2014 GX460 questions.... (1 Viewer)

[Turbohardtop]

I am planning to lift my GX460 and thinking of gathering parts for a moderate lift. This is mostly for looks but I hope to use when I get a chance at the beach or something. Has anyone lift a GX460 with rear air suspension? IS it possible to keep/upgrade the rear airbags or do I have to ditch it ? Which company makes a front metal bumper that could accommodate the parking sensors? I believe my GX460 has a slight tilt problem to the right that Lexus replaced the front springs, will the new suspension parts help? What size tire and offset on wheels do you guys recommend a for a good stance that is not too "weird" looking. I think the factory wheels gives the GX a bit narrow look and I want to improve on it. I have the switch for craw control ordered along with the DTS computer. Thanks in advance.

 

[r2m]

Just bought a 2013 GX 460 for the exact reason that there are NO front (steel) bumpers that'll fit a winch for that new front end that Lexus uses! And yes about the suspension. This link: https://www.metaltech4x4.com/suspen...s&Model=GX460&category=106&is_category_page=1 will get you to almost any type of suspension you could want on your 2014 GX 460. The suspension is the same from 2010 through 2018.

Hope this helps! I too am still on a learning curve for the GX 460. I have already built an expedition 1998 100 series Landcruiser so this is new to me.

 

[Turbohardtop]

I was browsing a website from Australia and it looks like there is an upgrade kit for our GX460.

Aftermarket Full Air Suspension Kit Replacement for LEXUS GX 460 Series Nov.09-15

I will check if this supports 2-3" lifted GX/Prado's.

 

[TX GX460]

I was browsing a website from Australia and it looks like there is an upgrade kit for our GX460.

Aftermarket Full Air Suspension Kit Replacement for LEXUS GX 460 Series Nov.09-15

I will check if this supports 2-3" lifted GX/Prado's.

Thanks for reaching out. I am going to copy most my reply here for the benefit of anyone else looking to answer similar questions.

My 460 is a Premium model, not the Luxury, so I did not have to do an airbag delete the first time around. But my wife's '17 is a Luxury and I am ordering suspension parts for hers so below is what I recommend. I have not heard of anyone achieving a 2" lift while retaining the airbags, and even if you could the ride would probably be pretty harsh. Plus, if you delete the airbag system you can also get rid of a lot of weight caused by the factory air compressor and rest of the system. You could also recoup some money selling the bags, because they have a tendency to fail over time so working used ones are always in demand.

I ordered my ARB bumper through Steve Springs at Southeast Overland. He gave me a good deal and was great on customer service. The part info is below. They only come to the U.S. in black, so if you want a different color you have to powdercoat yourself.

ARB Summit Bar for Prado 150 VX/Kakadu - P/N 3421830 (this gives it the parking sensor and headlight washer cutouts). You can get cheaper bars with a slightly different look if you want, but I really liked the Summit.

Add Winch Installation Kit - P/N 3500720, Hawse fairlead spacer kit - P/N 3500600, ARB fog light part 3500590, Auxiliary Fog Light Loom part number 3500530, and clear fog light cover 3500680.

For the airbag delete I recommend the SSO kit. GX470 air to coil spring conversion kit with Upper Isolators – Southern Style OffRoad
MetalTech makes one as well, but the SSO kit adds a little extra lift and also has spacers to get rid of that pesky KDSS lean in the rear. There is an approach to level using the shutter valves to release some pressure in the system that may help after the install, but you will likely still want to use an extra spacer or two. I know the SSO website says GX470, but from what I have been told it works the same for a GX 460.

The wheels I use are 17x8.5 matte gunmetal SCS Ray 10s with a -10mm offset. RAY 10
SCS always is sold out online, but if you use the "contact us" link on his website you can preorder for the next shipment. I put 285 70 17 Toyo Open Country AT II tires on. I was going for a good balance of off-road and on-road performance with low road noise (primarily because I commute about 60 miles daily in the car) and I have been very happy with them.

For suspension I used Dobinsons MRR for mine. Kyle Fogle at Treaty Oak Offroad in Houston is a good person to talk to and he has several customizable options for the GX 460 with different shock and spring options at different price points available. If you are adding an ARB bar up front (especially if you are adding a winch) you will want to go with the HD springs up front - Kyle knows all of the part numbers for what I have. In the rear I have a MetalTech bumber and a custom drawer system I made, but I still have found the MD springs to be sufficient for a good ride with proper lift.

For my wife's car, I will probably be doing King or Radflo shocks all around, with secondaries up front. The downside of these companies (other than a very significant price jump over Dobinsons) is the lead time due to customization, but they have a lot of custom options in spring rates and valving that I am interested in.

If you are doing a 2" lift, you will need aftermarket UCAs. I highly recommend Total Chaos. They are a little more expensive but they are a lot beefier than anything else out there with the uniball design; just make sure to spray the uniball with teflon about once a month and grease the poly bushings twice a year and everything works great without squeaks.

If you have any other questions about parts, vendors, etc. just let me know and I will be happy to help.

 

[lowlight]

^^^Wow, great post TXGX460! Thanks for sharing that wealth of information!

Don't mean to hijack OP's thread, but his uses sound exactly how I intend to use a GX when my time comes.

I like the idea of a remote reservoir suspension with mild lift 1.5-2" max. UCA might not be necessary if wheels have low offset? I thought UCA's to re-allign suspension geometry wasn't necessary with only a mild lift?

I like your Ray 10 recommendation, but I've really enjoyed my FN BFD wheels on my Tundra and intend to do the same vs Konig Six Shooter on the GX.

Thoughts on Icon vs OME BP 51 setup? I suppose both would be fine for mostly street with minimal off-road use, and overkill in either case.

