Tony-Bones

Just looking for some advice...! My RX mk2 was in a particular Lex bodyshop for minor repairs and was due to be picked up today. I went along with my tiny Toyota Yaris courtesy car to collect my RX only to notice a big chunk and some scratches on the rear bumper AND a foot long deep scratch on the side of the car under the doors. The manager seemed puzzled how and when this had happened, so i told them to keep the RX in the garage over the w/end and demanded a quick fix for early next week. In the meantime im left with this tiny Yaris over the long w/end (with 2 sml kids) and no room for car seats etc...

Apart from trying to source a bigger loan car is there anything else you lads can recomend i can do in this situation(apart from trying to kill the bodyshop idiot who ruined my car).

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whenever a customer leaves a car with me the first thing i "have to do" is check the bodywork for damage and document this on a job ticket, if the damage looks new then the customer must view and accept the damage before the car is moved, if i fail to document the damage then the company are unable to deny responsibility, i would assume Lexus would follow this ISO procedure.

I bought the car about 2 months ago and I thought it was a tire related problem.  The car had Eagle GT's on the front and Continental's on the rear.  I figured a new set of tires would fix the problem; but it didn't.

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As with all handling problems mechanical wear is the first point of attack, tyre wear next, since both are visible, next must be the geometry! you say you had the alignment done, was that basic alignment or full geometry? if full can you display the readings...

I need new wheels for my LS and wondered if 17"s from an IS 200 would fit okay?

I have a 1995 series 3 car.

I guess offsets and and stuff would be alright but are they wide enough and what tyre size should I be fitting?

There always seems to be a few sets on ebay, anything to be wary of here?

Any help appreciated, have also posted this on wheels and tyres section.

Steve

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i would say "no" i think you could open up a can of worms if you move up to 7x17

petrol prices help!

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True.. once fuel is measured in cubic $ the IS200 will become some what more visable me thinks...

So if the bolts cannot be used, how is that they sell the OBX ones? These are the same bolts as I was going to get, how can they sell them if they will not work?

IS200 is not sold in the US Tony... hence no mention of it over there

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be sure which area you mean? if the bolts are for the strut then fine, if thay are for the lower arm then i dont know??? no listing for the lower arm exists so i contacted specprod for advice they wern't conclusive and i rejected the possibility of useing the bolts since there is a chance they may come loose, no adjustment is worth someones life.. and "why" is'nt the IS200 sold in the US!

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Tony, the IS200 isn't sold in US, but the IS300 is! Same car just 3ltr lump instead of 2.5ltr..

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OK,OK 3ltr not a 2.5ltr, my question still stands? "why" world wide the IS200 has a healthy market but not in the USA??? is this down to pure horse power or is there a more underlying reason.

So if the bolts cannot be used, how is that they sell the OBX ones? These are the same bolts as I was going to get, how can they sell them if they will not work?

IS200 is not sold in the US Tony... hence no mention of it over there

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be sure which area you mean? if the bolts are for the strut then fine, if thay are for the lower arm then i dont know??? no listing for the lower arm exists so i contacted specprod for advice they wern't conclusive and i rejected the possibility of useing the bolts since there is a chance they may come loose, no adjustment is worth someones life.. and "why" is'nt the IS200 sold in the US!

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Tony, the IS200 isn't sold in US, but the IS300 is! Same car just 3ltr lump instead of 2.5ltr..

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Thanks for that, now things make perfect sense, but i still wonder "why"

So if the bolts cannot be used, how is that they sell the OBX ones? These are the same bolts as I was going to get, how can they sell them if they will not work?

IS200 is not sold in the US Tony... hence no mention of it over there

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be sure which area you mean? if the bolts are for the strut then fine, if thay are for the lower arm then i dont know??? no listing for the lower arm exists so i contacted specprod for advice they wern't conclusive and i rejected the possibility of useing the bolts since there is a chance they may come loose, no adjustment is worth someones life.. and "why" is'nt the IS200 sold in the US!

I have a 94 SC 400.  I've had the front end aligned and put new BF Goodrich g-force tires on the car but the steering problems won't go away.  When changing lanes, the car lurches into the new lane as it passes over the lane divider.  And when driving on or coming to a stop on a road with a slight lean to the right, the steering wheel will pull to the right.  Yet on a flat road the steering wheel remains straight.  Lexus has looked at the front end and so has another mechanic.  Both say everything checks out ok.  However, they both agree that something is not right.  Anybody else ever had a steering problem like this?

Thanks,

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You say the "problems wont go away" what happend between the time when thinge were ok and when the problems started?

I got a noise that sounds like N/S/F wheel bearing.

checked it out with car on jack, no play and smooth as a baby's bum when you spin wheel. Asked local garage to check during service same result, all OK.

Still bugs me as garage reckon tyre noise, the owner runs an Evo VI and they know their stuff. Have had Eagle F1's since just after I got the car and I am sure that the noise is new! Waiting for a while to see what develops.

Anyway a bearing is a bearing and car manufacturers don't usually design for non standard ones espec for things like wheels bearings. So should be mass produced and cheap, try your local motor factor (not Halfords).

