Searching for the best ride quality in a mild lift (1 Viewer)

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Sep 29, 2021
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Top o' the morning everyone,

I am in the market for a 2in-2.5in lift for my 'new to me' 06 gx470. Which will be used mainly as daily commuter and a camping trip maybe once every 2 months.
Currently sitting on the stock bags but they are very stiff in the rear and are having issues, so they have to go.

I'm leaning towards the Dobinsons IMS 2.5'' lift kit with the stock load springs so the ride isn't harsh.
Wanting to preserve the ride quality as best I can as my other vehicle is a lowered Kia Stinger and it bucks like a bull on rough roads.

Any recommendations/ Insight are greatly appreciated.
 
i have the old man emu 2-2.5" nitrochargers and really like them. i went with a heavier load spring because im planning on bumpers at some point and honestly its not a bad ride, but im also not on E rated tires yet.

pretty much any of the big name aftermarket will ride nice if matched correctly to your load.
 
The bags can’t really go stiff, and I don’t think you can replicate the ride with springs.

That being said, I did those shocks with those springs in front and kept the bags in rear and it rides pretty good. More towards the factory sport setting but still good.
 
The bags can’t really go stiff, and I don’t think you can replicate the ride with springs.

That being said, I did those shocks with those springs in front and kept the bags in rear and it rides pretty good. More towards the factory sport setting but still good.

I believe I am having some other type of issue with my stock bag setup. The suspension height setting will blink at the high and low setting but end back up at N or the normal setting once I start driving. Also rides pretty rough in the rear right now.

Considering doing the washer mod with the rear bags as it isn't too too bad at the moment, and supposedly the bags were just replaced. And just start off with the front suspension.

Just want a lift as I have 275-70-17 tires waiting to install.
 
i have the old man emu 2-2.5" nitrochargers and really like them. i went with a heavier load spring because im planning on bumpers at some point and honestly its not a bad ride, but im also not on E rated tires yet.

pretty much any of the big name aftermarket will ride nice if matched correctly to your load.

Thank you for your insight, my last vehicle was a 07 tahoe and it rode like absolute trash. Yet it was on coil spacers, not an actually larger spring. I just had back surgery so I am trying to shop around for my own sake.
 
if you aren't adding weight, I do believe a low mileage set of 19+ 4Runner TRD Pro internal bypass Fox Shocks are the best bang for the buck and ride fantastic. I swapped 650lb 13" Icon springs on the front to help with V8 and skid plate weight.

To be fair, this will only get you 1-1.5" lift only.

Dobinson IMS/MRA are great too. I think Dobinson progressive rate springs are the best choice for any set up in the rear.

If you are willing to spend, OME BP51 will give you some of the best ride outside of custom tuned Kings.
 
Very happy with Bilstein 6112 fronts and 5160 rears. Using the 650 spring up front with a bumper and winch. Rides well and give 2" + of height adjust.
 
Very happy with Bilstein 6112 fronts and 5160 rears. Using the 650 spring up front with a bumper and winch. Rides well and give 2" + of height adjust.

What all did you need to purchase for this setup? New top hats for the front struts?
 
I replaced my top hats, but could have reused... you can order them assembled with new hats.... saves finding a shop to compress springs and assemble.
Thinking about purchasing the setup from amazon: Amazon product ASIN B00I97UDUI
But I am worries the springs will be slightly stiff for what I need at 600lbs. Have you had any issues with this?

Also, I dont mind mounting the top hats myself.
 
The air suspension automatically goes to the N position at a certain speed, that’s not a defect. However your shocks may be very worn out?
Oh I wasn't aware of this. The rear shocks are most definitely worn out.
 
I'm running an Ironman FCP kit and love the ride quality. It's definitely better than my GX was on the stock suspension (including before the airbags and front shocks later wore out). The OEM setup was certainly soft/cushy, but left the GX feeling floaty and uncontrolled on large bumps. It's much better hitting rough roads with the FCP kit and the GX is much more controlled. I have not yet missed the floaty OEM setup.
 
