Suspension arm ball Joints

[royzels]

Hello to you all..... Can any body tell me if it is a big job to replace the above joints.  (front)   and are the Joints very expensive.....Suspension arm Ball Joints

Thanks to you all....   Roy.

[Malc]

Roy hi,  have they actually failed the MOT or are you just thinking they might sometime very soon ?

Maybe an MOT Advisory etc

Malc

[royzels]

Just advisories................ Slight play only.......     Cheers

[Malc]

Roy, I suspect they'll last you many many many 000s more miles  ....  what miles has your car covered now ?

Malc

[royzels]

Hi 156000 miles....    Thanks for the information..... Really appreciated............. Roy.

[The-Acre]

3 hours ago, royzels said:

Hello to you all..... Can any body tell me if it is a big job to replace the above joints.  (front)   and are the Joints very expensive.....Suspension arm Ball Joints

Thanks to you all....   Roy.

I think there's a lot to be said for just being "aware" of an advisory. Are you talking about the lower ball joints?  If so, Rockauto has them for £20 each and with shipping etc a pair will be about £85 all in.  The part looks the same as the LS430 and they are very easy to fit.

[royzels]

Thank you for that information.....    Top ball joints

[ambermarine]

These are the notorious upper control arms and to be honest you have done well if they have got to 156k with slight play usually go at around 100k so yours could be aftermarket replacements which last half the time of the oems if your lucky.

Oems are expensive from Lexus at around £500 for a pair and fitting them is fairly easy for a good mech using a method devised by me and my Mech back in the early noughties now used by everyone who learned about it on this forum,its in the archives.

They do not last long after play in them starts but depends on how much use the car is getting if it is less than a couple of thousand a year they will be ok but 10k will finish them in a year.

[royzels]

Hello.... I only do approx 1000miles  a year, and I have done the same since I purchased the car approx 11 year ago. I have been told that its not too important  that they are done straight away, and that they are quite safe as for now, (M.O.T. examiner) ...(appreciate your thoughts).    I am disabled so doing them myself is out of the question.. I would like them done sometime, but whether sooner than later?   I will be, advised accordingly. You have given me food for thought...Would appreciate any further comments you may have.................... Thanks Roy.

[The-Acre]

1 hour ago, royzels said:

Thank you for that information.....    Top ball joints

I recently replaced my upper control arms, they come complete with the ball joint.  The Lexus price was an eye watering £1,100 for the pair! I decided again to go with Rockauto, I didn't choose their cheapest parts, but even the ones I decided on with shipping and prepaid VAT the total was £93 for the pair.  The quality appears to be pretty good, a very nice alloy casting of the main wishbone.  I found fitting them very easy, I think the LS400 may be slightly different, and as I only cover about 4k miles a year I'm happy with my choice.  As a DIY job I reckon I can do each side in about 40mins, so even if I had to replace them again I'm still quids in!  I see Rock have them for the 400 for the same price.

[steve2006]

As you are aware the UCAs have to be replaced as a complete unit.

After a pothole incident some years ago I was faced with a £521.00 OEM Lexus part or a £30.00 chinese pattern part of dubious quality.

Fortunately I came across the right side OEM part on fleabay listed by Nippon Autoparts, at £150.00 I couldn’t hit that Buy it Now button quick enough!

They are both available on Amayama for around £200.00 each including shipping within a week, bear in mind you will probably have to add another £40.00 on each for HMRC VAT.

Given these are critical safety components I would only use OEM myself.

 

[royzels]

Hello again.....   I have looked on Rockauto but when I typed in Rear upper control arms, I could only find Front ones....   Am I naming them wrongly or what.....I seem to be out of my depth..... I am 77yrs of age, it is possible that i am going senile or something, LOL. Would be interested in any reply you would care to make ( no funny comments).    Cheers Roy.

[royzels]

OOOOOPs..... First mistake, I should have said REAR upper control arms...................... SORRY.

