A Few Questions About The Ls400.

[runsgrateasanut]

I can't imagine my car has been off-roading in its life so 200k is perhaps a bit optimistic as I only have 113k on the clock. I bought Raybestos listed as Professional Grade A but as I say the box is Raybestos but the part looks suspect, especially as it wasn't heat sealed into the box but clear bagged without ID other than numbers. This said, those cheap UCR's advertised on eBay, one says "not a cheap Chinese copy" so I emailed the seller asking where they are made - he said phone me! didn't want to put anything in writing presumeably, but possibly made in Taiwan.

so I took a chance on this and Raybestos say they will get back to me as regards my question where their product is made.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suspension-Control-Arm-Professional-Grade-Front-Left-Upper-fits-90-00-LS400-/371037566399?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item56638ff5bf

[Beejay55]

Thank you for that, I had nothing to compare it to.

I'll search on the forum for advice about their replacement.

They are very easy to replace, I did mine a couple of months ago and the only odd thing is that at one end needed a 13mm spanner and the other end a 14mm spanner.

I got mine from www.cargasstruts.co.uk for £40 inc delivery.

Thank you for this. I was just going to order from SGS, as recommended in one of the posts, but they were £60 a pair. You just saved me £20 :D Thank you !

[mikeyv]

Thank you for that, I had nothing to compare it to.

I'll search on the forum for advice about their replacement.

They are very easy to replace, I did mine a couple of months ago and the only odd thing is that at one end needed a 13mm spanner and the other end a 14mm spanner.

I got mine from www.cargasstruts.co.uk for £40 inc delivery.

Thank you for this. I was just going to order from SGS, as recommended in one of the posts, but they were £60 a pair. You just saved me £20 :D Thank you !

Are you sure you're not getting bonnet struts and bootlid ones confused?

[Malc]

Stuart hi, your Raybestos UCAs seem to come with a 3 year warranty so you should be ok !

113k is a tiny mileage for original one's tbh ........... are they just Advisory ( where they might last a few more years actually ) before becoming an urgent " to do " Advisory ?

Much Advisory stuff with MOTs is down to the individual tester and another might say they are all ok, just keep an eye on them !

Malc

[royoftherovers]

I can't imagine my car has been off-roading in its life so 200k is perhaps a bit optimistic as I only have 113k on the clock. I bought Raybestos listed as Professional Grade A but as I say the box is Raybestos but the part looks suspect, especially as it wasn't heat sealed into the box but clear bagged without ID other than numbers. This said, those cheap UCR's advertised on ebay, one says "not a cheap Chinese copy" so I emailed the seller asking where they are made - he said phone me! didn't want to put anything in writing presumeably, but possibly made in Taiwan.

so I took a chance on this and Raybestos say they will get back to me as regards my question where their product is made.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suspension-Control-Arm-Professional-Grade-Front-Left-Upper-fits-90-00-LS400-/371037566399?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item56638ff5bf

Correct as Taiwan is certainly not China !!

Regards

John

[Titch LS]

If you go the Lexus route for parts you get top quality---but at a heavy price. If you go aftermarket you tend to get a mixed bag, quality wise. Some aftermarket stuff really is up to OEM standard, but most is not. For example, some time back, I ordered 2 X Beck Arnley replacement engine mounts from an independant parts supplier; one mount looked up to the claimed Lexus standard and the other was cheap rubbish which I had to get a refund on. Both were packed in separate Beck Arnley boxes.

[plastic orange]

As has been said earlier, have a look at the thread about UCA's. A new eBay set hanging on my garage wall suffered from disintegrating ball joints covers in around 6 months. They were replacements(which I never fitted) for a previous set which wore out the ball joints in about the same time period. I bought ball joint gaiters from another source and am leaving them in the open to see if they disintegrate too, but they've lasted a year so far without any visible defects. I'll possibly try fitting the UCA's and these ball joint gaiters sometime in future and see how long they last, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

You tend to get what you pay for really.

Pete

[Beejay55]

Thank you for that, I had nothing to compare it to.

I'll search on the forum for advice about their replacement.

They are very easy to replace, I did mine a couple of months ago and the only odd thing is that at one end needed a 13mm spanner and the other end a 14mm spanner.

I got mine from www.cargasstruts.co.uk for £40 inc delivery.

Thank you for this. I was just going to order from SGS, as recommended in one of the posts, but they were £60 a pair. You just saved me £20 :D Thank you !

Are you sure you're not getting bonnet struts and bootlid ones confused?

I am definitely looking for bootlid struts.

SGS ask for the part number, which they say is on a label on the struts. There are labels on mine, they only have Japanese script and no part number.

Does anyone have the part number for a bootlid strut for a LS430, 2004? I have tried looking on some spares parts web sites to see if I could find the part number, but without success.

Thanks

[Beejay55]

sorry mr beejay, I was on about bonnet struts. Good luck with your boot ones.

No problem !

[Malc]

SGS ................. it may be that they haven't done those specific boot struts before of course ....... if that's the case they will remanufacture or rebuild your existing ones bespoke for you and not too expensive I would think.

They were very helpful when I needed new hatchback struts for my 1994 Mazda 323f ....... they had the old ones back and remanufactured me brand new ones ( they had snapped off, age and rust took its toll ) ---- a new strut line for them too

Malc

[Beejay55]

Thanks. I'll give them a call on Monday.

[Beejay55]

I can't imagine my car has been off-roading in its life so 200k is perhaps a bit optimistic as I only have 113k on the clock. I bought Raybestos listed as Professional Grade A but as I say the box is Raybestos but the part looks suspect, especially as it wasn't heat sealed into the box but clear bagged without ID other than numbers. This said, those cheap UCR's advertised on ebay, one says "not a cheap Chinese copy" so I emailed the seller asking where they are made - he said phone me! didn't want to put anything in writing presumeably, but possibly made in Taiwan.

so I took a chance on this and Raybestos say they will get back to me as regards my question where their product is made.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suspension-Control-Arm-Professional-Grade-Front-Left-Upper-fits-90-00-LS400-/371037566399?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item56638ff5bf

Correct as Taiwan is certainly not China !!

Regards

John

Has anybody told the Chinese government that?