Brauski's LX470 Build "Linz" (1 Viewer)

[brauski]

Weather has been trash so far this year in MS, and the few good weekends I've been gone on work trips. Finally got some free time between storms and got to put the new springs on. Ordered some King KTRS-79s back in October, and they finally got here. Shout out to the USPS for being entirely incompetent and sending them back to Australia the first try, and shout out to Australia Post for trying to claim that they were properly "delivered" ON THE WRONG CONTINENT. Yall the real MVPs.

Anyways, here's why I decided to go with the Kings - rear pressures way out of specs. Figured I'd try the Kings then spacers if I needed more.

 

[brauski]

Didn't get any pics during because some of those bolts were being a pain. Highly recommend liberal use of PB Blaster and taking your time. After a full day of waiting and frustration, I eventually resorted to the ole trusty ebay spring compressors to get the left side on due to a sway bar I couldn't disconnect on that side. Gave the TBs a few cranks, and now we're looking way better!

Final specs from today after some TB adjustment to fix the front. Not bad, took me from 8.0Mpa-g in the rear to 5.1Mpa-g! Car is fully unloaded besides the rear seats, and has an 1/8 of a tank of gas. So that rear number should rise back to operating limits nicely. Highly recommend the KTRS-79s so far!

And finally adding to the classic sticker collection. Hopefully we'll be able to add Daniel Boone NF here in the next few weeks!

 

[brauski]

Finally made it up to Kentucky at the beginning of the month and hit a few sections of the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway. Didn't get too many good shots, as it was raining the whole time. The trails were pretty gnarly - super slick and brutal ruts. Definitely the most sketch/nerve racking drive I've had so far. But it was loads of fun and Linz held up great!

The Trail Tailor sliders finally paid for themselves! I've also decided some Dissent Aluminum Skids are going to be necessary soon based on the symphony of sliding and grinding I heard under the truck on this trail... lol

 

[brauski]

Borrowed my friend's DJI Mavic 2 Zoom for the trip hoping to get some cool shots offroading. However, it ended up raining the whole day. When we got to the sky bridge it was so beautiful that I had to send it up. Well long story short, I crashed it and almost lost it. That was siiiick. Luckily I was able to find and fix it for under $69, but I told him before I left that if I broke it I'd buy it. So I'm now a proud owner of a sick drone, but much earlier than I was budgeting for. lol So it might be a minute until I can afford those skid plates. Here's a peak.



And now we're up to date on the stickers.

 

[brauski]

This whole COVID thing has us on an amazing schedule at work and gives me way more time to start working on more projects. First one on the list was to install the light controller I got for Christmas. Took a minute to find a fuse to grab ignition on power from, ended up going with the seat heaters. Took me longer than I'd like to admit to realise that if you're using fuse taps and they have places for 2 fuses, you need 2 fuses in their to get a closed circuit. Crazy, huh? haha Still need to find a place to permanently mount the Trigger 4+, right now the leading idea is to velcro it to the top of the fuse container so I can remove it if I need to figure out what fuse does what. Also took this time to get rid of my stock terminals and start all this new electrical work right with some SDHQ Billet Terminals. It's an expensive kit, but a classic example of "you get what you pay for." Never thought I'd rave about the quality of battery terminal kit, but here I am.

Next few projects on deck include:

-Refilling the power steering system and trying to stop the leak I just noticed on the passenger side boot. Hopefully that works, not trying to repalce the rack right now.
-Flush the AHC system
-Replace my ancient and used up looking shift gate
-Get the rest of the lights the PO had on the vehicle wired up so they actually work

 

[saucebox]

What light controller is that? I need something different—went a different route and it's kind of a POS. (It's not kind of...it's junk.)

 

[brauski]

What light controller is that? I need something different—went a different route and it's kind of a POS. (It's not kind of...it's junk.)

The Trigger 4+. I did a bunch of research before I went with it because it seemed like the best value. It's a nice kit and is super easy to install. It has bluetooth and a wireless RF remote which is nice because you don't have to run wires thru the firewall, but the switches are TRASH. I'd read reviews about how bad they were and figured they couldn't be that bad...but they actually are. Like when you activate a switch sometimes it feels like you're breaking it. But I plan on using the bluetooth 95% of the time, so I still think it's a good fit for me. Another future project I've been thinking about would be putting better quality switches on it and running it to constant power in the overhead console. That end goal was another reason I chose this. I figured it'd be easier to just tap it into power up there versus snaking all the wires all the way up there. But that's for another day.

Edit- Looks like it's the perfect size to go in the garage door opener part. Stoked. More to follow.

 

[brauski]

Replaced the shifter gate. Looks amazing now, but if you're looking at trying to do this yourself, it's ALOT of work for such a small, non-functional change. I couldn't get the overdrive button pins removed from the connector, so I ended up having to cut the wires to remove the shifter. That was pretty annoying. Thought about replacing the shifter while I had it off since it was such a PITA, but turns out no one is really selling it as a part. Looks like you'd have to buy the whole assembly. That's more than I'm trying to pay right now, so it'll stay as is.