Fittting is a different matter,  did a rear wheel bearing on a Sierra once that needed the hub nut torqued to 220 Lb/ft, torque wrench was about 3 feet long!

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there wont be any play? best test is get the bearing hot ( short drive ) jack up the nsf hold the coil spring and spin the wheel if you can feel a rumble then the bearing is worn, if not move on...

ah on the rear the strut is bolted through the lower arm, the adjuster is on the hub bolt..

i have attached a pic.ignore the "undo" ive taken this from mt Tutorial

the bolt marked "undo" is the rear strut lower mount, the bolt visable at the end of the lower arm is the eccentric adjuster

**** for orientation this is the rear left Hub****

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Thanks for that, seemingly the adjuster bolts are a no go... shame since i know a few members here that need that extra bit of adjustment, there was talk of replacing the bolt on the inner lower arm but specprod usa could'nt validate the tensile strength since its through a bush and active rather then through the strut which is inert, i tend to find that most cars with natural adjusters are unsupported and to be fair the market would be small for the manufacture. on a different note "why" is there no listings for the IS200 in the USA even in the LOC USA forum there is no IS200?...

There is 1 bolt on the front suspension, holding the strut to the Hub assembly.

i overcame the Camber problems by using Adjustable upper wishbones

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OK, in most cases the main problem with recovery is the rear, do you know has the strut got one or two pinch bolts at the hub?

Sounds like you should have a full geometry check

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I agree, do you have a print out from the alignment that you can display??

so they do actually help then Tony?

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"YES" but only if the strut has two lower pinch bolts, and i must admit i cant remember if the lex has one or two! ( little help needed ) if it is two then the force adjuster bolts allow 1 degree 30' +- add the natural adjuster to this and the toe adjuster then recovery is possible in the most desperate of cases.

i use the bolts on a daily basis and never connected there use for the lexus, since the lex has built in adjusters, when they max out it has been a tail of "well thats it"

i feel embarrassed.

the adjuster bolt procedure would be..

REAR: zero the natural camber adjuster

: zero the natural toe adjuster

: fit the force adjuster and max it out

: tune the geometry with the natural adjusters

FRONT: is much more complex due to the castor and no one procedure will cover all.

linky

think this has been posted before....  commetns

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i use them here in the UK? £15 per adjuster inc labour + adjustment fee £16.50.

I would imagine the front castor and camber are not readily adjustable on a Lexus so it's most likely to be toe. I'd certainly get a second opinion on the tracking setup, preferably as part of a 4-wheel laser-alignment.

Hope this helps.

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Camber is adjustable and castor is indirectly adjustable.These should be aligned correctly not just the toe.

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I had my tracking done by the agent on the 10/2/05 took 2.5 hrs to do all four wheels and cost £60.00+vat but hey guys worth ever penny, no more twitching about at any speed now.

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Hey there. do you have the settings they set the wheels to on the car? The before and afters??? I need those settings. Do you know I have had a LS400 for 3 years, then traded it in on my GS400 which i have had for 3 years....i have had over 22 alignments done on the two cars over the 6 years. 4 by lexus, and the rest under the life time alignment by firestone. These f-in cars wander all over the damn road, on the fwy at 60+ mph. I feel like i am steering 24/7....i HATE driving either car because of that problem. 6 years of driftin'...............

Such a shame for such nice cars. I really hate driving the things. My GS has H&R lowering springs with 18" wheels on it, i thinbk 9.5" wide. This thing keeps burning up the inside of the tires after like 12000 miles. to the steel! It handles like a 72 cadillac that has two flat tires. Totally ****ty handling. Almost feels like you are about to lose control if you swerve left to right at 60mph+ gently.

anyone help me????????????????????????????????????????? I am in the US. In california. Email me direct at rescom@megapathdsl.net

i wrote lexus on it directly. They are molasses getting anything done. then they are saying i have to convert it back to the orig rims & tires. (didnt say anything about the lowering though.....)

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Welcome to LOC UK, geometry holds 15 or so angles all with various effects and consequences, add wider wheels, lower the suspension then now the geometry recovery is theoretical and will need to be manufactured, there are so many things to ask that i feel you need to refine the problem a little so we can help, go to www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk hit the site map and read camber/ castor/ kpi basics and if you feel up to it also the theory, the explanations of the angles should give a better insight of the problem from you... in addition do you have any geometry reports that you can display? or email to me @ wheels-inmotion AT ntlworld DOT com

Once again another problem with my battered lex!

How can you tell if your ball joints are going?

When i pull into my driveway (full right lock) i hear a fairly loud knock just once.

I dont know if this is anything to do with the ball joints but thats what im thinking!

Any advice?

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if it's a ball joint there will be play at the wheel? i feel your problem is the "metabalistic" bush on the strut, at low speed you can turn the steering on a full lock, the bush on top of the strut if worn will not allow the coil spring to rotate at the same pace as the wheel, so the "full lock" will load the coil spring and force the bush to rotate with a knock...best test, jack up the front, start the engine and turn the steering left/ right, if the bearings are worn the steering will go tight at one point..

