LX_pedition’s build thread (1 Viewer)

[Lcerva]

Hey everyone!

As of November 2019 I have been a proud owner of a 2006 Black LX470.

So, the mod bug has hit me and I figured it’s time to start a build thread. Being that I live in NYC I intend to go light and slow on the mods.

This is my daily commuter and I have to keep it street friendly. So, I’m trying to only considering mods that are necessary for my purposes. But, we all know how that goes.

Below I will keep a journal of the mods and maintenance performed. Major upgrades will be listed in the posts directly after this. I will post minor upgrades and additions in most recent posts from then on. Enjoy and feel free to comment.


11/5/19
BFG Ko2 275/70/18

01/03/20
Front and Rear outer bearings, Front and Rear inner bearings, all four rotors and pads, Front and Rear brake lines, Front and Rear Sway bar links, brake shoes, e brake lever kit, HID headlight conversion kit, diff fluid replacement, rear chrome trim, rear hatch handle.

01/09/20
ABS sensors front and rear replacement.

01/13/20
Whiteknuckle Rock Sliders, Owl Expedition puddle light bracket, amazon LED lights, front window tints, HID fog light conversion kit

03/05/20
King springs, heater hose T’s, wheel alignment

04/29/20
ARB front bumper, PIAA fog lights, fender repair, spoiler repair, Front side parking lights replaced

05/05/20
Method Roosts 18x9 set of 5

05/18/20
Balanced front right and left AHC weight sensors, adjusted pressures to support the weight of the ARB bumper.

05/19/20
Installed Trail tailor lower control arm skid plates.

05/20/20
Huracan tailgate storage unit install.

06/02/20
Roadsafe tow points, Gear America Brand D shackles, Durashell key fob

06/10/20
Added Freon and changed Cabin Air Filters

06/13/20
Trail Tailor 1” body lift

06/26/20
Replaced front sway bar bushings

07/31/2020
4x4labs rear bumper with tire carrier and ladder, Badlands Apex 12k synthetic winch, more Gear America Brand shackles, wheel lock nuts, cut off resonator, removed tow hitch mount.

08/07/2020
Tuffy flip up license plate holder, removed vibration dampener.

08/17/2020
BT45 toy install, owl expedition media mount install

08/18/2020
Ram ball socket mount

08/29/20
Rear drive shaft replaced

11/11/20
Prospeed roof rack installed

11/28/20
Cut out a small portion of rotting frame and patch welded a new piece on. Removed three rusty broken bolts.

Directly below is the rig when I first bought her at 143,000 miles. Hopefully, I have her for years to come.

This second picture below will be updated as I add mods. This, is how she currently sits.

I think she’s ready to take off-road, don’t you?

 

[Lcerva]

So, I decided to keep my stock rims for now even though they are not in great condition. Seems they were poorly painted by the dealer and not exactly in top condition. However, I like the style and could opt to powder coat them in the future.
For now I’ve decided to add 275/70/18 BFG Ko2 A/T tires. They look pretty sweet if I must say.

Here they are on the truck.

 

[Lcerva]

Had some much needed maintenance done. Decided to refresh the braking system. Rotors seemed beat up and rusted as well as the brake lines. And since the e brake seized up and was causing rattling I replaced the lever kit and brake shoes as well. Everything was OEM except for the stop tech rotors and brake lines.

Replacing sway links for the front and back were another measure to track down the rattling noise. Even though they were not causing the rattling, it turned out they were pretty shot as well. This along with the replacement of the inner and outter bearings vastly improved the smoothness of the ride. It now drives very solid with an increase in stability. I found a huge decrease in body roll. And the brakes are smooth, consistent and tight.

 

[Lcerva]

Very excited to finally receive and install my white knuckle sliders. I really love how they look! I decided on full diamond plate, with the stronger steel and the 10 degree slant. I’m not sure if they are supposed to sit a little lower than the body of the car but there seems to be a gap between the body and the sliders. Also, got the front windows tinted at 20%.

The Owl expedition bracket and recommended amazon LED lights came in pretty handy as well. They are a huge improvement on the puddle lights that come stock. They are very bright and actually help you see better in the dark. Did I mention they look really cool too?

