2006 LX - AHC Delete (1 Viewer)

[Myles007]

Longtime lurker. Getting ready to do an AHC delete. My 2006 LX is a New Jersey and Delaware beach vehicle (been at DE shore year round for last four years). Frame is still solid but the rust is significant. Over the last 50K miles I replaced muffler, brake line and recently AHC line to passenger rear globe is blown (all globes original). AHC is out and Truck is stuck in L. I understand AHC is great but I think with this rust its time for new suspension.

I don't run heavy and no trails just beaches (surf fishing DE shore). I am thinking LC OE suspension or something close to that. Small lift is fine (1"-1.5").

I need a sanity check to ensure I am thinking about this properly. Full LC OE suspension parts only is about $1,500. Thats with used LC TBs (cant use my LXs because they are made for AHC and not stock LC suspension). New TBs are $500 per (used about $125 per). Rear OE LC springs are pricey, about $220 per.

Based on this, I am thinking 1) used TBs, everything else OE LC (shocks, springs, retainers, bump stops, etc.) with Slee 30mm spacers in back for slight lift (I will adjust front with the TBs), or 2) same setup but rather than OE rear springs with 30mm spacers, just OME 2865 springs no spacers. Considering the cost of OE springs and spacer, option 2 is cheaper by $350 or so.

I am thinking the ride with either option 1 or 2 would be very similar and no diff drop kit needed?

Third option is fixing AHC with new hydraulic line and 4 new globes. I am guessing this is cheaper than options above by a few hundred $$ but the odds of another AHC problem sooner rather than later seems likely.

In addition to this suspension issue also doing timing belt, WP (last completed at 110K) and both front wheel bearings.

Good friend is a Toyota mechanic with full lift in his home garage so he is helping me with this (he did prior tbelt and WP for me). We checked the frame last week as he did not recommend spending any $$ if it was shot. He was pleasantly surprised at the overall condition of the frame considering the amount of rust we were knocking off. So the plan is to move forward.

Regarding suspension, any thoughts would be welcome and appreciate the feedback.

 

[LXfromTX]

Longtime lurker. Getting ready to do an AHC delete. My 2006 LX is a New Jersey and Delaware beach vehicle (been at DE shore year round for last four years). Frame is still solid but the rust is significant. Over the last 50K miles I replaced muffler, brake line and recently AHC line to passenger rear globe is blown (all globes original). AHC is out and Truck is stuck in L. I understand AHC is great but I think with this rust its time for new suspension.

I don't run heavy and no trails just beaches (surf fishing DE shore). I am thinking LC OE suspension or something close to that. Small lift is fine (1"-1.5").

I need a sanity check to ensure I am thinking about this properly. Full LC OE suspension parts only is about $1,500. Thats with used LC TBs (cant use my LXs because they are made for AHC and not stock LC suspension). New TBs are $500 per (used about $125 per). Rear OE LC springs are pricey, about $220 per.

Based on this, I am thinking 1) used TBs, everything else OE LC (shocks, springs, retainers, bump stops, etc.) with Slee 30mm spacers in back for slight lift (I will adjust front with the TBs), or 2) same setup but rather than OE rear springs with 30mm spacers, just OME 2865 springs no spacers. Considering the cost of OE springs and spacer, option 2 is cheaper by $350 or so.

I am thinking the ride with either option 1 or 2 would be very similar and no diff drop kit needed?

Third option is fixing AHC with new hydraulic line and 4 new globes. I am guessing this is cheaper than options above by a few hundred $$ but the odds of another AHC problem sooner rather than later seems likely.

In addition to this suspension issue also doing timing belt, WP (last completed at 110K) and both front wheel bearings.

Good friend is a Toyota mechanic with full lift in his home garage so he is helping me with this (he did prior tbelt and WP for me). We checked the frame last week as he did not recommend spending any $$ if it was shot. He was pleasantly surprised at the overall condition of the frame considering the amount of rust we were knocking off. So the plan is to move forward.

Regarding suspension, any thoughts would be welcome and appreciate the feedback.

