Builds North East GX470 Build

[exigex]

Mod list so far:
Icon extended travel front coilovers with neoprene covers
Camburg balljoint front UCA's
NAPA REACTIVEone front brake rotors and pads
1/4" worth of spacers in rear suspension height sensors
RCI front skid plate 1/4" steel powder coated
Cooper Discoverer AT3 275/70R17 tires
Hewitt Technologies SAIS Bypass Kit - Plug and Play
OBDLink LX Bluetooth Scan Tool connected using low profile OBDII extension cable
GTA Car Kit Pure Bluetooth with AUX

Planned mods:
RCI skid plates all around
Bolt-on Sliders
Icon Overland Series 3" Lift Rear Coil Springs
Icon 2.0 Aluminum Series Rear Shocks
Metal-Tech Rear Coil Conversion Complete Kit
Adjust front coilovers for 1.5" more lift
Switch to shut off ATRAC & VSC (cut white wire on GX470)
Switch to shut off ABS

 

[DaddYo27]

man, that is exactly what a wife imagines when you "finally" get to do what you want! looks like a blast

What exactly does this entail? sounds a bit more secure than tricking airbags..1/4" worth of spacers in rear suspension height sensors

-newb

 

[exigex]

There are ride height sensors in the rear for the rear air bags that are bolted onto the frame with 2 bolts. You put spacers/washers to space them down from the frame, it is a 1:3 ratio i think, so the 1/4" worth of washers equates to 3/4" of lift in normal mode. So no tricking the air bags to stay in high mode. I think the Icon fronts gave it 2.5" of lift and the rear is already way higher than the front so 3/4" more lift in the rear made it pretty level. I only did this so that I can have time to figure out what rear suspension setup I wanted to go with. I really needed to do the front suspension bc the stock components were in really bad condition and the truck sucked to drive.

 

[DaddYo27]

thanks, i'm going to look into that. I need the most economical lift possible, without destroying the pampered feeling i get behind the wheel. plus, its extremely important for 2 kids to sleep in the back. all the feedback on airbags seems like the kiddos might just bounce out of their car-seats. but... thousands of $$ in suspension isn't an option for us. your truck looks great. thanks again!

 

[exigex]

It is not comfortable, I can't wait to get springs and shocks in the rear. The stock suspension was always s***ty and uncomfortable to me. With the front done and the rear stock it feels a bit weird. My front suspension is incredible so it makes the rear feel squishy and loose and bouncy, well it was always like that but it now is more prominent bc the front is so good.

 

[madtoy]

I'm a bit shocked at how tiny the JKU in that picture looks, next to the GX - when it's almost the same size vehicle.....

 

[exigex]

That jeep is bone stock for now.

 

[exigex]

Finished cutting the mud flaps and front fender/side step covers:

 

[Dannyk2]

Did you preemptively buy the Hewitt Technologies SAIS Bypass Kit or did you need to suppress the CEL? Wondering if I should buy one now while it's still available.

 

[exigex]

I did get the cel and the truck went into limp mode, I had to disconnect my battery every time it came on so i could drive it.
I would definitely recommend buying one and installed it preemptively, it was pretty easy, the only hard part is the block off plates.

 

[exigex]

I got the transmission service today at Prime Toyota Route 2 in Lancaster Massachusetts. They seem to be really good there. They only charged the total of $200 for the service. It's basically a drain and fill on the world spec Toyota fluid. They have to get it to a certain temperature to do it because it's a sealed transmission. They said it needs to be done every 100,000 miles. That's good and I'm happy. My local Lexus dealer said never to change the fluid. And then another Toyota dealership that I stopped by at a while ago because I was in the area told me over $300 for the service.

 

[htsai14752]

Which skid plates from RCI fit the gx470?

 

[madtoy]

Which skid plates from RCI fit the gx470?

03-09 4runner

 

[exigex]

I finally had time to replace the inner tie rods yesterday. This was long over due, the stock inner tie rods had so much play in them.
I went with this brand made in Japan and they looked really beefy in the pictures I saw online.
I had already replaced the outer tie rods with greasable ones from Deeza that were beefier than stock.

Inner tie rod comparison

• exigex
• May 22, 2016

Inner tie rods

• exigex
• May 22, 2016

Inner tie rods

• exigex
• May 22, 2016

Driver side

• exigex
• May 22, 2016

Passenger side

• exigex
• May 22, 2016

 

[mercedeezel]

may i ask why you replaced the inner tre's? you mentioned there was lots of play. i'm curious to know if there were vibrations, noises etc. that led you to narrow it down to the inner ends.

 

[exigex]

Well it has 160,000 miles on it so a lot of things need to be replaced. And yes once I did the lift and the bigger tires I did notice sloppy steering. No vibrations or anything just not tight steering, it is better now. I am slowly working on replacing everything.
I know the bushings for the steering rack flex a lot but I won't be able to replace the bushings or rack for a while.

 

[kbahus]

may i ask why you replaced the inner tre's? you mentioned there was lots of play. i'm curious to know if there were vibrations, noises etc. that led you to narrow it down to the inner ends.

All you have to do is jack up the front, grab a hold of the tire at 3 and 9 o'clock positions and push/pull it back and forth with some force but just enough to get a wiggle out of it. If your tie rods are bad you will feel a click or even a clunk. At this point you can have a helper wiggle it while you feel around. Put your hand on the outer tie rod ball joint, you may feel the play there, you can also grab the inner through the boot and play may be felt there as well. It's usually a good idea to replace them as a pair. Also check the lower and upper ball joints for play in the same fashion, also try 12 and 6 o'clock positions. Hope that makes sense.

 

[exigex]

I am thinking about selling the truck...just no time to use it any more and no money to mod it for a while.
I have a loan on it and it would really help to eliminate this payment every month.
Just testing the waters to see if any one is interested.

2005 Lexus GX470, Blizzard Pearl with tan interior, Mark Levinson sound system, NAV, Rear DVD player, Non-KDSS
165,000 miles

It is originally from California, I purchased it from a dealer in Montana who buys vehicles from California and sells them in Bozeman. I bought it with 113,000 miles. The frame and body are in great shape, ever since it has been on the east coast I have coated the underbody/frame with linseed oil every year before the winter.
It runs and drives great, we have used it to drive all over the country, it is alway reliable and has never has let us down.

Timing belt, water pump, radiator, and alternator were all replaced at 100,000 miles, indicated by Lexus service records.
All differential fluids were replaced around 145,000 miles
Brake fluid flushed at 145,000 miles
The dash was replaced at 155,00 miles under Lexus warranty
I had a Toyota dealership replace the transmission fluid around 160,000 miles.
The rear air bags still hold air. The ride i fine but would definitely benefit from replacing the bags with lift springs and new shocks.

Mods/Upgrades:
New inner and outer tie rods
New NAPA remanufactured axles and new axle seals
New front sway bar bushings
NAPA Reactive One front brake rotors and pads
Stainless Steel extended front brake lines
Icon extended travel front coilovers with neoprene covers
Camburg balljoint front UCA's
1/4" worth of spacers in rear suspension height sensors (pretty level stance front to rear when in normal height mode)
RCI front skid plate 1/4" steel powder coated black
Cooper Discoverer AT3 275/70R17 tires
TPMS replaced with traditional valve stems and TPMS bypassed
Hewitt Technologies SAIS Bypass Kit - Plug and Play (wired to the starter relay so it always works)
GTA Car Kit Pure Bluetooth with AUX
Remote start installed at Lexus dealer at the time of dash replacement (2000ft range)

 

[Placemotorsports]

Price?