Builds Ikarus' LX470 Offroad Build and BS

[Tanner H]

Ah ok gotcha. I must have read your post incorrectly, I thought the spacers came with the bumper for this specific reason.


I really wish ARB made recovery points on our bumpers. I had to get yanked out of a tough spot on a trail and had to use the sketchy tow hook on the passenger side.

 

[ikarus]

Got the rear suspension installed. Man, what a difference the icons and slinky coils make. The ride is amazing now - doesn't feel like a truck anymore.

The kit also comes with extended sway bar links for the rear and rock guards for the rear shocks. Overall I'm very impressed - but I do need to install some extended brake lines and breathers. With the swaybar disconnected, it's looking like 5+ inches of extra travel? Gotta measure again to make sure I'm not making that up

 

[ikarus]

Winch time. Went with the Comeup Seal Gen2 12.5rs

This thing is well built. When researching winches, these really stood out. Solid construction, waterproof, cone brake setup, thermal warning, great customer service, etc.

I was about to drop the bumper, when I got to thinking that maybe I could just install it as is -

Sure enough, just drop the ARB mini skid plate and there's plenty of room to get it in there. Plus I end up doing all my work at 1am and there's no one to help me lift the bumper back on. ha

In position, looked like I needed to clock the clutch lever a bit

The process is simple. Use an allen to remove the 4 cover bolts and cover, then take off the thin gasket to reveal more bolts

Remove the 6 gear box bolts, disengage clutch, and rotate. They have settings every 20° or so. I went to about 40°

Winch back in, the lever fits perfectly.

Then one trip to Fastenal in the morning and it's good to go. The winch came with 30mm bolts but I needed 40mm for the top and 45mm for the bottom as I was running it through the fairlead into the feet.

The fairlead/line situation isn't ideal. Gonna have to look into that.. I guess I might need to move the winch up to the upper holes with spacers, and keep the fairlead on the bottom holes. Though - when the line is out it might line up perfectly with the fairlead.

 

[DJCloz]

Where did you get those rear lower shock rock guards? Edit: I did some googling, found them for $124 a set a couple places. They are an Icon product. Side note, I have been running icons for while now. If you ever do any rock crawling, and have a front tire in the air, I think that's when I seem to be tearing CV boots with the extended travel/ over extending the CV's . I am probably going to install some limiting straps up front. re-booting 3 times in 1 year is just too messy / pricey.

 

[ikarus]

Where did you get those rear lower shock rock guards? Edit: I did some googling, found them for $124 a set a couple places. They are an Icon product. Side note, I have been running icons for while now. If you ever do any rock crawling, and have a front tire in the air, I think that's when I seem to be tearing CV boots with the extended travel/ over extending the CV's . I am probably going to install some limiting straps up front. re-booting 3 times in 1 year is just too messy / pricey.

Good to know, thanks man. Yeah there's nothing worse than a leaky CV spraying grease everywhere.

What's your setup? What amount of extra travel have you seen?

 

[DJCloz]

I have icon stage 3 shocks with TC UCA’s. My hub to fender measurement up front is 23” and I think I have 2.5” inches of downtravel? It’s been a while since I messed with the height of my torsion bars. I also have a slee diff drop and sway away torsion bars. Also trail tailor extended sway bar links. Everything feels and drives great until
I go wheeling. I actually don’t have any performamce complaints about leaking CV’s besides the grease getting everywhere. I have never let them leak more than 3 months though. And it’s pretty dry here in SoCal. I used to have old man emu nitro shocks. Around town I would occasionally notice them max out /over extend on down travel. It was a little annoying, but I never used to rip CV bouts back then. I wheeled that setup plenty also. So..... I’ll
Be figuring out some limiting straps up front soon!

 

[BillZ260]

Where did you get those rear lower shock rock guards? Edit: I did some googling, found them for $124 a set a couple places. They are an Icon product. Side note, I have been running icons for while now. If you ever do any rock crawling, and have a front tire in the air, I think that's when I seem to be tearing CV boots with the extended travel/ over extending the CV's . I am probably going to install some limiting straps up front. re-booting 3 times in 1 year is just too messy / pricey.

I've come to the same conclusion on the boot tearing. I'd be interested in your limiting solution. The guy's at the shop looked at me funny when I asked them if they'd installed limiting straps on a 100.

 

[ikarus]

I have icon stage 3 shocks with TC UCA’s. My hub to fender measurement up front is 23” and I think I have 2.5” inches of downtravel? It’s been a while since I messed with the height of my torsion bars. I also have a slee diff drop and sway away torsion bars. Also trail tailor extended sway bar links. Everything feels and drives great until
I go wheeling. I actually don’t have any performamce complaints about leaking CV’s besides the grease getting everywhere. I have never let them leak more than 3 months though. And it’s pretty dry here in SoCal. I used to have old man emu nitro shocks. Around town I would occasionally notice them max out /over extend on down travel. It was a little annoying, but I never used to rip CV bouts back then. I wheeled that setup plenty also. So..... I’ll
Be figuring out some limiting straps up front soon!

Gotcha. I just went on a big 700 mi+ offroad trip - no torn boots yet but I'll keep watching them. I tried to keep the wheeling at a moderate level - didn't want to break my front diff either.

