Mark W
Yep, it's true. I just don't care that much.
If you bought a Land Cruiser, Even a 100 or 200 series, for "regular suburban family lifestyle"... you bought wrong.
Mark...
Mark...
I bought a 145K 2007 LX470 I’m disappointed and prefer my Ford Expedition (3 Viewers)
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Yeah, maybe buyers remorse considering the price paid? An 07 in the described condition with low miles 145k most likely didn't come cheap.
I think sorting out a rough ride on a stock, low-mile '07 qualifies for tech - tires, bushings, globes...
I'm in the "might be the tires" camp. When I bought my '06 100, it was stock with 39,000 miles... it didn't have squeaks and rattles (that came later with SPC uppers) but was loud and rough. It had Michelin street tires. I swapped them for 33" BFG KOs and the ride got a LOT quieter and smoother. Yeah - going to heavy ATs improved the noise and ride. Old tires can really be pretty bad.
Meh... could say the same about the Lexus GX and current gen 4runner. Yet in my neck of sprawling suburbia (NC - minimal snow) you can't go 2 minutes without seeing a bunch of these. At least with a 100 or 200 you have a better chance of knowing which one is yours in the shopping center's parking lot.
Something’s off, I prefer my 100 over my 4Rs, and every work truck/van I ever drove. It’s comfy for long drives, great view from the drivers seat (4R sucks at this imo, so do a lot of cars).
Only rattles I’ve located have been roof rack rattles.
What are are your tires like, old and hard or cheap? I got Michelin defenders and they are silky smooth. Wildpeaks were quite untill later into their life.
AHC, prolly need globes. Check out the ABCs of AHC, tests to check the condition of your system.
Age not mileage on these trucks, rubber ages out.
I use mine as a DD/travel vehicle, not off road. These trucks are fine for that, will be a bit more pricey vs a rav4 or such.
Honestly sounds like buyers remorse, did you test drive prior to purchase?
Only rattles I’ve located have been roof rack rattles.
What are are your tires like, old and hard or cheap? I got Michelin defenders and they are silky smooth. Wildpeaks were quite untill later into their life.
AHC, prolly need globes. Check out the ABCs of AHC, tests to check the condition of your system.
Age not mileage on these trucks, rubber ages out.
I use mine as a DD/travel vehicle, not off road. These trucks are fine for that, will be a bit more pricey vs a rav4 or such.
Honestly sounds like buyers remorse, did you test drive prior to purchase?
Yup that’s how every LX and 100 rides that I’ve been in. Crazy that some people out here claiming that they ride like a Rolls Royce. And most people here are on big offroad tires making these claims. I’d love to go for a drive in their car to see where all these claims are coming from.
I'm willing to bet a hotdog that his AHC globes are shot.
- Thread starter
- #29
As always, MUD folks surrounding a problem like white blood cells on an infection. I will never bet against you. This is exactly what I wanted to happen…some subjective input and some objective analysis sprinkled with humor and sarcasm. Bravo.
Have I driven another LX for comparison? No
What tires are on there and what's the condition? Michelin Defender LTX M/S and they have 2,800 miles on them
Are the tires old? Tires were bought 10/2023
Tire Pressure? 29 PSI in the front, and 32 PSI in the rear. Filled with fancy Costco Nitrogen.
What load range? Max Load 2,535 lbs. Load Range 113H
What‘s the intend of the LC? I intend for it to be my daily suburban driver, and to never leave the road. I want to pamper it to the best of my ability for me and for the next owner.
Here’s my plan: I’m getting an oil change done in next few weeks at my local independent Toyota/Lexus shop. They only work on Toyota/Lexus, have a solid reputation, and have been in business for almost 30 years. I have had work done there before on my other Lexus vehicles (RX350 & IS250) and they typically do a whole vehicle inspection with photos and recommendations every time I am there. I’ll be curious to see if they cite anything that needs attention.
I reread my original post and it almost sounds like I was saying that the LX rides bad or rough. That was not my intention. It does not ride bad, nor does it ride rough. I would clarify to say I think it rides “regular” and I was expecting it to ride better than regular. I know, I know…..very subjective.
I will focus my attention on:
AHC Globes and “Every Rubber Component”
Reacquaint myself with the ABCs of AHC and really make sure everything is in spec.
