Lift recommendations for an 06 LC (2 Viewers)

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Hi All. I just recently picked up an 06 LC as a project vehicle. My goal is to build a truck for weekend overland exploring. Unfortunately, I live in the Midwest. So our options for trails and offroad exploring are fairly limited for weekend trips. I don't plan to do any hardcore rock crawling. So for now, I'm not planning on adding any rear storage/drawers or roof tents. I will definitely replace the stock side steps with a pair of rock sliders. I may replace the front bumper with a high clearance bumper and recovery points/winch. I'm happy with the wheel and tire combo I currently have, 275/65/18s. I really like how well the truck rides. I just want to lift it 2" or so to gain some additional clearance.

I originally was going to go with OME's 2.5" lift with the 2860 rear springs since I'm not planning on installing a rear bumper or drawers. Then, I came across the tough dog kit. Their kit intrigues me with their rear adjustable shocks. It seems tough dog owners really like their kits. And then there's the Ironman kit. I don't know much about them. Lastly, is the Icon kit, which seems to be on the high end in terms of price. I've heard about Icon from various youtubers.

I wanted to get your opinions, especially from those with the various lift kits. What are your personal pros and cons of your suspensions. What would you suggest for me? Unless you can convince me otherwise, I'd like to keep the cost of the kit to $3k or so.

Thanks for your input.
 
Hi All. I just recently picked up an 06 LC as a project vehicle. My goal is to build a truck for weekend overland exploring. Unfortunately, I live in the Midwest. So our options for trails and offroad exploring are fairly limited for weekend trips. I don't plan to do any hardcore rock crawling. So for now, I'm not planning on adding any rear storage/drawers or roof tents. I will definitely replace the stock side steps with a pair of rock sliders. I may replace the front bumper with a high clearance bumper and recovery points/winch. I'm happy with the wheel and tire combo I currently have, 275/65/18s. I really like how well the truck rides. I just want to lift it 2" or so to gain some additional clearance.

I originally was going to go with OME's 2.5" lift with the 2860 rear springs since I'm not planning on installing a rear bumper or drawers. Then, I came across the tough dog kit. Their kit intrigues me with their rear adjustable shocks. It seems tough dog owners really like their kits. And then there's the Ironman kit. I don't know much about them. Lastly, is the Icon kit, which seems to be on the high end in terms of price. I've heard about Icon from various youtubers.

I wanted to get your opinions, especially from those with the various lift kits. What are your personal pros and cons of your suspensions. What would you suggest for me? Unless you can convince me otherwise, I'd like to keep the cost of the kit to $3k or so.

Thanks for your input.
Do you have AHC or not?
 
Do you have AHC or not?
I'm thinking about lifting my 2005 and was looking into the Ironman and OME...

The Ironman is on sale now...


That price is tempting. Any feedback on the kit?

And I don't have AHC
 
Ironman is on sale. I just picked up their Foam Cell Pro kit. Check out the mud thread on them. A little pricey but worth every penny
 
I put the OME 2" lift kit on my 04 LX470 about a month and I have no complaints about it. It rides like my 5th gen 4Runner. If you go the OME route, Metaltech 4x4 has pretty good prices on their suspension kits. I think I paid $950 w/ free shipping.

Just a heads up, if you are doing it for by yourself, you are going to spend around $400‐$500 dollars in tools, unless you already own a plethora of tools already. Make sure you watch OTRAMM & beginnersluckgarage's videos.

The rear shocks are the worst part of it, and it's smooth sailing after that.

Does it have AHC suspension? If so alignment wise, take it to a Lexus dealership to have them check your front lift as well. They are more well rounded in dealing with AHC suspension. The two local Toyota dealership's were hesitant to do the alignment after I removed and replaced the shocks. Lexus got in their like Seal Team 6, and only charged me $100 for the alignment and front suspension adjustment. Any other questions feel free to ask.
 
Last bit of advice. Double check to make sure you can bring your spare tire down. Mine was seized up on the winch b/c of the stupid mechanism and I had to sawzall it out.
 
I put the OME 2" lift kit on my 04 LX470 about a month and I have no complaints about it. It rides like my 5th gen 4Runner. If you go the OME route, Metaltech 4x4 has pretty good prices on their suspension kits. I think I paid $950 w/ free shipping.

