Heavy Duty IFS + Steering Option for GX470/GX460

[BigMike]

New Blog Post: The Real Cost of Long-Travel IFS — And the Bargain Hiding in Plain Sight

Before upgrading your suspension, read this.
Our latest technical article uncovers why traditional long-travel kits often cost far more than expected once you factor in geometry corrections, steering upgrades, fabrication hours, and alignment cycles — and how RCLT HD solves the entire puzzle as a single engineered system for $5,000 less and installs 1.5–3× faster. It’s an eye-opening comparison for anyone shopping LT or debating their next step.

See the real cost breakdown →

“The moment you stop viewing Long Travel as separate components
and start viewing it as a system, everything changes.”​

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What's up GXOR

I've come up with a bulletproof IFS & steering setup that I thought some of you might be interested in. The goal was to finally fix the usual Lexus weak spots: Steering racks that can't handle bigger tires, knuckles that bend and crack, and poor clearance despite lifting these cars.

What I ended up with is a system called RCLT HD (Rock Crawling Long Travel, Heavy Duty) and I'd like to start a thread here for any Q&A.

For GX470 & GX460 owners it means:

• Forward-offset knuckles so you can clear up to 38s without body mount chop or relocation.
• A Toyota 200-series Land Cruiser steering rack (strongest passenger rack Toyota ever made) paired with billet double-shear arms and 1-ton tie rod ends.
• New geometry designed for a lift, so it actually rides & handles better than other long travel setups reusing stock knuckles.
• More travel and ground clearance than you'd think possible with IFS.
• Retains ABS, traction control, cruise, etc.
• Is reversible and transferable to other platforms

I drive a 2016 Tacoma with RCLT HD on 40" tires and recently caravaned alongside a GX460 with RCLT HD on 37s cross-country to Moab where it did exceedingly well. I really like the GX460, that's a nice platform.

RCLT HD has racked up over 100K miles on 40s along with multiple Ultra4 seasons and King of the Hammers without a single failure. I've even clipped rocks hard enough to yank the wheel out of may hand and stall my engine, yet still drove home perfectly straight on the highway.

Just wanted to share here since I know a lot of GX owners are looking at LT kits and steering upgrades. Happy to answer any questions about how it installs, what it drives like, or anything else. And if you already have RCLT HD then please share some trail shots!

Regards,
BigMike

 

[BigMike]

I can't set off this thread without a pic of the very first GX to run this setup, your very own Dan Kunz along with his wife Shannon's rig, both rock'n RCLT HD with integrated Heavy Duty "MarRack" steering rack

@shannonjmurphy on 37s

Here come some other 470s:

@074gx on 37s

@ozmanity on 37s

@foyoduh on 37s

@Fraken470 on 37s (one of my favorite GX pics)

@mike.ehmann on 37s

 

[BigMike]

And here is a GX460

@djthegeepx on 37s

(photobomed by my Taco )

@djthegeepx on 38s

Some cool comparison shots

 

[BigMike]

And just to show that this setup isn't only for those looking for 37+ tires, here is a customer in Japan with a LC Prado on 33s

@kazuki_0203

 

[BigMike]

November 50/50: Save up to nearly $1,500!



The RCLT HD + MarRack Deal Returns

In August, we tried something new: For a limited time, every RCLT HD kit included a brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser steering rack.

The response was incredible. Many of you told us how much you appreciated a complete, factory-quality system, all engineered and packaged together.

So for the month of November, we’re bringing it back, this time with a twist:

Get 50% off a Genuine Toyota 200-Series Land Cruiser steering rack with every RCLT HD kit.

That’s a savings of over $500 on the same steering rack we trust in every in-house build, including our own RCLT HD-equipped rigs.

Why We Only Trust Genuine Toyota Racks

Your steering isn’t just another component — it’s the lifeline between you, your tires, and the terrain ahead.

That’s why every RCLT HD system uses 100% Genuine Toyota 200-Series Land Cruiser racks, manufactured in Japan by JTEKT, Toyota’s steering supplier for over half a century.

Could we use cheaper alternatives? Sure. They’re out there, and they look the same from the outside.

But inside, the differences are huge: lower-grade metals, looser tolerances, and seals that fail under pressure.

When you’re running oversized tires or tackling technical terrain, that’s not a place to compromise.

My own MarRack has logged over 70,000 hard miles on 40" tires and still has zero play, zero leaks, zero issues.

That’s why we’ll never settle for anything less than OEM Toyota quality.

Offer Details
50% off Genuine Toyota Steering Rack with any RCLT HD kit
Available through November 30 only
99% bolt-on, patent-protected design
Limited monthly supply from Japan

We build products the way we want them on our own trucks — tested, proven, and never compromised.

