Rescued 2000 lx 470 gets new ome kit with swayaway TBs.

[Fulibaked]

Specs:
2000 lx470 247k miles.
Just got done with the ome kit with HD lifted springs and sway away torsion Bars.
Total shop time 24 hrs. Spread over three days

Removing the old failed hydraulic suspension was difficult.
I had to weld the security lugs to my wrench to spin them off.
Felt like a good battle.
Tired and beaten but pleased with the results
This forum was helpful but I also learned a lot.
For example, there was a missing security key / bit that lowers the spare tire down. So I had to remove the cross member that held the spare tire on.

 

[Fulibaked]

turns out it the old suspension only Failed at the front right level sensor.

 

[95Fantasma80]

"Rescued"

I like it.

 

[Fulibaked]

I’m a Chevy guy, never liked Toyota’s, abeit, my only experience was with a 01 corolla, I still can’t get down with the driver seat height and other things that bother me with a truck like this.
It’s a rescue, it’s last owner gave it to me because she couldn’t afford any of the repairs.
I just poored enough money to buy a nice used suburban.
I may need to drive it a bit before I start wanting to get rid of it.
I kinda wanna get rid of it just talking about it.

 

[95Fantasma80]

just get rid of it... suburbans????

yeah good luck with that...

 

[Fulibaked]

I just saw one on the thruway near me and it got my attention,
The factory set of sway bar links arrived today, I will extend them and put them on.
I think there was a mount in the front that rotted away, - that needs to be cleaned up and fabricated a new mount, I’m gonna use a piece of channel iron and gussetted in.

 

[Cola]

I just saw one on the thruway near me and it got my attention,
The factory set of sway bar links arrived today, I will extend them and put them on.
I think there was a mount in the front that rotted away, - that needs to be cleaned up and fabricated a new mount, I’m gonna use a piece of channel iron and gussetted in.

Prob the front passenger frame swaybar mount. AC drips right on it. One of the very very few poorly though out pieces

 

[Fulibaked]

Whe.mn I was under the Lx, I saw a diagonally cut piece of hose sticking out just above the mount out of the frame rail/ I guess that was the ac drain line you’re talking about. I suppose i should make it longer with a hose barb and relocate it. Thanks

 

[Fulibaked]

Today is the day, but I’m so beat!
Cut and elongate the factory sway bar links and install them, I was gonna lengthen the links with some 1/2” steel pipe but the pipes might be too heavy. Any suggestions? I’m now thinking 1/2” steel hot rolled rod

 

[Fulibaked]

The lift is done, it has a 1” rake. now awaiting front wheel bearing set from rock auto and steering rack bushings from pro sports before I mount 33” tires and get an alignment.I’ve been hearing a bit of a clunk when shifting or coasting, I will grease my slip yokes, hopefully the front diff bushings aren’t the cause. :/

 

[wvrx]

If the clunk happens when you accelerate or hit the gas after coasting could be front hub flanges. Easy way to tell is to take a video with your phone of the underside and shift between P to R and D and see what moves.

 

[Fulibaked]

If the clunk happens when you accelerate or hit the gas after coasting could be front hub flanges. Easy way to tell is to take a video with your phone of the underside and shift between P to R and D and see what moves.

What about the front hub flanges wear out? I read that that clunk could be an indication of either the front differential bushings worn out or it could be the slip yoke in the drive lines.
either way it’s a good idea to have eyes on whats loose. I will have my wife shift while i look.
thanks,
I will post updates,
I’m going to put in the front wheel bearings and take it a couple of hours away to pick up a pair of Ferrets tomorrow. I hope I get this resolved for the trip.

 

[Fulibaked]

Well, everything went wrong today. I go to replace the front bearings and I start with the left side. I found the damn axle nuts way looooose! So loose in fact, there is indication of axle pulling and damaging the flange retaining clip under the dust cap! I had to use the grinder to remove the mushroomed over splines. So I get the flange off, and the nuts are entirely loose for sure. I take the nuts off, clean everything like a maniac that I am and then my 2-1/8” and my 2-1/4” sockets are no where to be found. I get crazy enough to go on the hunt for a 55mm. I go from Home Depot to Autozone to advanced auto, from branch to branch- non of these guys have it.
this never happens with my old burban.
I come home and had to order it online-delayed two days. Now i need to borrow a damn car tomorrow to run my errands for the day. Which means I gotta drive an old Subaru ( good bones but painful seats)
On a trip to pick up two ferrets for my boys for Xmas 2 hours away. I’m super annoyed right now.
Doh! I really shouldn’t drive this thing with wheels ready to fly off.
why doesn’t Toyota consider a damn castle nut like everyone else??. Maybe this is a learning moment, can anyone explain why two nuts jammed together with a s***ting retaining washer in between is better than say modest castle nut with a large Cotter pin?

