Replacing Front Lower Ball Joints 97-05 Lexus GS300/400/430

[@rickpickle]

i just blew out lower ball joint coming out of a parking lot. this video makes it look like a pretty easy fix for an experienced shade tree. i totally feel fortunate i wasn't going at speed, i felt there was something wrong for a few miles before it gave up. cheers mate!

[@AutoFixYT]

Wow that's scary! Glad to hear it happened at low speed, like you said. It is an easy job, yes. Just make sure you get a quality brand of ball joints when replacing them, and of course do both sides if they're both the same age. Usually you don't replace ball joints in pairs, but these cars are known to have these fail. So I'd say replace both.

[@scottsmith3499]

Just did this and unless you're planning to replace the upper joint or do a brake job at the same time it is much less work to leave the upper control arm attached, as it holds the whole assembly and helps keep the ABS cable from being overstretched. Full disassembly would give more access, but it's a lot more work and potential for something else to get broken, IMO. I do appreciate the video, as it was helpful to see the process and consider your way of doing it.

[@AutoFixYT]

Thank you! And yeah, depends on the situation. Sometimes it's worth it sometimes it's not.

[@HussarPlays]

I finally own a ‘00 GS400. I will be rewatching a lot of these.

[@AutoFixYT]

Awesome! Yeah definitely change those ball joints with a quality set if they're origonal! Huge issue on the GSs.

[@anthonylarson9756]

Thank you so much for the video! Replacing the lower ball joints on my LS400 and there isn’t a single quality video explaining how to replace them. Luckily your gs300 tie rods are super similar. Thanks again❤️

[@AutoFixYT]

Yes they are set up almost the same! Glad it helped!

[@dungdoan9830]

Thanks for the videos, I’m driving the gs400

[@AutoFixYT]

Awesome car!

[@alowlife1943]

Doing this as soon as the jonts come in along with my coilovers thank you for the clear vid👍

[@AutoFixYT]

Nice!

[@alandanner7566]

Excellent video. Clear video footage, and excellent verbal description of task. Thank you!

[@AutoFixYT]

Thank you!

[@3301-q3f]

Man, I changed my lbj on my gs400 about 10k miles ago, started squeaking, thought it was my steering rack since lbj were new, changed steering rack still squeaking, changing lbjs again, best video on changing them, thanks

[@AutoFixYT]

Well... at least you have a new rack now...? Haha as a future reference? A steering rack cannot squeak. They make other noises but they don't squeak. But good thing you have it figured out now!

[@3301-q3f]

@@AutoFixYT haha yeah, atleast that's done, but that's what I get for trusting my local shade tree mechanics, let the shop do the rack to save me a hassle, guy didn't even center the rack before hooking it back up, and now I'm faced with a crunching clunking metal noise on turning that was never there before -______- never again lol

[@AutoFixYT]

Oh great... if it doesn't get centered it can overextend on one side and will basically self destruct. It will blow seals, reach mechanical limit on the gear, etc. Not good basically.

[@markjones-jb9rk]

I got the exact same car with like 5 videos u showing how to do it. I appreciate you so much bro, but I rather have you here 🤣🤣 ts difficult

[@AutoFixYT]

Haha thanks! You can do this!

[@davidlinkletter6868]

One of the best videos I've seen. Thanks very much!

[@AutoFixYT]

Awesome! Glad it helped!

[@Cjholloway]

Thanks. Going to do this on my 2003 GS300.

[@AutoFixYT]

Definitely! It's a major problem on these cars so keep them in good working order.

[@davecurry8300]

Thank God here in Australia we don't have to worry about snow & salt. The corrosion to all components is astounding, as to be expected. As a retired mechanic, I couldn't cope with that on my vehicles.

[@AutoFixYT]

You know, you get used to it, and as much as I hate rust, can't really do anything about it so I always try to protect my vehicles as well as I can.

[@killpidone]

Just trade corrosion for huntsman spiders

[@astonmarjo]

Very good straight to the point clean imagine video in full detail for the work being done. Just like a video should be, probably the best out here. Bravo my friend.. Bravo!👏👏👏👏

[@AutoFixYT]

Thank you!

[@tobiasquinn4877]

My gs430 is going great, but today when I went to do this I found out one of the two bolts underside of the knuckle are completely seized. I tried my Milwaukee on it, air impact, map gas/heat , a hammer, nothing will break it loose. Looks like I’m trying again tomorrow👍🏽

[@tobiasquinn4877]

Got it!

