DenverLX 16' LX570 Build Thread (2 Viewers)

[DenverLX]

I thought I would finally get around to putting up an actual build thread. I have made a few posts and threads about my truck but thought I would put it all in one place since I think my truck is fairly unique. First I will post some pics of my truck as it currently sits and the list of mods completed. Then I will go in sequential order from when I bought it to now explaining everything that I have done and the pro's and cons.

 

[DenverLX]

It is a 2016 LX570 in Nightfall Mica with the Cabernet interior. I bought it in 2019 with 28k miles and it currently has ~65k. It has what I consider the perfect options list. I has the Heads up display, the luxury package, Mark Lev sound, wireless charger, and heated steering wheel. However it does not have the rear seat screens and the Cool Box, both of which I really did not want.

I have been driving Land Cruisers for over 15 years and honestly there isn't another vehicle that meets my needs. I road trip constantly so its got to be comfortable and have a lot of cargo room. I tow a trailer thousands of miles a year, mostly in Colorado, so it needs to be powerful (4 runners are too weak). I Offroad consistently (other full size SUV's cannot really Offroad) I live in downtown Denver and work at hospitals so a full size truck is difficult to park (I really thought about a raptor but they literally don't fit in the parking lot at my office or hospital). I take clients out and the Lexus impresses. I can't think of another vehicle that does all that.

Modifications:
Sensor lift
TRD Rock Warrior wheels, 5
285 (33") Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac ATs
Slee Sliders
Rear seat delete
Tint front windows
ARB drawers system
Rear Hatch LED light
Yakima roof bars
Yakima accessories (ski rack, roof box, and fly rod holder)
Lexus rubber floor mats
Pedal Commander
Dissent Front Bumper
Dissent Rear Bumper with Tire swing arm and Tray swing arm
Rigid lights, other lighting
Lots of stuff inside the drawers like air compressor, tool kits, recovery gear, ext

 

[DenverLX]

LX initial review: (this was a writeup that I previously posted but has my initial thoughts and review after buying the truck)

My 100 series, a 99' LX470, was starting to show its age. I actually think it is a great vehicle and has a lot of life left, but when I started driving my wife new car more I really started to want some of the modern upgrades new cars provide. So I started looking at 200 series. The first thing I noticed is how outdated these vehicles are in comparison to other cars/trucks available for the same year. I wanted things like AC seats, radar cruise control, decent infotainment, ext. Once I started test driving and looking closely I realized that the upgrades in the 16+ LC and LX were what I wanted. Plus these things are so expensive I fell into the trap of, "Well for only $$$ more I get this much more" and before I knew it I was way over my intended spending. But that being said I have always bought my cruisers with 90K-120K miles on them and I really wanted this truck to be nicer for longer and avoid a lot of that 100K+ maintenance that gets expensive and time consuming.

The real decision was choosing an LC or an LX. I went back and forth on this forever. I really like the look of the 16 LC and do not care for the styling of the LX. But the LX's interior is incomparable, its so damn nice, like really really nice. My wife thought the LX was too flashy and wanted the cruiser. I liked the idea of getting the cruiser so I could immediately start throwing on aftermarket parts (bumpers, lift, ext). However in reality my vehicles mostly get used for pulling my rafting trailer up to rivers in the summer and skiing in the winter. My offloading consist of Colorado mountain passes when I happen to already be driving through the areas while on a climbing/camping trip. I do drive a ton on dirt mountain roads, and I usually have the truck full of gear and people and a dog.

After driving the LC and LX many times, sometimes back to back I could not get over how much nicer the LX was to drive. Remember that these two vehicles are close in cost, but when you get inside the LX you fell like its worth the price. When you get inside the LC it feels like a nice Toyota, its nice but not special by any means. So eventually I got a great deal on a 16' LX 570 with 30K miles. I bought it for 62,500. Now for my review:

The LX so far is awesome. I did the sensor lift gaining 1.5" in ride height, and I put on Rock Warrior wheels with ~33" Goodyear Duratrac Wranglers. This immediately changed the look of the vehicle and made it look way nicer to me. (Who in the world actually likes 21" wheels? Also, I have a set of 21" wheels for sale!). The suspension is way better than the AHC in the 100. It rides very nice on pavement but also seems to control body roll and nose drop under braking better than any suspension Ive put in my other LC's. It's amazing how good it can handle a curved road at high speeds. I actually appreciate the ability to lower the vehicle bc I can actually fit in the parking garage at the hospital I work at, which is a first. Sure, I like the look of a bigger truck, but really I am enjoying being able to get in and out of the truck more easily and its still high enough for me.