Just wondering of the implications of having a larger and wider wheel on the rear compared to the front. Like alot of the supras and mr2, skylines etc.

Would there be any issues??

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ALOT of the altezza i bring over from Japan have this set up too

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what  about say 18(17) front and 19(18) rear

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i'm no expert in this area but? 17' front and 18' rear won't this cause problems with the "ABS"....

Thanks for that. I suppose ill just have to keep my eye on them and look for uneven wear. The car does feel much better though and could tell a difference straight away. Ive read a few good reports about WIM, and would of liked to make the trip over but its a bit far to be honest, which is why I went to Lexus. If the tyres wear though as you suggest, then ill definatly have to make the trip over.

Thanks for your help.

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Be "wise", if the tyres do wear? you have a print out from the geometry to calculate corrective measures, if the time comes let me know and i "will!" be able to help without you needing to travel to me.....

Kind of on topic, but on my lexus the inside edge of the drivers tyre has worn more than the rest of the tyre, almost bald to around 1" into the tyre from the edge. the other front one has started doing it, but its not as bad. I'm experiencing some vibration, could it be this? and whats causing this, is it the geometry of the suspension, castor, camber, toe, etc? I had the car tracking checked and that was "spot on" according to a reputable garage.

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"cause and effect" if the tyre is subject to uneven wear, like in your case on the inside, the initial wheel balance will be lost, since now the tread wear is no longer symmetrical, "cause" alignment will not wear the tyre in the manner you discribe, camber is the most likely crimminal, "effect" once the uneven wear is established, vibration.......

i have a front pair of p4000

they need to be replaced soon.

any thoughts on what to get. ?

grip & low noise is more important than wear.

the p4000 seem quite noisey .

back pair are p6000 but they have lots of tread at present.

the spare is a dunlop z8 & is new.

thanks

Robin....

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the P6000 (j) is the one... but make sure you get the (j) model

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whats the J signify ?

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"Jaguar", the particular needs for jaguar required an up rated tyre side wall to counter the associated forces generated by a heavy powerful car, but the P6000 style stayed in keeping with an "executive" tyre, the "j" is ideal for the lex since the extra ply in the tyre side wall denies a lateral force called "slip angle" so cornering and steering responce is increased, more importantly the 6000 does not tram line..

Just been checking a few web sites and found one that does the brake dust shields for GS300.

They custonmise th shield to each type of alloy wheel, just send them a picture of the wheel and they sort the rest out.

The cost is £39.00 a pair or £59.00 for a full set.

Any chance of sorting out a group buy.

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I know what you mean, a universal centre plate with a 18' rubber mat that you cut down to size the wheel, i sold these some years ago and had to discontinue the sales soon after! "why" most modern cars vent the brakes through the front valance and the "wheel", once the mat was fitted the customer suffered brake fade due to the pads over heating, look at the wheel pattern and you can see in most cases the spokes are angled the reason is to capture air and cool the brakes , please be careful... unless things have changed?

Hmmm thats a bit worriying as Ive just put brand new 18" GSD3's on. They recommended this for me as on the last vehicle check I had they noticed wear on the inside edges which was quite bad. The middle and outside were about 6mm and the insides were bold!! :o

So have Lexus adjusted it incorrectly? Anything I could do about this as I dont fancy shelling out for new tyres any time soon.

Thanks Tony.

Rich.

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Lexus have gone more or less by the book? thats the problem.... that is "all" they can do to be fair, geometry is so flexible it's realm is theoretical, example: if you are on 18" then i assume it's 2254018?, the point of load with the IS set-up is for 205/ 215 mm so any settings suggested by Lexus must be redundent! for sure on paper all reads well at 43' and 38' camber so why the wear? 6/6/0 see my point.

theoreticaly i would use the suspension height, tyre size, wheel inset, and driver profile to generate the settings! we are all unique so is the geometry, your car is not by the book only the set-up, i can help but i will need more information..

i have a front pair of p4000

they need to be replaced soon.

any thoughts on what to get. ?

grip & low noise is more important than wear.

the p4000 seem quite noisey .

back pair are p6000 but they have lots of tread at present.

the spare is a dunlop z8 & is new.

thanks

Robin....

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the P6000 (j) is the one... but make sure you get the (j) model

Here you go mate.

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thanks for that, good thing i'v got a 5ft/ 3ft monitor (lol).

seriously though you have had: the geometry test, nsr camber adjustment, osr toe adjustment, and front toe adjustment all at a cost of £50, that sure shows the power of the "gold club card" the "trusted centres" on WIM site at best would charge £97.12 inc vat... and i must add you did get a "full" geometry aswell, my only negative point is the front camber position "lady Lexus" has a killer camber as far as tyre wear is concerned, let me explain: "static" the front camber should be 30'-, the "dynamic" range is based on the suspention arc, so loaded the camber will be at 1 degree- and unloaded at 0 degree both taken from the static 30'-, your camber at 43' and 38' will inevitably be near to the 1 degree mark and conciderd normal, in short the front tyres will wear on the insides ( sorry )