Also I have an extra set of those rock guards. If you want them, PM me.

 

[REZARF]

You say the Icon's make the 100 not feel like a truck anymore... how would you describe the ride? The factory ride was like driving a sofa, the OME I have now is much firmer but I would call it more like a sport truck vs a full duty truck ride. Interested in your seat of the pants driving experience/feel?

 

[bozncsurf]

I love how strealth the Comeup winch installed. I was checking out the box and saw there was a control pack - so either I missed it or you didn't post it - where did you mount it???

Also noticed in the background a Warn VR Synth box - decided to go a different direction or did you mount that on your wife's NX ???

I let the line out on my ARB / winch combo and have to be honest .. I'm thinking of synth line rollers at this point. I installed the Slee offset fairlead and if it's not a straight pull its gonna be close. Thoughts ?

Great shots in the pic thread - I'm sure you wheeled much more confidently with the Slee sliders on!

 

[ikarus]

You say the Icon's make the 100 not feel like a truck anymore... how would you describe the ride? The factory ride was like driving a sofa, the OME I have now is much firmer but I would call it more like a sport truck vs a full duty truck ride. Interested in your seat of the pants driving experience/feel?

I would say it's taken the sport truck feeling and improved it. Still has the planted feel of OME, but the bumps and hits are much less harsh. Feels like I can go through things a lot quicker than before. On uneven dirt roads, aired down to 18psi, I was surprised at how smooth things were.

I was skeptical because I've had OME on my trucks for the last 4-5 years and it's been great, but I see the benefit of Icon now.

I love how strealth the Comeup winch installed. I was checking out the box and saw there was a control pack - so either I missed it or you didn't post it - where did you mount it???

Also noticed in the background a Warn VR Synth box - decided to go a different direction or did you mount that on your wife's NX ???

I let the line out on my ARB / winch combo and have to be honest .. I'm thinking of synth line rollers at this point. I installed the Slee offset fairlead and if it's not a straight pull its gonna be close. Thoughts ?

Great shots in the pic thread - I'm sure you wheeled much more confidently with the Slee sliders on!

Forgot to post a pic of the control box mounted. I had a few days to get everything installed and left for the trip immediately after finishing everything. But I used the ARB mounting bar -

Ha, no winch on the NX. I actually picked that up before the Comeup as it fit in the budget, but then had a chance to get a good deal on a Comeup so I returned the Warn. Seemed like a nice winch though. I do prefer the waterproof design of the Seal 12.5rs.

As far as the fairlead, it does seem a bit close on angled pulls so I might get another fairlead and stack it, or spacers. But the stock comeup fairlead worked great when I had to use the winch so far. Sliders definitely got a good workout, very glad I had them

 

[ikarus]

Got the chance to go on an awesome trip put together by @Box Rocket. He took us all through southern Utah, from the San Rafael Swell to Bears Ears to Canyonlands. The group was mostly 80s, with a couple 200s and FJs. Christo Slee joined us in his 80 - it was fun to talk cruisers with him.

We had plenty of brake problems, broken swaybar and shock mounts, etc. in the group but the only problem I had was at 11K feet on this mountain pass -

Got the gas venting problem. Ate some of the paint unfortunately - but no fire! Everyone there said it happens with 80s as well. Better than a gas tank rupturing. Luckily I rarely drive to these types of altitudes.

I took all the tools I needed, prepared for a front diff failure, but the cruiser did great. Still getting an ARB though, just to be safe.

This slinky setup is seriously great. Took dirt roads at 40mph that I would have been doing 15-20 with OME. Nice travel in the rear as well. Just walked right up everything. ATRAC kicked in a few times, and I only got stuck twice on Elephant Hill. It had been raining and I was near the back of the line so things were pretty chewed up. In the dry or with lockers I would have cruised up easily, but I didn't want to risk breaking my front diff so I winched up.

 

[Somebodyelse5]

@ikarus I would bet that the change in handling those dirt road speeds has a lot more to do with those Icon shocks

 

[Kmonty66]

Great pics! Nice flex in the last one!!

 

[ikarus]

@ikarus I would bet that the change in handling those dirt road speeds has a lot more to do with those Icon shocks

Ha, for sure. When I say the Slinky setup I mean the whole kit - shocks, springs, etc.

 

[Somebodyelse5]

Ha, for sure. When I say the Slinky setup I mean the whole kit - shocks, springs, etc.

I figured, I just wanted to make it clear in case someone else comes along. The Icon shocks are fantastic, regardless of the springs and UCA's you run. (Assuming you get them tuned to what you are using)

 

[ikarus]

I figured, I just wanted to make it clear in case someone else comes along. The Icon shocks are fantastic, regardless of the springs and UCA's you run. (Assuming you get them tuned to what you are using)

Definitely. I already want to upgrade to the stage 4s. Not sure how the Australian stage 4 is different from the US stage 3

 

[TonyP]

Did Adam make the Dropbox for pics? I haven't seen anything yet .

 

[ikarus]

Did Adam make the Dropbox for pics? I haven't seen anything yet .

I took that one pic off his Instagram. Haha. Still waiting on pics in Dropbox

 

[Tanner H]

damn, love all those shots. crazy about the venting issue at high altitude. Thinking about taking my factory roof rack off after seeing how clean it looks without it.