The Mother-In-Law... Build thread, Intro, and request for guidance ('03 LX470)

[bozncsurf]

I'm with you on the getting older and leaning towards the 10"!

I also think not doing the swing out is probably goinig to be a blessing in disguise. Getting the dogs in and out will be much easier without it, and I'm going to mount a flush mount Rigid diffused light in each blank for back up lights, so I think it will still look good and be functional.

Here is a pic of the G that got the heat gun treatment. You used to be able to fit 33s on G without a lift of any kind, and 35s would fit with 50mm-70mm of lift if you had the right offset on the wheels. The new G63 has intercoolers behind the front bumper and the fender liner bumps out a bit accomodate the piping for them. You can massage it back though for a little more tire clearance.

View attachment 2509733

View attachment 2509734

Gorgeous!
I swear every newer model of every brand have made it infinitely harder to fit bigger wheels. They are working against us!!

Love the flat / matte wrap (paint?) + The updated headlights/taillights, Toyo meats and wheel spacers ... make it aggressive but keep it classy.

Would love to have a G as a daily and an LX for running errands with the pups! Must be nice

 

[CPC]

Gorgeous!
I swear every newer model of every brand have made it infinitely harder to fit bigger wheels. They are working against us!!

Love the flat / matte wrap (paint?) + The updated headlights/taillights, Toyo meats and wheel spacers ... make it aggressive but keep it classy.

Would love to have a G as a daily and an LX for running errands with the pups! Must be nice

Thanks. That's the factory paint called Magno. You can get a few colors in that flat metallic finish, this one being black.

My wife prefers not to have our slobbery mutts drooling in the back of her truck, so having a dedicated dog truck is pretty convenient.

 

[CPC]

I got a few things done at the house since I didn't want to drive to the shop today. Pinch weld mod (relief cut, then hammer it over and squirt some paint on it), then removed the running boards. Who in the heck designed the rear, upper mounting bolts on these boards?! Not having a swivel head ratchet made the removal far more difficult, but I finally got them off.
I'm pretty pleased with the way the new shoes fit. Plenty of room for normal driving. I'm curious to see if it ever rubs, but from what I can tell there is plenty of room.

 

[bozncsurf]

I must have missed it somewhere because I thought this truck was black! It is clearly galactic grey which I’m actively seeking as a trade for my black cruiser.

So when you said you were having the bumpers coated are you going to color match? (Vs the black powder it comes in).

Wheels look perfect, gunmetal was a great choice. Looking at the pic of the OE wheel on back vs new wheel in front. All I can say is: Beef.

Quick jack made light work of the LX.

 

[1TigerFan]

My stock rear springs are tired (as are most with 168k on the odometer) which caused a little high AHC pressure so i added the 30 mil spacers as a stop gap to bring pressures within stock values, which they did. Originally I had my rear sensor maxed all the way up causing too much rake after adding the spacers. I have read here that a rake of near 1" is ideal. I no longer measure changes with a tape. I go by eye but mostly changes to AHC presures when adjusting. 5 minutes and a ten mill to adjust the rear sensor so it's easily a trial and error process then test drive till i settled where i'm at. I wanted to upgrade the rear to King stock height springs but was told by several wholesalers on ebay & in Australia they were not shipping to the U.S. at the time (a couple months ago) because Covid. I will upgrade to King KTRS-79 springs in the future because i'm going to add a drawer system and will need the higher spring rate. They may be shipping now so look into it as a first option if your rear AHC pressure values are high and or you are adding weight.

I'm following this thread and working through the same issues on a new to me 2006 LC. Do you have a link to where you purchased the spacers? I'll likely be taking the same route as you to get the pressures right and the desired lift.

 

[CPC]

I must have missed it somewhere because I thought this truck was black! It is clearly galactic grey which I’m actively seeking as a trade for my black cruiser.

So when you said you were having the bumpers coated are you going to color match? (Vs the black powder it comes in).

Wheels look perfect, gunmetal was a great choice. Looking at the pic of the OE wheel on back vs new wheel in front. All I can say is: Beef.

Quick jack made light work of the LX.

I'm very pleased with the color combo of the new wheels and the truck. It harmonizes really well. I'm going to powdercoat the bumpers and side steps a grey color that I have used in the past to match Ford's Magnetic Metallic paint color. It won't be exact to the Lexus paint, but it will be in the same family and should look pretty nice. I got the OPOR steps in "raw" finish, so I figured since I was going to powdercoat those then I might as well do the front and rear bumpers as well. There's another LX running around my neighborhood that has color matched front and rear bumpers and it looks really good. I like them in the black color they come in, but I wanted to add the custom touch of color matching (or at least harmonizing).