Have I driven another LX for comparison? No
What tires are on there and what's the condition? Michelin Defender LTX M/S and they have 2,800 miles on them
Are the tires old? Tires were bought 10/2023
Tire Pressure? 29 PSI in the front, and 32 PSI in the rear. Filled with fancy Costco Nitrogen.
What load range? Max Load 2,535 lbs. Load Range 113H
What‘s the intend of the LC? I intend for it to be my daily suburban driver, and to never leave the road. I want to pamper it to the best of my ability for me and for the next owner.
Here’s my plan: I’m getting an oil change done in next few weeks at my local independent Toyota/Lexus shop. They only work on Toyota/Lexus, have a solid reputation, and have been in business for almost 30 years. I have had work done there before on my other Lexus vehicles (RX350 & IS250) and they typically do a whole vehicle inspection with photos and recommendations every time I am there. I’ll be curious to see if they cite anything that needs attention.
I reread my original post and it almost sounds like I was saying that the LX rides bad or rough. That was not my intention. It does not ride bad, nor does it ride rough. I would clarify to say I think it rides “regular” and I was expecting it to ride better than regular. I know, I know…..very subjective.
I will focus my attention on:
AHC Globes and “Every Rubber Component”
Reacquaint myself with the ABCs of AHC and really make sure everything is in spec.
A 2WD Expedition probably has aluminum alloy control arms and a low unsprung weight. On crappy, potholed roads, it could seem to ride better than an LX. I think the LX shines on highways at high speeds, but on really beat up roads, you feel all the unsprung weight of its heavy suspension. Unsprung weight is the enemy of a good ride, and the LX has plenty of it.
Now that sounds a bit different, at least to me
I needed some time to get used to the torsion bar setup. When it was stock it felt "unusual" compared to the springs. The shocks might have had another influence...
Having it checked by the shop is surely a good idea. I would likely let them know my concerns.
Can you pinpoint the noise/ squeaks to a certain location/ direction/ time of the day/ event (like on a bump...)?
I needed some time to get used to the torsion bar setup. When it was stock it felt "unusual" compared to the springs. The shocks might have had another influence...
Having it checked by the shop is surely a good idea. I would likely let them know my concerns.
Can you pinpoint the noise/ squeaks to a certain location/ direction/ time of the day/ event (like on a bump...)?
Should have bought a navigator
I don't know. I drove my LX today (first time in 3 months) and was chauffeured in a new Denali Yukon and a new Suburban. Lotta miles today. The ride quality in the LX with 250k miles and 17 years old was better, IMO. The GM SUVs with conventional suspension were just bouncy and truck-like. Felt like the car wanted another 1000 lbs in it to feel supple. A nice truck, but a truck. I've never been in a Rolls, but I'm sure it's leagues above the LX. It better be. But a proper AHC setup is closer to a Rolls than a truck.
As always, MUD folks surrounding a problem like white blood cells on an infection. I will never bet against you. This is exactly what I wanted to happen…some subjective input and some objective analysis sprinkled with humor and sarcasm. Bravo.
Have I driven another LX for comparison? No
What tires are on there and what's the condition? Michelin Defender LTX M/S and they have 2,800 miles on them
Are the tires old? Tires were bought 10/2023
Tire Pressure? 29 PSI in the front, and 32 PSI in the rear. Filled with fancy Costco Nitrogen.
What load range? Max Load 2,535 lbs. Load Range 113H
What‘s the intend of the LC? I intend for it to be my daily suburban driver, and to never leave the road. I want to pamper it to the best of my ability for me and for the next owner.
Here’s my plan: I’m getting an oil change done in next few weeks at my local independent Toyota/Lexus shop. They only work on Toyota/Lexus, have a solid reputation, and have been in business for almost 30 years. I have had work done there before on my other Lexus vehicles (RX350 & IS250) and they typically do a whole vehicle inspection with photos and recommendations every time I am there. I’ll be curious to see if they cite anything that needs attention.
I reread my original post and it almost sounds like I was saying that the LX rides bad or rough. That was not my intention. It does not ride bad, nor does it ride rough. I would clarify to say I think it rides “regular” and I was expecting it to ride better than regular. I know, I know…..very subjective.
