Hello friends,
I'm having a problem with my rig.
2004 Lexus LX 470, 141k miles, 33" tires, otherwise stock.
-Timing belt changed 2 months ago. Muffler was leaking and replaced 1 month ago. The engine seems to be running well after muffler replacement - getting good MPG, about 14-15 according to screen, from mix of highway and city.
Problems:
-Hard bump when in 4th or 5th gear when rolling hard onto the accelerator, such as when I encounter a hill. This happens within gear, not when shifting. Worse when loaded. Throttle is otherwise smooth and responsive, and gears are shifting smoothly. Transmission fluid changed about 10-15k miles ago.
-Washboard vibration: something feels loose under the truck. I feel it through the steering wheel and seat. It's subtle but constant. The feeling of looseness/sloppiness grows worse as the drive continues. Then, occasionally and seemingly randomly, between 30-40 mph, there is a strong washboard like vibration that can be felt through the wheel, pedal, and seat. Sometimes it feels like it's from the front, sometimes from the middle. It's hard to tell. The vibration stops immediately if I roll off the gas. I feel like that is a big clue. I've had a chief marine engineer and my mechanic both ride along, and both were baffled by what it could be. The general instability-feeling grows the longer I drive it. Today after a 30 minute drive around the valley at ~40mph, there was the eerie feeling that something could drop out of the bottom at any moment. It seems like something is loose all the time, then gets into a resonance vibration, shaking the car, and stops immediately coming off the throttle (even just slowly rolling off).
My mechanic is very familiar with toyota trucks, but much less so with landcruisers. We've both looked at it under a lift in his shop, and inspected the driveline. The CV axle coverings have long been shot. The steering rack and pinion is rough looking, too; leaking everywhere. The UJs felt solid by hand. Plan is to replace CVs, tie rods, rack and pinion, pack bearings, and flush suspension.
I have a video, but it doesn't pick up the vibration and noise well. You can hear it at 6s and 1:11 in the video if you turn up the sound.
Does anyone have any thoughts or experience something similar? I guess i'm at the "throw parts" at it stage
Cheers and thanks!
I'm having a problem with my rig.
2004 Lexus LX 470, 141k miles, 33" tires, otherwise stock.
-Timing belt changed 2 months ago. Muffler was leaking and replaced 1 month ago. The engine seems to be running well after muffler replacement - getting good MPG, about 14-15 according to screen, from mix of highway and city.
Problems:
-Hard bump when in 4th or 5th gear when rolling hard onto the accelerator, such as when I encounter a hill. This happens within gear, not when shifting. Worse when loaded. Throttle is otherwise smooth and responsive, and gears are shifting smoothly. Transmission fluid changed about 10-15k miles ago.
-Washboard vibration: something feels loose under the truck. I feel it through the steering wheel and seat. It's subtle but constant. The feeling of looseness/sloppiness grows worse as the drive continues. Then, occasionally and seemingly randomly, between 30-40 mph, there is a strong washboard like vibration that can be felt through the wheel, pedal, and seat. Sometimes it feels like it's from the front, sometimes from the middle. It's hard to tell. The vibration stops immediately if I roll off the gas. I feel like that is a big clue. I've had a chief marine engineer and my mechanic both ride along, and both were baffled by what it could be. The general instability-feeling grows the longer I drive it. Today after a 30 minute drive around the valley at ~40mph, there was the eerie feeling that something could drop out of the bottom at any moment. It seems like something is loose all the time, then gets into a resonance vibration, shaking the car, and stops immediately coming off the throttle (even just slowly rolling off).
My mechanic is very familiar with toyota trucks, but much less so with landcruisers. We've both looked at it under a lift in his shop, and inspected the driveline. The CV axle coverings have long been shot. The steering rack and pinion is rough looking, too; leaking everywhere. The UJs felt solid by hand. Plan is to replace CVs, tie rods, rack and pinion, pack bearings, and flush suspension.
I have a video, but it doesn't pick up the vibration and noise well. You can hear it at 6s and 1:11 in the video if you turn up the sound.
Does anyone have any thoughts or experience something similar? I guess i'm at the "throw parts" at it stage
Cheers and thanks!
