Just bought a LX470!! Super pumped - Need Advice!

[Whistlin Willy]

First time posting on here. I have been wanting a 100 series for over a year and finally pulled the trigger on this 2001 LX470. It has 238k miles on it and 2 previous owners. Very well maintained from what I can tell on Carfax reports. AHC works perfectly!

I would appreciate some advice from the wealth of knowledge on this forum. I purchased it with the knowledge of a few issues: front diff bushings need replacing, transfer case has a small leak (not sure where or why), and no history of timing belt ever being changed. I was able to negotiate $2500 of the price since these issues were present.

Anyway, what should be the top priority of the KNOWN issues as well as preventative maintenance for any UNKNOWN issues?

 

[Malleus]

Timing belt. Everything else can wait.

If you know the front differential bushings are shot, your upper/lower control arms are most likely gone too. That doesn't look like a trail rig, and if the differential bushings haven't faired well, the rest of the front end rubber hasn't either. Pay especially close attention to the CV axle boots; if they are torn, make plans to replace them as soon as possible. Those bearings do not do well when they aren't clean and greased properly.

Download the service manual and electrical wiring diagram, as well as the wiring harness repair manual. All of them are in the Resources forum, LX section.

When you consider maintenance, add flushing the transmission to your engine and gear oil change plans. The A343F is a good transmission, but it needs clean oil in it, at most every two years. I'd flush the brake and AHC fluid too. Take the seats out and give the carpet a good cleaning. What you find will tell you a lot about how the truck was used/maintained.

Give the engine compartment and underbody a good wash too. Make a list of everything obvious that doesn't work or look right.

 

[Carpati]

Nice...Good Luck. My '03 LC, I'm orig owner, has been bulletproof. I recommend greasing the zerks on the driveshaft. Sometimes that's forgotten. I have the Milwaukee M18 Grease Gun which is fabulous. I use Royal Purple and SuperLube greases for various applications and recommend. Also the LocknLube Quick Connect Grease Accessory Kit. I think you may also need a small adapter/connector for the grease gun hose which LocknLube also sells - maybe I got that so the hose swivels.

 

[Malleus]

Good point. One of the early "fixes" for the driveline "clunk" was to overfill the driveshaft slip joint. The rear one especially likes to stick.

 

[LXMarksTheSpot]

Love that color. Looks really good!

Heater T's! Mine looked great and felt great. Until I decided to replace them because of anxiety and they crumpled upon removal. Some pieces into dust.

Clean the sunroof drains and lube the sunroof track. Compressed air, around 40 psi will help clear any clogs. Don't let a little rain ruin your day.

 

[Cruiserlab]

Everything above and...

Do those tires rub? If not, that's great and they look awesome, but they look so awesome they might rub. Probably not an issue, just something to be aware of.

Check the radiator. If it has a brownish color, it probably needs replacing.

Listen for ticks. That means either exhaust leaks (not too big of a deal) or spark plugs (big issue waiting to happen. There are a few good threads here about it.)

Otherwise, sweet lookin' ride and awesome color!

 

[Malleus]

Love that color. Looks really good!

Heater T's! Mine looked great and felt great. Until I decided to replace them because of anxiety and they crumpled upon removal. Some pieces into dust.

Clean the sunroof drains and lube the sunroof track. Compressed air, around 40 psi will help clear any clogs. Don't let a little rain ruin your day.

If you clean the drain lines with compressed air (my choice, hands down), clean them from the bottom up, not the top down. The crap in them is at the top inch; you don't want to push it a full 3' before it (might) popout in the body well.

 

[Cruiserlab]

If you clean the drain lines with compressed air (my choice, hands down)...

You can also use weed-eater string. Works great.