 

[brauski]

Flushed the power steering fluid with Mobil 1 multi-vehicle synthetic and, wow was it needed. Also threw in some AT-205 for good measure. Hopefully that slows those seeps and delays me needing a new steering rack. Shoutout to @2001LC for the great instructions. Glad I bought 2 quarts as a precaution, ended up taping into the second. Went from a gross brown, to a cherry red. We'll keep an eye on the resevoir, but cross your fingers that we sealed the seeps! The Harbor Freight pump and mid level brake bleeder kit exceeded expectations.

Also flushed the AHC fluid, same gross brown turned to a nice light purple. Thanks @PADDO for the great instructions! Noticed some dark particulates in the fluid I flushed out, which is slightly worriesome. But we got the proper amount out, so hopefully the globes are still good to go. System ops tests good, and accumulator pressure dropped 1 Mpa-g. Still kinda confused as to whether or not I should be in the rig while running the test, but here's the new numbers, without driver, and with, respectively. Looks like I may need to take another look at tightening or replacing the front TBs.

Also got tired of the dumb mirror. Low key has always bothered me that it's on the left side, since that's where it is on RHD trucks. Meaning since mine is LHD, it should be on the other side... But the PO was a little special so he probably had no idea. It's off now, not too much rust on the holes. may cover it with a sticker after sealing it up, or just leave it. We'll see.

 

[brauski]

Finally did the heater tees today. Been putting this off for 2 years thinking I'd be ok. Threw the parts in the back of the truck with some tools and figured I'd fix it on scene if it ever gave out. I made it 15k and two years with no failures. But, it probably made romaval way more difficult, snf there's no way I could have fixed these roadside at 69" tall. Not enough reach.

Both tees broke, and the parts stuck inside were almost fused to the hose. She's got 175k and they were most likely original. Major PITA. Took me like an hour and a half. Fix these things as early as you can, save some headache. If you've struggling to get leverage on those pesky stock clamps, I found a small metal c-clamp from Harbor Freight was way better than my slippery, coolant covered pliers.

I went with the metal tees and constant torque hose clamps. Made reassembly waaaaay easier just using an impact driver. So far they seem nice and tight, and no leaks. I'll report back if they cause me any issues.

 

[brauski]

Spacers are on! Got a note for the guys that make these BORA spacers saying they were super delayed because of COVID last week. Figured I'd be waiting months. Well apparently those dudes have been crushing it, cause they got here today! Had to throw them on right away. Was worried 1.25" wouldn't be enough, but it ended up being about perfect. Put the truck in L to make lifting it easier, that's why it's so squatted in the before pics.

Before/After:

 

[brauski]

Started work on updating the old Nav with ML. Ended up choosing the Alipne ILX-W650 for it's compact size, solid price, and Android Auto. I always plug my phone in anyways, so I won't be too upset not having wireless AA for a few more years. Chose to go for the LX Digital controls to keep it LX themed. RIP the Owl Expedition Media Mount. Off to the calssifieds then Ebay with the originals!

I put this job off for years. Figured it would be too much headache. Well I finally bit the bullet and gave it a shot now that I have tons of free time. I took my time, labeled everything, and the install was super easy due to the great info in the Pre-03 Nav Delete thread. If anyone knows what those RCAs are that the PO had stashed in the dash, let me know, I'm super curious. They seem to have been plugged in to the female RCAs in between the cigarette adapters...

Buuuuut, I messed something up. Looks fine mocked up, but a bunch of the buttons on the Digital HVAC controls are INOP. I've triple checked and I think I got all the wires where they belong, but obviously some of the pins aren't getting power. I ordered a power probe and am gonna check for continuity in all those wires I spliced. Crossing my fingers I find something. If that doesn't work, it's possible the used Ebay controls aren't 100%. Hopefully we don't get that far.

While I'm waiting, I figured I'd take this time to just go balls to the wall and sound deaden the whole truck and put in a new sound system while I wait for the power probe to get here. More to follow on that soon.

 

[brauski]

Since I don't have AC or music, the truck's been sitting in the driveway. Killed time by putting new fuel filter in. I don't think the old one was OEM, it says that it was made in Israel.

The river is just about a 1/4 mile down the street, and with these unseasonably cool days in Mississippi lately, I had to go blow off some steam on the river. To lazy to reconfigure the roof rack, so for a while this is how I'm gonna be transporting the SUP. Taking the passenger seat out in preparation for amp install gave me so much room for activities. Also, shout out to Toyota and this tailgate. Big fan.

Hit a new record on the water, 2.5 miles. Also had a great conversation with a cop who's trying to put a snorkel on his Jeep. haha

 

[brauski]

It's been a good few months. Let’s start with all of the trash that the PO installed that I cleaned out. Sirius XM and it's goodies, the remnants of a built in radar detector system, a viper alarm system, an extra driver side window rail that was chilling in the door making noise whenever I opened and shut it, and this gem of a fuse. Glad the rig never burned down...

