LS400 Failed MOT but looking good on the horizon

Jacques Wood · January 27, 2016

After 3 months and 9,000 very happy miles, my Mk3 LS400 promptly failed its MOT.

Oh well, I was expecting it to do so, the offside front wheel bearing had developed a grumble, the parking brake has does nothing more than put a light on the dash, and the the exhaust bodge on the post Cat Y pipe (mentioned in a post last year) was blowing like a chimney.

So the front wheel bearing/hub combo will be a pain, but I adjusted the handbrake in 20 minutes. The interesting part comes from a new friend (Pete of PTR Exhausts, Brackley, Northants), a former Mk3 LS400 owner whom is going to make up an entire new Y pipe section. I might get carried away and Decat the thing now that it's on LPG as the blowing exhaust has certainly given it a good growl, I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime I have an advisory for slight play in the rear upper wishbone ball joints. Can anyone help me nail down a part number so that I can get it ordered on Amayama? I figured it's best to do it now whilst I'm not fussed about lead time. Also, does anyone recommend changing anything else on the rear end whilst I'm at it? Or is it just those top ball joints that go?

As always, any help appreciated.

Jacques

runsgrateasanut · January 27, 2016

36 minutes ago, Jacques Wood said:

The interesting part comes from a new friend (Pete of PTR Exhausts, Brackley, Northants), a former Mk3 LS400 owner whom is going to make up an entire new Y pipe section. I might get carried away and Decat the thing now that it's on LPG as the blowing exhaust has certainly given it a good growl, I'll keep you posted.

.

If you decat the system will it not be a "fail" for the MOT. Where there were Cats there have to be Cats?

Be interested to hear what your new friend has in mind. I was quoted £500 to bodge up the Y pipe to Cats. Bought two Cats for later model than Mk2 and thought I could perhaps add metal though yet to test my welding skills. Well I can dream! Just bodging with the Wynns when it goes in to have the Auto box fluid replaced. Tricky parts to replace with unusual bends & Lambda being so close to flange.

fred81 · January 27, 2016

Part numbers on the rear upper suspension arms:

48790-59025 and 48770-59025

They're out of stock on Amayama and eBay only has a couple in the US at stupid prices. Seems no aftermarket parts are available?

Maybe the bearings themselves can be replaced - if you find parts or anyone who can do this, let me know!

Regards

fred81 · January 27, 2016

From Amayama:

Quote

Hello,

The requested parts are out of stock with an unknown delivery date. We cannot supply them at this time, nor can we estimate when they will become available. In these cases we ask the customer to wait around 4 weeks for the status of the requested part to change, then make a new inquiry for it at that time.

Regards,

Justin

On 2016/01/18 19:36, Timothy wrote:

The customer Timothy submitted the inquiry:

Ordered parts:
----------
Toyota 4879059025 ARM, SUSPENSION (BJ JP) - 79.22 GBP, 1 items
Toyota 4877059025 ARM, SUSPENSION (BJ JP) - 79.22 GBP, 1 items

steve2006 · January 27, 2016

Please get some pictures of the Y section you are having made once it is done and the price charged, there may be some more orders coming in

runsgrateasanut · January 27, 2016

41 minutes ago, fred81 said:

Part numbers on the rear upper suspension arms:

48790-59025 and 48770-59025

They're out of stock on Amayama and eBay only has a couple in the US at stupid prices. Seems no aftermarket parts are available?

Maybe the bearings themselves can be replaced - if you find parts or anyone who can do this, let me know!

Regards

Hope for Members sake these Arms are not going to become as rare as Hens Teeth.

For my earlier model I bought a couple must be over a year ago as "on Advisory" two or more years ago, but not since

Not changed them yet. Certainly cost more than the price mentioned. They are Toyota manufacture ref 48770-50010 and 48790-50010. I think someone else bought similar not long ago and complained when charged extortionate amount for VAT or something. Was it Cleverdick?

fred81 · January 27, 2016

Here's a rear right control arm at $190+shipping+customs

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Rear-Passenger-Control-Arm-Right-Side-RH-Hand-Fits-Lexus-LS400-/111825730846?fits=Model%3ALS400&hash=item1a09553d1e:g:c0sAAOSwiwVWSlKT

The above seller doesn't have a left one though...

Here's a seller with both:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-LS400-Rear-Right-Upper-Control-Arm-Genuine-OES-48770-59015-/350747429085?fits=Year%3A1998|Make%3ALexus|Model%3ALS400|Submodel%3ABase|Engine+-+Liter_Display%3A4.0L&hash=item51aa2d08dd:g:U4kAAOxy9DRSBQ1b&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-LS400-Rear-Driver-Left-Upper-Control-Arm-Genuine-OES-48790-59015-/360893465594?hash=item5406ed43fa:g:n7gAAOxy14VRSx~u

Those are $244 +shipping+customs. That's the best I've found so far .. still no aftermarket or even 2nd hand..and nothing in the UK...

Jacques Wood · January 27, 2016

1 hour ago, runsgrateasanut said:

If you decat the system will it not be a "fail" for the MOT. Where there were Cats there have to be Cats?

