First a little background. I used to own a 2006 Tundra. Great Truck. Totally stock. It was really too big for local trails.
Used to take it all over Colorado’s 4wd Trails just for fun with the Ex. To keep the story short, wife left and I decided to get rid of the truck just to keep things clean. I missed the truck and especially the mountains and trails. I have wanted a new 4wd since it left. Almost not a day went by that I didn’t think about it. Now with a baby on the way I had an opportunity/excuse for the gas-guzzler that is bigger. Enter the new to me 04 GX470. No Nav. 80K miles.
So the goal was about 2” of lift but a COMFORTABLE STOCK LIKE OR BETTER RIDE. I was mostly set on OME suspension until I talked to Wheelers Off Road about my OME vs Bilstein dilemma. He suggested the Bilstein. Since they are cheaper it seemed he had no agenda other then his opinion not trying to make a extra buck. Here is the Build.
Bilstein 5100. Bottom perch setting.
Eibach/Toytec 112-620 Front Springs
Toytec Hyperflex Rear Spring (not HD)
Metal Tech DIY rear air-delete kit.
48302-35040 Spring Seat Isolator (from Amazon)
Orion helped with his build report and some PM’s. Thanks Orion.
'05 GX470 "build"...
Basically my thought and build went like this. I wanted similar to stock spring rate but about 2 inch's taller then stock. I knew if I stayed around that number I would not need new Upper Control arms, which are expensive for the cost benefit analysis. I would rather have sliders and armor then the extra .75 inch they allow. The Stock Springs on a PRADO (thats not our Lexus GX470) is 605lb. I have never seen any report on what our Lexus Spring rate actually is. 4Runners are in the 580 range for the V6. OME is 590lb and Eibach I chose is 620lb. I did not want softer. A heavy truck pitching around was not my goal. And I did not want stiffer valving trying to control a light spring but heavy truck. So 620lb was the choice. Most coil springs makers use 25lbs increases on their off the shelf coil springs. 620lb is close enough to 605lb for me. Orion and I talked via PM. He said his GX really did ride pretty nice with the Eibach 112-620 fronts and Hyperflex rear (not the HD). I was going to get the OME Sport with the comfort valving. I talked to the sales guy at Wheelers and I told him my goal of comfort vs some artificial high lift. OME vs Bilstein. No Preload for better comfort. He suggested the cheaper Bilstein and no preload. I used the Metal Tech DIY kit in the rear, Went to amazon for the Upper Spring Seat Isolators. That saved a couple bucks over Metal Tech’s full kit. I had Wheelers Install the springs using new top hats etc (about $130). Using the bottom strut perch. That was on "sale" when I did it. To me it was worth the money over doing it myself and ordering a ton of parts and doing it myself. You can rent a spring compressor from AutoZone if you want for free. I think that is it.
Ordered from Wheelers Off Road. Great group. Well packaged and FAST.
The install had a couple challenges. Mostly because I did NOT have a FSM and that is not the way I roll. So that made my nervous. Front was easy. Just like the two Tundras I have done in the past. Just a couple hints. Spray every bolt/nut with PB Blaster. A week before and then a couple more times after that. I decided to mark both sides of the lower adjusters and remove those bolts. Then the lower control arm swung out of the way so it’s easy to get the strut assembly out. I was able to reassemble it very close to the previous spot. Worked great. Remove the three bolts on top holding the strut to the frame first. Then the bottom bolt and move the control arm out of the way to move the strut down. You now have room access the two Allen bolts that hold on the electronic adjuster with out a fight for room and leverage.
After that one more big nut to remove the assembly that holds the hardware and the entire strut will drop away. Insert the new one and reassemble. EASY.
The rear was a PITA. Mostly because I did not know about the clip that held the air bag in place. It’s easy to remove if you know it’s there. It is off to the outside of the bag towards the outside. You can bend a coat hanger and grab it in the hole or use screwdriver flip it off or some needle nose pliers. Whatever works for you.
I chose to just cut the air hoses. I am never going to use it again. So that is ok. The rest is easy. Remove the Shocks, Drop the axle but don’t stretch the brake lines. I used a spring compressor to compress the springs and then installed the Upper isolators and lower perch from Metal Tech. Slip the spring in. The top does not get bolted to anything. It just finds the center on it’s own. Rear gets bolted in place. It’s tough to get the nut of the Metal Tech kit on the bottom through the small access you have. Install the new shocks. Done.
Alignment all went with-in spec except the drivers front was just a smidge out for camber. Not sure if it’s out of adjustment or just a lazy tech who got it really close and gave up. It drives great. SOOOO smooth. I could not be happier. It is still a Lexus. I wanted that more then anything. I would have been very disappointed if that changed. But it did not. Every time I drive it I know I made a great choice. It takes bumps with ease. No more short travel feeling like before that caused it to get upset and move around on bumps. It is still very smooth and not harsh. EVER.
I did not measure the before. Jeez, what a mistake. I wish someone with a stock GX could post these numbers up.
Stock Tires. The front is about 36” to the ground and 22” to the center of the wheel. I did install a shim on the driver front to help with the typical lean.
Rear is 37 3/8” to the ground and 22 and a little to the center of the wheel.
L/R balance is no more then ¼” off it seems after about 4 days of driving.