If your rear end is stiff/harsh, you're probably riding on your bump stops. Three reasons for that - 1. pump is shot, 2. bags are shot, 3. height adjust sensors on the upper control arms are shot.

If you have bad shocks, your ride will be spongy because there's nothing stopping the springs/bags from bouncing around. Bad shocks themselves usually don't equal hard ride.

FWIW, almost any common aftermarket lift is going to result in a much stiffer ride than properly functioning factory airbags.
 
I just did my 08 with Bilstein 5100s all corners. Front springs are factory and set at 3rd notch. Rear is Ironman conversion kit and Ironman 1.5" springs. The ride is very mild. Having built several other Toyotas including a few FJs, I have used most of the brands except Fox. The OME is great if you add a bunch of weight. My son's FJ we took the OME back off the rear because it rode like a dump truck with the 895e. Eibach and Ironman 1.5s are pretty mild. Even the Bilstein B12. But only if you're not going to load up the back with a ton of weight.
 
You could always go with a big name like King or Radflo. Any 2.5 inch diameter shock would for sure make your rig feel like butter on regular pavement. Also I have to say, I always thought my rear end was rode stiff with the bags, and that was before they went out. After they go it feels like you are riding a horse. So to save your self an inconvenient gallop home from a camping trip, maybe start out by converting the rear to springs to give the oem suspension the best chance to impress you. After all your going to need the parts to do a lift anyway.
 
I currently have the passenger side front completely stripped. As I started to disassemble I noticed the bushings on UCA and LCA were complete trash. So I decided to replace them. Had to sawsall the LCA cam bolts, the shock and the tie rod end. Then take a cutoff wheel to one strut bolt. The corrasion on this GX470 is INSANE.

UCAs replacing with JBA offroad Control arms
LCA replacing with Dorman bought off ebay
Stock struts being replaced with 6112s
Tie rod ends will be replaced
Lube the hell out of everything so nothing seizes ever again.

Steering knuckle, brakes and the sway bars are the only thing im not replacing essentially.

Only thing I am worried about is the corrosion issues. I don't want to glue bolts and threads with underbody paint like the previous owner.
I will be using POR15 to hopefully fix the issue, using a brush, so I can be more deliberate.
Additionally, the cambolt retainer things the 2 | | pieces look to be in rough shape. I pray I dont have issues on re-assembly. I dont want to have to bring a welder out to my house.

Once its all said and done I will be mounting 285/70/17 tires on the bad boy. Airbag trick in the rear temporarily.

Let me know what you guys think thus far, any suggestions greatly appreciated.
 
I would coat the alignment bolts and cams in copper anti-sieze. I did this for mine and hopefully they won't seize again.

For everything else, skip POR 15 and use Fluid Film or Woolwax. Coat everything and touch it up 1-2X a year. The stuff stays wet on the surface, self heals, and is really good for preventing rust. I started using these lanolin-based products on my GX and love them. POR 15 and any other "hard" undercoating is difficult to apply, require a lot of prep, will make you very sick if you inhale the vapors, and can peel off or get rust underneath - lanolin coatings require almost no prep, are non-toxic, and self-healing.
 
I would coat the alignment bolts and cams in copper anti-sieze. I did this for mine and hopefully they won't seize again.

For everything else, skip POR 15 and use Fluid Film or Woolwax. Coat everything and touch it up 1-2X a year. The stuff stays wet on the surface, self heals, and is really good for preventing rust. I started using these lanolin-based products on my GX and love them. POR 15 and any other "hard" undercoating is difficult to apply, require a lot of prep, will make you very sick if you inhale the vapors, and can peel off or get rust underneath - lanolin coatings require almost no prep, are non-toxic, and self-healing.
I do plan on putting antiseize on the cambolts and the UCA bolts like you said.

I already ordered a can of the POR15 though. I want to give it a try before anything else. Ive seen various test and it looks like good product. If it doesnt apply correctly I will go with fluid film elsewhere. Still waiting for parts at the moment so I have time to thumb around. Thanks for your post Rednexus
 

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