Just a heads up, if you are doing it for by yourself, you are going to spend around $400‐$500 dollars in tools, unless you already own a plethora of tools already. Make sure you watch OTRAMM & beginnersluckgarage's videos.

The rear shocks are the worst part of it, and it's smooth sailing after that.

Does it have AHC suspension? If so alignment wise, take it to a Lexus dealership to have them check your front lift as well. They are more well rounded in dealing with AHC suspension. The two local Toyota dealership's were hesitant to do the alignment after I removed and replaced the shocks. Lexus got in their like Seal Team 6, and only charged me $100 for the alignment and front suspension adjustment. Any other questions feel free to ask.
Last bit of advice. Double check to make sure you can bring your spare tire down. Mine was seized up on the winch b/c of the stupid mechanism and I had to sawzall it out.

Thanks for the feedback on the OME kit. I will definitely checkout Metaltech. Thanks for the heads up with the installation and spare tire. I was considering installing the kit but I don't have a garage it will fit in nor the tools. So I'm leaning towards getting a shop to install the kit. Fortunately for me, my truck doesn't have AHC.

Does your LX have any weight adders suchs as drawers, bumpers, etc? The various threads I've read said that the OME kit feels better when loaded. As mentioned, I don't plan on adding much weight to the truck.
 
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It's very tempting at that price.




Thanks for the feedback on the OME kit. I will definitely checkout Metaltech. Thanks for the heads up with the installation and spare tire. I was considering installing the kit but I don't have a garage it will fit in nor the tools. So I'm leaning towards getting a shop to install the kit. Fortunately for me, my truck doesn't have AHC.

Does your LX have any weight adders suchs as drawers, bumpers, etc? The various threads I've read said that the OME kit feels better when loaded. As mentioned, I don't plan on adding much weight to the truck.
No, I don't have any weight adders. I did my setup out in my driveway, so it is possible if you wanted to go that route. I would find a reputable indy mechanic to do the installation if you go that route. Toyota wanted to charge me around $2,400

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No, I don't have any weight adders. I did my setup out in my driveway, so it is possible if you wanted to go that route. I would find a reputable indy mechanic to do the installation if you go that route. Toyota wanted to charge me around $2,400

Unfortunately, I don't have a driveway either, but my buddy does. So, we still might attempt this.
 
Ironman is on sale. I just picked up their Foam Cell Pro kit. Check out the mud thread on them. A little pricey but worth every penny

Why are you going with their Foam Cell Pro kit over their nitro kit?
 
Why are you going with their Foam Cell Pro kit over their nitro kit?
The foam cell pro kit will reduce body roll and nose dive, and gives the advantages of a hydraulic remote reservoir shock, without the remote reservoir heating up as result of engine heat. The foam cells give the lift of the standard OME or nitro gas kit but retain the factory ride quality. Foam cell shocks allow more oil to be dispersed within the shock body for a longer period, resulting in a longer-lasting shock when put through off-road usage.
 
The foam cell pro kit will reduce body roll and nose dive, and gives the advantages of a hydraulic remote reservoir shock, without the remote reservoir heating up as result of engine heat. The foam cells give the lift of the standard OME or nitro gas kit but retain the factory ride quality. Foam cell shocks allow more oil to be dispersed within the shock body for a longer period, resulting in a longer-lasting shock when put through off-road usage.

Thanks for the info! I believe Tough dog also sells foam core shocks. Any reason why you chose Ironman over Tough dog? Was it due to pricing?
 
