Bent Suspension Brackets - HELP!

[Zarasa]

According to my mechanic the folks who flatbed towed my GX470 managed to damage the rear suspension. The air springs sit on a bracket that is welded to the rear axle housing. One of those brackets is bent. According to the mechanic working on the car, he can bend it back in place and then weld in some 1/4" steel plate to reinforce it (the guy builds and runs dirt track cars I think...so he knows what he's doing in this regard). He thinks he can seat a new air spring on it and make it all work correctly...maybe.

However, my cousin who is a Master Certified Lexus Tech says no way...once those brackets are bent there's no going back...your air springs will NEVER seat properly and even if they do you'll have problems in the future. He says the proper fix is to replace the axle housing or swap the entire rear end from a donor (salvage) vehicle. All because of a bent bracket!

Holy #$@% a few days ago I had a wonderful almost 200K mile original owner (that's me) GX470 in absolutely pristine condition that just needed an alternator. Now I'm looking at a huge ($3K?) repair bill and a fight with the towing company.

Is bending the bracket back and welding in the 1/4" steel plate to support it idea viable at all? My wife is the primary driver of this vehicle. If the suspension fails in the future I don't want her stuck (or worse) by the side of the road somewhere. Also when the GX470 hit 250K miles I was planning to make it my toy (2" lift and other goodies).

Any thoughts from the crew here?

I really cannot see how this happened other than the tow. I trust my mechanic and I know I didn't do it because I don't go off road (this is our family car), didn't run over anything and theres nothing else damaged in the same general area (brake line, wiring etc is in tact). Also according to my cousin at Lexus it would be pretty much impossible for a driver to damage this part without there being other massive damage to the axle...only a tow truck could cause it.

Help me guys...I'm meeting the rep from the tow co tommorrow with my mechanic. Can post pics if it helps. Urrrgh! (I'm posting this on a few forums in case you see it elsewhere...not SPAM)

 

[GXO]

Spring swap with metal tech mounts


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Zarasa]

Thx Dan. I started researching that last night. The plan was always to switch out the air suspension and lift the truck when it transition from my wife to me. I really didn't want to do that for two more years...now I'm forced to look into it.

 

[Zarasa]

And thoughts on the bent bracket?

 

[Sleepy]

You should probably just do the lift now and enjoy the fact that your wife will be hotter in a lifted truck. I think a lady goes at least a point up the hottness scale when driving a lifted truck.

 

[Zarasa]

Since I have to do several days (weeks?) of research on this now in a few hours to make a snap decision on springs / lift. I would appreciate input / links from those of you who have already modified your suspension.

Also, she's already a hottie...not sure I want her getting the extra attention!

 

[GXO]

You could fix it with some welding skill, otherwise clean it up and convert.

 

[Zarasa]

I have a few hours this morning to research threads here and at Toyota120. Should I be looking anywhere else for info on converting and/or lifting?

This is my wife's truck for two more years...she's not going to be happy with a big lift...has to be stock or a small increase in ride height. Since I don't want to mess with the front...seems I shouldn't do the lift now...just convert to metal springs right?

 

[GXO]

You can use the metaltech kit and stock springs from a 4R (or stock height aftermarket)

 

[Zarasa]

Ordering this from Metal Tech:

GX470 Rear Coil Conversion Complete Kit

Will use stock ride height springs for now. When the truck transitions from my wife to me I'll be all set to add Metal Tech's Stage 1 lift kit.

Questions:

1 - Am I ordering the right part?

2 - This set up will be much more forgiving of the bent back into place mounting bracket/seat on the axle right? I've talked to a few guys who have said there is a low likelihood that a new airbag will seat perfectly on the bent bracket, and even if it does initially work it may fail later.

3 - Will there be any negative impact on ride quality. This is my wife's daily driver for commuting round trip 80 miles.

4 - Using this conversion kit sets me up for being able to install a 2" lift kit in the future...meaning I would need these parts anyway right?

Thanks for all your help to the mods and members here...I've been here before lurking and day dreaming about lifting the GX. Just cannot do it right now.

 

[little_joe]

Ordering this from Metal Tech:

GX470 Rear Coil Conversion Complete Kit

Will use stock ride height springs for now. When the truck transitions from my wife to me I'll be all set to add Metal Tech's Stage 1 lift kit.

Questions:

1 - Am I ordering the right part?

Yes you are.

2 - This set up will be much more forgiving of the bent back into place mounting bracket/seat on the axle right? I've talked to a few guys who have said there is a low likelihood that a new airbag will seat perfectly on the bent bracket, and even if it does initially work it may fail later.

It'd be helpful if you could post some detailed photos of the bent bracket, otherwise we're all just guessing.

3 - Will there be any negative impact on ride quality. This is my wife's daily driver for commuting round trip 80 miles.

This depends on which springs you use. If you go with a heavy OME spring, it'll probably be crap; if you use a 4R or FJC stock spring, it will be very similar to (and likely better than) stock ride.

4 - Using this conversion kit sets me up for being able to install a 2" lift kit in the future...meaning I would need these parts anyway right?

Yep, you'll be all set.

 

[Zarasa]

Picture of the bent bracket. This is the passenger side on the rear axle housing.

 

[Zarasa]

This is the bottom of the air bag that was seated on the bracket that is bent.

 

[Zarasa]

Here's the bracket after being bent back into position. Based on the way the new airbag is supposed to sit on the bracket, there doesn't appear to be a whole of room for misalignment here. We had the airbags and the pump replaced at great expense two years ago at ~150K miles.

 

[GXO]

Spring conversion would work. If you want to reinforce you could plate that side and good to go.

 

[little_joe]

Spring conversion would work. If you want to reinforce you could plate that side and good to go.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[BlackCat]

DON'T use 4Runner springs. Use FJ springs. I've said it a million times, my belief is the 4 Runner springs don't do well with the added weight of a GX. I have FJ springs in mine and it is literally night and day difference how much better it rides without bags. FJ springs also give a small amount of lift, which in my opinion is perfect. Gives the truck a bit of rake which I think looks fantastic.

I don't mean to picture whore my truck, but this is with FJ springs in the back. Everything else is stock.

 

[helocat]

Metal-tech 4x4 also usually has good matched pairs of take off OEM Toyota FJC springs avalible too. Just have to ask if we have any. They almost all end up on GX470's.

 

[Zarasa]

I don't mean to picture whore my truck, but this is with FJ springs in the back. Everything else is stock.

BlackCat, Please provide addition pics, especially a view directly from the side so I can determine if I want the slight lift in the rear. As mentioned above this is my wife's car. She wants it back exactly the way it was before this fiasco. I like it...just need to be sure she's not going to freak when she sees it. Thanks again to everyone here for your input.

 

[little_joe]

In my case, the FJC springs provided 1/2" of lift over the air suspension at Normal height. Depending on your wife's attention to subtleties of a 4x4, she may not even notice.