Builds 2003 LX470 Overland Build (4 Viewers)

[AlamoCruiser]

Out with the old, in with the new. Since I recently replaced my front rotors, I just replaced the pads with the highest quality OReilly sold (Import Direct ceramic pads). The rear got the Slee-sourced treatment with DBA T3 rotors and DBA xtreme performance pads. Was a pretty simple job, but I definitely relish the simple stuff. Im getting exhausted from all the heavy work recently.

That being said, I noticed my rear main seal was leaking more than I remembered and I found what seems to be the source of my mysterious front end rattling when I go over bumps. My driver side upper ball joint is leaking (yay..). Now to figure if I should replace the ball joint with a lot of effort, replace with an expensive OEM unit with the ball joint already in place, or get something akin to SPC upper control arms in anticipation of a future lift. Any thoughts??

 

[AlamoCruiser]

I decided to get an OEM replacement for the UCA and have less elbow grease in the whole matter, so the local Toyota dealer should have it in tomorrow for pickup.

Replaced the heater tees today as well. Looks like the previous owner had them replaced (old ones pictured), but at least my peace of mind is there

 

[AlamoCruiser]

I removed the side steps (what a difference) and dropped the Lexus off this morning at First Choice Fabrication to get the Coastal Offroad sliders welded up and on. I was quoted for $650 out the door, which is more than I hoped, but it’s going to be worth it and still a less net amount spent than buying something already assembled and still needed welding. Looking forward to seeing both the sliders on the truck and the quality of Coastal Offroad’s sliders!

 

[AlamoCruiser]

The sliders are welded and painted, and I love the way they look. I’m glad I got the flat tops for the sliders, they’ve already proved to be great steps and very useful in that regard.

Once the sliders were on, I couldn’t resist stretching the legs, so my wife and I loaded up the dogs and we hit Boulder County Road 68J. The truck did great as expected, though after the main obstacles, I turned around and went back down them due to a fuel boiling issue I keep having. I’ll be installing heat shields to hopefully remedy that issue once and for all asap.

My current location doesn’t have the bandwidth to post photos, but I will once I get to civilization

 

[AlamoCruiser]

 

[Sventvkg]

Been following bro. Very interested in a similar path as you for my 05LX after I finish my soon to be mobile command center. 40’ Bluebird Bus Conversion. Should be finished by the end of the summer than the work shall begin on the LX. Been my daily driver for about 13months already and have only had to replace the AC compressor. Have a bunch of things to update and a list of things to tackle so it should be fun. Cheers!

 

[AlamoCruiser]

I forgot to mention that this past Wednesday (20 July) I installed the GROM Vline 2 interface after purchasing from saucebox on here. Works great, if not a little slow to wirelessly connect. I have a USB extension in the mail, so wired Apple Car Play should solve any network latency I'm having. I did notice that at random times, the screen will be dim to the point of not being able to read it during the day. Not sure what the issue is there. I also have JL Audio and Kicker door speakers, along with a new subwoofer to go in the factory "box" in the back to be installed, which will probably happen this weekend.

The Mark Levinson amp in my LX stopped providing audio to the speakers through the radio a week or two ago however, so I have to order a replacement. Really looking forward to paying for a refurbished unit... At least I'll have basically a new system?

 

[AlamoCruiser]

Been following bro. Very interested in a similar path as you for my 05LX after I finish my soon to be mobile command center. 40’ Bluebird Bus Conversion. Should be finished by the end of the summer than the work shall begin on the LX. Been my daily driver for about 13months already and have only had to replace the AC compressor. Have a bunch of things to update and a list of things to tackle so it should be fun. Cheers!

Hey thanks for following! Hopefully some of my ramblings, issues, and triumphs will help with your build. Either way, looking forward to when you get it going

 

[AlamoCruiser]

Switches and wiring are complete for the fogs and 9” driving lights. Everything went fairly easy, though it took me a minute to find a cable I could jump off of that pulled ACC power.

Bonus pic of the Apple Car Play running off of the Grom VLine 2 today!