I'm also considering my AHC future but your LC suspension seems expensive. There are a host of vendors offering low rise lifts, have you checked those out?

Strutmasters | SKU: TF14F

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1998-2007 Lexus LX 470 4 Wheel Hydraulic Suspension Conversion Kit (TF14F)​

(23)
When your hydraulic system is failing, it can be a long, expensive guessing game at the mechanics to pinpoint exactly what is causing the issue and what will be the long term solution. That is why Strutmasters has eliminated the guessing, with our hydraulic suspension conversion kit replacement system that will allow you to get rid of the hydraulic system and replace it with our standard shocks. Our kit is designed from the chassis of the vehicle, and has helped hundreds of customers save hundreds at the shop. Check below for more details!

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Lexus LX 470 1999Change
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[FxFormat]

$1500 can get you a very nice aftermarket kit like Ironman foam cell.

Make a wanted posted on the classified, you can find cheap TB and springs, the oem shocks are like $70 a piece brand new.

 

[delz05]

I installed Eibach with OME bars, about 1200.00 in parts, March of 2024... eibach.com

Very please with the install, the ride and the end result.

 

[Kabanstva]

The best source for suspension related questions I believe is Mike at @exitoffroad

 

[CarterTheFarter]

I personally think you have the right idea about going oem. I’d do all oem if it was me and I wouldn’t run spacers in the rear. I would run stock height to keep the preload off the torsion bars. You could install spacers pretty easily afterwards if you wanted to try it. Put on a decent D rated tire and cruise

 

[97 AZ LC]

I have slowly accumulated a conversion kit for about $235, which is $135 for new OE shocks, $50 for new OE retainer/washers and $50 for used LC springs. I've seen a lot of threads over the years from people who were perfectly happy with the original LX torsion bars, slightly re-indexed - so I'm going to give that a try. My research says, contrary to popular Mud opinion, don't replace the TBs unless and until you see the need. There's also a lot of people unhappy with the rough ride from overdoing the TBs. My problem is this - I'm not going to convert until there's significant AHC failure and the darned thing won't fail.

 

[Myles007]

Thank you all for the feedback. Super helpful. I think I am really down to which rear coils to choose. My plan is all OE shocks and TBs and the spring options are 1) OE (pricey) , 2) OME 865 or 3) Dobinson 223v. I saw a lot of posts with OE shocks and the OME 865 springs and that seems to be a good combo for my purposes. Is anyone running OE shocks but with the Dobinson c59-223v springs? If so, how much lift with stock load? Based on reading these treads it seems that the 223v springs are sort of in between the stock vs OME springs from a daily cruising perspective (not as nice as the stock but not as harsh as the OMEs) but with additional load capacity compared to stock and slight lift compared to stock.

 

[Import Driver]

I've seen a lot of threads over the years from people who were perfectly happy with the original LX torsion bars, slightly re-indexed - so I'm going to give that a try. My research says, contrary to popular Mud opinion, don't replace the TBs unless and until you see the need.

When you say "original LX torsion bars" do you mean the AHC torsion bars? That works? They hold the vehicle up without AHC?

 

[Myles007]

Also, I noticed that the aftermarket lift kits do not include rear bump stops. Does this mean the existing LX470 bump stops are the same as the stock LC bump stocks and thus I don't need to order replacement? The LC part number is 48313-60010.

 

[97 AZ LC]

When you say "original LX torsion bars" do you mean the AHC torsion bars? That works? They hold the vehicle up without AHC?

Yes, all LXs had AHC. If you haven't added weight and don't seriously off road - which is most people - and re-index the TBs the LX bars work fine for many people. The Strutmasters kit has never had torsion bars and seems to work fine for many people if installed properly, though it often isn't. See their instructions at about 6:00 here -

 

[Myles007]

Also, I noticed that the aftermarket lift kits do not include rear bump stops. Does this mean the existing LX470 bump stops are the same as the stock LC bump stocks and thus I don't need to order replacement? The LC part number is 48313-60010.

Following up as I am getting ready to order parts from Ourisman Toyota (best prices I could find). Anyone know if I need to order new rear spring bump stops or is my stock LX470 already has the same?