I installed a Bilstein 6112 HD front kit (and 5160 rears) on my standard-weight '10 GX460 Premium.
"But why the HD kit? Why not the standard non-HD 6112 kit?? Are you some kind of imbecile???"
Good questions! I went with the HD kit because, I reasoned, the GX460 is a heavy bish. The standard non-HD 6112 kit p/n for the GX460 is shared with the 5th gen 4R & the FJ. The HD 6112 kit (also for all 3 applications) is intended for +150-200 lb extra front weight like for a heavy-ass steel bumper and winch and other heavy bits and bobs. The stock GX carries that extra weight (and more) compared to 4R/FJ. Example, the GX460 weighs ~1000 lb more than an FJ. Roughly half of that weight sits at the front, so the HD kit would seem to be a much more suitable fit for a stock GX.
My goal for this exercise was to replace the soggy tired stock dampers with ones that had ACTUAL DAMPING, and get a modest lift. I reeeeaaally didn't want to find out that the standard non-HD 6112 was actually underdamped for the GX460. That's the exact problem I'm trying to solve! (Note, I don't know if the standard kit is or isn't underdamped on the GX. I just wanted to hedge by using the HD kit)
Plus, I wanted to stay under 2" lift. And keep the stock rear air springs. I've taken this bone stock GX on trails that were really too extreme for a bone stock GX, and the novelty of successfully wheeling a bone stock GX in those conditions has overstayed its welcome. But I also want to keep this thing sane and drivable and not go full slippery-slope and spend a ton of cash only to end up with something I hate to drive. So, <2" lift.
Moreover, stock GX460 front spring rate measures at ~715 lb/in, and the HD 6112 kit comes with 700 lb/in springs. Nice, since I am keeping the stock rear air springs and so with the HD front springs the ride frequencies will remain stock and I have just eliminated a variable.
Super. I installed the 6112 HD with the spring seat circlip in the lowest position ("#1" groove). The ride height was 3" higher than stock. Oops! That's much higher than my <2" target. Bilstein adds like 175 lb to the front plus 400 lb between the axles for their HD kits. I, however, am stock. So this result was not really a surprise. But what to do? Well, I could swap in 650 lb/in springs and get a half-inch reduction or so, but that's not enough.
So instead the 6112s went into the lathe for some fresh new lower grooves:
I cut three new grooves. To determine their location I first sort of guesstimated the front suspension's motion ratio by eyeballing it with my head craned under the bumper. I got it pretty wrong but that's why there are three grooves. I tripled my chance of getting a workable solution! It's the perfect countermeasure to sloppy measuring.
The lowest groove is 0.70" lower than the bottom Bilstein ("#1") groove. This gave approx +1" ride height over stock. Hmm.
The next higher new groove is 0.46" lower than the #1 groove and this gave approx +1.7" over stock. Boom. Done. I can use the top new groove for a softer spring, if need be.
Here, maybe this will help:
For the rear ride height I put about 3/16" stack of M8 washers under the height sensor bracket thingies. It's basically level now, maybe just a hair lower at the rear than in front. Close enough.
So that's where it is now. I haven't driven it more than a few miles and none of them were off road. So far it doesn't feel overly unyielding at the front, and exhibits promising amounts of ACTUAL DAMPING now, which I am very excited about.
"But why the HD kit? Why not the standard non-HD 6112 kit?? Are you some kind of imbecile???"
Good questions! I went with the HD kit because, I reasoned, the GX460 is a heavy bish. The standard non-HD 6112 kit p/n for the GX460 is shared with the 5th gen 4R & the FJ. The HD 6112 kit (also for all 3 applications) is intended for +150-200 lb extra front weight like for a heavy-ass steel bumper and winch and other heavy bits and bobs. The stock GX carries that extra weight (and more) compared to 4R/FJ. Example, the GX460 weighs ~1000 lb more than an FJ. Roughly half of that weight sits at the front, so the HD kit would seem to be a much more suitable fit for a stock GX.
My goal for this exercise was to replace the soggy tired stock dampers with ones that had ACTUAL DAMPING, and get a modest lift. I reeeeaaally didn't want to find out that the standard non-HD 6112 was actually underdamped for the GX460. That's the exact problem I'm trying to solve! (Note, I don't know if the standard kit is or isn't underdamped on the GX. I just wanted to hedge by using the HD kit)
Plus, I wanted to stay under 2" lift. And keep the stock rear air springs. I've taken this bone stock GX on trails that were really too extreme for a bone stock GX, and the novelty of successfully wheeling a bone stock GX in those conditions has overstayed its welcome. But I also want to keep this thing sane and drivable and not go full slippery-slope and spend a ton of cash only to end up with something I hate to drive. So, <2" lift.
Moreover, stock GX460 front spring rate measures at ~715 lb/in, and the HD 6112 kit comes with 700 lb/in springs. Nice, since I am keeping the stock rear air springs and so with the HD front springs the ride frequencies will remain stock and I have just eliminated a variable.
Super. I installed the 6112 HD with the spring seat circlip in the lowest position ("#1" groove). The ride height was 3" higher than stock. Oops! That's much higher than my <2" target. Bilstein adds like 175 lb to the front plus 400 lb between the axles for their HD kits. I, however, am stock. So this result was not really a surprise. But what to do? Well, I could swap in 650 lb/in springs and get a half-inch reduction or so, but that's not enough.
So instead the 6112s went into the lathe for some fresh new lower grooves:
I cut three new grooves. To determine their location I first sort of guesstimated the front suspension's motion ratio by eyeballing it with my head craned under the bumper. I got it pretty wrong but that's why there are three grooves. I tripled my chance of getting a workable solution! It's the perfect countermeasure to sloppy measuring.
The lowest groove is 0.70" lower than the bottom Bilstein ("#1") groove. This gave approx +1" ride height over stock. Hmm.
The next higher new groove is 0.46" lower than the #1 groove and this gave approx +1.7" over stock. Boom. Done. I can use the top new groove for a softer spring, if need be.
Here, maybe this will help:
For the rear ride height I put about 3/16" stack of M8 washers under the height sensor bracket thingies. It's basically level now, maybe just a hair lower at the rear than in front. Close enough.
So that's where it is now. I haven't driven it more than a few miles and none of them were off road. So far it doesn't feel overly unyielding at the front, and exhibits promising amounts of ACTUAL DAMPING now, which I am very excited about.