The interior is unbelievable. I have spent time in a new range rover, a G63 AMG and a escalade and I can say that I prefer this interior to all of them (although the Range Rover is hard to beat, but its a Range Rover). The stereo is really really good. The seats are not as comfortable as my wife Volvo, or that Range Rover but they are good enough.

The Radar Cruise control is immediately a feature that you will want forever. I70 traffic just became less annoying. The headlights are amazing, the brights are on auto and I can say that I already had a close call at 70mph with an elk in Wyoming 5 days after buying the truck. I believe I would have hot the elk if I didn't have such bright lights to give me early warning.

The infotainment center was something that I was nervous about. I like touch screens and hate the stupid Lexus mouse pads and joysticks but I can tell you now that it is not a big deal at all and I think I'm starting to prefer this system over the one in the LC. For one the screen is big and looks great. The joystick was a pain in the ass for the first few days but I have gotten use to it and it is easy to use now. Plus, no one ever made it clear just how little you actually need to use it. There are buttons for all stereo controls and HVAC. There are scrolling buttons, a map button, ext. You don't have to use the joystick that much. If you are afraid of this system I would say that you should not let it be a factor in you r decision. Plus, by using a joystick instead of touch screen, the screen is now completely clear of fingerprints and smudges.

I have also put on a Yakima ski rack (I have a roof box I use sometimes). I prefer the yakima style racks over the cargo roof racks bc Im usually needing it for skis, paddles, ext. I added the Lexus rubber floor mats. I do not care for the weather tech's anymore bc they are hard plastic and they always look dirty. Plus they are $200 and the Lexus mats were $90.

I was expecting a more dramatic difference in power between the 100 series and the 200. The truck does not feel much faster driving around town, but when you want to pass someone on I-80 going 80 mph it takes off and makes the pass seem easy, which my 100 could not do. I ordered the Pedal Commander and it arrives today. My buddies 4 runner was massively improved by this device so I will let y'all know if it makes a difference here.

Finally, the LX's looks are growing on me. The headlights look sharp and I'm getting use to that big grill. Still like the LC better but hell, Im always on the inside anyway. I am planning on putting on sliders and loosing the running boards. And I will be lined up to buy bumpers when I can find out they fit on the LX. Overall Im extremely happy with the vehicle and have no doubt I made the right choice for my needs.

 

[DenverLX]

First Modification was to immediately rip the stupid 21" wheels off the truck and put on my RW wheels. I already owed a set and I took them off my 100 and put them on the 200. I have been using the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 285 tires for several years now, I'm on my second set. I really love these tires. They look very aggressive and they are insanely good in the snow. I live in Colorado and I do a lot of driving in snow and snow safety is actually my primary concern for tires. When I went to get my tires switched out I took my 100 and 200 and they happened to have an 80 there too.

The next thing I did was get a Yakima roof rack on there. I can't remember what full roof rock options were available for the 16'+ LX but regardless, I have no interest in full roof racks. I ski 30-40 days a year and I fish 30-40 days a year and I need my roof rack for carrying toys. I like the Yakima racks because I swap out my ski rack, roof box and fly rod holder throughout the year. I also switch the roof box between my truck and my wives Volvo as needed. I find the Yakima rack to be far more useful for my needs. Roof boxes hold gear/skis and keep them out of the weather, out of site and locked up. The Prinsu, Front Runner, ext roof racks sure look cool but they are not interchangeable, they are hard to install, you have to strap gear down, gear is difficult to lock up, can't carry skis, ext.

 

[DenverLX]

I live in Denver but have a place in Summit County that we use for the ski season. I am really obsessed with being on the river and I raft about 40 days a year. I also do a ton of fly fishing, camping ext. It is extremely rare for me to be in Denver on weekends, I generally spend 2-3 days a week nearly living out of my truck while doing whatever outdoor stuff I'm up too that weekend. Here are a few pics.

 

[DenverLX]

 

[DenverLX]

 

[DenverLX]

The next mods I did were some of the best improvements and probably the most useful.