 

[Fulibaked]

firstly, the mondo 55mm socket arrived from amazon($19). So I finish the damn bearings.
packed the new bearings using mobile 1 grease since it was only $5 for the tub. I FLIP OVER the thrust washer and torque the nuts and wrap things up quick. Then my alignment guy tells me I need new steering rack bushings in order to have the larger 33.5” tires mounted balanced and have them wear nicely.
damn. I order them from energy suspension and received them fairly quickly.
I did not like changing those bushings. It was not fun changing them.
there’s a lot of talk of people asking but not getting any real info and no videos of anyone ever showing how to do this on an early LX 470. the concept of the work is easy to understand but IRL the work is full of struggles considering these bushings were likely never changed on this rescue.

So it’s raining and freezing and dark.
my driveway isn’t paved yet either. I’m rolling around on item # 4 and chunks of recycled concrete. The bushings took me all day.

Front left bushing was the easiest- I pulled the two long 19mm bolts right out with my 1/2”impact gun and a combo wrench then, a little spray lube and a nudge with long screw driver popped it right out. The install of new bushing was just as easy. Hard press with my hands was all it took. The rear left was a different story. There’s just enough room to push the old bushing out. The front differential and the axle tube is in the way. The approach angle angle for this one was difficult. I had to use the bolt, washer and nut to press the new bushing in one piece at a time. Thank goodness the replacement bushing is 3 pieces. this rear bushing took 2.5 hrs

now the right side clamp.
lord help me.
the forward 19mm bolt came out with two combo wrenches doubled up. The factory torque value must have been so high, I swear there was metal juice residue on the metal below.
the rear bolt, you need a off set wrench and some of the hoses out of the way to be able to have the swing clearance. Once the clamp comes off it’s just the matter of getting a pry bar under the rack to the the old one off. New one goes on easy enough but achieving the torque values on the flange is a tough. It took me a few beer brakes, moaning and complaining about foreign cars to get it done.
I’ve never had to do any of these on any of my trucks so the work it self was foreign coupled with the fact that the weather wasn’t cooperating and the pressure to get it done was overwhelming. The BOSS ordered me to get rid of the suburban and get the LX up and running ASAP.
I’ve since had the tires mounted. And ready and in time for the alignment for Monday.
I will update with pictures.
there’s still bunch of things I want to get done on this rig. Such as building a roof rack with a loading roller in the rear- like the suburban. Mi fabricator buddy wants me to come up with a design that will work for this truck so he can pump them out cheap.
I will post some pictures and drawings of my idea for you guys to see if there’s interest in this set up.

 

[kevin2i]

247k on it = a little bit of work to get caught up with some deferred maintenance. Once sorted, should go another 150k. I've got 290k on my 98, (230k my miles) and in 17 years of ownership, well under $300/yr maintenance all in (except tires).

I’m a Chevy guy, never liked Toyota’s, abeit, my only experience was with a 01 corolla, I still can’t get down with the driver seat height and other things that bother me with a truck like this.

Note this is 'toyota turf' so you might get a little friendly push back on that . . .
I recently worked on getting a 1980 1 ton Chevy stepvan to running condition (taco truck body) and parts were plentiful, cheap, and pretty easy to work on, except getting to brake proportioning valve. (Came with a house I bought).

100 series I find 'generally' easy to work on, except the drivetrain and offset engine make it tight in some spots. I did the urethane bushing replacement years ago - those rubber bushings wear out = lots of steering play. Some things are complicated, some bad designs - such as the starter under the intake manifold -- a bad decision for an 'overland' vehicle. Also rust-prone depending on climate.

I saw a clip (CNBC) regarding drop of sales in the LC line, and their might not be a 2021 LC in North America. I was sad until I just reviewed the 2021 Chevy Suburban/Tahoe offerings (2 gas engines, 1 diesel available) - Z51 package, lots of updates, full phone integration, air suspension, etc . . Toyota needs to stay home and stop milking the Land Cruiser legacy. Bring us a 70 series, or get serious with a competitive product. Build quality only goes so far - ridiculous no phone integration (car play/android auto) in a 'Luxury' vehicle in 2020, and abysmal mileage. I might end up with a used 200 series, but no rush as long as my 100 runs fine. I would drive my 22 year old truck across the country tomorrow, no worries, and I've got Car Play . . .

