Just Bought - 2000 LX470 I'm Back After a 4Runner (1 Viewer)

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Good news, LX was done today. Added Brake Fluid & Steering Fluid to the ticket, as the bill kept coming down, and it was 2 less things I needed to worry about later.

Flawless dealer experience, truly, and reasonable from start to finish. Left, tracking straight (thanks alignment) and quieter.

As soon as I hit the highway, the "wobble" was back, both in steering wheel and seat, I had felt (randomly, not always) before the work. Assumed maybe time to do a Hunter road force on the week old Kumho's now that bearings are new, alignment is in spec, etc.

Went back. They checked again, and are going to do both that and now order & replace the warped rotors they claim is likely causing a lot of the wobble, even at speed. Back in a loaner, and a few more bits ordered.

1) The LX loves the Lexus dealer, and "I'm going to keep baselining here in the lounge"...clearly.
2) I'm back in a loaner, this time a new RX. LX stays there a bit longer, to track down the vibration.

Could be worse. Productive 2 weeks, for sure.

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Picked up again on Wednesday. Better. Now:

1) Both front rotors replaced by Lexus, and as such, the new bearings they had already installed "had to be re-packed", etc.
2) Service team claimed it was 90-95% smoother now, and indeed, definitely is better and quieter than before.
3) Still shakes, and vibrates in the steering wheel and seat, but to a lesser degree. Tires are 2 weeks old at this point, and 100 miles or so, so next on list is a Road Force check.

Lexus said don't do so yet, but drive it post rotors and see. I did, and the steering wheel/seat shimmy is noticable, but definitely feels tire related at this point. Tire store that did them originally didn't do road force (should have remembered), and it's very needed on these.

Next! But it's back, and it's, great. Seat covers I ordered for the front seat bottoms are great, and the extra padding makes these flat seats more comfortable. Ordered a new leather replacement seat bottom cover and armrest covers too, but no rush to install those.

Shake shake, shimmy shimmy, off to a tire place (or just Lexus again) for road force check soon.

Also...replacement cup holder “arm” arrived. World of difference!

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Can you post a video of how bad when steering wheel shimmy actually is?
 
Can you post a video of how bad when steering wheel shimmy actually is?

Sure. It's odd, as it tends to vary, but almost as it gets warmer, (and tires heat up...possibly), can feel it more. The rest is in check, and now that the suspension, bearings, etc. have been gone over multiple times.

Next time I drive it on the highway, will.
 
I just wonder if you'll start chasing down a bit of a ghost that'll be very challenging to track down without throwing a bunch of more money at the issue. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, just that when suspension parts get slightly bent, they can resonate at certain frequencies. It happened on my E60 M5. I chased down a slight steering wheel wobble forever and never cured it. The suspension pieces were mostly aluminum and super expensive, so after bushings, brakes, wheels, and tires, I just lived with it.
 
I just wonder if you'll start chasing down a bit of a ghost that'll be very challenging to track down without throwing a bunch of more money at the issue. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, just that when suspension parts get slightly bent, they can resonate at certain frequencies. It happened on my E60 M5. I chased down a slight steering wheel wobble forever and never cured it. The suspension pieces were mostly aluminum and super expensive, so after bushings, brakes, wheels, and tires, I just lived with it.

I've driven this truck when it was smooth, such as before on the original antique worn out Michelin tires when I bought it, and no noticeable shakes, then eventually would a bit as things heated up on a longer trip--but gently. Highest suspicion is tires, as they were done just before all this bearing, rotors, etc. work but it's a first trial.

Crisper, stiffer, new tires, vs. 15 year old Michelins, that may not be fully best balanced seem the ticket. Rotors definitely were part of it.

TBD.
 
Ah, so it was smooth before. Understood.
 
Good news, been driving the LX more, and it's great. Jersey shore trip included.

Bad news, baselining can take a while, the more you find. Still running into a bad vibration issue.

Thoughts:
1) When I bought and picked it up, drove on highway, etc. Never much of anything. Older Michelins that were worn, but nothing more than really a light vibration wobble from what seemed like the front passenger corner, and only at some times and some roads.
2) Got new tires, all around. Kumho's. Drove crisper, sharper, and on the way home steadier, but we also verified the front passenger bearing was bad. Made the front vibration a bit more noticeable at times, but never too bad.
3) Lexus did both front bearings. Lexus did new front rotors. Lexus did alignment. With this and new tires...

There's a whole car/cross car vibration, and almost increase in noise/booming sound now. Really noticeable on the highway. My first thought was get the tires road force balanced, as they're new, and tire store did computer balance, but not road force. But the increase in noise/cross car vibration almost seems like something else.

Feel it:
-Low speed, say 20-25 around the streets, you feel a gentle wobble.
-The more you increase speed on the highway, there's a constant vibration in the seat, you hear the back seats moving (at times), and it seems to "roar" as speed increases.
-Steering wheel shake was calmed down a LOT by the new rotors, but you feel this drumming/thrumming shudder through the steering column, the seat, and throughout the car.
-Try to maintain 65-70 and there's an ongoing almost struggle/shudder. Almost makes you think, loose wheels, but isn't the case, and it's at random speeds, and very road sensitive.

Driveshaft/joints maybe? It's not smooth, and gets tiring at highway speeds. Runs like butter, tires are new, wheels are new, front bearings are new, but...onto the next hmm.
 
