Builds GX470 reborn (3 Viewers)

[Brake Weight]

I...we have a 2006 GX470 with the airbags and adjustable dampening shocks.

List of parts used:

-Southern Style Offroad rear conversion
GX470 air to coil spring conversion kit – Southern Style OffRoad

-OME
887 for the front
895E for the rear

-Bilstein
5100 for the front
5125 for new gen Tacoma for the rear

Known/foundspecs
-SSO kit billed as 3/4" lift out of the box with 4 additional 1/4" plates to make 1.25" each side.

-OME
887 Free Height: 400mm, Diameter: 16.5mm, Rate: 590lb
Estimated at 2.5-3" of lift on a 4Runner with bull bar (230#) and winch. The 2UZ-FE 4.7 weighs 136# more than the 4Runner 1GR-FE 4.0. These may prove too much and the stock springs installed in a few days.

-895E Free Height: 375mm, Diameter: 17mm, Rate: 260 lb. Estimated as 1.25" lift.

-Bilstein
5100 Almost exact stock length on compression and extension. I'll update later with exact specs and valving if I can find them.

5125 listed as 15.01″ collapsed and 24.38″ extended. These specs were more than the 5100 shocks billed as lifted length shocks for the GX/4Runner. So I took a chance that surprised me once the stock shocks were removed.

 

[Brake Weight]

The pics.

Removing the bags wasn't so bad.

Cut the hose and let the bag deflate. There's a clip up here to remove.

It looks like this.

Southern Style Offroad's conversion kit is a nice looking kit.

Stock photo from website

Verification

Supplied hardware measured at 9/16". Torque specs were not provided but online torque specs showed 37ft/lbs. Nyloc nuts were not provided either. I put 40ft/lbs.

Install was a PITA but I got it done. Slide the washer and nut under the perch from the front of the car, not the rear.

 

[Brake Weight]

I did not run an isolator / upper perch - bushing with the rear springs. I had some 3/8" rubber sheet that I cut as a bumper to keep the spring from making metal to metal contact.

Not having a coil compressor I simply unbolted the sway bar and let it droop low enough to wiggle the springs in. Easy peasy.

 

[Brake Weight]

On to the 5125s.

I couldn't get a compressed pic, but they were within a 1/2" of each other.

Maybe you noticed the eye difference. The 5125 I used have just a rubber bushing and it's a little smaller.

So I used a sharp knife and trimmed a little bit off to get it started onto the mount. A little bit of grease and a longer bolt and a bushing and washers from the shock kit to help walk it on.

 

[Brake Weight]

The 5100s were nearly the same length as the stock struts after being assembled. But when trying to install them they seemed a lot longer. I was able to remove the two bolts holding the lower ball joint to the lower A arm and swing the A arm down and out of the way.

I used these kits so that I wouldn't have to disassemble the stock set. Looked like the same quality and vendor that Lexus used. Everything was supplied.

 

[Brake Weight]

Now the measurements.

Stock suspension

Front
-19.5" Driver
-19.25" passenger

Rear
Aired up
-23" hub to fender
--21.25" shock eye to mount

Aired out
-21" hub to fender
--19.5" shock eye to mount

Post lift

Front (fresh off the jack stands and a 5 minute drive)
-24" each side. A little more than I wanted.
**swapped OME for OEM springs and moved perch to 3rd from bottom for a 22" hub to fender the next day

Rear
-23" each side
**spare tire installed and few miles and days on the springs has netted a 23" hub to fender



Well, a 30 mile round trip to the alignment shop today changed things. The 887 fronts have settled an inch down to 23" hub-fender. And the rears are down 1/2" to 23.5" hub-fender. I also need to note that the spare tire in not yet reinstalled from doing the suspension






****************************************************************************


7/2/17 Update
Depending on how much the rear settles I may move the 5100 perch to the top ring listed as 2.5" of lift. From the original static 19.5" this should net a 22" lift. But if it stays where it currently sits I am happy with that. But if it needs it, I would also take the time to install any trim packers that may be needed to level any driver-passenger lean. The measurements below show some driver's side lean which could be associated with the full tank of gas that it has.

Front
21.5 - Driver
22.0 - Pass

Rear
23.0 - Driver
23.25 - Pass

********************************************************************Update for 4-18-18

The front has settled .5” it seems. Nothing tragic especially considering the time and miles driven.
Front
21.0 - Driver
21.5 - Pass

Rear
23.0 - Driver
23.25 - Pass

 

[danthemanx07]

Looking good. Surprised at the height.

 

[D21FJ60]

Any post install pics?