The Quick Jack takes some time to set into place, but once you have it lined up there isn't a better way to lift a vehicle at home in my opinion. It has safety catches and is very sturdy. I was pounding on the pinch welds, and crawling under it (partially) to get the runing the boards off and it never moved an inch. I love the fact that I can get all 4 tires off the ground at once. Definitely worth having around!

I'm following this thread and working through the same issues on a new to me 2006 LC. Do you have a link to where you purchased the spacers? I'll likely be taking the same route as you to get the pressures right and the desired lift.

Yes, please post where you got the spacers in case I end up needing them as well. I'm going to wait to fiddle with my sensors until I get everything installed on the truck, but just in case the pressure values are off I'd like to know where to go to get the spacers. Thanks!

 

[LXKevin]

I'm following this thread and working through the same issues on a new to me 2006 LC. Do you have a link to where you purchased the spacers? I'll likely be taking the same route as you to get the pressures right and the desired lift.

Nolathane REV170.0008 Nolathane Coil Spring Pads | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Nolathane Coil Spring Pads with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Coil Spring Spacers at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[bozncsurf]

That’s a great price for the spacers.

My wife has run the AHC sensor lift for 6+ years now with zero issues. I did install a diff drop, rear coils spacers, and cranked the t bars after maxing our the sensor height adjustment.

If you’re throwing an ARB rear back there you may benefit from the King Springs. Technically if you’re removing the 3rd row seats then the bumper isn’t going to put you way over weight but you’ll know it’s back there.

I say try the spacers. They’re cheap and readily available. King springs aren’t expensive (for coil springs) but may take a few weeks from AUS.

 

[CPC]

That’s a great price for the spacers.

My wife has run the AHC sensor lift for 6+ years now with zero issues. I did install a diff drop, rear coils spacers, and cranked the t bars after maxing our the sensor height adjustment.

If you’re throwing an ARB rear back there you may benefit from the King Springs. Technically if you’re removing the 3rd row seats then the bumper isn’t going to put you way over weight but you’ll know it’s back there.

I say try the spacers. They’re cheap and readily available. King springs aren’t expensive (for coil springs) but may take a few weeks from AUS.

I'm not running the third row seats so the dogs have more room, and since I'm not running the tire swing out (for now at least) I think the back will be fine. The front, however, will likely need a crank or two on the torsion bars when I add the ARB front and winch.

While we are on the topic, I've been wondering a few things about AHC. Does the truck automatically level front to rear based on the load on the truck? Since I'm adding weight to the front will the pressures in the system on the front end go up to compensate for the extra load? If so, I assume cranking the torsion bars some will help relieve some of the increased pressure. If any of that is not correct, please let me know.

If the back does droop for some reason I'll throw some spacers on there. I think the front is going to be more of a concern.

I'm going to wire some rock lights on his truck, and wanted to tie them into the courtesy lights that were under the running boards. Thanks to a thread on here I found out someone has already done that:

LX Puddle/Courtesy Lights LED strip upgrade

Finished pictures first! I put sliders on my ’01 LX a couple of months ago and mourned the loss of my running board puddle lights (aka courtesy lights). I found a couple of threads detailing replacements and was inspired by the LED strip that @bhicks used. I didn’t want to cut the wire...

forum.ih8mud.com

Thanks @screendoor for your thread on this topic.

I'll probably post this question on his thread, but here is my question about wiring options:

I'd like the rock lights to activate with the factory courtesy wiring like was done in that thread, but I also want them on switch I can turn on (and have them stay on). I've been trying to get my head aroud how to wire it up, and best I can come up with is to run a signal wire from the factory courtesy wiring up to a relay that the rock lights are wired to. When the courtesy light wire goes "hot" it should switch on the relay and power the lights. Can I also tie a switch into that same relay into the same signal input that I wired the courtesy light wire? Or are there relays that have two signal poles on them? I wasn't sure if wiring the switch and courtesy wire to the same pole on the relay would end up sending a charge back up the other leg when one was activated. Ie, if courtesy light sends a signal to the relay pole with the switch wired to it, will the charge go up the leg to the switch (and vice versa). And if it does, is that a problem? Essentially if the switch is off and the courtesy light sends a signal it would dead end at the switch, and vice versa. What happens if the switch is on and you open the doors and the courtesy light sends a signal? I only know enough about electrical to be dangerous...

 

[Ramathorn15]

I'm not running the third row seats so the dogs have more room, and since I'm not running the tire swing out (for now at least) I think the back will be fine. The front, however, will likely need a crank or two on the torsion bars when I add the ARB front and winch.

While we are on the topic, I've been wondering a few things about AHC. Does the truck automatically level front to rear based on the load on the truck? Since I'm adding weight to the front will the pressures in the system on the front end go up to compensate for the extra load? If so, I assume cranking the torsion bars some will help relieve some of the increased pressure. If any of that is not correct, please let me know.

If the back does droop for some reason I'll throw some spacers on there. I think the front is going to be more of a concern.

