Builds Homer's 2003 GX470 Build (2 Viewers)

[runningdrew]

Did you trick the rear by adding washers/nuts or just slide the adjustment nut up in the adjustment groove?

I've done mine by only using the slide adjustment.

I need to lift the front properly with new UCAs and springs. I'm assuming your dampening switch is no longer connected to your aftermarket shocks??

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Dampening switch no longer works, so no more comfort/normal/sport selection for shocks. Rear wires are still there but unconnected.

Air bag trick with washers/nuts to lower the height sensors. I have a previous post in this build thread with pictures and measurements.

I sit pretty much level at 22.5” +/-0.125” all around hub to fender.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I found a picture of a spreadsheet someone posted on T4R that's old, but the columns list some of the key factors to consider when researching rear lower links. I don't have the spreadsheet itself and was too lazy to copy the data and update it with the many more options available today even from the same fabricators/vendors. This data is a few years old and some links are no longer available.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Shocks are on order...Icon 56550...the MetalTech4x4 web site took the 20% discount code ICON20CM and free shipping at 9:01 PM PST (maybe it's 11/28 on the East Coast now and that counts in terms of the discount codes).

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Everything (except bump stops) has been ordered. Waiting for parts to arrive in order to start installation.

Updated table with some information after rear installation of MT extended brake lines, Icon 56550 shocks, Proforged sway bar end links, and Dobinson C59-675V coils.

View attachment 2176454

Super useful links when researching rear long travel suspensions on the GX470:

GX470 Long Travel Rear Suspension Options

I am contemplating a conversion to a long travel rear suspension for my air-bag tricked GX470. This setup that I put together might have some issues. First, the combination of these Dobinson rear shocks and rear springs might not be really long travel. They seem medium travel like a 2" rear...

forum.ih8mud.com

Rear bumpstop options with LT setup

Looking for some advice. Those that are running a LT rear, have you swapped your bumpstops? I currently have Metaltech dual-rate medium coils, OME 6007 1L, Metaltech bumpstop drop, Metaltech RLLs and extended brake lines. I've noticed that the GX OE bumpstop are much bigger (longer) than what...

forum.ih8mud.com

Toyota-4Runner.org

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Toyota-4Runner.org

The Largest 4Runner Community in the World

www.toyota-4runner.org

Metal tech long travel rear

So I've got the icon lower control arms and metal tech uppers so I'm thinking about selling my current rear shocks and buying the icon long travel ones they sell Here's the issue.......I have KDSS. So.....I was thinking of removing the brackets the rear sway bar is attached to for the KDSS...

forum.ih8mud.com

Lower control arm replacement with lift?

I'm starting to gather parts for a 2" Dobinson's lift and talked to a local indy mechanic about installing it. He sounded familiar with the platform and has done a few airbag swaps. He asked if I was planning on replacing the lower control arms in the process and I hadn't considered it. He said...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[captainva]

I love your detailed posts about suspension! This is making my decision of what to buy for my rig in the future so much easier. Please keep this thread updated when you get everything installed. Let us know how the long travel affects on road handling and DD abilities if you can give your insight into that too please

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Feeling the Black Friday Blues! Everything came in except my Resz Fabrication rear lower links. They are backlogged like 6 weeks, so won’t see my RLLs until January per email. Arrgh.

I’ll have to start my extended travel conversion to rear coils and shocks without the RLLs

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

I had stock links, LT coils and shocks.

I just got MT upper and lower links. I installed them and when I lowered the jack under the axle after everything was buttoned up, the wheels were on the ground and the jack stands I had before were no longer high enough to let the suspension hang.

Once your links get in, you're going to love it!

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I'm making really slow progress on my extended travel rear suspension! New MT extended brake lines are now installed. Next are the shocks and coils.

And I saw some metal bump stops that fit inside the coils for JK's. I wonder how well these work, but it's a new creative bump stop. It's on the Rokmen.com web site.

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

You can measure the interior diameter of your coils (I believe they're 3" but dont quote me). Get a hole saw that size and cut discs out of an old polyurethane cutting board. It will perform just like those aluminum ones.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

They are in! Only took about an hour to install the shocks, coils, and conversion kit. Good thing the shop knew what they were doing! LOL.

Waiting on Resz Fab Rear Lower Links to arrive after a long backlog period...and then the extended travel suspension will be done...i hope.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Here are my impressions after two days of daily driving on empty and on city streets and the highway: much improved ride.

The harshness and bounciness that I was experiencing with the tricked rear oem air bags and the OME 60004 rear shocks is now gone. It rides much more stable, bounces a lot less, and takes street bumps much better.

Since I have E rated Nito Ridge Grapplers at 38 psi, the ride is still not as plush as stock, but I'm happy with the improvements. My daily commute takes me through some old uneven cement streets and now the ride is acceptable. It was so bouncy and harsh before.

