Razor61

Yes, very satisfying in the end. I did all the suspension because I had most of the new suspension bits already. Spent a few hundred quid on the bits I didn’t have and splashed out on new shocks. If I didn’t have most of the bits already then I wouldn’t have done it all, the car drove well anyway despite worn bushes. Suspension noises were present but only really apparent over speed bumps and potholes. The cost of the stuff at UK prices would make it uneconomical to do, I wouldn’t have done it all at UK prices. Amayama is available for OEM bits at reasonable cost and I also had most of the suspension stuff already, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought another LS400, that’s for sure.

Rear strut bars/rods done as well now………………..on Thursday I tried the passenger side strut bar/rod but couldn’t get the body side bolt out and was seized so plan was to grind through the bolt but I didn’t have new bolts so left it. After I’d finished the other stuff this morning I tried the strut bar in the drivers side, came off no problem. Took the body side bolt to a local iron mongers and bought 2 new bolts, washers and nylock nuts to do the job. Back home and fitted the strut bar on the drivers side with a new bolt etc, all good. I now have a new bolt for the passenger side. Jacked up the passenger side all prepared to grind through the problem bolt and fit a new bolt. To my great surprise the problem bolt now turns in the bush and wasn’t seized so removed the nut which took a lot of effort, rusted and cross threaded and I had to use a long breaker bar and a couple of spanner’s for greater leverage. Got the nut off but man it was painful………not had to do that in a long time. The bolt took a bit of persuasion to get out with WD40, a pry bar and working it out. Why the bolt was free who knows, I don’t care why. Both strut rods done as well now and I am absolutely over the moon😀 So now all rear suspension arms, strut rods, drop links and anti roll bar bushes have been replaced. I wasn’t happy about getting the alignment done without new strut bars fitted but I would have had to get it done after replacing just the suspension arms. I managed to snap one of the bolts for the arb bush brackets so had to drill it out and tap it. Took half an hour or so but good as new now. There are a couple of snapped bolts that hold the undertray on, I didn’t snap them, so will do the same with those tomorrow afternoon. If anyone needs to do the same and doesn’t know how to do it, drop me a pm and I’ll explain. Good mains drill, cobalt drill bit set in 0.5 increments, a tap and die set, a helping of patience and the knowledge of how to do it is needed. And a new bolts of course. Overall I’m well pleased, next weekend………………new shocks and top mounts is the plan.

I believe it is a hunter system, Lexus Bolton will be doing it and I’m pretty sure I saw Hunter on the wheel sensor things and on the display. All the bushes were knackered on the suspension arms, 3 camber bolts seized. On at lease one of the arms the rubber bush was detached from the arm so it just turned inside the arm, probably caused by trying to adjust the camber and the rubber sheared. I can see straight away that the rear wheels are better, the camber was out before (looked like a Triumph Herald😀 but not as bad) and now the wheels are near upright. Just a bit of camber but way way better than before. Turned out a bigger job than expected, seized camber bolts were the problem. Everything else was no problem really. Next is the rear strut rods, I would have done them at the same time but I need to cut through at least one bolt and I don’t have new bolts so will need to order some. I didn’t expect the bolts to be seized, camber bolts yes but not these.

Started very early assembling as much as I can before using the grinder, couldn’t use it at 6am. 8 o’clock ground through the last camber bolt, fitted new arm, drop link and camber bolts etc, jacked up the hub and tightened camber bolts. Later on I’ll get it on the ramps, recheck camber bolts and torque them up. All ready for alignment next week.