 

[AlamoCruiser]

Replaced my UCA on Thursday. The process was surprisingly simple and I was surprised how quick the replacement went. Immediately after installation I drove to a shop down the street and got an alignment to get everything back in spec. Now I have no more rattling when I go over bumps or vibrations when I brake hard. Check out how large that tear is in the UCA boot, no wonder it was clunking!

 

[AlamoCruiser]

I started the rear drawer build a few days ago. Spent a lot of time measuring and measuring again before cutting. I’m using maple plywood intended for cabinets, so the finish should be pretty good. I don’t expect this to look amazing or anything, but I fully intend it to be very functional. I’ll only be using a circular saw, sander (for finish), and two clamps to get it all cut and aligned. I’m hoping it all works out, considering I basically never work with wood lol

 

[AlamoCruiser]

I realized I didn’t measure completely to account for the fridge…oops. I’m gonna have to figure something out

 

[AlamoCruiser]

I got the walls and one of the tops cut and assembled. I used Gorilla Glue and decking nails all along the edges to get a solid bond. So far everything is surprisingly 100% square to itself, so that’s a relief. Another problem has arisen; I miscalculated the space needed for my battery and water jug, so now I can’t have them both behind the pull out tools drawers. I’m gonna have to relocate the battery somewhere..

 

[AlamoCruiser]

This drawers system is more complicated than I had expected or hoped. Multiple times have I calculated without considering the width of the wood, leaving me to try and figure out what’s going on and how to fix it. I can definitely see why drawer systems are the price that they are. This is a truly frustrating build to say the least.

 

[AlamoCruiser]

The passenger side drawer has been much more complicated that I anticipated. I’ve incorrectly measured multiple times and as a result, I have this janky lookin right side drawer. Not proud of it, especially since it’s still not done (or even sliding with ease). I have more to do tomorrow before putting a poly stain on it to keep it from soaking in water and being ruined. My morale on this project is basically zero

 

[rc50cal]

"The passenger side drawer has been much more complicated that I anticipated. I’ve incorrectly measured multiple times and as a result, I have this janky lookin right side drawer. Not proud of it, especially since it’s still not done (or even sliding with ease). I have more to do tomorrow before putting a poly stain on it to keep it from soaking in water and being ruined. My morale on this project is basically zero"

I feel for you! That's how my projects go sometimes always.

 

[AlamoCruiser]

I absolutely RUSHED to get the drawer system in a usable state and the dual battery hooked up before this weekend. We had been planning to do a shakedown run this past weekend and this was an integral part of the shakedown. No staining was able to be accomplished, but that’ll happen this week to waterproof it. I also need to re-install the long drawer slides and the front panels, because they’re just the right size to be able to open, but not without having to really wiggle everything around and lift at certain spots due to dragging on the tailgate.

 

[AlamoCruiser]

We did some easy trails and camped on Fall River Reservoir for some dispersed camping. This was my wife’s first time camping (right before our two week Ouray/Moab trip lol) and thankfully she loved it. We had to set our new tent up in the rain, which was a pain when trying to figure out the installation steps, but it was nothing a beer (or three) couldn’t fix! The shakedown worked as intended and I was able to pinpoint some flaws in our setup so I can hopefully plan more appropriately for the longer trip at the end of the month.

 

[AlamoCruiser]

Sunday we did some more trails. About half the time we were on the trails, we had a good downpour of rain and hail from a thunderstorm, but I enjoyed it thoroughly! The hail wasn’t enough to cause any dents and the rain was enough to make it slightly more interesting.

My biggest gripe is that after I did the mods suggested by others on here to fix the fuel vapor issue my LX has at altitude, it STILL pushes fuel vapor out. Idk what the problem is at this point. I added fuel line heat wrap, heat protectant over the exposed portion of the fuel tank, and a heat shield between my cat and the fuel lines. I just hope it doesn’t cause any big issues on my trip, because other than rerouting the fuel line off of the block (which I plan to do), I don’t know what the answer to my problem is.

 

[AlamoCruiser]

After re-setting the drawers that pulled out from the walls due to insufficient length screws and redoing the drawer fronts, I pulled the system completely out and sealed the whole thing with a waterproof stain. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done! My main goal w the stain color was to get as close to the wood grain color as possible, and I think I achieved that!