Be interested to hear what your new friend has in mind. I was quoted £500 to bodge up the Y pipe to Cats. Bought two Cats for later model than Mk2 and thought I could perhaps add metal though yet to test my welding skills. Well I can dream! Just bodging with the Wynns when it goes in to have the Auto box fluid replaced. Tricky parts to replace with unusual bends & Lambda being so close to flange.

It's an interesting argument, the obvious answer is to mock up a straight pipe through an old cat body, I will double check with the MOT station for the retest, but I'm sure my old MOT testing friend says that regardless of year as long as it passes emissions it's not needed.

50 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

Please get some pictures of the Y section you are having made once it is done and the price charged, there may be some more orders coming in

I'm stopping by tonight, I'll ask if he's interested in mass orders. I won't quote what he's offered it to me as it might be a 1-off price, but it's a lot less than £500. He's the sole supplier of a manifolds for international F3000 series, so I trust his work, and I'll review it for your all.

As for the rear arms, I will try and order some. In the mean time has anyone kept some trashed ones they can donate? One of the many benefits of working in Motorsport Valley is having plenty of specialists on my doorstep. I will take them around to see if the old ball joints and bushes can be removed and or replaced with an alternative.

If they can be machined/modified, I'll make sure to reimburse the donator, and replace with a set modified/machined from those removed from my car.

If modifying is a dead end, I'll design and test my own in CAD in a simple tubular steel design. I'll make manufacture drawings and of course make them free issue to forum users.

Malc · January 27, 2016

Jacques thank you ..... looks as though you are going to be a STAR if you're able to sort out replacement of otherwise unavailable suspension stuff

Just simply a Ls400 lifesaver no less

Malc

runsgrateasanut · January 27, 2016

You may want to bear this in mind when you search those parts -

"OES is Original equipment supplier. Equivalent to aftermarket parts. Companies that make auto parts that may or may not be a contracted supplier to the original car company. These parts are generally cheaper than original brand parts and subsequently can be of less quality, although that's not necessarily so. Most major car makers don't make their own parts, they contract them out to other companies. These OEM (Original equipment manufacturer) or OES companies make the parts that are branded with the original car makers logos and part numbers. They also may sell them as aftermarket parts and are thus labeled or branded as a generic OES."

somewhere I read that an aftermarket part rear UCR only lasted three thousand miles and split.

Scribe · January 27, 2016

You've certainly been clocking up the miles, Jacques. I've never done more than 3000 a year in mine.

Jacques Wood · January 28, 2016

12 hours ago, Scribe said:

You've certainly been clocking up the miles, Jacques. I've never done more than 3000 a year in mine.

My commute is 130 miles a day, and I have the perfect car for it!

My exhaust friend says he's happy to knock up a 5-off order of Y pipes in 321 Stainless, he will price it up next week after completing mine, then I'll post a thread to gauge interest.

I've been e-mailing people breaking LS400's to see if I can get a set of rear top arms that I can clean up and see if I can get new ball joint and bushes fitted. Though admittedly I've never seen one, so I don't know is the task is futile from the get go.

JIM PIKE · January 28, 2016

Jacques will your friend only make 5 or do you mean batches, or multiples of 5 ?

Does anyone know if a 1998 MK4 is the same Y piece as the MK3 if it is then I could be in the market, not that I have a problem at the moment as my Mechanic welded up some small holes in it last year, but that won't last forever.

Brian

cruisermark · January 28, 2016

12 minutes ago, Jacques Wood said:

My commute is 130 miles a day, and I have the perfect car for it!

My exhaust friend says he's happy to knock up a 5-off order of Y pipes in 321 Stainless, he will price it up next week after completing mine, then I'll post a thread to gauge interest.

I've been e-mailing people breaking LS400's to see if I can get a set of rear top arms that I can clean up and see if I can get new ball joint and bushes fitted. Though admittedly I've never seen one, so I don't know is the task is futile from the get go.

130 miles a day - WOW - I have never commuted and couldnt do it even if i tried

Jacques Wood · January 28, 2016

1 hour ago, JIM PIKE said:

Jacques will your friend only make 5 or do you mean batches, or multiples of 5 ?

Does anyone know if a 1998 MK4 is the same Y piece as the MK3 if it is then I could be in the market, not that I have a problem at the moment as my Mechanic welded up some small holes in it last year, but that won't last forever.

Brian

Hello Brian,

He will make however many there is demand for, but a good price break is 5, and obviously more so for 10, 20 etc.

He will do made to measure on your car, but that's not a "while you wait" job, it's just him in his warehouse, and motorsport jobs come first. He has the lift and all the gear on site, but he prefers making up a load of identical parts as and when he can during the week.

moriwaki · January 28, 2016

I just bit the bullet and fitted new Lexis cats and y piece....wasnt too bad a price....also fitted new manifold studs and nuts.

Will be interested to see what happens with the hub bearing....I was told you need a new complete hub from Lexus.