Cheers, the drivers side was more difficult but with the right tools, a grinder and thinking about how to tackle the job it’s a breeze🤣

On it again today, finished work early and started on the drivers side. Drop link needed the grinder treatment to remove, tried once with spanner and Allen key but no chance of removing. Both camber bolts seized and also needed the grinder, there was no chance of adjusting the arms for the alignment. Unless they were spot on to start with but I very much doubt it. One of the camber bolts I cut through one side and the bolt was hammered out ok. The other needs to be cut through both sides, done one side but getting at the other side is an issue cos the arm is in the way. I have new suspension arms so I cut through the arm as close as possible to the bush which just left the bush end. The arm is hollow for weight saving I presume, didn’t know this. Plenty of room now to get the 9inch grinder in and cut through. Job for tomorrow first thing though and when that’s done it’s time for fitting the new arms and drop link. Should be done by lunch weather permitting. If all goes to plan I’ll have a look at doing the shocks as well.

Started the job after work today, jacked up the passenger side rear, tried to remove the rear strut bar- body side bolt…….no chance and the bolt needs cutting through with a grinder. The bush is knackered so that will be done another time, maybe over the weekend. On to the lower suspension arms after making ‘match marks’ on the camber adjustment washers with a permanent white paint pen so I could put them back as they were. Won't be spot on at all but will be good enough until aligned correctly. Starting with the ‘Problem’ arm, number 1 on the parts diagram, I had to cut through the camber bolt with the grinder on one side then I could knock out the bolt and remove the arm. The mounting bracket for this on the rear subframe needed some work, the metal profile, which the camber adjustment relies on for adjustment, was a bit bent out of shape. Bit of work with a big adjustable spanner put it right. I knew this needed to be done after looking underneath when Lexus Bolton tried to do the alignment. They couldn’t do it because turning the camber bolt didn’t move the suspension arm, issue was 3 fold…….1 the camber bolt was seized, 2 the bush was knackered and 3 the mounting bracket profile was out of wack a bit. Main issues were the seized camber bolt and knackered bush. New Number 1 suspension arm fitted along with new camber bolt, nut and a helping of copper grease. Torqued up the ball joint at the hub end, new nylock nut fitted of course. On to suspension arm number 2, this has the drop link attached so I disconnected the drop link from the anti roll bar first. Not much of an issue with an allen key and a spanner, took a while though. Removed arm #2 no problem, fitted new arm, fitted new drop link with new nuts. Torqued up the drop link nuts, nipped up both camber bolts for arms 1 and 2 and hub end bolt for arm 2. Tidy up all tools, put wheel back on, torque up wheel nuts and lower the car onto the ground. Reversed onto ramps, adjusted camber bolts on arms 1 and 2 to align with the ‘match marks’ and torqued up, torqued arm 2 bolt at hub end. Checked all nuts and bolts again to make sure and drove forward off the ramps. Passenger side done now, apart from strut bar, so after work tomorrow I’ll do the drivers side and attempt the strut bar. Should be straightforward for arms 1 and 2. Not doing the UCA’s but I may tackle the shocks and mounts over the weekend then get the alignment done early next week.

Just had the car on the ramps at the rear to have a good look at the arms and what needs to done and figure out how to do it. I planned to put the car on the ramps and jack up one side so the wheel is free which will give me plenty of room underneath, work on that side and repeat on the other side. After getting the trolley jack under, it isn’t really possible to do that and be sure it’s safe. Ideally I would like to jack the whole rear end up and work on both sides but due to the way my drive is I wouldn’t feel safe doing it. I’ll need to do it the normal way and jack up one side at once, much safer for me. I am going to do all the suspension arms and then planned to maybe do the shocks and UCA’s but after looking where the ball joint is fixed on the UCA’s I’m definitely not doing the UCA’s at the moment. From what I can see the drive shaft needs to be removed or the whole rear hub assembly removed which means disconnecting the drive shaft anyway to get to the ball joint nut. Maybe someone can tell me different though. If I am right, when I decide to do the shocks and UCA’s, I may as well fit the new hub assemblies and bearings as well. That will mean removing the ABS sensors, although they are plastic they can be a pain to remove and the bottom part of the plastic sleeve which goes into the hub can break in. New ABS sensors are not cheap at all…….