Because when you’re driving a 6,000-lb rig on the edge of traction, precision isn’t a luxury, it’s peace of mind.

Invented here. Perfected since 2018.

Limited Time Offer: RCLT HD × YotaWerx Tuning

November 1 – 15 Only

YotaWerx Tuning has teamed up with us to bring RCLT HD owners an exclusive engine upgrade at 50% off.

No matter what trails you run, a YotaWerx tune perfectly complements your RCLT HD system: smoother throttle, improved torque, and optimized drivability for larger tires and gears.

The Details
50% off any YotaWerx tune when purchasing RCLT HD
50% off for existing RCLT HD owners, too! (through any authorized tuner nation-wide)
Available Nov 1 – 15 only

Because great builds deserve great partnerships: Stronger suspension, smarter power.

View ECU Tunes

Two legendary upgrades, One goal: Performance done the right way.

 

[BigMike]

News & Engineering Proof

Blog Post: Feb 25, 2025: Toyota IFS Makes History at King of the Hammers!
RCLT HD becomes the first-ever IFS Toyota to complete both laps of the brutal 165-mile KOH race!

Click to read more




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Update early November 2025: I *finally* got our new website's Blogging platform themed and ramped up and have been having fun posting new tech articles! Got many more planned, so stay tuned for updates!


Steering Geometry That Works — and Why It Matters
Blog Post: Nov 14, 2025

When we first began adapting the 200-series Land Cruiser steering rack for mid-size Toyota platforms back in 2018, it wasn’t just about strength, it was about control.

The challenge was clear: The Land Cruiser rack is significantly wider than any mid-size Toyota frame was ever designed for. Simply bolting one in throws off steering geometry, increases bump-steer, and introduces serious handling instability. We know, we tried it firsthand in 2018 and nearly lost control on the highway. That’s when we decided that if this swap was ever going to be done safely, it needed to be done right.

So we spent two years engineering, testing, and patenting a geometry-correct system that integrates the oversized Land Cruiser rack with entirely new knuckles, steering arms, and control arm geometry. The result became the foundation of RCLT HD — the first and only long-travel IFS kit that fully incorporates a heavy-duty rack designed for a larger vehicle, while maintaining proper mid-size driving dynamics. ...

Click to read more




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Ultimate Rack Mount Upgrades for the Ultimate Steering Rack
Blog Post: Nov 14, 2025

The Heavy Duty MarRack steering system was born from one mission: build an IFS steering rack strong enough to survive 40s, hardcore trails, and daily use without ripping out of the frame.

After 50,000+ miles on 40s with the standard MarRack (no reinforcements), we proved the haters wrong: the rack didn’t fail, the mounts didn’t tear out, and BigMike’s truck kept on wheeling.

But because we’re Marlin Crawler, we didn’t stop there. We engineered two optional reinforcements for customers who want absolute confidence in their steering connection: ...

Click to read more




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Our Steering Arms Are Built Different
Blog Post: Nov 14, 2025

Take one look at our RCLT HD billet knuckle steering arms, and the difference is obvious — they’re absolutely massive compared to stock. But the size isn’t just for show.

Key advantages of our patented design:

• Double-shear mount with huge 7/8" tie rod ends and 5/8" 1-ton hardware for unmatched strength.
• Geometry engineered to match the oversized 200-Series Land Cruiser rack we convert into the MarRack.
• Longer steering arms that provide more steering power while reducing kickback loads on the rack, tie rods, and frame mounts.
• 100% one-piece billet CNC machining ties steering → hub → caliper together for ultimate precision, reliability, and safety.

This isn’t just stronger than stock — it’s stronger than anything else on the market for Toyota/Lexus IFS. Built for steering that can handle any size tires for crawling, high-speed abuse, or any other form of camping, daily driving, and off-roading with total confidence. ...

Click to read more




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The Real Cost of Long-Travel IFS — And the Bargain Hiding in Plain Sight
Blog Post: Dec 4, 2025

If you’ve already installed a Long Travel kit and are now evaluating your next move, this breakdown is written for you.

If you’re brand new to Long Travel and want to start at the smartest possible baseline, you’ll quickly see why so many owners decide to skip the stack of parts entirely and go straight to a unified engineered system instead.

For a quick backstory, the idea for this article hit me while tuning my old KLEIN Mantra mountain bike. I bought it new in 1997, and at the time it was cutting-edge as one of the first dual-suspension frames on the market. But as technology evolved over the next 30 years, I kept trying to “modernize” it with one-off upgrades to keep it competitive in amateur XC events.