[@AutoFixYT]

Happens often. I recommend lot of heat on the knuckle side and a breaker bar. Get that thing toasty, red hot if you need to or even can. Then steady pressure with a breaker bar. Make sure you're turning the right way too lol

[@astonmarjo]

Very detailed information, exactly how it should be. Awesome. 👍😎💯

[@AutoFixYT]

Thank you!

[@thomasbarnes228]

Bro you are the man I watched your engine removal for this car

[@AutoFixYT]

Thanks!

[@pcyunas]

Great video. Well explained and excellent camera work.

[@AutoFixYT]

Thank you!

[@HOTRODRICO]

oh also... I have the gs300 toyota lexus official repair manual... the lower ball joint stud nut torque spec is 119 ft lbs. I set my torque wrench to 120 ft lbs.... great video bro... peace

[@AutoFixYT]

Thank you for this! I corrected my torque value in the description. I appreciate your input!

[@HOTRODRICO]

@@AutoFixYT no problem bro.. we help each other with these gs300s..lol keep making videos on the car when you can they help a lot.. peace bro

[@josecabrera3361]

Good job. Thanks.

[@AutoFixYT]

Thanks! Glad the video was helpful!

[@HOTRODRICO]

just did this... just a tip you don't have to remove the knuckle from the upper control arm... it can hang off to the left side.. just passing it along oh yea lol the lower ball joint on mine was a MOFO to get to pop out had to use a ball joint separator tool from OTC Tools GAVE ME HELL lol

[@AutoFixYT]

Yup, like I said in the vidoe you can do it multiple ways. Whatever works best for you! And yes sometimes they're in there really good haha. Little trick if you don't have a ball joint press or anything to help you out like a pickle fork.... put your floor jack under the stud and jack up on it slightly to put pressure. Then hammer the control arm around where the stud goes through and it will pop right out :)

[@HOTRODRICO]

@@AutoFixYT yea thats a good tip bro never thought of it.. thanks brother

[@nccarguy925]

Very thorough and informative! I have an 01 GS300 that has original front struts which sound like the upper strut mounts are making noise over some of the bumps. Should these ball joints be replaced at the same as the strut assemblies? Has 271k miles. Thanks!

[@AutoFixYT]

If the ball joints have never been replaced in the lifetime of the vehicle then yes. These cars are known to have ball joints that separate and with that mileage they are definitely due. As for the strut noise, that is also a common problem. My car has it too. So yes if possible I would do them all at the same time. Both front lower ball joints and at least both front struts. Consider replacing the rear shocks and springs too since they are likely also worn and old and if you put in new front struts with old rear shocks and springs you will have a weird feeling ride.

[@nccarguy925]

@@AutoFixYT Thanks, I agree with what you said... I only drive this car 70 miles/week, but I know the front end parts need attention. 😉

[@NuriVFX]

Can i drive on it without adding grease? Since there is some in already

[@AutoFixYT]

If it's a greasable ball joint you really should add grease. There is a bare minimum in it from the factory, but not enough to last in my opinion. Always add grease.

[@NuriVFX]

@@AutoFixYT Turns out i just got a bad one from factory! Thank you so much for your response though.

[@joetrujillo6868]

Thanks alot! This video was great. love the gs.

[@AutoFixYT]

Thank you! Glad the video helped!

[@Turshin]

Just awesome 👌 thank you

[@AutoFixYT]

👍🏻

[@petesmith9472]

Excellent.

[@AutoFixYT]

Thanks!

[@v.alexander300]

Did you upgrade to the LS400 big brakes?

[@AutoFixYT]

@v.alexander300 I did not. I never felt the need to. Did plenty of hard driving and these brakes never even faded. So I thought why replace them if they're good. This car never sees a track anyway lol

[@v.alexander300]

@@AutoFixYT okay, I’m planning on doing a suspension tune up . Love the video

[@AutoFixYT]

@@v.alexander300 Nice, hope it all goes well!

[@kamalabbady6778]

Well done

[@AutoFixYT]

Thank you!

[@blanked_out_chin]

What country did your ball joints get made in: Indonesia or Japan? Any updates to how they are holding up?

[@AutoFixYT]

Not sure where they were made. But they're holding up just fine!