ARB Drawers: The Drawers are incredible and I don't know how I lived without them. I use one drawer for tools, recovery gear, air compressor, and a bunch of stuff I like to keep on hand such as: small shovel, TP, paper towels, trash bags, zip locks, NRS straps, extra water, sleeping bag, first aid kit gloves, trailer repair stuff and more. I use the other drawer for my seasonal sport, in the summer its my fly fishing gear, like waders, boots, flies, net, ext, and in the winter its my ski boots, and ski clothing. Another bonus is that these can be locked. When I go rafting I have my truck shuttled down river therefore strangers are driving my car, its nice to. be able to lock everything up.

I also will sleep in the back of the truck if its cold or bad weather. I prefer just sleeping out side on a cot but there are times sleeping in the truck is nice and the drawers make that possible. I added some slick little tie downs to the top of the drawers that allow me to secure a cooler and propane tank or any other items.

LED light: I bought this from Brendan here on Mud. It is easily the best thing I have done tot the truck. It is awesome in every way, can't imagine not having this, if you don't have its get it right now.

Slee Sliders: I personally do not really care for the look of these sliders but they were the only ones that fit the LX and I was one of the first people to get them. They look very stock, which is fine, I always just preferred the round tube with a rear kick out. They seem to be well built and do their job just fine. They have lights built in which is nice because it automatically lights up the car as I walk up. Its nice because when I camping and sleeping in the truck it lights up the ground so I can see while I stumble around drunk trying to pee.

 

[DenverLX]

Dissent Bumpers:

I had been wanting bumpers since I bought the truck but no one really makes a bumper for the front of the 16'+ LX. I had already bumped my bumper and damaged it off-roading and the bumpers that come on the LX are just stupid low and have no clearance. I know there was one on here that had put an ARB bumper on the front but I talked to some folks at one of the shops that had seen it and they said it was a ton of chopping and I decided it wasn't what I wanted. I talked to Ben at Dissent and while he had never fit a bumper on the front of a 16'+ LX he said he would give it a try as long as I was willing to accept being a guinea pig. I ordered the front and rear bumpers.

It was a couple months before I received the bumpers but they came and they looked really good and I was excited to get them put on. I did the install myself and I wrote up some of my experiences with that in this thread. Dissent Front/Rear Bumper install instructions (LX) - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/dissent-front-rear-bumper-install-instructions-lx.1213883/

I do wish there was an option for a bull bar on the front because I hit or come close to hitting animals fairly frequently, but being that I have a newer LX, I have had to use parts that are available as there isn't as much choice as there is in the LC200 or the 100s, 80s. This bumper certainly looks great, and a bull bar would not look as good, Im sure of that. The clearance is ridiculous.

The rear bumper is also very nice. I got the rear tire carrier and a big tray that goes on the other side. I only recently put the tire carrier on and I haven't ever put the tray on but I plan on adding it for a big trip I have coming up in Utah. The bumper is great and it would be hard to find a single complaint. Dissent makes incredible stuff. I don't think I will use the second swing out too much because I think it will just be too much unless Im actually on an Offroad trip. This truck is my daily driver. Also, Im really on the fence about the tire carrier. It looks great, and works well but I hate having to open and close it to get into the back. I use the back of my truck daily and honestly, I hate having to touch the gross tire just to close it when Im wearing my dress cloths and stopping by the grocery store.

 

[Air Down Gear Up]

Nice! Excellent build! Seeing your dissent bumper install helped push me into the 16+ LX, thanks for the inspiration!!

 

[tincan45]

Sub'd. Awesome rig! ...almost as cool as your dog!

 

[TeCKis300]

Beautiful rig. She must turn some heads cruiser down the road.

 

[DenverLX]

Thanks, my dog Yampa is the best. He's a river dog and generally jumps I the truck as soon as I start packing.

The Truck has been getting a lot of attention, people taking pictures, thumbs up, ext.

 

[arrivederci]

Excellent thread, sub'd. Planning to put an order in for the Dissent front bumper soon for my '13. A few questions...

1) How long did it take to install the front bumper? I'll probably take this on myself too - reasonably capable in the shop.
2) Happy with the stock powder coating?
3) So the license plate covers the winch and you remove the plate when you need the winch?
4) I see you mounted the 3x3 floods. I assume that's a good economical compromise from going with 6" fogs and the light bar? We don't get much fog in Colorado...