Thanks for the info! I believe Tough dog also sells foam core shocks. Any reason why you chose Ironman over Tough dog? Was it due to pricing?
I never actually considered Tough dog, but Ironman is running a sale right now. I think 20% of lift kits, and maybe free recovery boards (they did the boards when I ordered mine 2 weeks ago). The shocks are HUGE, worth every penny
 
I started with the bilstein shocks with the factory springs. I then moved to new rear springs to support my sub box cuz I had a little sag. After reading about the benefits/ride of foam cell I ordered iron man foam cells (non pro) in the rear and when I tried to order the fronts to match they were out so I went with the pros in front. I really like the ride overall and I spend most of my time on the pavement

all that said... the price for the comprehensiveness of this pro kit is pretty darn solid

 
The foam cell pro kit will reduce body roll and nose dive, and gives the advantages of a hydraulic remote reservoir shock, without the remote reservoir heating up as result of engine heat. The foam cells give the lift of the standard OME or nitro gas kit but retain the factory ride quality. Foam cell shocks allow more oil to be dispersed within the shock body for a longer period, resulting in a longer-lasting shock when put through off-road usage.

are you a salesman, reads like a brochure lol
 
@Vector7

I just purchased the Iron Man Nitro kit. I’ve seen positive reviews here and there on this forum and the web regarding both the Nitro and Cell Foam Pro.

My reason for going with the Nitro was the cost savings over the Cell Foam Pro.

From my research, the ride between the two is apparently engineered to feel the same. The big distinction is the cell foam pro’s ability to better manage the heat dispensation more effectively than the nitro when exposed to extended periods driving on rough terrain.

I haven’t installed yet, but I’m doubtful I’ll ever punish them hard enough long enough offroad to wish I had the Cell foam pro's. TBD.

Here are some of my sources comparing the two…


From an online chat with Ironman sales rep:

My question: With typical urban driving/cement roads, is there a difference in smoothness between the nitro gas lift and the cell foam lift?

His answer: No, not really. Nitro-gas has a 2” shock body which is bigger than most, twin tube which results in a more durable shock, high grade oil and a low nitrogen charge which produces a smoother response from the shock and puts less stress on the seals vs a high charge you see from other brands. If your vehicle is a daily driver, you head off road onto trails at the weekends it’s a great option.

Foam cell technology removes the nitrogen gas in place of the foam cell sleeve, this reduces all internal stress on the seals, it also allows for more oil and zero chance of emulsification from overheating. Foam cells a a 3” shock body, huge oil capacity, twin tube and built like a tank. If you do all of the above activity and more, a heavy rig, multi week touring foam Cell’s will just eat it up.



From an Ironman employee posted on another forum elsewhere on the web:

Foam Cell shocks by their design aren't harsher or firmer on a lighter vehicle - that all comes down to the valving of the shock absorber.

As an example, whilst the technologies are different between a nitro gas and a foam cell shock - we attempt to valve them as closely as possible so that it's near enough as makes no difference - in fact you'd need to be very sensitive to the feel of your vehicle to tell the difference in valving of our nitro gas to foam cell shocks - and things like a change in tyre pressure would be more noticeable.

Saying that a foam cell shock will perform better for longer offroad than a twin tube nitro gas shock as a general rule. This is because the foam cell design allows for more oil, which means it doesn't heat up as quickly and can cool down faster.
 
I'm lifted on the ToughDog 53mm front/45mm adjustable rear foam cell shocks. They ride on the ToughDog TBs and extra heavy dual rated coils. My rig is very heavy and I run corrugated gravel roads a LOT in addition to daily driving and towing. My needs required a higher volume, foam cell shock. For most others, the nitro shocks valved correctly will be more than enough. The IronMan Nitros would be a kit I'd put on any 100 Series that was expecting to be moderately off-roaded and moderately built out (front bullbar, winch, drawer system, possibly a RTT and sliders). If someone were to add to all that a dual swingout bumper, underbody bash plates, dual battery and more, then I'd go Foam Cell all day long. If your budget is enough, then go Icon Stage 2-3. But those are roughly 2-3x the cost of a solid Foam Cell such as IronMan and/or ToughDog. The main thing with your lift to consider is do NOT overspring the rig. Don't get heavy coils if you're not truly heavy. Don't get the 32mm TBs if you're going to just run stock....get the 28mm OEM Toyota TBs. If you're going to just run a bullbar and winch, get the 30mm OME TBs. 32mm TBs are for heavy rigs (bullbar, winch, dual battery and steel skid plates).
 
I just order the ironman foam cell plus. That sale price was to good to pass up. I have a bone stock daily driver. It might be a bit over kill though I did not want to need to upgrade again in the future.

Looking forward to getting to getting my 100 handeling as good as my Q7 :)
 

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