[@HOTRODRICO]

they were moog, I believe they are American... Moog is an American company just checked.. peace

[@aros007z]

Yes supplied by moog but made in Japan!

[@AutoFixYT]

Moog is sometimes made abroad, not always made in USA anymore. Moog is not made in Japan.

[@mashedpotato982]

How much does a job like this cost minus the cost of parts?

[@AutoFixYT]

I’m not sure, a couple hundred dollars probably.

[@fengstar1]

Just bought an 05 gs430 and I have a vibration from 60-70mph. Nothing at all before that and seems to go away at higher speeds. Could this be the LBJ? I don't hear any squeaking like in your video. Thanks!

[@AutoFixYT]

Lower ball joints won't cause that. That to me sounds like a wheel balancing issue or a driveshaft balancing issue. Start with tires. If they're good, have them rebalanced at a shop. If they're old and worn or dryrotted, buy new tires and have those balanced. That should solve your issue. Sometimes even if a wheel and tire is balanced perfectly, if the tire itself isn't round it will have a hop to it. Minor enough to not present itself until those speeds, and also minor enough to kind of self balance after a certain speed.

[@fengstar1]

@@AutoFixYT appreciate the detailed reply bro

[@Dutchkurdo]

I hear a ticking when I hit bumps, turn or brake hard. Could that also be the balljoints? or could it be something else

[@AutoFixYT]

It could be the ball joints... or it could be something else lol it could be many things. You will have to do some testing and try examining the situation to see where the noise is coming from. Check the ball joints, upper control arms, tie rods, sway bar links, sway bar bushings, and it's also possible for the struts to make noise but that's a little harder to pinpoint unless you know all other components are good. Hope this helps!

[@oscaryes4513]

My car squeaks when I drive in the rear right side. I’ve changed the control arms,shocks, bushings and frame. Will the ball joints be the reason

[@AutoFixYT]

Check the sway bar links and sway bar bushings. Those can squeak

[@alex-sanddevil5093]

Made it harder then it needed to, you can just un bolt the tie rod & brake caliper after just un bolt the 2 bolt for the lbj. And hammer them off

[@AutoFixYT]

Sure that's another way to do it!

[@OscarSegundo]

Good work! 🙌 Where do you get those sockets at tho? Just got me an impact wrench 🔧

[@AutoFixYT]

Thank you! As ways allmy parts and tools are linked in the description so check there :)

[@andrewgutierrez3009]

What is the purpose of torque specs

[@AutoFixYT]

To make sure the part is secured properly as the manufacturer intended.

[@Kosovar26]

How many miles were on the old ball joints?

[@AutoFixYT]

Well... the ball joints I replaced in this video had about 5000 miles on them. Yes, 5000. The boot failed and let water in. But when I replaced the original ball joints with the ones that failed, the original ones had 160k miles on them. Lesson to learn: do not buy cheap parts lol

[@Kosovar26]

True my 04 is300 has 100k miles and I’m hoping the ball joints last long but when I need to replace them I’m def using oem ones only

[@AutoFixYT]

@@Kosovar26 You can use OEM but if you use a quality aftermarket brand that will work well too. I actually preferred the Moog brand because they're greasable, so I can grease them every oil change. But if you want non serviceable ones OEM is probably the best choice

[@anubis00962]

Hello there, I just your video I really love it, I have a 2001 Lexus GS300 I didn't know that ball join go very bad, but my REAL QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE NAME OF THOSE WHEELS, I really like those, Could you please let me know that information if you don't mind. Thank you for the video I will keep watching your channel for features LEXUS GS300, I really LOVE MY CAR.

[@AutoFixYT]

Thank you! Those wheels are Motegi MR7, they're 16x7 and I think the offset is +42. I run those in the winter with some 205/65/16 winter tires. I actually have the same exact wheels on my Corolla wagon haha In the summer I have 350z wheels that I use with 235/45/18 grippy performance tires.

[@truckersnoop5352]

What kind of impact wrench do you have and what kind of air compressor?