Next up Sliders and Tires. Yeah. First step done. Can’t wait to hit the trails again.
Used to take it all over Colorado’s 4wd Trails just for fun with the Ex. To keep the story short, wife left and I decided to get rid of the truck just to keep things clean. I missed the truck and especially the mountains and trails. I have wanted a new 4wd since it left. Almost not a day went by that I didn’t think about it. Now with a baby on the way I had an opportunity/excuse for the gas-guzzler that is bigger. Enter the new to me 04 GX470. No Nav. 80K miles.
So the goal was about 2” of lift but a COMFORTABLE STOCK LIKE OR BETTER RIDE. I was mostly set on OME suspension until I talked to Wheelers Off Road about my OME vs Bilstein dilemma. He suggested the Bilstein. Since they are cheaper it seemed he had no agenda other then his opinion not trying to make a extra buck. Here is the Build.
Bilstein 5100. Bottom perch setting.
Eibach/Toytec 112-620 Front Springs
Toytec Hyperflex Rear Spring (not HD)
Metal Tech DIY rear air-delete kit.
48302-35040 Spring Seat Isolator (from Amazon)
Orion helped with his build report and some PM’s. Thanks Orion.
'05 GX470 "build"...
Basically my thought and build went like this. I wanted similar to stock spring rate but about 2 inch's taller then stock. I knew if I stayed around that number I would not need new Upper Control arms, which are expensive for the cost benefit analysis. I would rather have sliders and armor then the extra .75 inch they allow. The Stock Springs on a PRADO (thats not our Lexus GX470) is 605lb. I have never seen any report on what our Lexus Spring rate actually is. 4Runners are in the 580 range for the V6. OME is 590lb and Eibach I chose is 620lb. I did not want softer. A heavy truck pitching around was not my goal. And I did not want stiffer valving trying to control a light spring but heavy truck. So 620lb was the choice. Most coil springs makers use 25lbs increases on their off the shelf coil springs. 620lb is close enough to 605lb for me. Orion and I talked via PM. He said his GX really did ride pretty nice with the Eibach 112-620 fronts and Hyperflex rear (not the HD). I was going to get the OME Sport with the comfort valving. I talked to the sales guy at Wheelers and I told him my goal of comfort vs some artificial high lift. OME vs Bilstein. No Preload for better comfort. He suggested the cheaper Bilstein and no preload. I used the Metal Tech DIY kit in the rear, Went to amazon for the Upper Spring Seat Isolators. That saved a couple bucks over Metal Tech’s full kit. I had Wheelers Install the springs using new top hats etc (about $130). Using the bottom strut perch. That was on "sale" when I did it. To me it was worth the money over doing it myself and ordering a ton of parts and doing it myself. You can rent a spring compressor from AutoZone if you want for free. I think that is it.
Ordered from Wheelers Off Road. Great group. Well packaged and FAST.
The install had a couple challenges. Mostly because I did NOT have a FSM and that is not the way I roll. So that made my nervous. Front was easy. Just like the two Tundras I have done in the past. Just a couple hints. Spray every bolt/nut with PB Blaster. A week before and then a couple more times after that. I decided to mark both sides of the lower adjusters and remove those bolts. Then the lower control arm swung out of the way so it’s easy to get the strut assembly out. I was able to reassemble it very close to the previous spot. Worked great. Remove the three bolts on top holding the strut to the frame first. Then the bottom bolt and move the control arm out of the way to move the strut down. You now have room access the two Allen bolts that hold on the electronic adjuster with out a fight for room and leverage.
After that one more big nut to remove the assembly that holds the hardware and the entire strut will drop away. Insert the new one and reassemble. EASY.
The rear was a PITA. Mostly because I did not know about the clip that held the air bag in place. It’s easy to remove if you know it’s there. It is off to the outside of the bag towards the outside. You can bend a coat hanger and grab it in the hole or use screwdriver flip it off or some needle nose pliers. Whatever works for you.
I chose to just cut the air hoses. I am never going to use it again. So that is ok. The rest is easy. Remove the Shocks, Drop the axle but don’t stretch the brake lines. I used a spring compressor to compress the springs and then installed the Upper isolators and lower perch from Metal Tech. Slip the spring in. The top does not get bolted to anything. It just finds the center on it’s own. Rear gets bolted in place. It’s tough to get the nut of the Metal Tech kit on the bottom through the small access you have. Install the new shocks. Done.
Alignment all went with-in spec except the drivers front was just a smidge out for camber. Not sure if it’s out of adjustment or just a lazy tech who got it really close and gave up. It drives great. SOOOO smooth. I could not be happier. It is still a Lexus. I wanted that more then anything. I would have been very disappointed if that changed. But it did not. Every time I drive it I know I made a great choice. It takes bumps with ease. No more short travel feeling like before that caused it to get upset and move around on bumps. It is still very smooth and not harsh. EVER.
I did not measure the before. Jeez, what a mistake. I wish someone with a stock GX could post these numbers up.
Stock Tires. The front is about 36” to the ground and 22” to the center of the wheel. I did install a shim on the driver front to help with the typical lean.
Rear is 37 3/8” to the ground and 22 and a little to the center of the wheel.
L/R balance is no more then ¼” off it seems after about 4 days of driving.
Next up Sliders and Tires. Yeah. First step done. Can’t wait to hit the trails again.
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