Mmmmh, not familiar with the LS460 but I had an issue with the electrics and ECU’s on my 1998 LS400. I did something while driving which confused the electronics, central locking didn’t work, most of the windows wouldn’t work, steering adjustment didn’t work plus other bits. Disconnecting the battery for 5 mins and connecting again reset everything and all was good after. It will have reset the numerous body ECU’s that were confused by what I did. Maybe installing the Grom thing has had a similar effect and disconnecting the battery for a while and reconnecting will sort it, if not already done and if it’s ok to do this on an LS460 without causing any issues.

Thanks, it's also a 'I won't be beaten and will get it done' attitude😂 no matter what!

Alignment didn’t happen this morning, rear suspension needs to be rebuilt first due to issues with the rear camber bolts. One isn’t moving the arm so I think the bolt is seized and probably the bush is knackered as well. I had a good look at it all earlier and was going to start it but decided against it. So on Friday after I finish work I’ll get cracking on it and hopefully get it done over the weekend. If it goes into the next week it won’t be an issue and I’ll carry on after work that week. I plan to only do the lower suspension arms but I’ll see how it goes and maybe do the shocks and UCA’s.

Cheers, the trans mount cured a slight wobble I felt through the drivers seat when sat at the lights in neutral. It wasn’t bad just annoying. Is it smoother overall………difficult to decide because I replaced so much at once. But it is smoother I think and no noises that shouldn’t be there from the front end anymore I had a slight shake on the steering wheel around 65/70mph, thought it was wheel/s out of balance but that seems to have gone now. Read somewhere that the front UCA’s can cause this. The steering rack bushes look perfectly ok on mine as well, I was just going to change them cos I have them. If I have to unmount the steering rack and drop the subframe to fit the engine mounts then I’m not in a hurry to do them. I hadn’t looked at it but I thought the engine mounts can be removed by unbolting the top brackets from the engine while taking the weight of the engine underneath, looks like that’s not the case. I got the engine mounts because of the slight wobble through the drivers seat mentioned above but the trans mount cured it so no panic to do them. New track rod ends being fitted tomorrow then wheel alignment so will drive better, it’s a bit jiggly at the moment. New thermostat will be fitted tomorrow - next week or so the aircon leak on the sight glass will be fixed, new drier fitted and the re gassed - rear suspension rebuild will be done soon, all the new arms etc have have 2 coats of Por-15 ( they look beautiful and shiny in gloss black, be a shame to fit them to the car and get dirty) There are a few other bits and pieces to be done and new parts to be fitted, I can’t remember what they are at the moment😀

Air Recirculating System A function that monitors both exterior and interior air quality, automatically switching to recirculated air if exterior pollution was sensed and opening the vents if cabin humidity exceeded a predetermined level.

This should help a bit https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/83898-lexus-ls400-buying-guide/ As for what year to buy, it depends on what your criteria is. Some have the opinion that the last incarnation 97-2000 MK4 model is the best one to buy and probably true from a development point of view. Based on how they look, I think the 94-97 is the best looking but other people will disagree. Can't comment on LPG conversion but I'm sure members on here have LPG converted LS400's and will be able to give you more info. An exhaust cutout which I can open and close with a switch (for the V8 sounds)................no comment😉 each one to his own I suppose. These are the version and years of manufacture as far as I know but I stand to be corrected. The UCF10 series 1 1989-1992 is commonly known as a Mk1 The UCF10 series 1a 1992-1994 is commonly known as a Mk2 The UCF20 series 2 1994-1997 is commonly known as a Mk3 The UCF20 series 2a 1997-2000 is commonly known as a Mk4 They are old cars now and finding a good LS400 isn't easy, rust is the biggest issue in my opinion and they can rust in different areas depending on the year/series it is. I've had a 1995 mk3 and I now have a 1998 mk4, you can search my posts/topics to find out what issues I had to sort, work I have done and what to look out for when looking at a potential car based on my experience. Buying on condition sometimes means there are mechanical issues to sort, buying on mechanical condition sometimes means there is body/condition issues. Of course ideally you want a car that is in good condition, mechanically sound and has been maintained well, this will cost and in the current climate will probably costa lotta (if you can find one for sale)

The only significant things I know of that are on the last of the LS400s 1998-2000 gen IV and not on previous models are the 'Automatic Light Control System', SatNav/Voice Navigation System of course and electric folder mirrors on the very last LS400's produced.

