You can buy take-off suspensions from the 5th Gen 4Runner for dirt cheap - so someone might be tempted to try the suspension on a GX instead of paying a billion dollars for OEM Lexus replacement shocks.
I bought a set of basically new (<100 miles) front coils and front/rear shocks from the local Toyota dealer. The entire set cost me only $80. I figured since the 5th Gen 4Runner and the 1st Gen GX have similar (only about 300 lbs difference) curb weights, that the suspension might work well on the GX.
Fitment requires some minor modification to the front 4runner shocks, as the lower bushing sleeve needs to be ground down a little bit to fit the GX mount. An angle grinder made quick work of that. Otherwise the coil/shock assembly is essentially the same height (off the truck) with the same number of coils compared to the GX stock coils.
It turns out that the similarities end there. Once installed, the GX lost at least a half inch of height, going from old and tired GX coils to new 5th Gen coils. Apparently the 300 lbs difference in curb weight is mainly in the front of these vehicles, owing to the V6-V8 difference. The shocks do a poor job of controlling motion in the GX, although the ride is generally comfortable. The old GX suspension with 107K miles worked better than the new 5th Gen front suspension.
I was so disappointed in the 5th Gen front that I did not install the rear shocks. The 5th Gen rear shocks have a larger diameter rear shock stud than the GX, which would require drilling out the mounting hole on the GX to make it fit. It wasn't worth it.
Oh well. It was a cheap experiment, but no one else needs to repeat it. However, I can't speak for the rear coils, which supposedly fit without modification.
I bought a set of basically new (<100 miles) front coils and front/rear shocks from the local Toyota dealer. The entire set cost me only $80. I figured since the 5th Gen 4Runner and the 1st Gen GX have similar (only about 300 lbs difference) curb weights, that the suspension might work well on the GX.
Fitment requires some minor modification to the front 4runner shocks, as the lower bushing sleeve needs to be ground down a little bit to fit the GX mount. An angle grinder made quick work of that. Otherwise the coil/shock assembly is essentially the same height (off the truck) with the same number of coils compared to the GX stock coils.
It turns out that the similarities end there. Once installed, the GX lost at least a half inch of height, going from old and tired GX coils to new 5th Gen coils. Apparently the 300 lbs difference in curb weight is mainly in the front of these vehicles, owing to the V6-V8 difference. The shocks do a poor job of controlling motion in the GX, although the ride is generally comfortable. The old GX suspension with 107K miles worked better than the new 5th Gen front suspension.
I was so disappointed in the 5th Gen front that I did not install the rear shocks. The 5th Gen rear shocks have a larger diameter rear shock stud than the GX, which would require drilling out the mounting hole on the GX to make it fit. It wasn't worth it.
Oh well. It was a cheap experiment, but no one else needs to repeat it. However, I can't speak for the rear coils, which supposedly fit without modification.