Hoping to squeeze on 285/65 KO2's too. The GX wheel wells are tiny though, that probably maxes out width without going higher on lift?

Not sure I want to mess with bumpers or a winch, probably sliders though.

I do want all the features on the GX & will probably just do the rear air bag delete when the time comes with that.

 

[Turbohardtop]

Thanks for the recommendation guys. I probably go with the Kings or Radflo 2.5" shocks with remote reservors. This is probably overkill as my car will be mostly on pavement. As for custom height shocks, how do you know what length for our GX460?

 

[TX GX460]

Thanks for the recommendation guys. I probably go with the Kings or Radflo 2.5" shocks with remote reservors. This is probably overkill as my car will be mostly on pavement. As for custom height shocks, how do you know what length for our GX460?

Yeah, you are right that is overkill, but when you are offroad you will definitely tell the difference. When I first started my build I had no idea how much I would get offroad with my GX, which is still a daily driver for me. So I went with the best bang-for-the-buck system I could find that met my requirements. But now, after putting thousands of off-road miles on it, even though I have been generally happy with the results I sometimes wish I had spent that little bit extra on suspension.

I haven't gotten around to putting together my wish list yet, so I can't remember exactly where it is, but there is a spreadsheet out there on one of the main GX-related forums (MUD, PradoPoint, or GXOR) that lists out the total suspension travel measurements for a GX 460 / Prado 150 with KDSS, front and rear. I think it is part of a spreadsheet that includes the information on a number of vehicles, and I believe it is in metric (which leads me to believe I saw it in PradoPoint). You can use that spreadsheet when you talk to King or Radflo if you want something unique or to make sure you are on the same page. Chances are, their current lines of products already have the correct lengths for a 2" lift on a KDSS GX 460 (same as a KDSS T4R). Unless you are going to remove the KDSS system and sway bars (something I do not recommend if you use it as a daily driver), your sway bars will be the limiting factor on your suspension travel. So I will probably be starting with a length they already use on a 2-2.5" lift for a GX 460. Then I will get custom valving and springs. If you are adding an ARB bar in front with a winch, you are talking about some serious weight hanging out front, so you will need some very heavy springs (remember, the 460 and its V8 are quite a bit heavier than the 5th Gen T4R, even before armor). As far as valving is concerned, both King and Radflo are capable of giving you custom valving, and all you need to do is reach out to them and discuss your needs and they can help you work out a solution.

One thing I highly recommend based on conversations with people who have different systems is that if you are already springing for remote reservoirs, spend the extra money for adjustable compression. You may have different needs for highway driving vs. rock crawling vs. driving over potholes in unpaved roads at speed, and adjustment is the only way to get different setups. After my trip through Appalachia a week ago doing the Red Clay Rally, I really wish I had adjustable dampening for the different terrain I encountered.

I'm excited to hear about what you go with; keep us informed of your progress here.

 

[TX GX460]

^^^Wow, great post TXGX460! Thanks for sharing that wealth of information!

Don't mean to hijack OP's thread, but his uses sound exactly how I intend to use a GX when my time comes.

I like the idea of a remote reservoir suspension with mild lift 1.5-2" max. UCA might not be necessary if wheels have low offset? I thought UCA's to re-allign suspension geometry wasn't necessary with only a mild lift?

I like your Ray 10 recommendation, but I've really enjoyed my FN BFD wheels on my Tundra and intend to do the same vs Konig Six Shooter on the GX.

Thoughts on Icon vs OME BP 51 setup? I suppose both would be fine for mostly street with minimal off-road use, and overkill in either case.

Hoping to squeeze on 285/65 KO2's too. The GX wheel wells are tiny though, that probably maxes out width without going higher on lift?

Not sure I want to mess with bumpers or a winch, probably sliders though.

I do want all the features on the GX & will probably just do the rear air bag delete when the time comes with that.

On the UCA question, if you are doing a 1.5-2" lift with a remote reservoir suspension, you will almost certainly need aftermarket UCAs to prevent binding of the aftermarket suspension springs on the UCA. The factory ones just don't have enough space in them to allow for a larger diameter shock/spring combo. Plus, the factory UCAs don't have the adjustability needed to give you extra camber you will want with a lift, especially if you are running larger tires than stock. Maybe someone will disagree with me, but that is my understanding.

FN and Konig both make great wheels; as long as you get the right size/offset, wheel brand is a style choice and there are a lot of great options out there.

I have tended to stay away from Icon based on the feedback I have received from a couple of off-road shops I trust, both of which have told me that especially in the past 2-3 years they have seen an unusually high percentage of leaking shocks that require rebuild. I know some people with Icons who love them and have not had problems, so the feedback I received is just anecdotal and not based on any personal knowledge. I don't know many people with the BP-51s on a GX, but as I mention above in an earlier reply they have some good features. My only knock against them was a smaller diameter and little/no flexibility for customization, but they were definitely one of the options I strongly considered.

What size wheels are you going with for 285/65, 17 or 18? If you are going 17, that should fit fine but you will want to have some positive caster to give you clearance away from the body mount, which again probably means aftermarket UCAs. I installed my ARB bumper before I increased my tire size, so I don't know if you will have any clearance issues in the front part of the fender well with that setup but you may want to ask around. One thing that's nice about most aftermarket bumpers is the extra wheel clearance.

Sliders are a great way to start. I ran with just sliders and a lift for a while before I got my front or rear bumpers, and was very happy with the result. I'm willing to bet it won't be too long before you rethink the bumper and winch though, especially if you spend any time in here or on GXOR. It's an addiction (and an expensive one at that).