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Still shakes. Of course, took it back to Lexus and it smooths out today. Steering column still shakes, seat shakes, etc.

Can't find anyhing, and "all is tight". Let's hope it stays as it did today, and I'll get it checked further. The growling grinding vibration that comes and goes makes it tiring to drive, but alas.
 
Fresh updates, and weekend projects completed.

1) New passenger corner light installed (was broken) and headlight combo JB welded back together, the back was cracked we found, hence why it didn't line up.

2) Already had a Pioneer double din installed (thank YOU to whomever did this before, and sorted out the post Nakamichi custom wiring), made much simpler by the custom wiring already laid out. Now, screen, CarPlay and better sound.

3) Removed one of the front power outlets, and replaced with a USB hub going to the new head unit. Great. Only issue is now I get a hiss sound when using USB/CarPlay, but looking into it with Crutchfield soon.

3) AutoVox backup camera from Amazon installed. Great. Huge difference, to finally be able to see behind. Thanks to everyone who posted videos online, with LC100's on doing this, and a thin gauge wire from AutoVox.

Great upgrades. Truck still has a vibration, and wobble, but keep driving, and have a road force balance appointment set this week.

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This sounds like a driveshaft, CV shaft, or spindle bearing noise. The spindle bearings are rarely greased unless at a specialty shop. Dealerships forget all the time. That being said you can try some other stuff too.

Is the vibe all the time at certain speeds, only when braking? Is it more pronounced when cornering, accelerating, etc?

1. Mark tires with a paint pen 1-5 and then rotate tires to the rear and drive it. If vibe doesn't change then:

2. Pull rear driveshaft and lock CDL. If vibe doesn't change then:

3. Rear back in, remove front. If vibe doesn't change then:

4. Making your own grease too costs under 5 bucks and you can pump grease into the spindle bearings. A bunch of grease will temporarily deaden noise and change a vibe, but if they are bad they are bad.

5. Get a local LC club member to do a wheel/tire swap with you to test yours. May have a bad wheel (rare).
 
Good ideas.

I noticed last night on the 2.5 hour drive on various highways, certain roads would make it worse, while others almost it vanished. 65 mph is worst, but then yes, times when its worse, you’ll also feel gritty resonance (as if from the front end) in the steering column off center.

Never happens braking. It’s a constant ongoing, unless just the right stretch of road and speed, that’s always there either coasting, cruising or on power. Half the time, extra noise too. It’s variable.
 
Good ideas.

I noticed last night on the 2.5 hour drive on various highways, certain roads would make it worse, while others almost it vanished. 65 mph is worst, but then yes, times when its worse, you’ll also feel gritty resonance (as if from the front end) in the steering column off center.

Never happens braking. It’s a constant ongoing, unless just the right stretch of road and speed, that’s always there either coasting, cruising or on power. Half the time, extra noise too. It’s variable.

Lift the front end up and spin the wheels, if you have a mechanical stethoscope, pull your wheel center cap and listen directly against the grease cap.

This sounds like you might have a failing spindle bearing, from the varying/intermittent noise, constant vibe, etc.

Driveshafts and CVS are pretty predictable noise/vibration makers.
 
Fantastic rig. Keep it away from the eastern salt this winter.
 
Lift the front end up and spin the wheels, if you have a mechanical stethoscope, pull your wheel center cap and listen directly against the grease cap.

This sounds like you might have a failing spindle bearing, from the varying/intermittent noise, constant vibe, etc.

Driveshafts and CVS are pretty predictable noise/vibration makers.

Also, good to know. The main Lexus dealer that's done the work, did the bearings, and then repacked them again (when they decided it needed rotors after too), said nothing is amiss, and has had it on a lift several times. I do not have the space or capability to do so myself, but am taking it to a different Lexus dealer tomorrow.

Tires to check. Driveshaft to check, and spindle bearings. Hopefully they'll agree.
 
One other thing to check, and this surprised me when it happened to my 100: check your shocks, and the shock bushings.

I had a vibration that I couldn't track down. It would come and go, certain speeds made it worse, certain roads made it worse. My rear shocks has failed, as well as the bushings. The rear springs were resonating, and had no dampening from the shocks. The vibration then made its way through the truck. I replaced the shocks (all the way around), and it now rides like a brand new vehicle. I removed the AHC from my 100 years ago, so you have a different best to deal with, but I'd definitely look at them to rule it out. Good luck man.
 
One other thing to check, and this surprised me when it happened to my 100: check your shocks, and the shock bushings.

I had a vibration that I couldn't track down. It would come and go, certain speeds made it worse, certain roads made it worse. My rear shocks has failed, as well as the bushings. The rear springs were resonating, and had no dampening from the shocks. The vibration then made its way through the truck. I replaced the shocks (all the way around), and it now rides like a brand new vehicle. I removed the AHC from my 100 years ago, so you have a different best to deal with, but I'd definitely look at them to rule it out. Good luck man.
Good to know! I actually since buying the LX in July in PA, moved across the country and drove the LX in 2 days to my new place in Denver, CO.

Learned a lot driving it that far, and yes, it still shakes. Ha. Starting a fresh thread with current "what should I do" and hoping the dealer here in Denver is as good or better than what I was used to in Delaware.

I've had SOOO much maintenance done since buying it, and am almost over 5,000 miles added. Crossed 199,300 the other day (bought it with 194k). More to go.
 

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