I added a custom oversized titanium rear cassette years before big cogs existed, shaved my crankset for a micro granny ring, converted to a single front chainring, made multiple anti-chain derailment solutions, built a custom b-link to mount a modern rear derailleur, and even made a cable pull ratio adapter to make a 10spd shifter work with a 1×8 drivetrain.

Every upgrade solved one problem but created two more. The deeper I went, the more money I dumped, and the harder it became to admit the real issue: I wasn’t building a system — I was stacking mismatched solutions onto a drivetrain that was never designed to run them together. I was chasing performance that my patchwork of parts could never deliver as a whole.

If I had simply started with a complete, modern component groupset designed to work as an integrated system instead of stacking individual upgrades that weren’t meant for one another, I wouldn’t have spent years chasing my tail in a spiral of incompatible mods.

And that’s exactly how Long Travel has been for decades. Plenty of companies make kits, but not a single one addresses all of the inevitable challenges that appear the moment you lift and widen a modern Toyota/Lexus:

The Will this break? Will it drive sketchy? Will my alignment guy hate me?

• Overall strength
• On-road drivability
• Steering geometry
• Lifted alignment

The real stuff

• Tire clearance
• Ground clearance
• Approach angle
• Steering strength
• Knuckle strength

The What we rarely think about

• Reliability & Safety
• Ball joint bind
• Serviceability
• Ease of installation

Drivers have been forced to piece together unrelated helper parts just to work around the limits of what their LT kit was never designed to solve.

That is, until RCLT HD.

RCLT HD fixes all of these issues in one engineered, integrated, system-level solution. Many assume a premium solution like that must cost more than piecing together separate arms, knuckles, body mount mods, tie rods, racks, and frame reinforcements. But the moment you stop viewing Long Travel as separate components and start viewing it as a system, everything changes.

Because here’s the part nobody tells you — solving these problems the old way doesn’t just take more effort. It costs a lot more money:

If you try to “build your way” toward RCLT HD using every upgrade currently on the market, your final price will be $15,000–$17,000—more than double what RCLT HD costs—while still ending up with weaker geometry, weaker components, weaker steering, less travel, less clearance, and even 1.5–3× the labor to install.

Let’s break it down the way a mechanic, fabricator, and builder will understand...

Click to read more






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View our full blog here: Blog - https://www.marlincrawler.com/blog/

 

[BigMike]

Steering Geometry That Works — and Why It Matters
Originally posted to the bottom of our Genuine LC200 Steering Rack Product Page

"It drives like a Camry" — Nate Pickle

When we first began adapting the 200-series Land Cruiser steering rack for mid-size Toyota platforms back in 2018, it wasn't just about strength, it was about control.

The challenge was clear: The Land Cruiser rack is significantly wider than any mid-size Toyota frame was ever designed for. Simply bolting one in throws off steering geometry, increases bump-steer, and introduces serious handling instability. We know, we tried it firsthand in 2018 and nearly lost control on the highway. That's when we decided that if this swap was ever going to be done safely, it needed to be done right.

So we spent two years engineering, testing, and patenting a geometry-correct system that integrates the oversized Land Cruiser rack with entirely new knuckles, steering arms, and control arm geometry. The result became the foundation of RCLT HD — the first and only long-travel IFS kit that fully incorporates a heavy-duty rack designed for a larger vehicle, while maintaining proper mid-size driving dynamics.

How Stable Is It?

Our +2.75" RCLT HD system delivers up to 14 inches of hub travel with only 0.5° of combined camber and toe change through 90% of flex.

That's an exceptional metric in the world of independent suspension, and it's one of the reasons RCLT HD tracks straight, corners predictably, and feels factory-smooth even on 40" tires.

Why It Works

Because we replace both steering rack and knuckles, RCLT HD resets the tie-rod, steering arm, and ball-joint geometry to maintain proper alignment and steering response across the full range of motion.

Moreover, since all of our customers lift their trucks to clear larger tires, we designed our geometry from that lifted baseline, not stock height. Kits that reuse factory knuckles can never truly recover proper geometry once the truck is lifted, but RCLT HD delivers correct alignment and steering response at the ride height enthusiasts actually desire.

It's a carefully balanced system — wider steering arms, optimized Ackermann, and adjusted vertical ball-joint separation — all designed to keep the steering ratio predictable and eliminate bump-steer without forcing customers into oversized 18"+ wheels.

In other words: It's geometry that's engineered, not guessed.