Would be interested in a rolling rack. Thinking about building something myself, my roof rack sees constant use. The spoiler doesn't work very well as a support . . .

Such as building a roof rack with a loading roller in the rear- like the suburban. Mi fabricator buddy wants me to come up with a design that will work for this truck so he can pump them out cheap.
I will post some pictures and drawings of my idea for you guys to see if there’s interest in this set up.

 

[Fulibaked]

thanks for being real Kevin2i,
Most of the posts on the forum only touts how great these trucks are and I haven’t seen anyone saying anything remotely as real, like
how I had to order every part I need online because the local parts shops didn’t have the parts in their warehouse.
And the parts are expensive ie, $320 for reman alternator. On the Chevy, $80 installed!.

now that the fat pig( oh yeah! That’s what I named it) Is up and running with all of the major issues sorted out,
i can see why people put up with it. It’s got a lot of creachy comfort, with a 2.5” lift and 285/75 r16 tires, it towers over 95% of all normal traffic out near me with minimum money and effort.
Seems to have good ground clearance and the jury is still out on the center differential button. Largely because I have not had to use it. The short(er) wheel base and the full time 4x4 reminds me of the original fat pig which was 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited with a 5.3L v8 coupled to a 3spd Chrysler’s easy to fix Tranny. the legendary Jeep 4x4 system in that Jeep was largely the same system in the grand wagoner! They did away with that and now I would not get another Jeep. my 97 was bulletproof. All except the rust.
still, I’m missing my burban although, I admit now that I miss it a little less.
I definitely do not like the VSC in this model. It scared the living Christ right out of me, apparently it needed a WSS on the front left ( and the loose wheel bearings!!)
it beeped at me softly before engaging the damn VSS during a high speed turn on the highway in the f***ing rain! OMG over steer! Understeer! WTF!
that soft beep might have instead just said “ ..prepare to die!” This kinda s*** is the reason why everyone gets the damn torque wrench out. Out of legit fear that if anything is slightly off, you’d get the soft beep of prepare to die.

I have a local buddy that has been driving around his early 90s T100 pick up with a 5spd for ages. I never really understood why he takes so much time tinkering with this truck. The ratio between the time under it VS time in didn’t make sense.
Well, now I do. these truck are reliable, heavy and rigid despite how small and compact it seems.
they are not as prone to rust and depreciation like chevys are.
if he owned a Chevy, the truck would have rusted away by now and then some.

I just fear the day something needs replacement or repair in the fat pig now.
I know my back and my pocket would take a hit for sure.

 

[Fulibaked]

Keys keys keys
Damn key fobs and the transponder programming!
why the F is it so freaking expensive??!! There’s no way around coughing up hundreds to get two key fobs made to work.
so the fat pig had been adapted with two dummy keys because along the way, the cheap plastic key fobs broke and was never replaced with another set, so the previous owner did The least expensive option possible.
I had to use the key to lock and unlock using the lock cylinders in the door like a peasant.
so I order amazon key fobs lot of people on the forum had been talking about for $40 shipped for two. What they failed to say is that,
For the 2000 model LX 470 you need the LONG KEY STOCK. of course, what I received is a mixed bag. I get one long and one short. Urrgggg!
I go to the Toyota stealership thinking, they will for sure have the machine to cut this key stock.
after waiting for an eternity at the parts desk, the gentleman finally tells me he can’t cut this key.
he says to try the Lexus stealership on the other side of the county or across the state boarder line in New Jersey. okay, fine. No problem. I get it, it’s an older truck.
I call the Lexus stealership and the parts guy says, they only cut their OWN blanks which are $150 plus tax per key including programming.
my pocket immediately retracted in shock and awe! Like a severed femoral artery.
I call automotive lock smith in my area. I call 4 before I find one that says they can cut the key but won’t be available for at least 30 min! Perfect.
just $45 per key, still pretty steep but my brain is saying it’s 1/3 of the stealership price.
I drop off some groceries and head over.
I get there and the smith cuts the short key and we test it. Won’t turn. Damn. He charges me another $10 to replace the short blade to a long one. And then proceeds to cut both.
now, I was able to program the remote lock and unlock button with relative ease but I wasn’t sure about programming the key for the anti theft computer. So even though I had the keys cut,it won’t start the fat pig.
the smith tells me they they charge $120 to cut & program per key And they were willing to cut the keys I brought. This sucks.
for a truck that is 19 years old. Unreasonable to pay $300 plus for a pair of keys that work.