Just one piece of information to mention is the torque settings for the camber bolts. Front Strut Bar camber bolts - 181nm Lower Suspension Arm camber bolts - 251nm I have 2 x torque wrenches, smaller range up to 25nm and a medium range (can't remember the range but it doesn't go up to 180nm never mind 251nm) I had to buy a bigger torque wrench for the camber bolts, 'TengTools 1292AG-E4 1/2" Drive Torque Wrench 350Nm' and it's a beast.................

Front suspension rebuild complete and rear engine/transmission mount replaced, details posted in the 'Brakes and Suspension' sub forum. Rear suspension rebuild still to be done after painting all the bits ready to fit. I should be able to that in a weekend I think/hope - maybe the next Bank Holiday weekend. Hopefully the camber bolts aren't seized, if they are seized it will be out with the big grinder.......... Latest small issue is the LCD outside temp gauge is ready very high, I think it started on a very warm day and didn't go back. Yesterday it read 35 degrees and today it's 37 degrees...........definitely not correct😂 I checked the ambient temp sensor and it wasn't open circuit, I think the manual has the resistance readings to check accuracy but I've ordered a new sensor. Hopefully that will cure it. Aircon repair hasn't been done yet as I'm replacing the accumulator drier. OEM drier approx £60 with August delivery so it will be an NRF part which I've ordered for £15. New engine mounts to fit at some point if needed - steering rack bushes look a pain to fit so will leave that for a while - new thermostat and gasket to fit

You have a good memory👍 The reg looked familiar but couldn’t remember why. iirc thousands were spent on rebuilding the suspension.

Absolutely, my Dad's 2004 Mercedes C230K auto is a case in point. A few years ago I drove the car back from Liverpool to where I live in Lancashire. While stopped at traffic lights in 'Drive' I took my foot off the brake and then back on again, there was a loud clunk like the front calipers were loose or something. I did this a few times to make sure I wasn't imagining it. When we got back to my house I jacked the car up, removed the wheels to have a look. One of the bottom ball joints was knackered and using a pry bar you could see the movement and it was quite a lot. I said "Dad, this ball joint is totally knackered!!" to which my Dad replied "that's funny it was only MOT'd last week" The ball joint was so bad it should have failed the MOT in my opinion, I think his local garage cuts him a bit of slack and isn't too picky but it shouldn't really be done.

Done a fair few miles since the rebuild and it drives much better, a bitter jiggly and wanders a little bit because the alignment needs doing. Car is booked into Lexus Bolton for Saturday to get the alignment done so should be spot on after. As said previously some of the bits I replaced looked in good shape but others were knackered. I can't say what in particular was causing the noises over speed bumps and potholes etc because I replaced everything (bottom ball joints I did a month or so ago). However, I would guess that the shocks, strut bushes and maybe the UCA's were the main things that were causing it all. I suspect for my car at 90k miles, replacing the shocks, front strut bar bushes, drop links and arb bushes would have gone a long way to sorting it all out or sorted everything. For the old shocks - on one of them when you pushed the push rod right in, it just stayed there and didn't move back much at all so that was knackered. On the other, the push rod did come out very slowly but not as it should so that wasn't good. Front strut bar bushes - they were split all the way round and putting a bar in the centre and flexing the bush showed how bad they were. Drop links - just cut them off so they could have been worn or not. Didn't feel knackered to be honest. UCA's - bushes looked ok, difficult to tell if there was any play in the ball joint, I couldn't feel any so I would guess they are are just fine. Lower arms - bushes looked ok to me after couldn't see any cracking in the rubber when flexing them with a bar. Rest of the arm was sound as you would expect. Springs - looked good with very little rust so didn't paint them. I had to use 4 x spring compressors to compress them enough to get the top nut on. New isolators didn't help because the rubber wasn't compressed but managed it and lined them up ok. Applying some fairy liquid to the top/bottom of the isolators helped when moving/twisting them to align one of the top mounting bolts with the bottom shock mount correctly. Top mounts - looked fine to me. On another very slight issue I had, when sat at traffic lights in neutral I could detect some jiggling/vibration coming through the bottom of the seat. Very minor but it was there nonetheless, after replacing the rear engine/transmission mount it seems to have gone now. I only replaced the mount because I had a new one. Comparing the old mount to the new mount showed the old mount had compressed by 10mm. Maybe that was enough to cause the vibration I felt.

