Mk3 Ls400 new front UCAs

[Malc]

Gentlemen

 

Thought i should now post this having collected the car today from my indy at   217,150 miles

she drives better than ever following renewal of the two front UCAs . 

We had to replace the " new "  Blueprint n/side one replaced about 40k miles ago

Took the opportunity to replace both now with genuine OEM Toyota parts from Amayama  ..  the o'side unit is still serviceable after 217k miles ..........  but showing signs of age and wear 

OK the cost:

Amayama parts, Left and Right units, looks like same stock numbers BUT marked L and R ( in pen  ) ...  cost £358.66 incl all shipping costs payable to Amayama

UK Customs Duty and VAT and fees and Parcelforce £12 handling fee total £95.80

Fitting costs by my indy £180

Total cost £ 534.46 ( no other vat besides UK Customs Duty stuff )

I think from Lexus would have been about double the cost

Malc

[Cotswold Pete]

Sounds like a good price to get them done.

Need to get my off-side front done soon as at 193K miles, will get my indy to look at nearside and decide if worth doing both.

I guess after 19 years and so many miles this is to be expected, but never had any previous car get to over 160K without really starting to fall apart, let alone be okay to drive at 85mph with the UCA starting to go.  

Glad to hear that she drives better,

 

[Stupot]

Just like Pete... I'm looking into UCA replacement as I'm getting judder/vibration between 60-70. (already replaced tyres and had them balanced) The rear UCA's came up as an advisory at last MOT, so probably the culprit. I notice there are several press in bushes for the rear UCA's on eBay for not lots of money, Is this an option you looked into Malc? I know not every garage will want muck about with pressing the old out and the new in etc, but I'm hopeful I can find someone. But then that still leaves the pin bush of the UCA which I guess is why complete replacement is inevitable?

An example of some bushes I've seen on eBay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lexus-LS-400-Rear-Upper-Arm-New-Poly-Polyurethane-PSB-Bushing-Kit-5-1989-8-2000/183252926870

Great that your LS is feeling better for the work you've recently done Malc.

[Cotswold Pete]

Might be worth reading this link.

Poly v. Rubber

Not a materials engineer myself, though did Mechanical Eng back in 1977 (1st year of degree), and so agree natural materials are better but they wear out before a lot of synthetics.

My choice is rubber for damping properties over lifetime of product.  Lexus OEM bushes seem to be pretty good rubber given their longevity on the heavy LS.

[Malc]

I did think about pressing in new stuff BUT decided to go for the whole deal

The all-up pricing seemed ok tbh

I replaced both front UCAs on my Mk1 at about 160k miles ........  donkeys years ago now and they cost about £125 each from Lexus at that time

A different era methinks

Malc

[Stupot]

10 hours ago, Cotswold Pete said:

Might be worth reading this link.

Poly v. Rubber

Not a materials engineer myself, though did Mechanical Eng back in 1977 (1st year of degree), and so agree natural materials are better but they wear out before a lot of synthetics.

My choice is rubber for damping properties over lifetime of product.  Lexus OEM bushes seem to be pretty good rubber given their longevity on the heavy LS.

Thanks Pete. That's a very useful article and confirmed my concerns on the poly bushes... more noise, more vibration, harsher ride.... all the things you don't want from your waft-tastic LS400 

Before digging too deep into UCAs, I'm going to order and fit a new transmission mount as they are relatively cheap (if ordering from USA ebay) and easy to fit. Might cure some vibrations according to this thread.

 

[Stupot]

10 hours ago, Malc said:

I did think about pressing in new stuff BUT decided to go for the whole deal

The all-up pricing seemed ok tbh

I replaced both front UCAs on my Mk1 at about 160k miles ........  donkeys years ago now and they cost about £125 each from Lexus at that time

A different era methinks

Malc

Yes, I guess once you've factored in the costs of decent bushes and the labour... fitting complete OEM UCA's looks attractive at the costs you've managed from Amayama

[Malc]

....., and after several days and a few good 30 / 40 mile runs I can confirm that the ride is hugely improved, just feels a lot tighter and responsive .... maybe like a new car 

popping down to Canterbury next week, Treadmark Tyres, to have the laser alignment set-up re-done.

Malc

[Malc]

oh dear                Treadmark Tyres Canterbury now called Protyres I think

dropped her in for the necessary laser realignment and 3 of the 4 corners out of kilter according to the pretty coloured diagram

simple ............ £30 front and £30 rears to be done

fronts fine and easy peasy BUT the rears challenging ................... so much so that after much huffing and puffing one bolt snaps, seized solid

leave her overnight with lots of penetrating oil but still stuck solid and they tell me the only course is to replace the rear trailing arm ..........  after market should be ok BUT as we all know some of this stuff just sin't available and Toyota ( just up the road )  can provide the appropriate part in 2 days for £190 and with labour would work out at £468 

declined the offer and suggested they should drill out the seized bolt, After much amazement that i wasn't going to just roll over and accept getting a new part they went back to the drawing board ........ following day they call me to say that HEY PRESTO the penetrating oil has worked and they had fabricated a new bolt (  really ? ) and the job was done

Very nice people and the cost was the standard £60 incl vat and the untouched rear bolt was the one corner that was fine anyway

BRILLIANT outcome and I'm very pleased that the penetrating oil worked for them rather than drilling out the old bolt

 

Actually 5 Stars for doing a very challenging job at initial price

Malc

 

there's another new  post about the dead battery 

 

[Stupot]

5 hours ago, Malc said:

dropped her in for the necessary laser realignment and 3 of the 4 corners out of kilter according to the pretty coloured diagram

Malc, have you noticed any change in the driving experience after having this done. Did the new UCA's cause any vibration/wobble/steering probs after fitting?

[Malc]

Stu, fitting the new front UCAs and drop links has made the car drive so much better and firmer, everything seems a lot tighter, driving  ' like new '  I would think.

Absolutely zero wobble or vibration or steering issues at all ..... but then there weren't any before ............... and my indy also replaced the front disks and pads too at the same time

He's very very good at what he does 

The laser re-alignment too makes zero difference to the handling of my car, I guess it just stops all that premature uneven tyre wear ........... and whatever else it remedies.

I had a very good result, but only to be expected and follows many years and hundreds of thousands of miles of undoubted successful motoring in my Ls400s 

I'm a happy bunny 

Malc