[Malc]

15 hours ago, royzels said:

Can any body tell me if it is a big job to replace the above joints.  (front)   and are the Joints very expensive.

Roy, hi again

FRONT and REAR Upper Control Arms ......  hideously expensive from Lexus / Toyota in the UK, about £550 EACH

you're driving just 1000 miles a year .........  I would suggest that when they are actually nearing to be a failure at the MOT then worry about replacing them

You might well have another 30/40k miles left in them

............... mine, from original, lasted 193k nearside and 215k offside respectively and I replaced them with ( import )  Amayama OEM Toyota stamped replacements

These worked out at about £250 each with carriage, Customs duty, VAT and other associated import costs                   About 50% or less of the UK prices

 

Don't worry about it at all at this stage, just go with the flow, enjoy your 1000 miles a year of sublime driving and let the MOT tester tell / Advise you the year before they actually really do need replacing

Best wishes with it all

Malc

[royzels]

Thanks to you all for your efforts...... as usual you all came through beyond expectations.....    Thank you so much...   Cheers Roy.

[The-Acre]

1 hour ago, royzels said:

OOOOOPs..... First mistake, I should have said REAR upper control arms...................... SORRY.

I emailed Rock once asking about parts not shown on their site, they said if you can't find them listed they don't have them and can't be ordered.  If its the rear take Malcs advice and don't worry about it until the next mot, especially as you do such a small annual mileage, unless you start to hear knocking over bumps of course!

[messi]

Rear upper control arms are dealer only im afraid 

[Malc]

when one of my FRONT UCAs went I was driving thru the Dolomites ....  and all I heard was a muffled clunk, I stopped, looked around, got back in the car and drove perfectly fine, I had no idea then what it was and it made absolutely zero difference to the drive at all...........  for many many months until it failed at the next MOT

She failed that next MOT ( front n/s UCA ) and this was my first UCA issue, my indy got a BluePrint part which sadly only lasted 40k miles before I replaced both the Fronts with Amayama Toyota stuff  ..  the o/s front hadn't actually gone at the 217k miles but we decided best to replace both as the original remaining one was, surely, coming to an end of life !

The Blueprint debacle was some years before we had heard of Amayama and Rockauto

Malc

[Razor61]

Rear UCA's are around £250 each from Lexus and are £212 each from LPD, half the price of the front UCA's.

[royzels]

Hello Paul.... Thanks for that good news, who is LPD ? Forgive my ignorance. Where abouts in Lancashire are you?... Would be nice to see your LS400 sometime, I'm only in Atherton, near Bolton.....   Thanks again for that great news, it has set my mind at ease.......... Cheers Roy.

[Razor61]

1 hour ago, royzels said:

Thanks for that good news, who is LPD

LPD is Lexus Parts Direct, Lexus dealer with an online website for purchasing genuine Lexus parts. I've used them a lot in the last year, mainly for the LS400 which I don't have anymore so will need to change my profile.........and I'll do it now😉

Link to LPD

Genuine Lexus Parts Direct To Your Door | Lexus Parts Direct

[royzels]

Hello Paul.... Thanks for that good news, who is LPD ? Forgive my ignorance. Where abouts in Lancashire are you?... Would be nice to see your LS400 sometime, I'm only in Atherton, near Bolton.....   Thanks again for that great news, it has set my mind at ease.......... Cheers Roy.

[royzels]

Thank you very much once again............... Cheers my friend      Roy.

[Razor61]

No problem Roy, I know the Bolton area pretty well as I was a TV and Video field engineer many years ago for a company called Mastercare and my area was Bolton. I have some LS400 bits for sale, most of it new stuff but I have some used bits. If you fancy a run out to Darwen to have a look and a chin wag you are more than welcome, just private message me and we can arrange it.

[The-Acre]

I seem to remember LPD were doing free delivery for LOC members, certainly worth checking.