I'm going to wire some rock lights on his truck, and wanted to tie them into the courtesy lights that were under the running boards. Thanks to a thread on here I found out someone has already done that:

LX Puddle/Courtesy Lights LED strip upgrade

Finished pictures first! I put sliders on my ’01 LX a couple of months ago and mourned the loss of my running board puddle lights (aka courtesy lights). I found a couple of threads detailing replacements and was inspired by the LED strip that @bhicks used. I didn’t want to cut the wire...

forum.ih8mud.com

Thanks @screendoor for your thread on this topic.

I'll probably post this question on his thread, but here is my question about wiring options:

I'd like the rock lights to activate with the factory courtesy wiring like was done in that thread, but I also want them on switch I can turn on (and have them stay on). I've been trying to get my head aroud how to wire it up, and best I can come up with is to run a signal wire from the factory courtesy wiring up to a relay that the rock lights are wired to. When the courtesy light wire goes "hot" it should switch on the relay and power the lights. Can I also tie a switch into that same relay into the same signal input that I wired the courtesy light wire? Or are there relays that have two signal poles on them? I wasn't sure if wiring the switch and courtesy wire to the same pole on the relay would end up sending a charge back up the other leg when one was activated. Ie, if courtesy light sends a signal to the relay pole with the switch wired to it, will the charge go up the leg to the switch (and vice versa). And if it does, is that a problem? Essentially if the switch is off and the courtesy light sends a signal it would dead end at the switch, and vice versa. What happens if the switch is on and you open the doors and the courtesy light sends a signal? I only know enough about electrical to be dangerous...

This is a bit more complex than you may think. Most toyota accessories, including the puddle lights, are ground switched. On top of that, they us PWM on the positive end to give the nice dim on/off. Any mechanical relay will get destroyed in short order because the PWM will cause to to pulse extremely quickly every time the lights turn on/off. Adding a capacitor inline with the relay can help smooth out the pulses somewhat, but introducing stored energy in the factory circuit is very risky in my opinion.

The easiest way to do this is to tap the factory ground circuit to the lights, run it to a switch, then to a separate ground. Only downside to that is you won't be able to have a nice illuminated switch as the illumination part rarely works when configured for ground switching.

 

[CPC]

This is a bit more complex than you may think. Most toyota accessories, including the puddle lights, are ground switched. On top of that, they us PWM on the positive end to give the nice dim on/off. Any mechanical relay will get destroyed in short order because the PWM will cause to to pulse extremely quickly every time the lights turn on/off. Adding a capacitor inline with the relay can help smooth out the pulses somewhat, but introducing stored energy in the factory circuit is very risky in my opinion.

The easiest way to do this is to tap the factory ground circuit to the lights, run it to a switch, then to a separate ground. Only downside to that is you won't be able to have a nice illuminated switch as the illumination part rarely works when configured for ground switching.

Interesting...

I started to list out the steps to make sure I was doing it right per your instructions, and then got stuck/confused. Here is where I got:

1. I should hook the negative on the rock lights to the negative on the factory running board light.
2. Hook switched power to the positive side of the rock light. This could be power from a relay, or directly from the switch.
3. ?....

I'm confused on how to wire it all up to still have the courtesy feature as well as have them be able to be switched. I think maybe a 3 way switch might work? Or would it not because we need to grab the ground from the factory wire at the running board?

If anyone can sketch a schematic to help me get my head around it I would be very appreciative!!!!

 

[Ramathorn15]

Interesting...

I started to list out the steps to make sure I was doing it right per your instructions, and then got stuck/confused. Here is where I got:

1. I should hook the negative on the rock lights to the negative on the factory running board light.
2. Hook switched power to the positive side of the rock light. This could be power from a relay, or directly from the switch.
3. ?....

I'm confused on how to wire it all up to still have the courtesy feature as well as have them be able to be switched. I think maybe a 3 way switch might work? Or would it not because we need to grab the ground from the factory wire at the running board?

If anyone can sketch a schematic to help me get my head around it I would be very appreciative!!!!

A 3 way switch could work if you want (always on, courtesy, always off).

Hook up the rock lights to the factory harness using the connectors. Then, under the driver foot well carpet you can find the wires that lead to the factory connector under the truck. Take a wire tap and tap the negative wire there. If I remember correctly, it's the one without the silver dots (both are green). Run that wire you a switch, then run a wire from the switch to any good ground near it.

 

[LXKevin]

"I'm not running the third row seats so the dogs have more room, and since I'm not running the tire swing out (for now at least) I think the back will be fine. The front, however, will likely need a crank or two on the torsion bars when I add the ARB front and winch.

While we are on the topic, I've been wondering a few things about AHC. Does the truck automatically level front to rear based on the load on the truck? Since I'm adding weight to the front will the pressures in the system on the front end go up to compensate for the extra load? If so, I assume cranking the torsion bars some will help relieve some of the increased pressure. If any of that is not correct, please let me know.