[@AutoFixYT]

I use the Harbor Freight Central Pneumatic 21 Gal air compressor, and the Harbor Freight Earthquake 1/2 inch impact (the $90 one)

[@truckersnoop5352]

@@AutoFixYT okay I can’t seem to get my bolts off so I can remove my ball joint the two on the left and right side which way do you turn them

[@AutoFixYT]

@@truckersnoop5352 Use a breaker bar if you don't have power tools. They can be tight. Turn them counterclockwise if you're looking at them from underneath. Clockwise if you're looking at them from the top of the car

[@truckersnoop5352]

Thanks it finally came off .. can you do a video on the upper control arm I can’t break the bolt to get it off

[@NorfolkBroadsForum]

Lexus appear to state 119ftlbs torque which is 162N-m. I ask as that 162N-m stripped the threads on an aftermarket part. I found another video that states 83ftlbs, all I can guess is OEM Lexus parts maybe as high as 119ftlbs but aftermarket stuff must be considerably lower torque. Very disconcerting as if these ball joints fail, then you are driving a death trap. What Lexus were thinking when they made these is crazy, as all that stands between you being safe and the whole wheel coming off whilst driving is one castle nut....its bonkers.Thanks for very well done video.

[@AutoFixYT]

Well, ball joints are always fastened with a single castle nut on all cars. So that risk applies to any car you see on the road. However... I have not had any issues with the torque values that I provided in the description. If the 119 ft lbs is too high, you should likely use a different part because that one is faulty. It should tighten to that with no issues. As for the two bolts, 83 ft lbs shouod also be no issue. Those are grade 8 bolts, and so should the ball joint be. So again, if you cant tighten the castle nut to at leats 100 ft lbs, the part ia faulty. However, keep in mind that you have a citter pin in there. So theres no way for that nut to back off by itself. That's wht that's there, to lock it on. Hope this helps!

[@NorfolkBroadsForum]

@@AutoFixYT Yes it does and thank you for your reply. However, I must add that in the video you torqued the castle nut to the same torque of 83 ft lbs which is approximately 113 N-m. I actually fitted this today and it's hard to have confidence in a car that can fall apart at anytime due to one single castle nut. I find it hard to understand how a prestigious car manufacturer like Lexus could have designed such a potentially dangerous ball joint configuration.

[@AutoFixYT]

@@NorfolkBroadsForum I actuallu didn't torque it in this video. I dodnt torque anythijf except for the wheel. I just used my air gun and tightened it by feel. I know what my air gun can do so i just went hy that. As for the danger of the castle nut... like I mernioned prevuously? Every car will have at least one ball joint with a castle nut. That's just how they all work. Tie rod ends with the same way. Ball and socket joint with a castle nut. So you could say that the risk of losing your steering is just as high. But either way, that is just how all ball joints are designed. So as long as you install it the right way and grease it if it's greasable, the you're safe. If you don't feel comfortable doing that then you can always bring it to a professional mechanic. But just to reassure you that this is absolutely normal, all cars will have a ball joint design like this. They have to have that in order for the wheel to be able to go up and down as well as turn. Cars, trucks, they all have one or multiple ball joints.

[@Khayal686]

I have a 98 gs400. Started making a terrible squeaking noise about a week ago. Been told its the struts and the steering rack. But reading the comments i now see its probably the lbj's

[@AutoFixYT]

Squeaking when turning is usually ball joints, and usually lower ball joints.

[@seane.9937]

I drive a 01' gs300 which made that squeaking noise. Just replaced the LBJ, tie rod end, and turned rotors. Nice and tight driving plus quiet. Replacing the lbj isn't a horrible job. Took about two hours

[@RedRider2001]

Seems a bit daunting for somebody who has barely done more than change oil and spark plugs But it is doable I suppose.

[@AutoFixYT]

It's easier than you think, you can do it!

[@derrickburns5340]

Awesome job sir. Thank you very much sir.

[@AutoFixYT]

👍

[@brojamessistertrise5289]

Do you have to get an alignment afterwards?

[@AutoFixYT]

Technically, yes. If you don't want to... You'll be fine lol

[@angelopapazotos5520]

What ball joints did you use? Nice vid

[@AutoFixYT]

I used Moog ball joints, bought them from Amazon but rockauto.com also has them

[@tobiasquinn4877]

9:22

[@AutoFixYT]

Lol

[@sha13imran]

I was just watching for fun but my is300 is the same exact way LOL

[@AutoFixYT]

Yes they share a very similar suspension setup.

[@MRMAN-wb1tv]

*PEOPLE THIS DEFINITELY NOT THE WAY TO DO THIS!!! That spring can pop out and cause life ending damage*