runsgrateasanut

Congratulations on your new car. I'd be interested to hear what you do about your front seat experiment. I'm not sure if the seats have changed in any way during the years? Had to repair my own for a common tilt back problem, perhaps later seats didn't inherit.? I find with my Transmission if I start the car from cold and select reverse to get out beyond the drive its fine. If I put it back into Park whilst I padlock the chain across my drive when I get back in, the car does not like going into Reverse, so I now select Neutral to avoid the feeling that its having difficutly engaging. When the transmission is hot this doesn't happen. Don't know if there is a cure? Will drain the Trannie at some point as have the necessary filter on my Study floor.

Impressive as it is, and I suppose it compares to the money, time and effort Mercedes spent creating the W140 series, how do the Japanese square the fact that the seat size is not American butt, but Japanese butt? Headroom also, has been mentioned somewhere else on the forum and is just a tad too low. Not a fan of the front seats. Lovely car and I don't see the argument that it has no soul. Now I've passed the point of no return parts costwise with my key of the door Car, its growing on me daily. So much smoother since I cleaned the throttle body and reset the Acc. position sensor. New tyres also give it a quieter ride.

I had one put in my Austin Ambassador and before it went to the Army for target practise I removed it (fifteen years or more ago) and sold it on ebay for 80 quid earlier this year. I did at one time contemplate putting it into my MR2 and even purchased a nibbler to do the job but lost the courage, and the MR2 had to go. Nice little sunroof with grill to diffuse sunlight or remove panel altogether.

You are right - I assumed that they would be like the front UCA's but having not yet unpacked the tightly wound polythene off the Ball joint I find no nut, and no place for a split pin. At the price paid you would expect to at least be given a new nut FOC. Not so. There is no obvious place to grip the ball joint shaft to tighten or loosen other than gripping the thread beneath the nut. About an inch in old money. Should be fun after so many years exposed to the elements.

Can be frightening reading!

possibly nothing to stop it rotating hence the need for a split pin in the Castle nut. Daresay a socket and bar hit with a sharp hammer blow will free up the nut after extraction of said split pin. Another thought is to chip off the cap on top and maybe there is a Screwdriver slot in the Ball? Makes sense - to me anyway!

I still have nostalgic thoughts about my S Classes from 86-98 though the Lexus is very pleasing. Wonder who will get Brian Sewells SEC 560?

Have you got the ebay link? Bound to relist it.

interesting - are they welded on?

What price have you paid for the UCA / UCA's? (pending the further import taxes) Can't believe that they have gone down in price? That would be a first!

Just don't ask the wife to get the ticket. My dear lady got confused as to the Reg details and when went back to buy another ticket is wouldn't allow it. - Month later Penalty Notice for £72.50 duly arrived and of course the damn receipt for the original ticket and the attempt at correction somehow either left in France or whatever. Managed to plead our way out of paying but I do the buying from now on!!

Plays havok with my knees that one. I've turned it hopefully off, especially now winter is almost upon us!

Why did the song words "moonlight becomes you, it goes with your hair" spring to mind?

As you say not a job most would want to tackle - hence my not having done so, yet. BTW are your rear springs on advisory? My own have been for a few MOT's and so I've bought new springs. Seems sensible for about £50 more to replace the tired old springs if they are originals. Ah, I hear you say, and what about the struts? are they near their life end? If I see some cheap OEM's ever, I'll buy them. Otherwise, I just have to stop shelling out all this cash. ps. Managed to get a single side button keyfob and a replacement expansion tank (mine has ever so slight leak) yesterday (s/h) for £20 - to join the list! Never had a car take up so much of my time. Bless it!

this is the link I was thinking about

If you could send me the link to that vid it'd be great - I can't seem to find it. Thanks again, R Sorry I didn't save it to favourites and I now can't seem to find it myself. It may have been a video replacing the Springs which could be equally useful to you as they go within the UCA's

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your needs. The part you are quoting Colin is a Lateral Control Arm Bush if I check this on Bing. Surely not an Upper Control Arm.

ps to last message - there is a vootube video of the UCA being replaced on a Lexus if you want to see work involved. Yes they do take a few days/week to come back as to stock availability. You pay or you don't get! pay via Royal Mail - advance notice via Post.

The two I purchased from amayana for my year car - a 48770-50010 and a 48790-50010 were priced at £336.29 and were genuine Totoya Motor Company according to the labels. Add the £95.48 for duty. How quickly I can't be sure. I paid by paypal on the 12th February and the Customs duty invoice is dated 23rd February. Daresay if you needed one v urgently and they are the same reference I could part with the one you need at cost price. Need to PM me.

I bought both sides rear UCA's from Amayana and have managed to put out of my mind exactly what the price of each was. I do however see that the addiitonal tax and import duty etc., came to £95.48. The invoice mentions cost 23853 each so if you want to convert Yen to Sterling. My memory tlells me it was more than £133 more likely £230 each. Not had them fitted as not an advisory - yet! Also have two rear springs to replace some time. 2016 expnditure already taken care of.

Would a 91 have the chequered grill as per the 89? Mk1 or Mk2 by 91? OK pehaps later grill fits?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1991-LEXUS-LS400-GREY-/151837473027?hash=item235a37f903

I was being diplomatic. It seemed to coincide with a new member who has provided little or no member info. bombarding the site with youtube clips in their first thread. Welcome of course to all new members, though I don't know that the choice of pseudonym is tasteful, recognising the ridiculous one I somehow on the spur of the moment, chose (and seem to have to live with) could be regarded as equally nauseating.

When I had a download of emails a couple of hours ago, AVG put up a notice that several threats had been quarantined (or something). I think I know to what that may refer - but maybe not? say no more

My understanding is that you have to bed in new discs and brakes gradually. Were you tempted to try extreme stopping as soon as you had fitted them just to test the impact of your hard work? 200 miles before rigorous testing may be adviseable. I'm no expert.