 

[brauski]

Next up, I decided to clean the carpets and sound deaden. Also took the time to clean up and repaint all the metal that was incredibly rusty inside the center console and in the cargo area. Here are some before and afters.

 

[brauski]

Next was sound deadening. I did a bunch of research prior to getting the materials, there's a bunch of options but very few manufacturers make it easy to find their product's specs. I went with B-Quiet for their transparency and value. In my temperatures, their materials perform the same or better than Dynamat and Dynapad, and at a much lower price point. I ended up using 50 sqft of the Ultimate Sound Deadener, 3 rolls of their VComp, and I a 12sqft thing of Dynamat Xtreme when I got my speakers off Crutchfield to ensure I'd have enough.

Based on my research, this deadener keeps the material from resonating. Because of that, I didn't cover the areas that were damped from the factory - I just covered all undampened surfaces in the truck I could get to in the rig below the windows. While I had her stripped down I compared the LX factory sound deading to some LC pics online, and the difference is amazing. I'd highly recommend an LX over and LC for that reason alone. Covered most of the Ultimate with 3M Aluminum tape to keep the Butyl away from the carpet, and to help slightly with heat insulation. Also looks pretty-er.

The next stage was adding the VComp to actually kill cut down on the noise intruding into the vehicle. Covered the whole floor and the fender wells with it. Pretty cool stuff, added a nice plush feel the carpet. It's a vinyl polymer and foam decoupler in one.

 

[brauski]

Since the doors were off for sound dampening, I replaced all the motors in the locks. They stop working every summer, no excuse not to with everything already torn apart. Bought them from a fellow Mudder, got 8 for like $35. I ended up needing the collared ones. Only one really looked bad, but with them all replaced, I can tell you they were all dying a slow and painful death. They seriously sound 8x more powerful now. Pretty satisfying to hear. Read lots of stories of the casing opening back up or letting water in over time due to heat and a poor reseal, so I cleaned them all up nice and good and used a marine epoxy. Only time will tell, but I'm pretty confident it'll do fine.

 

[brauski]

And today was the best day ever. After months of troubleshooting electrical gremlins, she's all done and back together. If you want a good laugh at my expense, go over to the Pre-03 Nav Delete thread with a bag of popcorn and enjoy watching my slow descent into madness over the last few months trying to solve that. I'll just say that I'm stoked that's done. now I'm just waiting on my oscilliscope multimeter to get here so I can do a ghetto audio tune.

As far as the setup, I went with mostly Kicker - 46CSS654 up front, 46CSC654 in the back doors, and a CompC 44TCWC104 sub all powered by a refurbished Kenwood X802-5. I thought about dropping an 8" or something into the stock housing but decided to just get the premade enclosure because of all the other work I had to do. Also, I was able to go a bit bigger.

For ease of mounting I put the tweeters where the middle speakers in the front door used to be, that worked very well. I'd say with these components the mids and highs aren't as good as the old repaired MLs, but I do have solid bass now. I'll upgrade to some nicer front components at somepoint in the future. A sub $1k system will never be as good as a $2k plus system. But definitely overall a win for me as I mostly listen to electronic music, and now have Android Auto.

I may reddrill some holes on the headunit mounting tabs so I can make it flush, but I'm gonna take atleast a few months hiatus from that for now. Next we can finally move back to mechanical stuff in the coming weeks!

 

[CBeckFJ]

Started work on updating the old Nav with ML. Ended up choosing the Alipne ILX-W650 for it's compact size, solid price, and Android Auto. I always plug my phone in anyways, so I won't be too upset not having wireless AA for a few more years. Chose to go for the LX Digital controls to keep it LX themed. RIP the Owl Expedition Media Mount. Off to the calssifieds then Ebay with the originals!

View attachment 2291081View attachment 2291082

I put this job off for years. Figured it would be too much headache. Well I finally bit the bullet and gave it a shot now that I have tons of free time. I took my time, labeled everything, and the install was super easy due to the great info in the Pre-03 Nav Delete thread. If anyone knows what those RCAs are that the PO had stashed in the dash, let me know, I'm super curious. They seem to have been plugged in to the female RCAs in between the cigarette adapters...

View attachment 2291084

Buuuuut, I messed something up. Looks fine mocked up, but a bunch of the buttons on the Digital HVAC controls are INOP. I've triple checked and I think I got all the wires where they belong, but obviously some of the pins aren't getting power. I ordered a power probe and am gonna check for continuity in all those wires I spliced. Crossing my fingers I find something. If that doesn't work, it's possible the used Ebay controls aren't 100%. Hopefully we don't get that far.

While I'm waiting, I figured I'd take this time to just go balls to the wall and sound deaden the whole truck and put in a new sound system while I wait for the power probe to get here. More to follow on that soon.

Do you have any pictures of the LX nav system plugs/connector inserts behind the radio and HU? I'm looking at swapping my '05 out for a '99 cluster. Thanks

 

[brauski]

Do you have any pictures of the LX nav system plugs/connector inserts behind the radio and HU? I'm looking at swapping my '05 out for a '99 cluster. Thanks

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