 

[Lcerva]

HID conversion kit was the next upgrade I just couldn’t live without. I find the stock lights have poor output and are just not up to today’s standards. With all the options out there, there really is no reason to start with regular incandescent bulbs.

 

[Lcerva]

I ordered some King Springs earlier this month and was finally able to install them. I plan to add weight in the form of steel bumpers and roof rack. This should help support the AHC for the foreseeable future. We also did a wheel alignment as is recommended when working on suspension. Pics below. As I was leaving the mechanic my heater hose Ts busted and the LX started smoking like crazy. Luckily they were able to fix it quickly. Glad it happened at the mechanic and not on the road.

EDIT:
I added a 1” Trail Tailor body lift today (6/13/20) Doing this has helped me eliminate some rubbing issues I have been having since I added the Method Wheels. I really like how it looks and the drive has almost become better. Couldn’t be happier with the product.

View attachment 2338710

 

[Lcerva]

After getting into a fender bender and having my bumper ripped off, I decided it was time for an upgraded bumper. I went with ARB since it’s industry leading and looks great on the LX470. I also added some PIAA LED fog lights. I’m really loving the look. It definitely feels a lot heavier upfront and the suspension is starting to creak a whole lot. But, I’m taking the upgrades and repairs one at a time. Check it out.

 

[Lcerva]

07/31/2020

Today, two very important mods were added to the rig. I added a 4x4labs rear bumper and Badlands Apex synthetic line winch. The rear bumper is probably one the most significant mods you can make in my opinion. It adds armor as well as extra storage options. I opted for the tire carrier and ladder and I couldn’t be happier with it. The winch is in but I have yet to learn how to use it without ruining the synthetic line. Also since the winchis rated for 12,000 pounds and my truck is nearing 8,000 I’m worried about it not being strong enough for my rig. There are ways to use it properly while maximizing its effectiveness. I have yet to learn. I also added some wheel lock nuts and Gear America Brand shackles to the back. I hope you guys like it!

 

[Lcerva]

11/11/20

I was able to install my roof rack today. I decided to go with Prospeed and I have to say That I’m really happy with the versatility and strength of the product. Xsprite light bar will be coming soon.

 

[Lcerva]

Extra mods

 

[Ager Venator]

Go get it Fluid Filmed for the winter.

 

[nukegoat]

Did you drop your phone or something? It's all blurry in the corner. Horrible

 

[planomateo]

Did you drop your phone or something? It's all blurry in the corner. Horrible

It's the night vision, duh.

 

[Lcerva]

Go get it Fluid Filmed for the winter.

Where can I have this done in or around NYC?

Did you drop your phone or something? It's all blurry in the corner. Horrible

Yes, my phone is old. I’m just waiting for it to die to get a new one. I’ll try to improve my photos.

 

[Lcerva]

I’ve updated my phone and some of the pics so it should be an improvement. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Gunner458]

Congrats man that’s a killer build I hope I can do the same to my LX soon...

 

[Lcerva]

Finally, got a chance to take the old LX off road. After meeting a friendly bloke from a Facebook group he was able to show me a few ‘local’ trails. By local I mean about 1.5 hours away. (Part of the trouble of living in the middle of NYC) This is my first time so I made some rookie mistakes. I backed into a tree and cracked my tail light and I don’t even know how but I cracked my front bumper in half. Check it out. If I wasn’t broke I would really consider some steel bumpers.

 

[Lcerva]

This is my latest off-roading video. Still pretty amateur but, it’s just for fun.

 

[menancyandsam]

What brand was your HID lights?
Cost?
Care to share the install process, thanks.

 

[Lcerva]

What brand was your HID lights?
Cost?
Care to share the install process, thanks.

9006 HID Conversion Kit 55W H1 H3 H4 H7 9005 H8/H9/H11 Xenon Ballast Headlight | eBay
This is what I got. I bought it on eBay. I rarely have time for anything and I’m not the handiest person in the world. So, I got them installed by a car audio guy for $30. They are super easy though. It’s plug and play.