The previous setup was my fault for pairing up digressive Bilstein 6112 shocks up front and progressive OME 60004 shocks in the rear. I do believe that my ride got worse when I replaced the stock oem rear shocks with the OME 60004 shocks. Bad combination of mismatched shocks.

So, if you are wondering if the rear shocks digressive Icon 56550s (extended travel 17" compressed, 28.5" extended) work well with Bilstein 6112s, they do. Coils are Dobinson C59-675V are got them used (or pre-owned as dealers like to say).

Also, with the rear air bag trick, I had about 1.5" of lift and I was at about 22.5" hub to fender in the rear (+/- 1/4" depending on the day of the week and if I had the driver's side lean that day).

Now I'm sitting at about 23.5" hub to fender (+/- 1/4") in the rear. If I park one way, I sometimes get the rear driver's side lean at 23.25" and 23.75" in the rear passenger side. Sometimes the driver's side is 23.25" and the passenger is 23.5", so these hub to fender measurements change on a daily basis, but let's just say that I'm at 23.5".

This means I gained about 1" from the tricked air bags. If you assume that the stock rear hub to fender height was 21", then I'm raised about 2.5" from original stock height. This is a little more than I wanted, so I'm surprised that the coils raised me 2.5" in the rear. I was expecting closer to 1.75" to 2". Maybe because I'm empty right now (zero extra weight in the rear).

If you assume that the front stock hub to fender height was 20.25", I'm at 22.5", so I'm lifted about 2.25" in the front. I have about 3/4" to 1" rake, but that's on empty. Once I add some weight, I'll close the gap for a more level stance. Also, the Bilstein 6112s are not on the highest notch, so I can probably adjust them if I wanted to, but I'm not going to do that.

Things to do:
1. Install the Resz Fab non-adjustable offset and extended (by 1/8" to 3/16") rear lower links. Backordered since 11/27/2019 and still not here (1/04/2020). Cancelled order in mid March 2020 due to no shipping in sight.

2. Figure out what to do about the rear bump stops. I'm still running the stock GX470 4.25" bump stops. They seem to fit well for now, but I need to install the rear lower links and then test it offroad to see if the bumpstop is working or not.

3. Get alignment after the rear lower links are installed and tested offroad. [Did alignment already after doing the coil conversion even though rear lower links are not in.]

I still fit in a standard 8-foot garage door, so that was good.

 

[captainva]

Thanks for your update!

 

[HomersCanyonero]

These are my alignments in 2019 (January, February, and December). January alignment when installing the new Nitto Ridge Grapplers 285/70R17s.

February alignment after going offroading and misaligning my steering. Tricked rear air-bags with 22.5" hub to fender all around.

December alignment was with same tires, but coil conversion that raised the rear 3/4" to 1" over the tricked air bags. I'm now 23.5" in the rear hub to fender and the front stayed the same at 22.5" hub to fender.

 

[runningdrew]

I think I've asked before, but now I'm confused again.

"...The harshness and bounciness that I was experiencing with the tricked rear air bags and the OME 60004 rear springs is now gone."

How did you have coils and rear airbags at the same time?

 

[HomersCanyonero]

My bad. I meant to say OME 60004s rear shocks. I’ll update the post.

I’ve never had coils until now with the Dobinson C59-675Vs and never ran coils and air bags at the same time.

 

[runningdrew]

My bad. I meant to say OME 60004s rear shocks. I’ll update the post.

I’ve never had coils until now with the Dobinson C59-675Vs and never ran coils and air bags at the same time.

Haha, my.mind was like

 

[HomersCanyonero]

It looks like my iPhone “Measure” app is a little off or it’s user error. The app measures 3.5", but maybe the iPhone angles weren't right. Using a ruler, my stock oem GX470 rear bumpstop is almost 4” from the axle (3-7/8”).

I also measured my Icon shocks as they sit on my driveway with no weight — gas tank on empty and 3rd row seats removed. The hub to fender is at 23 5/8” and my shock measures 22” from the bottom eyelet to the top of the shock at the first rubber seal under the top hat.

If that’s the right way to measure the shock length while installed, then this indicates that I have 5” to bottom out since my shocks compressed length is 17”.

So, my bumpstop distance is 4” to the axle and this looks to be good with regards to protecting the shock from bottoming out at 17".

Anything wrong with my measuring or logic? Anyone see a problem with my calculations?

 

[ADVFamilyHauler]

Nice ruler, what overland kit did that come with?

What’s the extended length of those shocks?

 

[HomersCanyonero]

The ruler is from the “Smarter than a 3rd Grader” Overland Expedition Kit!

The shocks are the Icon 56550 extended travel from MetalTech and extend to 28.5” and compress down to 17” per specifications.