And your parking garage must have a lot more clearance than mine. I will hit the safety reminder bar on the way in unless I am fully lowered. And that's without a sensor lift or additional roof goodies.

 

[DenverLX]

Excellent thread, sub'd. Planning to put an order in for the Dissent front bumper soon for my '13. A few questions...

1) How long did it take to install the front bumper? I'll probably take this on myself too - reasonably capable in the shop.
2) Happy with the stock powder coating?
3) So the license plate covers the winch and you remove the plate when you need the winch?
4) I see you mounted the 3x3 floods. I assume that's a good economical compromise from going with 6" fogs and the light bar? We don't get much fog in Colorado...

And your parking garage must have a lot more clearance than mine. I will hit the safety reminder bar on the way in unless I am fully lowered. And that's without a sensor lift or additional roof goodies.

1. I detailed the install of the bumper in that thread I linked. It took my a considerable amount of time but not too bad. It just comes in sooooo many parts, and I was the first to do it in the 16+, but overall It was pretty straight forward. Rear was more difficult simply bc there are so many parts to it.
2. Powder coat seems fine
3. I did not put a winch on this vehicle so I used that area for the license plate.
4. I can't remember but I think I ordered the little light pods bc I liked the look of them better. Although they do point out to the sides at an angle, if I were to do it again I would have probably gotten the other lights. I am going to add a light bar to the middle. Not that I really need one, the stock lights are super impressive and I don't drive too much at night, but just to fill that slot. I certainly didn't want to pay for the $900+ Rigid LED that comes in there. I will add a cheaper one and build some bracket so that it fits just right. And yeah, what's fog?

You got me, I don't fit in the parking garage anymore, but when I don't have anything on the roof bars I can put the truck into low and get in. I just street park a ton in downtown, at my house and near hospitals and when I was driving my friends f150 I was really surprised at how few spots I could get in.

 

[Broncobroke]

Truck looks very nice. I love the look of the RW's.

 

[ThreeSix]

looking forward to following your build! Love seeing the 16+ LX's getting built out

 

[DenverLX]

Beautiful day up on Pearl Pass, Created Butte, CO

 

[kyle94109]

First Modification was to immediately rip the stupid 21" wheels off the truck and put on my RW wheels. I already owed a set and I took them off my 100 and put them on the 200. I have been using the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 285 tires for several years now, I'm on my second set. I really love these tires. They look very aggressive and they are insanely good in the snow. I live in Colorado and I do a lot of driving in snow and snow safety is actually my primary concern for tires. When I went to get my tires switched out I took my 100 and 200 and they happened to have an 80 there too.View attachment 2797176

The next thing I did was get a Yakima roof rack on there. I can't remember what full roof rock options were available for the 16'+ LX but regardless, I have no interest in full roof racks. I ski 30-40 days a year and I fish 30-40 days a year and I need my roof rack for carrying toys. I like the Yakima racks because I swap out my ski rack, roof box and fly rod holder throughout the year. I also switch the roof box between my truck and my wives Volvo as needed. I find the Yakima rack to be far more useful for my needs. Roof boxes hold gear/skis and keep them out of the weather, out of site and locked up. The Prinsu, Front Runner, ext roof racks sure look cool but they are not interchangeable, they are hard to install, you have to strap gear down, gear is difficult to lock up, can't carry skis, ext. View attachment 2797183

I'm in the process of researching wheels/tires, bc I need to drop the 21s off my LX570 too, especially before a trip I have planned in November to get up into the mountains/snow. What is the "sensor lift gaining 1.5" in ride height" you mentioned in your post and is this required for the wheel/tire setup? Keen to know more about this as all signs are pointing me towards the 17 RW's and 285/70/17.

 

[tbisaacs]

I'm in the process of researching wheels/tires, bc I need to drop the 21s off my LX570 too, especially before a trip I have planned in November to get up into the mountains/snow. What is the "sensor lift gaining 1.5" in ride height" you mentioned in your post and is this required for the wheel/tire setup? Keen to know more about this as all signs are pointing me towards the 17 RW's and 285/70/17.

LX570 AHC height modifications (lift it!)

Ive been searching around and have read mention of people adjusting the AHC to set the truck height higher but I haven't seen any tutorial about it. I looked under the truck at the sensors and it looks like there is room for adjustment. I am really just hoping to raise the front end to remove...

forum.ih8mud.com