Had a good look at it and it does look a tricky job, I would say a proper PITA job without the car being on a ramp. Even on a ramp it won’t be easy. I replaced the rear engine mount/transmission mount, it wasn’t as easy as I thought but it’s done now.

I think you are doing the right thing, once the rot wreaks havoc at the rear end the cost of repairing can’t normally be justified. The MK3 tends to rust in areas you don’t notice when washing the car, like any car the lips can rust though. On the MK4 the bubbling in the area I mentioned is normally caused by a hole (normally about the size of a 50p piece if caught early) further up the inner arch next to where it joins the rear wing. Water gets in and runs down the arch and causes corrosion at the bottom and rusts through in the area I mentioned.

You are 100% correct……….from my experience looking at quite a few LS400’s the area that can be affected varies depending on whether it’s a MK3 or MK4. Mk3 can be checked around the rear inner arch where it meets the exterior bodywork and in the boot areas under the flaps on the lh and rh sides. Bottom of the rear arches are the main areas of concern. MK4 seems to rust in a different way, the best way to check is to remove the side trims in the boot and the tool box assembly then look down the side and check the condition of the inner wings/arches. However, if there are already rust bubbles on the outside of the rear wing where the rear wing meets the bumper at the boot end, it’s probably too late and there are already holes in the rear wing/arches. Checking things as said above will confirm it. I suspect there are a lot of LS400 owners with this issue or the start of this issue and don’t know it.

Cheers, yes I will be doing the rear as well and have all the bits. When this will happen I don’t know, I could probably do it all by Sunday but my body wouldn’t cope with it after doing the front - everything aches at the moment, especially my back……. I’m doing the steering rack bushes while all the under trays are off, I’ll have a good look first though and see what the situation is. My body will cope with this I think🙃

Rebuild complete, been for a test drive and it drives like I imagined a new LS400 should drive. It’s been a hard slog for 3 days (had Sunday off) but worth all the effort to go over a speed bump and the annoying noises have gone……… I had all good intentions of taking pictures at various stages but it never happened. Some bits I replaced didn’t need replacing and were 100% ok from what I could see with no sign of wear at all, other bits did need replacing. Lower controls arms - looked perfectly good to me with no sign of cracking in the bushes. Strut bushes - knackered and split - I’ll be refurbing the strut arms I removed and fitting new OEM bushes to either keep or flog. Shock absorbers - 1 was reasonable - the other was knackered Top mounts - looked perfectly good to me Isolators - perfectly good apart from a small split in one of them ( I may have done this with the spring compressors) Bump stops - like new UCA’s - not sure about these - bushes looked ok to me - ball joints didn’t have any obvious play Drop links - probably knackered but definitely were knackered after I cut through the shaft on them with the grinder. Only way to get going with dismantling it all without spending hours trying to remove them properly. Next few days I’ll be replacing the rear engine mount and the steering rack bushes then fitting all the under-trays and covers.