Builds The Guzzler - 2009 LX570

[grinchy]

Thanks @linuxgod for that feedback. I figure some mild buffet noise is unavoidable really. I think mine is a touch high just over the windshield at the j shape and that is the source of the whispers. I don’t have any whistling.

Easy to pull the bracket and bend the radius a bit when I get around to it. Not a high priority yet. Road tripping this weekend so we’ll see if that moves it up the list.

 

[linuxgod]

If it's too noisy that just means your music is too quiet.

 

[grinchy]

Drove 400 miles on the weekend, snorkel noise not really an issue, you can hear it for sure at the higher speeds, but I don’t ever drive 80 for long periods of time.

50-65 mph with 20 or 30 full pedal bursts to 90 for passing, got 13.5 mpg on the MID. Converted that’s about 15 mpg. If I didn’t pass I bet it would have been 16 mpg. That’s as good as I hoped for.

 

[grinchy]

I did pull the bracket and bend it from 90 to 70 degrees. Unfortunately the little rivnuts couldn’t offset the torque in the snorkel body and it was actually worse gap.

Tried to flatten the entire bracket to make it ‘longer’ and still have a 90. Basically looks the same.

It’s fine.

 

[grinchy]

2009 LX 570 beverage solutions! The early model LX has to be the worst set up car for drinks storage. The center console drink holder is too shallow, too wide, overly complex, and really useless. The door pocket drink holders are too narrow and too tall. It's really a mess. It's almost worse than no cupholders at all, as it taunts you with the possibility of storage.

Center console solution: Clean solutions for securing water bottles? and/or 200 Series/LX570 Cup Holder Inserts – BH3D Printing - this fits up to 3" wide mugs and bottles (most reusable bottles). Looks factory. Works great.

For the side door pocket drink holders, I've tried many, but on found two bottles which fit:
S'well 9 oz - Amazon product ASIN B00TUHJO6K - this holds a short trip worth of water
GSI Outdoors Microlite 500 - Amazon product ASIN B01M0A9ZGK - It's a tight fit, and requires rotating the bottle so the taper of the cap matches to the taper on the door, but it goes in there

 

[grinchy]

Sad news. The new LC rails and racks are similar in size to the old LX racks. I guess at some point the LC moved from a three pad rack to a two pad rack. Big bummer for those of us fine with stock racks and just looking for more length.

The lx rails on my 2009 are 43”. The new LC rails are 43 1/2. They use the same mount pads, but the LC rack has 7 inches more usable track length due to a more abbreviated design at the ends.

Not worth the risk of dropping a clip for me to install for limited new functionality.

Anyone want a new LC rack?

 

[grinchy]

Parked the car for a week while I was waiting for my alignment appointment. The stereo amplifier has decided not to function now. Very strange. It gave no hint of issues; then just stopped working. Symptoms are no 'volume level' number is displayed (and obviously no sound). All the other functions seem to be fine. The radio tunes, the nav displays, cds play, just no amp . . .

Fuse replacements, battery cycle, etc haven't fixed it.

 

[TeCKis300]

Sad news. The new LC rails and racks are similar in size to the old LX racks. I guess at some point the LC moved from a three pad rack to a two pad rack. Big bummer for those of us fine with stock racks and just looking for more length.

The lx rails on my 2009 are 43”. The new LC rails are 43 1/2. They use the same mount pads, but the LC rack has 7 inches more usable track length due to a more abbreviated design at the ends.

Not worth the risk of dropping a clip for me to install for limited new functionality.

Anyone want a new LC rack?

View attachment 2020941

Most interesting.

The dropped clips is a non-risk if one is familiar with the procedure. Are you just set on the 3 pad version?

7inches in my mind increases the usefulness exponentially. It's enough to make the difference to mounting roof top boxes, ski racks, etc, where the stock Lexus rack just came up short.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Sad news. The new LC rails and racks are similar in size to the old LX racks. I guess at some point the LC moved from a three pad rack to a two pad rack. Big bummer for those of us fine with stock racks and just looking for more length.

The lx rails on my 2009 are 43”. The new LC rails are 43 1/2. They use the same mount pads, but the LC rack has 7 inches more usable track length due to a more abbreviated design at the ends.

Not worth the risk of dropping a clip for me to install for limited new functionality.

Anyone want a new LC rack?

View attachment 2020941

View attachment 2020942

Can't help but wonder whether you actually ended up with another LX rack, and not a LC rack. I can't say that I've ever seen a LC rack with two mounting points - or in that colour (which is identical to my LX rack's colour).

Perhaps the LX rack changed design at some point, and that's the reason for those extra 7" of track length? How long is that track? I can compare the number against my 2014's rack.

 

[grinchy]

There are some two pad tlc pictures on the internet. Since it came from aToyota dealer I think it’s not an lx rack, though it may be Toyota has move to this design for some lx years.

 

[catastrofe]

Not sure if this helps, but my 2019 LC side rails mount at 3 points. There's a 4th, unused (with the factory rack) mounting point that's used by some aftermarket rack companies. The useable side rail mounting channel on the LC rack seems to be 48".

 

[grinchy]

Yes I’m looking for a three pad. It’s a bummer as I didn’t even consider a new takeoff TLC rack could be a two pad so I didn’t ask. I’m not complaining, my own fault for not researching, and the rack only cost the shipping cost. Just a bummer.

 

[grinchy]

Amp refurbishment costs $400. I bought a water bottle size bt speaker and will roll with that while I consider options. I mostly listen to podcasts anyhow when I drive

 

[speyrod]

Bummer on the amp, did it blow? Curious if it has an internal fuse the blew.

RE the two vs three pad rack bummer. But something sounds off, I don't think I have seen a LC with a 2 pad. I will say I want to measure a 3 pad 100 rack and see if it would fit.

 

[grinchy]

Bummer on the amp, did it blow? Curious if it has an internal fuse the blew.

RE the two vs three pad rack bummer. But something sounds off, I don't think I have seen a LC with a 2 pad. I will say I want to measure a 3 pad 100 rack and see if it would fit.

I haven't pulled the amp yet. I bought a $60 bluetooth speaker and it's 80% of the stock audio experience, maybe more, and way more compatible with modern devices than the 2009 was anyhow. I'm not blowing a summer weekend on that . . . it'll be an excellent November activity.

I did find some images on google for a 2 pad rack on TLCs, but I can't find them now. I just went to look at it, it doesn't have any part numbers on the rail, though it has what I would consider OEM markings, and it definitely has the OEM crossbars, so maybe it's an aftermarket mash-up. I got it from a Toyota dealer for shipping only, so I'm not upset, just didn't ask all the right questions.

 

[speyrod]

Something I don't have is the indicator of where to place the cross bar to reduce wind noise.

 

[grinchy]

I got two - on the same rail.

 

[supercarrera]

Hey @grinchy how did you end up wiring up your lockers? Are you using the oem switch?

 

[grinchy]

Hey @grinchy how did you end up wiring up your lockers? Are you using the oem switch?

I have a rear elocker only. I did buy one of the OEM three ways (off rear rear/front). There isn’t a fantastic mounting place except in the ashtray or the little door to the left of the steer column. Right now I have it wired into my Bluetooth relay. It is rarely used and this works for now. The only improvement would be an indicator that it is locked, the relay app isn’t stateful. Not too much an issue with the air compressor as it is audible when on. Same with future light bars. I bought some various 12v leds to wire up the the relay as indicators, but there isn’t a good place to put them where I can see from inside.

So far I’ve avoided going thru the firewall into the cab, and would like to keep it that way.

 

[04UZJ100]

Great build! How has your AHC held up?