I have a 2009 GX with 150k+ miles. I'm getting CV Axles replaced next week with CARDONE SELECT 665235HD from RockAuto. Last time I went to the mechanic, he showed that one of my boot was leaking, so I thought I should replace the whole assembly on both sides now since I'm very proactive when it comes to preventive maintenance.
The other problem I've been experiencing for a while now is that the ride on uneven road surfaces is not smooth because the car is not absorbing the bumps and the back seats shake/vibrate too which also adds noise. I feel that the front wheels also seem to shake a bit when driving on uneven surfaces, but I'm not sure if that is actually happening. So far, at 130k miles I had only replaced the front and rear shocks with Bilstein 5100 and the rest is all original. Both shocks are adjustable, but I left the rear in default settings and moved the front to 1st level up to give car a nice even stance without any rake effect. I didn't really feel much difference in terms of comfort when I changed the shocks, and I thought maybe I didn't make the best choice so I lived with it. Are there any other wear & tear items in the front suspension/axle that you think I should also replace at this time while I'm getting the axles replaced that may improve the ride quality and less bumps? ex. tie rod ends, etc...
I'm also going to have the mechanic check the back suspension because I think it is also affecting the ride quality/comfort. Most likely the airbags have gone bad because last time he mentioned that there was a small crack in one of them. The car's back is leveled fine while standing or running, but I heard some noise from the suspension last week when my wife was pulling in on a rough surface. To offset the cost associated with airbag system, I'm considering going with coil conversion without any lift since I'm not going to do any off-roading. Based on the reviews I've read here and other GX forum (CL), it seems there are some good options available such as SSO, Strutmasters, Metal Tech or Arnott. Everyone here has different opinion on these so there isn't any consensus which one is the best option to go with in terms of comfort - and I also prefer not to raise the rear to maintain a nice stance that my GX currently has. If there are any suggestions or pictures that you can post here with your conversion that would be great.
The other problem I've been experiencing for a while now is that the ride on uneven road surfaces is not smooth because the car is not absorbing the bumps and the back seats shake/vibrate too which also adds noise. I feel that the front wheels also seem to shake a bit when driving on uneven surfaces, but I'm not sure if that is actually happening. So far, at 130k miles I had only replaced the front and rear shocks with Bilstein 5100 and the rest is all original. Both shocks are adjustable, but I left the rear in default settings and moved the front to 1st level up to give car a nice even stance without any rake effect. I didn't really feel much difference in terms of comfort when I changed the shocks, and I thought maybe I didn't make the best choice so I lived with it. Are there any other wear & tear items in the front suspension/axle that you think I should also replace at this time while I'm getting the axles replaced that may improve the ride quality and less bumps? ex. tie rod ends, etc...
I'm also going to have the mechanic check the back suspension because I think it is also affecting the ride quality/comfort. Most likely the airbags have gone bad because last time he mentioned that there was a small crack in one of them. The car's back is leveled fine while standing or running, but I heard some noise from the suspension last week when my wife was pulling in on a rough surface. To offset the cost associated with airbag system, I'm considering going with coil conversion without any lift since I'm not going to do any off-roading. Based on the reviews I've read here and other GX forum (CL), it seems there are some good options available such as SSO, Strutmasters, Metal Tech or Arnott. Everyone here has different opinion on these so there isn't any consensus which one is the best option to go with in terms of comfort - and I also prefer not to raise the rear to maintain a nice stance that my GX currently has. If there are any suggestions or pictures that you can post here with your conversion that would be great.