake disc on. Caliper on and tighten 2x19mm bolts. Axle stand out, wheel on & tight, jack out and clean up before touching upholstery..... Job done. Lexie's all quiet again. Old bearing showed signs of rust, hence the noise. Hope this is helpful. Total job time approx 2 hours. Time for a coffee (or a beer...) Regards, Nodding_Dog