I have a 2003 Lexus LS430 with almost 200,000 miles.
About a year ago I started to have noise from the rear end. It turned out to be axle bearings on both sides.
I had them replaced but about 6 months ago the left rear started to make noise again.
I took It back and the shop said the left bearing had failed again and they would replace it with a new one under there warranty ( they are a NAPA repair station). A few months ago the same noise returned. I took the car back last night and received a call today from the shop, left rear bearing again. The shop said they would again replace it under there warranty.
I know they are not using Lexus factory parts but NAPA parts.
I can't get my head around how two sets of bearings could go bad in a few months, the originals lasted almost 200,000 miles.
The shop suggested that there could be another issue causing that bearing to fail. He said something like the rear struts could be weak and putting a high pressure on that bearing.
I can't see what the rear struts could have to do with the bearing, it would seem the load would be the same regardless of the struts. We do not haul anything heavy in the car, ever.
The rear struts show no leaking. They are extremely expensive to replace, over $3000 just for the rear struts(NOT air) so just changing them out to see if that helps won't happen.

Thoughts?

Well, as long as there replacing the bearings under they’re warranty right their.

-Rob

I would have them put in an OEM or a Koyo
Offer to buy the bearing, Its a ls430, when they do break, things are spendy

For what it's worth, I had a sticky brake caliper that eventually seized on my left rear rotor that got the bearing so hot it grenaded. Check brakes and if that's not the problem it'll likely be a geometry issue on that side so an alignment may help solve the mystery.

Not that I think it is the problem but who is telling you that non air rear shocks are $3000????
They are out of their mind.
You can put aftermarket Coilovers all around for far cheaper than that.
It’s an easy job to do yourself.
The hardest part is removing the rear seat to get to the top bolts.

I am on an LS430 kick at the moment and having been watching tons of maintenance videos on these recently. It’s one of the easiest suspension systems to work on.

I’d put an OEM bearing in.
Lots of aftermarket premature failures in the LS and Tundra world though 6 months is super premature.

It's just a thought, but you might have them check the suspension bushings. As I recall, this is a rear drive car, with independent rear suspension. If the bushings are shot, the suspension may be out of alignment, causing undue wear on the bearing, particularly when under acceleration.

OEM or Timken bearings. The reason your LS has lasted so long is because it was made in Japan. Don’t put cheap parts in it. I’ve had three LS, two GS and several 4Runners. They’ll last damn near forever with proper maintenance.

Also, I agree.. they’re feeding you a line on the shocks, struts. Find a good independent Toyota/Lexus shop.

Does not surprise me one bit. You should see some of the junk wheel bearings coming out of china these days for trailers. If you look at a good timken wheel bearing with a 5X Jewelers Loupe. Than at a some china brand bearing the surface finish is night and day difference.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
I can't get my head around how two sets of bearings could go bad in a few months, the originals lasted almost 200,000 miles.

I'm not really an expert in bearings, but I've learned a few things about them in 20+ years of dealing with them.
What comes to mind first when I hear of early bearing failure is simple mishandling. It's easy to damage the balls/rollers by simply dropping a bearing assembly on the floor. In my work environment, a dropped bearing goes in the scrap box. We've seen the balls inside get a small chip upon taking an impact like that. Then that no-longer-smooth ball rolls around inside the assembly, passing its damage along to the inner and outer races, and even the cage. The sum of the damage (Brinelling) increases quickly, and the whole assembly goes kapoo*.

That may not at all be what happened in your case; it's simply me sharing a little of the knowledge I've gathered.

*: Not really a technical term.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
undue wear on the bearing, particularly when under acceleration.

Ooh! Here's another thing I learned: bearing wear comes not only from use, but also from how quickly they're accelerated to in-use speed. One of the smart fellows I respect most taught about that a while back.

Maybe they aren't following proper assembly such as not pressing on the right race either inner or outer and damaging the bearing.

I’m just going to advocate for factory original parts. Parts store parts are almost always made with low quality control and/or substandard materials. They never last and cost way more in labor

Some other issue is contributing to the bearing failure. The shops theory may be correct, or it could be some other mechanical situation. If you put your hand near the bearing after a trip, you will likely feel that it's warmer than the bearing that isn't failing.

quote:

Originally posted by pbslinger:
Maybe they aren't following proper assembly such as not pressing on the right race either inner or outer and damaging the bearing.

Also a likely source for bearing damage.

Only one bearing is failing. If the bearings were mishandled, defective, or installed improperly, you would expect both to fail.

Something is putting constant pressure on the bearing in a direction it wasn't designed to handle. I recall a situation with a former crew leader who had the habit of resting his hand on the shitf lever in the truck, the gear selection bearing didn't last 500 miles before it wore down. I'd look for a bent or misaligned suspension part. Maybe NAPA would replace that to keep you from having to come back for a new bearing every few months.

Does the LS430 have a Live Axle? If so a hard hit from a pothole could put a slight bend in the end of the axle that would wipe out bearings. If you have an independent rear suspension that design will act to protect the axle stubs from being bent by impact. In this case the steel or aluminum suspension parts get bent.

quote:

Originally posted by bdylan:
Only one bearing is failing. If the bearings were mishandled, defective, or installed improperly, you would expect both to fail.

I can mess up one bearing at a time, all day long.

oem, equivalent or better. See if it's holding alignment (toe in)? Tire wear? Are they factory lubed or require prep? Hope you, they figure it out.

quote:

Originally posted by pbslinger:
Maybe they aren't following proper assembly such as not pressing on the right race either inner or outer and damaging the bearing.

This would be my first guess too except only one side continues to fail. Lots of "mechanics" of low skill and knowledge do this but if it's not a tight fit, get away with it.

Also look at the bearings they are using. Somewhere on the end of the inner or outer race there should be a part number and the country of origin. Maybe the brand too. OE would be best but there are many other quality brands that should work fine.

Back to the installation part. If they damaged the inner bore on the one side that the bearing is pressed into on the first replacement and distorted it (made it slightly out of round or raised a burr) the new bearing will end up being distorted too. That will greatly reduce bearing life, like you're experiencing. This would be my first choice of cause. I've had this very thing happen on another brand of car.

All the other speculation about stuff like struts, bushings, bumps, brakes or alignment have zero to do with this problem. In fact, if the guy that's trouble shooting this claims these are potentially the problem, he either doesn't have a clue or thinks he can bamboozle you into just replacing everything, the hand grenade approach.

Wheel bearings rumble or roar when bad. They can usually be found by simply giving the wheel/tire a good hard spin by hand. If the rear tires are cupped or "feathered" they can also rumble or roar, almost exactly mimicking a bearing noise. This car should have a unitized hub & bearing assembly. If the bearing is really failing repeatedly and it is not something else, check two things: that the axle shaft nut is being torqued properly (they need to be torqued to spec, not just blasted on with an impact, which will overtighten them), and that chassis electrical grounds are good. Yes, that's right. Sometimes something like a broken ground strap will cause ground to take a path through the wheel bearing balls and races, continually trying to spot-weld them. Finally, even NAPA parts - something you pay a premium for - are still made of "chinese-ium." It may be being diagnosed and repaired correctly but the parts themselves are crap.