TL;DR: The 200-series Land Cruiser rack only fails when forced into stock geometry — RCLT HD is the first system engineered around it.​

The Danger of "Bolt-In" Rack Swaps

After we pioneered the use of the Land Cruiser steering rack in mid-size platforms, others have experimented by simply throwing the rack in, sometimes in conjunction with other long-travel systems. On paper, it sounds simple. In practice, the result is poor return-to-center, uneven tire wear, and noticeable bump-steer resulting in unpredictable and dangerous driving characteristics.

IFS geometry isn't something that can be "close enough." The relationship between rack width, control-arm pivots, steering arms, and tie-rod length determines everything about how a vehicle drives and feels and it's the reason RCLT HD required full suspension & steering geometry redesign with patent protection.

Some say the Land Cruiser rack can't be used safely or that it delivers poor steering feel in mid-size platforms. But, those problems only appear when the larger rack is forced into stock geometry it was never meant for. RCLT HD is the only near bolt-on full-suspension replacement that correctly integrates the oversized rack, delivering precise steering and confident handling across its full range of motion.

Watch RCLT HD's Stable Geometry cycle with no noticeable bump-steer, toe, or camber angle change, despite using this oversized Land Cruiser steering rack



Real-World Results

Customers repeatedly tell us that their RCLT HD build feels tighter, more responsive, and easier to drive than any lifted or long-travel setup they've owned. Even after years of abuse, their steering precision remains consistent because our geometry is right.

When we say RCLT HD offers "rock crawler strength with factory-smooth steering," it isn't marketing. It's math, metal, and miles of testing.


"I've wheel'd a lot of rigs and my Tacoma on 38" tires is the only Rock Crawler I've ever built that drives like a Camry" — Nate Pickle

"Accomplished Deer Valley trail. Very good handling on the rocks, I was impressed, it's just a different vehicle." —Stanislav Egorov

"Wrapped up the RCLT HD install with an alignment. She drives wonderfully with the 5.29s, supercharger, and 37s." — Chris Gonzalez

"Despite my rig's added weight and 38" tires, steering power, response, and feel has never let me down." — Jeff Kongpachit

"I unintentionally crash-tested my RCLT kit last week.
Solo night driving in the desert, going faster than I should've been.
Blew through the Radflo bump threads.
Phone kicked into emergency mode and started calling 911.
A week later, my wrists and back are still sore - it was that violent of a hit.
Any other setup would have folded.
But the RCLT kit and my rack absorbed everything. I literally drove away with zero mechanical issues.
I shouldn't have walked away from that one - and my 4Runner definitely shouldn't have.
RCLT took the hit and kept me moving. Nothing else compares." — Oleg Flaksman

"Love the reliability! Take the hard lines, air up, and hit the highway home at 80 MPH" — Russell Wright

"I've broken a lot of things running 40s on this rig, but the RCLT has held strong." — Hunter Gill

"What I love about this next generation of my build with RCLT and 37's is the true off-road capability of it and can still comfortably drive 70+ down the highway. I daily drive this rig, easily navigate Elephant Hill in Utah, and road trip it from Washington to the remote areas of Death Valley. It has truly evolved my rig into an ultra capable adventure rig." — Chad Wicklund

"Love my RCLT kit! It's a beast on the trail but still comfortable and reliable enough to daily drive and take longer drives to events." — Shannon Murphy

And from myself if I may: "My Tacoma came with light, frail front-end parts, all of which are now replaced by RCLT HD. I wish every driver could experience this level of peace of mind and vehicle safety both on and off-road. It's how Toyota should have done it." — BigMike, RCLT HD Designer

 

[BigMike]

RCLT HD Cost Comparison — Updated with Axles & Coilovers Included

Quick update for those following the cost comparison discussion.

We recently expanded our tech article, The Real Cost of Long-Travel IFS — And the Bargain Hiding in Plain Sight, to include required long-travel axles and coil overs across all build paths.

As mentioned in the intro, long-travel setups, whether pieced together or integrated like RCLT HD, requires:

• Longer front axles (4WD)
• Taller coil overs

So we added a new section with those components normalized across the board and reran the numbers.

What changed?
Even when high-end long-travel axles and coil overs are added to both routes, a fully installed RCLT HD system still comes in less expensive than the piecemeal "build-your-way" approach before those required parts are even added.

In other words, adding the mandatory long-travel components doesn't change the outcome, it reinforces it.

If you're evaluating long-travel options or comparing routes, the updated comparison is located in the "Harsh Reality" section of the article:

marlincrawler.com/the-real-cost-of-long-travel-ifs-and-the-bargain-hiding-in-plain-sight/#harsh-reality

Happy to answer any technical questions or discuss assumptions behind the numbers.

Regards,
BigMike


Pic: @king3512 Lexus GX470 with #RCLTHD on 40s