Improved GX470 Rear Door Gas Strut Conversion video (1 Viewer)

[lgrt]

Finally starting to mod my wife's Lexus GX470, and the first is to get rid of the clunky door stopper. My improvement was to fabricate a reinforcement plate for the rear door to prevent stress from building up where the gas strut attaches to the rear door.



Links to the parts I used and the show notes can be found at: Improved Lexus GX470 Rear Door Gas Strut Modification

 

[BukkakeAisu]

Fix the link!

I say as I have all the parts for the original method sitting at home waiting to be installed.

 

[lgrt]

Fix the link!.

DONE

 

[470SNC]

such an awesome idea, this is definitely on the to do list

 

[lgrt]

such an awesome idea, this is definitely on the to do list

My wife loved this mod for loading and unloading the back of the truck. Makes life much better.

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

Nice production. Thanks for taking the time to make this.

 

[BukkakeAisu]

Is there any reason you can't reuse the oem bracket on the door-side if you remove the arm? (I realize it's not flat so maybe it gets int he way) Your solution is much more elegant but if you can avoid fabricating that aluminum plate, it makes this upgrade even easier.

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

The aluminum bracket is only used to disperse the tension that the ball stud puts on the sheet metal of the door.

If the aluminum bracket isn't used the force of the door swinging open and bouncing to rest is concentrated on one 10mm stud.

I made a bracket out of steel the same way, but ran into clearance issues and ended up not using it. Currently my ball stud runs directly into the door's sheetmetal. Last I checked there aren't any stress cracks showing but using the bracket as shown in the video is definitely cheap and easy insurance against a failure point.

 

[lgrt]

Is there any reason you can't reuse the oem bracket on the door-side if you remove the arm? (I realize it's not flat so maybe it gets int he way) Your solution is much more elegant but if you can avoid fabricating that aluminum plate, it makes this upgrade even easier.

I started off thinking I would reuse the OEM bracket. It comes apart easy enough but the shape (ridges and grooves) did not give clearance for the strut.

 

[joabmc]

Great video as always! Used your videos when working on the FJ and now the GX. You need to do more modding on the GX to make my life easier

 

[lgrt]

Great video as always! Used your videos when working on the FJ and now the GX. You need to do more modding on the GX to make my life easier

thx... If you can help me pry the GX from my wife than I can get to some more of the mods I want to perform. Right now she still has control

 

[lgrt]

The aluminum bracket is....definitely cheap and easy insurance against a failure point.

Yup! that was my thought too. if you don't fab the plate you can just touch the door before it reaches full extension so that it doesn't bounce. BTW a little drumel will work just take your time... but a full size grinder will slice through the aluminum flat plate in no time.

 

[BukkakeAisu]

I started off thinking I would reuse the OEM bracket. It comes apart easy enough but the shape (ridges and grooves) did not give clearance for the strut.

Gotcha, that makes sense!

I'm just looking to be lazy haha. They sell something I think will work as a replacement at the home centers here so I think I'll go out and try that after measuring the hole spacing. It won't be as rigid as what you have fabbed up but it will add some reinforcement.

 

[lgrt]

They sell something I think will work as a replacement at the home centers here so I think I'll go out and try that after measuring the hole spacing. It won't be as rigid as what you have fabbed up but it will add some reinforcement.

You'll have to let us know how it turns out...

 

[alia176]

I believe McMaster Carr has struts that has a slow down feature at the end of the opening stroke. These struts don't appreciate slamming the door open under pressure over long term. I guess they are just like our shocks, they don't like being topped out either!

 

[joabmc]

@lgrt is there a possibility that the FJC locking rear door strut would work?

 

[lgrt]

@lgrt is there a possibility that the FJC locking rear door strut would work?

Nope...

 

[James C]

Did this today. Thanks for the write up and part numbers!

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

Tried the FJ strut and could not get it to work. Chalked it up to a $97 experiment...

 

[lgrt]

Did this today. Thanks for the write up and part numbers!

that is great... got a pic??!!