BillNick132 Posted June 3, 2020 Report Share Posted June 3, 2020 Hi all, I am a big fan of WIM and Tony's work having had the geometry setup on 3 of the cars I have owned over the years...being the perfectionist that i am, I have a niggling issue on my Lexus which I wanted to share with the experts to figure out where to go next. Here is my story: Bought my 2008 Lexus IS250 a few years ago. On the drive home I noticed a pull to the left and took it for front wheel alignment locally a couple of days later. Setup up perfectly but no cure. So I took it to WIM. Whoever was working at the time advised me that my front camber was out....which was odd because my car is not front camber adjustable. This probably means something is bent... I was advised to fit aftermarket camber adjusters to get the camber correct and avoid spending lots on replacement parts. In the meantime, I had some new 18" OEM wheels fitted and put hankooks on all around. Noticed straight away a humming noise when driving at speed 80-90mph (on private roads of course). With the Hankooks still fitted i went to WIM and they fitted my camber adjusters and performed a "perfect" setup. Now the drive home was a lot better, but still a faint pull to the left, as well as the humming at speed. Some miles and months later (today) at a local garage I had fitted new Michelin PS4s to the front 2 wheels and had the tracking done at the same time for good measure. The michelins instantly feel lovely....much better tyres, over the moon. However on a test drive tonight on the motorway, I still get the humm at speed although not as loud and I know it sounds weird but vs the hankooks it sounds like only one side....the left. And yes, still have a slight drift to the left on a dead flat road. My car has ALWAYS felt like it loves to go left, but fights against going right. I feel a resistance turning right, but very easy and compliantly turns left. Steering wheel always slight off to the left too even after the 2 visits to WIM. I was hoping someone could tell me what to focus on in terms of suspension parts as it is clear after so many adjustments and checks both at WIM and not that a component(s) is not straight. But what do I start with? And what could be causing the humm? I previously put it down to the tread pattern on the Hankooks. Anyone heard of this before? I have not swapped out the hankooks on the rear so I guess I should rule that out first....? I should also add the none of my suspension parts have come with advisories on the last 4 MOTs. Help and expertise is gratefully appreciated in advance and hopefully the master Tony will get a chance to chip in also. Thanks Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 4, 2020 Report Share Posted June 4, 2020 Hi Bill It reads horrible.... We have to work in many areas between tyre wear, handling and preservation. Harmonics is literally a contact point due to repetition of the rotation contact patch. If the tyre tread doesn't offer an inconsistent contact patch then the tyre will generate harmonics, obviously this is out of our control needless to say you can get am impartial opinion from this site .https://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillNick132 Posted June 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2020 Hi Tony, If I have read your response correctly, are you advising me to change the Hankooks on the rear for something offering good reviews? Is it possible for an issue on the car to cause harmonics no matter which tyre I put on? That is what I am trying to rule out... Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted June 5, 2020 Report Share Posted June 5, 2020 "My car has ALWAYS felt like it loves to go left, but fights against going right. I feel a resistance turning right, but very easy and compliantly turns left. Steering wheel always slight off to the left too even after the 2 visits to WIM" I think this section would worry me most , rather than chasing down the harmonics I'd be investigating this issue first , this indicates to me that something is worn or damaged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillNick132 Posted June 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2020 Yeh me too....I am sure that since I have owned the car at least one of the suspension components on that corner is not quite true. But the only test would be to replace one by one. Following an impact with the curb, what is the most likely part to bend or take the impact after the alloy itself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted June 5, 2020 Report Share Posted June 5, 2020 There are plenty of ways to test without firing a parts cannon and replacing everything First off I would be jacking the front end up, removing the wheels and giving it a thorough inspection , get a tape measure out and start comparing side to side. After that you will need to isolate parts and see if it makes a difference ie pop the track rod ends out and see if that feels different going lock to lock As to whats likely to bend , well anything that's connected to the wheel really. I'm not familiar with the IS250 but if it has struts , a steering feel like that can often occur if the top mounts are worn , you would need to drop the strut to check. Of course the steering rack/arms could even be bent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillNick132 Posted June 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2020 I might inspect the strut mounts you know, I get a tapping of metal on metal when I go over a succession of bumps in the road.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 6, 2020 Report Share Posted June 6, 2020 In the event the suspension is in question the only damage would be the upper flector bearing.. The bearing allows a pivotal force and it's really odd one to diagnose? The bearings obviously allows a smooth rotation but it has a very small rail to work within so a very small displacement opens loads of "if, but and maybe" I feel we need to measure the chassis again at our expense because our policy is we don't have problems, we have solutions!. . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillNick132 Posted August 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2020 Hi Tony, So sorry for not responding sooner. I haven't driven the car much and thought I would wait until I had completely swapped out the Hankooks for Michelin's - which I now have. I took a 2hr round trip to my dads this weekend and the car has def fallen out of alignment since I had the tracking done with the fitting of the front tyres. Or maybe you correctly argue it has never truly been 100% aligned.... The loose rattling noise on the NSF is getting worse so I need to get it looked at. Cant find anything loose myself jacking it up on the driveway. Can I still take you up on your offer of another chassis inspection? I expect one or more component to have failed or be damaged, it's just having the expertise to find it, replace it and hopefully get a perfect setup once and for all. As I live in Kent, Id like to come for an inspection and diagnosis on the first occasion, and then take time to source the parts required and return for fitting and final setup if that is ok? Of course I expect to pay for all work over and above the initial inspection/diagnosis. Thanks as always for your input. Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 3, 2020 Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 Did the handling change at all when the tyres fitted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillNick132 Posted August 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 No. Although the car feels more 'planted' and it's quieter on the road, the handling still has the same symptom of steering wheel slightly off to the left as well as the car drifting to that side....Very apparent at motorway speeds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 3, 2020 Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 Well we need to find that noise in case the defect is responsible for the handling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillNick132 Posted August 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 I agree. Fingers crossed the noise is the cause of the handling also..... After speaking to a fellow IS250 owner, he suggested a new pair of anti roll bar drop links as these are the cheapest fix and easy to fit myself..... I assume an adjustment will be needed after fitting these? Should I book in for another inspection with you guys after fitting these or would you rather inspect it 'as is'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 3, 2020 Report Share Posted August 3, 2020 Drop links often knock so it would be cheaper for you to fit them and then book in with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillNick132 Posted August 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2020 UPDATE: I found that the rattling noise was loose slider pins on the caliper - a very easy and cheap fix. So can conclude that the rattle is not causing the alignment issues. I'll get booked in for another check soon as I can.... Thanks Tony Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
is2man Posted October 29, 2022 Report Share Posted October 29, 2022 Billy, did you get the problem sorted? I'm having a nightmare with very similar symptoms to yours and several different mechanics have told me everything looks fine. I've got metal on metal noise from front right hand side intermittently, car wants to drift to the left and just generally sounds unwell over rough roads, small bumps and pot holes. Ive done the usual drop links, sway bar bushes etc and a couple of full wheel alignments. nothing has helped at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillNick132 Posted November 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2022 No sorry I never did fully cure it and sold the car around 2 years ago now. With regards to your metal on metal noise, inspect your calipers slide pins. I had a knocking too and found that the rubber grommet on one of the slide pins had worn out so the slide pin was rattling inside the caliper carrier. With the camber adjusters fitted and Michelin tyres, it did get better, but was never 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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