I will focus my attention on:
AHC Globes and “Every Rubber Component”
Reacquaint myself with the ABCs of AHC and really make sure everything is in spec.
If the target is to never leave pavement, I think an LX is the wrong choice. Get a Navigator, Range Rover, Lexus RX, or even a sedan. An LS460 would be awesome for highway only duty. There are many great highway vehicles. You don't need the ruggedness of a 100 series to crush highway miles.
That said, we all love the 100. If you keep that, be aware that nearly all mechanics are going to be flat out WRONG about AHC and how to work with it. The worst thing about AHC is that most mechanics are completely clueless on its operation and will bankrupt you with uneducated guessing games - often while showing you conviction that they know best. Prepare for the dealer to tell you that you need all new shocks (which you of course do not need) and that it will cost around $5k. A set of globes is $600-800 to your doorstep from Japan and the labor is a few hours.
Godspeed, haha.
Hokie LX
SILVER Star
Just to echo some others in between the other opinions. I drove a 2011 Tahoe for a couple years and greatly prefer my 100 which I've currently owned longer than any other vehicle by 4x the time. While I do wheel my LX from time to time, it has been my daily for almost 8 years and ~99k miles and other than the lack of power compared to newer trucks, I love dailying it. The creaks you describe are uncharacteristic for a maintained LX but that could be a variety of causes not easily diagnosed over the internet.
If your LX has a "bad" ride it's likely the AHC as others have mentioned. Globes may need to be replaced, torsion bars adjusted, a bad sensor can cause too high of pressure and cause a bouncy ride, etc. If your shop is a toyota shop they should have techstream. Have them look at pressures and do a graduations test before buying parts. It may just need an adjustment so don't go buy a bunch of things before seeing if it's even operating in the correct parameters otherwise you'll still have the same problem but with new components.
1. Are AHC pressures in spec - Check with Techstream
- If front is high, adjust the torsion bars. If front is low, reduce torsion bar adjustment. If rear is high, you can either do a sensor lower or buy some spring spacers. If rear is low, raise up the rear with a sensor lift slightly.
2. Perform graduations test. If this fails, you need new globes.
3. If height readings in Techstream are wonky (don't make sense or seem vastly out of spec) or the ride is bouncy/rock hard, it may be bad sensors. Get new Aisin sensors from Rock Auto (cheapest). Aisin is the OEM supplier.
Hope this helps...
If your LX has a "bad" ride it's likely the AHC as others have mentioned. Globes may need to be replaced, torsion bars adjusted, a bad sensor can cause too high of pressure and cause a bouncy ride, etc. If your shop is a toyota shop they should have techstream. Have them look at pressures and do a graduations test before buying parts. It may just need an adjustment so don't go buy a bunch of things before seeing if it's even operating in the correct parameters otherwise you'll still have the same problem but with new components.
1. Are AHC pressures in spec - Check with Techstream
- If front is high, adjust the torsion bars. If front is low, reduce torsion bar adjustment. If rear is high, you can either do a sensor lower or buy some spring spacers. If rear is low, raise up the rear with a sensor lift slightly.
2. Perform graduations test. If this fails, you need new globes.
3. If height readings in Techstream are wonky (don't make sense or seem vastly out of spec) or the ride is bouncy/rock hard, it may be bad sensors. Get new Aisin sensors from Rock Auto (cheapest). Aisin is the OEM supplier.
Hope this helps...
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While mine also has a few interior rattles I haven't resolved, despite having the entire interior out, I have enjoyed certain character traits of the 100. A properly maintained AHC set up is leagues above most SUV's on the road. You can really hustle these things thru a corner and it will exhibit amazing cornering stability and very little body roll, even on far from new 33's.
The additional bonus of the 100 over most other SUV's is its offroad abilities.
The additional bonus of the 100 over most other SUV's is its offroad abilities.
My sentiments exactly! My kid hauler and suburban duties go to my ' 23 Yukon Denali XL purely because it's bigger and has 1000x the creature comforts of a 24 year old Lexus. The 100 I recently bought is purely intended to relieve my Sierra with a $10k lift kit/wheel/tire setup of beach buggy duties. I've enjoyed my time in the 100 since I bought it in December, but it's far from something I would use daily.
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