 

[Brake Weight]

Well, a 30 mile round trip to the alignment shop today changed things. The fronts have settled an inch down to 23" hub-fender. And the rears are down 1/2" to 23.5" hub-fender. I also need to note that the spare tire in not yet reinstalled from doing the suspension.

 

[danthemanx07]

Also - where in South MS are ya??

 

[Brake Weight]

Also - where in South MS are ya??

I'm near Hattiesburg. So about 2 hours north of N.O. I'm finally lined up for the dash recall which is what has prompted the rush on the suspension and tire install. The bags were nearly busted and one of the front shocks was leaking. Then to top it off the tires are dry rotting and I didn't want to make that 2 hours down the interstate on tires that could fly apart.

Tomorrow I'm getting some 275/70-17 BFG AT K02s installed. I'm hoping like hell they'll clear the suspension since they're going on the stock wheels. I couldn't decide on a set of wheels soon enough and no one around here has any to fit that aren't Rockstars or similar.

I changed 3 wheel studs last night on the passenger side and will do three more today on the driver's side. I picked up some rear studs at Autozone and they're 1/4" longer. But they only had 1 in store at noon. Had 3 more delivered by the afternoon and I picked up 2 more today. I'm hoping the tires will clear but I have a 1/4" wheel spacer that's my back up plan. If that won't clear it then I'm screwed and will have to settle on a 265, which I don't want to do.

 

[Dharma Dude]

I'm near Hattiesburg. So about 2 hours north of N.O. I'm finally lined up for the dash recall which is what has prompted the rush on the suspension and tire install. The bags were nearly busted and one of the front shocks was leaking. Then to top it off the tires are dry rotting and I didn't want to make that 2 hours down the interstate on tires that could fly apart.

Tomorrow I'm getting some 275/70-17 BFG AT K02s installed. I'm hoping like hell they'll clear the suspension since they're going on the stock wheels. I couldn't decide on a set of wheels soon enough and no one around here has any to fit that aren't Rockstars or similar.

I changed 3 wheel studs last night on the passenger side and will do three more today on the driver's side. I picked up some rear studs at Autozone and they're 1/4" longer. But they only had 1 in store at noon. Had 3 more delivered by the afternoon and I picked up 2 more today. I'm hoping the tires will clear but I have a 1/4" wheel spacer that's my back up plan. If that won't clear it then I'm screwed and will have to settle on a 265, which I don't want to do.

Did you change the UCA? may rub.

Also, what fuses did you pull after you removed air bags and changed suspension? When I pulled fuses I got "VSC" lights on. I had to leave the TEMS fuse in.

 

[Brake Weight]

Any post install pics?

This is about the best it get until the monsoon stops. Hard to tell when it's black.

 

[Brake Weight]

Did you change the UCA? may rub.

Also, what fuses did you pull after you removed air bags and changed suspension? When I pulled fuses I got "VSC" lights on. I had to leave the TEMS fuse in.

I had a blinking "OFF" light. Googled it and pulled the TEMS fuse. On the way to the alignment shop this morning I lost both front turn signals. Looking into that next.

The blinking "OFF" light was after swapping the rear out. But I didn't pull the fuse until this morning before leaving for the shop.

 

[Dharma Dude]

I had a blinking "OFF" light. Googled it and pulled the TEMS fuse. On the way to the alignment shop this morning I lost both front turn signals. Looking into that next.

The blinking "OFF" light was after swapping the rear out. But I didn't pull the fuse until this morning before leaving for the shop.

Right. I have the blinking "OFF" light after suspension changes. Pulling my TEMS fuse caused three other lights to go on.
"VSC OFF", "VSC/ATRAC", and the skid light. I also got a code from Techstream saying to do a Zero Point Calibration....but I couldn't do the ZPC until I put the TEMS fuse back.

Removing the TEMS fuse after ZPC causes those other lights to come back on. So I am living with the blinking OFF light for now.

 

[D21FJ60]

awww lookit the widdle baby tires on there still!

 

[Brake Weight]

I may not have enough driving time to give the additional lights and warnings.

 

[Brake Weight]

awww lookit the widdle baby tires on there still!

That's tomorrow.

 

[Brake Weight]

awww lookit the widdle baby tires on there still!

I put a 1/4" spacer to gain some clearance.

 

[Brake Weight]

I was very worried about them not clearing the control arms so I've got some 1.25" SpiderTrax spacers being hotshot by Amazon for in the morning. Sweet, because I ordered them while eating lunch.

These are 275/70-17 tires on stock wheels. There is little to no information for this tire size as for fitting GX470s or 4Runners. So there we have it folks, they'll fit with a little bit of lift.