If the back does droop for some reason I'll throw some spacers on there. I think the front is going to be more of a concern."

The short answer is yes the AHC system will adjust the height to compensate for the added front bumper weight, the extra weight will likely cause the front pressure to raise, and yes you will likely need to crank your front torsion bars too. Ideally you will have your techstream setup working before you adjust your sensors or torsion bars so the system can be monitored and set close to spec.

 

[CPC]

Thanks. My plan was to install everything, then get Techstream up and running. Then I can fiddle with the adjusters and TBs. I'm having trouble downloading VB though. I have a MacBook Pro running Cortana iOS, and I keep getting an error when I try and install VB. I tried a couple of versions of VB and I get the error with all of them. I think maybe the ones I've selected are not compatible with Cortana. Anyone know which one is?

 

[LXKevin]

Thanks. My plan was to install everything, then get Techstream up and running. Then I can fiddle with the adjusters and TBs. I'm having trouble downloading VB though. I have a MacBook Pro running Cortana iOS, and I keep getting an error when I try and install VB. I tried a couple of versions of VB and I get the error with all of them. I think maybe the ones I've selected are not compatible with Cortana. Anyone know which one is?

Yes i saw your post asking abt. other versions. i did not respond bc i just used the one in the techstream in five minutes with an old window laptop and have no experience with other versions.

 

[CPC]

A 3 way switch could work if you want (always on, courtesy, always off).

Hook up the rock lights to the factory harness using the connectors. Then, under the driver foot well carpet you can find the wires that lead to the factory connector under the truck. Take a wire tap and tap the negative wire there. If I remember correctly, it's the one without the silver dots (both are green). Run that wire you a switch, then run a wire from the switch to any good ground near it.

Thanks for sending that wire diagram. I haven't started to dig through it yet, but I will try this afternoon. I think I like the idea of a 3 way switch. I'll be pestering you with questions once I get time to look at it in detail!!!!

 

[CPC]

Yes i saw your post asking abt. other versions. i did not respond bc i just used the one in the techstream in five minutes with an old window laptop and have no experience with other versions.

All of my old laptops are so slow I'd be too frustrated to even try and get them set up with Techstream! The search continues...

 

[CPC]

A 3 way switch could work if you want (always on, courtesy, always off).

Hook up the rock lights to the factory harness using the connectors. Then, under the driver foot well carpet you can find the wires that lead to the factory connector under the truck. Take a wire tap and tap the negative wire there. If I remember correctly, it's the one without the silver dots (both are green). Run that wire you a switch, then run a wire from the switch to any good ground near it.

View attachment 2512311

I read through the instructions you emailed me, and it makes sense. Every time I think I have a clever idea it turns out someone already did it! Thanks for sending those. Per your diagram above, the switch essentially just completes the ground circuit as you mentioned in your previous explanation of the fact that the puddle lights are ground switched. So, in theory, if I complete that ground then the lights will come on. I think the only thing I'd want to do is a throw a relay into the mix, but as you have noted that complicates things since everything is ground switched. The rock lights I got are from Pro Comp, and there are 6 of them with 3 LED diodes per light. I don't think they came with a relay in the wiring harness, which indicates to me that the amount of current going through the switch they provide isn't very much (or at least not more than the switch can handle). I wonder if I could get away with doing this as simple as you laid out above and just tap the factory ground and run it to a grounded switch, and then wire the lights to the factory harness. I'm not real keen on that just because I'd like to have a relay handling the current, but maybe the lights aren't pulling enough power for it to be an issue? Are the DS and PS factory wires on independent circuits?

 

[LXKevin]

All of my old laptops are so slow I'd be too frustrated to even try and get them set up with Techstream! The search continues...

Good Luck

 

[SlowBuild]

While we are on the topic, I've been wondering a few things about AHC. Does the truck automatically level front to rear based on the load on the truck? Since I'm adding weight to the front will the pressures in the system on the front end go up to compensate for the extra load? If so, I assume cranking the torsion bars some will help relieve some of the increased pressure. If any of that is not correct, please let me know.

If the back does droop for some reason I'll throw some spacers on there. I think the front is going to be more of a concern.

This is exactly right. Except, your back won’t droop. Even with tons of weight. It’s controlled by the height sensor and kept ‘leveled’ until there’s too much weight and then rising pressures in the system can’t compensate and so it eliminates High mode. Then, with even more weight, it won’t go into N anymore. This can be avoided by keeping your pressures in spec by adding spacers or stronger springs or both. A traditional 2” lift suspension gets loaded up for a trip and sags back down, losing height. AHC doesn’t sag but it can be overloaded and you can lose your ability to raise height. Some people like airbags for occasional heavy loads but I have no experience with them.