My 2001 LX470 has about 170k miles and the AHC system finally quit on me. All the fluid leaked out and mechanics at two shops advised me swap it out for a traditional suspension system. I went with the Cruiser Outfitters "Light/Medium" 1.5" lift kit with OME parts and took it to my local mechanic who is a master Toyota tech with experience on older Land Cruisers and had done this work before--albeit usually with OEM parts.
Long story short: The darn thing rides like a skateboard now. Not that I need a "cushy" ride, but now I feel every single bump in the road to the point of absurdity. Feels even stiffer than a truck to be honest. The shop says that is normal and a function of the beefier kit, but it's hard to believe this is normal. I don't have any extra weight added on the vehicle--it's stock all the way--with the exception of BF K02s tires.
Is there anything that the shop could/should adjust to improve the ride save for swapping the whole thing out for OEM parts? They put a 1" rake on it, which seems to be the norm, as the 50mm rake would look a bit absurd without any weight in the back. The mechanic said I should drive it for a few thousand miles before doing anything. Anyone have any advice? I'm in CT and it's hard to find many folks who have done the AHC delete work before. Any counsel is much appreciated.
Long story short: The darn thing rides like a skateboard now. Not that I need a "cushy" ride, but now I feel every single bump in the road to the point of absurdity. Feels even stiffer than a truck to be honest. The shop says that is normal and a function of the beefier kit, but it's hard to believe this is normal. I don't have any extra weight added on the vehicle--it's stock all the way--with the exception of BF K02s tires.
Is there anything that the shop could/should adjust to improve the ride save for swapping the whole thing out for OEM parts? They put a 1" rake on it, which seems to be the norm, as the 50mm rake would look a bit absurd without any weight in the back. The mechanic said I should drive it for a few thousand miles before doing anything. Anyone have any advice? I'm in CT and it's hard to find many folks who have done the AHC delete work before. Any counsel is much appreciated.