Spacewagon52 · January 28, 2016

Hope you don't mind me asking Moriwaki, but how much did that cost?

Was that for fitting by Lexus or Lexus parts fitted by an independent?

Thanks

plastic orange · January 29, 2016

On 1/28/2016 at 10:35 AM, Jacques Wood said:

My commute is 130 miles a day, and I have the perfect car for it!

My exhaust friend says he's happy to knock up a 5-off order of Y pipes in 321 Stainless, he will price it up next week after completing mine, then I'll post a thread to gauge interest.

I've been e-mailing people breaking LS400's to see if I can get a set of rear top arms that I can clean up and see if I can get new ball joint and bushes fitted. Though admittedly I've never seen one, so I don't know is the task is futile from the get go.

I have a drivers side rear UCA that I took off a few years back which is hanging on my garage wall that you can experiment with if you like.

Pete

fred81 · January 29, 2016

On 27/01/2016 at 9:21 PM, runsgrateasanut said:

You may want to bear this in mind when you search those parts -

"OES is Original equipment supplier. Equivalent to aftermarket parts. Companies that make auto parts that may or may not be a contracted supplier to the original car company. These parts are generally cheaper than original brand parts and subsequently can be of less quality, although that's not necessarily so. Most major car makers don't make their own parts, they contract them out to other companies. These OEM (Original equipment manufacturer) or OES companies make the parts that are branded with the original car makers logos and part numbers. They also may sell them as aftermarket parts and are thus labeled or branded as a generic OES."

somewhere I read that an aftermarket part rear UCR only lasted three thousand miles and split.

I'm not sure how true the above is. OES = original equipment supplier. Thus, genuine, stamped parts that would have been used to build the car in the first place. OEM = original equipment manufacturer - may or may not have the stamped or branded element on the parts, but comes off the same line all the same. I'd have no concerns with quality if the part was listed OES or OEM.

Regarding the aftermarket rear UCR (UCA?) though - after my extensive research I can't see any aftermarket parts at all - I'm not even sure they exist - can you shed any light?

PS: I'm after rear left and right UCA (1998) as mine are corroding!

Regards

Malc · January 29, 2016

. ............. I can understand bushes being a problem but CORROSION of the steel, well that's never going to be an MOT failure surely !!

Malc

fred81 · January 29, 2016

1 minute ago, Malc said:

. ............. I can understand bushes being a problem but CORROSION of the steel, well that's never going to be an MOT failure surely !!

Malc

Probably won't be a failure, and can probably be cleaned up, The problem is that the ball joints aren't a separate part - unless someone can figure out how to do this (and with what parts), we are all going to be in a bit of a mess in years to come! (hopefully they will come back in stock at Amayama!)

Regards

Spacewagon52 · January 29, 2016

This thread is making me very twitchy about owning a LS400 - if the crunch comes then she will have to go to that scrapyard in the sky.

Jacques Wood · January 29, 2016

3 hours ago, plastic orange said:

I have a drivers side rear UCA that I took off a few years back which is hanging on my garage wall that you can experiment with if you like.

Pete

Pete,

if you would be prepared to wrap and send it, then please PM me. I can sort out address and reimburse you for delivery.

runsgrateasanut · January 29, 2016

3 hours ago, fred81 said:

I'm not sure how true the above is. OES = original equipment supplier. Thus, genuine, stamped parts that would have been used to build the car in the first place. OEM = original equipment manufacturer - may or may not have the stamped or branded element on the parts, but comes off the same line all the same. I'd have no concerns with quality if the part was listed OES or OEM.

Regarding the aftermarket rear UCR (UCA?) though - after my extensive research I can't see any aftermarket parts at all - I'm not even sure they exist - can you shed any light?

PS: I'm after rear left and right UCA (1998) as mine are corroding!

Regards

The quote was not my own. I would say that if you check the situation with regard to aftermarket front UCA's you'll find that the rubber gaiter on one I purchased from the States lasted about three months. So, although the bushes may (???) be Ok I don't know just yet. Next MOT will tell.
If you buy from the US its likely to be quoted as a major brand name, but actually sourced in China or Taiwan. Buy separately a gaiter from UK supplier before fitting would be my advice.. There is mention where to buy Gaiters on a thread. As for a "split" in the steel/welding of a rear UCA I'm pretty sure I found mention of it on this site.
I was wanting to buy a Front wing from US. Vendor listed spec as "OEM True" but when questioned it was actually an aftermarket part made I don't know where. Only 50 Bucks, but to import probably prohibitively expensive.

Jacques Wood · January 29, 2016

47 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

This thread is making me very twitchy about owning a LS400 - if the crunch comes then she will have to go to that scrapyard in the sky.

You're not on your own, the same problems will effect all owners eventually. This is by a long way the best forum I've ever been a part of, and the general consensus I've got is "if the job's worth doing, it's worth doing right", which matches my philosophy.

I'm confident I will find a way to recycle the UCA's to an OEM or better standard, and I'll test them on my own car for 12 months ( my annual mileage is around 32k a year) and report back my findings.