 

[RND1]

Entertaining read @Fullbaked. I laughed along feeling your pain working on your back on a gravel driveway - I think most of us have been there, done that. Growing up, my family was all GM so I've had plenty of time in and under them. Dad (at 75) still drives a 2500 GMC, which is a bigger pig on gas than my LC lol. Drives awful too unless it's loaded up in back with hay or stone, etc. Brake lines all rotted away on it and lots of little issues w it over the last 10 years he's owned it. Otherwise, it's been mostly reliable and he would only get rid of it for another one (when the undercarriage is too far gone).

A good friend of mine has an '04 Chevy 1500 he bought new. After 15 years, he only has 90k miles on it as he has a short commute. Undercarriage is in bad shape and rust has made it's way into the rockers and around the wheel wells. He was quoted $4k for repair which he opted to pass on. He's a mechanic by trade so he's always staying on top of maintenance and he's waxed and polished his truck at least 4x per year for the last 15 years. One thing I noticed is he would never order parts online for it. Like you said, he would just run down the street to NAPA or Autozone to get parts and they were usually always available and reasonably priced.

It's a different mindset when owning a Land Cruiser (foreign job). I never buy parts locally. Almost always from McGeorge Toyota online. OEM parts with a hefty discount shipped to my door. So, yes I have to plan ahead when doing work and I may run into issues during the job if I need additional parts so having a back up vehicle comes in handy. But, at 170k miles it's been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned and I plan to pass it down to one of my kids in a few years and get another one.

If the marketing folks at Toyota had half a brain, they would transition the Land Cruiser into a sub brand of Toyota like Jeep is for Chrysler. Bring out 5 models of different Land Cruisers with legendary build quality - FJ40 ($40K), FJ50 ($50k), FJ60 ($60k), FJ70 ($70k), FJ80 ($80k). 40 would compete with Wrangler. 50 would be 4 door wrangler. 60 would compete with gladiator. 70 would be modern version of 80 series, but focus on function over luxury (solid front axle). 80 would be the luxury flagship (akin to 200 series). Eventually, an electric version of each model would roll out - FJ40E, FJ50E, FJ60E, etc.

 

[Fulibaked]

Thanks for relatin’ with me @RND1.
Chevy’s known for rust, on the brake lines, bumpers and wheel wells. I’m not scared of rust.
It’s a fact of life here in my area with the amount of salt in the road every season.
Ive always treated the rust with a bit of rust converter rattle can and or the rubberized undercoating once or twice every few years. At $8 a can it’s really not all that much of an issue. Although, rust is why the Boss (kindly) ordered me to get rid of the burban at the end. I see your point.

And I do agree the Fat pig has way less rust than any Chevy or Jeep I’ve owned by far.
My family embarks on a family camping trip two three times a year with at least 7-10 days at a time. Last year, in the burban, we went to the tri- lake area in the Adirondacks. One day coming back to camp from a supply trip into town- 25miles away, the burban blew a front left wheel bearing. I mean it’s grinding hard can’t steer and hard to drive over 35 mph. When we pulled into our camp on the lake, the burban was smoking. I took a hike because the cell reception is terrible up there, and I called the auto parts store in town, and secured all the parts, tools I didn’t pack and I was able to disassemble the part off the burban to take with me
on my 87 Honda elite 250 scooter. I flew into town on the scooter doing 60mph and made it back to camp with parts, took me just a 2 hours and I was back in business. I’m glad I had the scooter. Even though it was embarrassing betting passed on the back roads by everyone.
I fear the same job would not be possible with the LX 470 if the situation was the same but I guess one would argue that the LX470 would not blow the wheel bearing like that on the road. :::::

 

[RND1]

Yep, salt is a way of life here in New England as well. I've been treating mine with Krown and fluid film and the underside has been holding up better than expected and no rust on the body, rockers, wheel wells, etc. Pick up a couple of cans of Fluid Film at HD or Lowes and hit the Fat pig next time you're crawling under her.

My folks live in the Adirondacks so head there fairly often. It's true that the wheel bearings on the 100 series last a long time, but they're a wear item as well. And you can find wheel bearings at places like Autozone and NAPA, but problem is you'll end up with a Duralast product that won't last. Instead you'll want Koyo or Timken which is difficult to find in your local parts store.

Those Honda elite 250's really scoot. I bought an 1986 Honda Spree 50cc off the showroom floor with my paper route money and what a blast that was even with a top speed of 35 mph