Builds The YotaMD Build - Cypress (4 Viewers)

[ChuckB]

I need new rear hatch struts, almost taken my head off a few times!

 

[suprarx7nut]

I need new rear hatch struts, almost taken my head off a few times!

They're amazingly cheap right now through most dealers. So cheap, in fact, I think it might be a typo in their parts systems. Like $35 per strut. The hood struts, meanwhile are a ridiculous $120+ or something.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Budget Drawers out, Air Down Gear Up SS1 in! I've got the usual Baltic Birch version in now, but a new and improved material will be installed shortly. Stay tuned for that.

Also got the solar panel, DC charger and wiring redone and verified. The battery is tucked under the SS1 cargo divider nice and sung. I'll add a small strap to the side and it'll be neatly stowed and secure. The charger is a little exposed right now on the topside. I will likely move it to the underside or protect it up top with a custom cover, but for now I want to see the indicator lights and learn how and when this thing works.

I'd love to find a connector I can use here. All the loose cables are pretty annoying. Zip ties can clean it up a little, but a connector would pull the cables together and make removal a breeze.

Recessed hardware and tie down ramps on the SS1. So glad to have this system in now! Rock solid and snag free.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Today was a good day. Sliders Acquired. Install later this week if I can fit it in.

My work has gone Work From Home as of today for the virus so hopefully I can use the saved commute time and lunch breaks wisely and get this knocked out fast.

I also picked up the ARB recovery kit so I've got a cleaner recovery setup than my old partial piecemeal setup.

I did not pick up the ARB Jack. Because... well... $$$$. It's really neat. Very light. And also, unfortunately, very expensive. Maybe if YotaMD has a record month soon I'll splurge later.

Bonus "slee built" 70 series. Awesome. I'd trade a few Jeeps for one of these.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Goooooood stuff on the way, courtesy of Ben @benc at Dissent Offroad.

Now to decide on the color-scheme. I'm thinking color-matched main sections with a dark grey accent on smaller pieces.

 

[Kabanstva]

You're gonna love those bumpers man!

 

[suprarx7nut]

Slider Steps installed! (More complete pic coming once I can get it out of the garage)

 

[suprarx7nut]

It's about to get good.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Better pic of the Slee sliders installed.

I'm painting the Dissent armor currently. Main sections will be color matched to the Cypress Pearl - Basecoat/clearcoat. The rest will be a semi-gloss single stage black with an extra clear layer. I'm shooting outside which makes life so much easier than messing with my home-made booth. Just setting a stand outside and spraying is downright fun!

 

[suprarx7nut]

And then there was green.

Arms are finished up as well. I think I'm good now to start assembling the rear bumper arms! woot!

I'll just happy to start reducing the number of random bits everywhere. There's a lot of pieces when you;re dealing with Dissent skids, front and rear!

 

[Alabama Clay]

This may as well be titled "The LX that 'Mud Built" because without the Mud community support of YotaMD this would not exist. So I offer an upfront and sincere "Thank You!" to you awesome folks that support your community vendors like YotaMD.

Now, let's dive into the fun stuff.

2006 LX470 in Cypress Pearl.

View attachment 2177625

As Received
-216k miles as of Jan 2020
-AirTop RTT on factory rails
-Budget drawers
-Solar Panel, charger and battery
-Otherwise all OEM

The Good
-Airbags
Requirement. In 2003, the 100 series got optional side and curtain airbags. This 06 has all the airbags available in the 100 series to my knowledge.

-5 Speed
Requirement.

-VVTI
Requirement.

-AHC
Requirement. The system is complete and functional. I'm a fan of the benefits the system offers and complex troubleshooting is more like a fun adventure than a pain for me.

-Clean and Stock
This rig is a good starting point for a build. Previous service includes AHC accumulator replacement and a full 100k Slee service at 200k. The things that aren't clean on this rig are relatively easily "undone" or repaired.

What's Wrong?
-No YotaMD Key
Need I say more?

-AHC Pressures
Springs/bars are likely original and need to be replaced/upgraded/adjusted to correct neutral pressures.

-Coolant Leak
Appears to be the rear water bypass. Takes some labor, but overall should be a cheap fix.
View attachment 2177631

-Oil leak
Previous mechanics told the PO the valve cover and power steering pump were leaking. I agree on the valve cover, can't verify the pump yet.

-Aux Battery and Wiring
I think the PO wired this up in an afternoon and was anxious to hit the trails. It's ugly. Rat's nest is an appropriate description. For something that's going to be stored in my house where my family sleeps, I need to take this all out. I like the idea so I may redo it, but for now it just needs to come out for my own peace of mind.

-Solar Panel Adhered to Roof
Similar to the wiring, the panel seems to have been rushed. It's a flexible panel that was glued or siliconed to the roof. Why? Why would you silicone a flexible panel to the roof of a nice LX470?

-Tailgate Garnish Loose
The garnish piece in the LX has clips and inset studs that hold the plastic garnish piece to the tailgate. Mine are mostly broken and the result is that the garnish piece rattles when you close the tailgate and hatch. VERY annoying and sounds very cheap/broken.

-Roof Top Tent
While I love the idea of an RTT, I want to store the LX in my garage.

-Drawers
After living with SS1 system I can't use these budget drawers. Once filled they take more strength to move than my wife can easily muster, they don't lock in or out, they come all the way off the rails if you pull them too far, they look less refined than I'd like and they are too low profile to store most of what I want to store. I co-own Air Down Gear Up so an SS1 system is basically a requirement.

-Audio
I finally got my audio dialed in on my '99 LC (Morel Virtus components, DSP amp, dual 10" Focal subs). Going back to OEM audio is dreary to put it nicely. I'll likely start with a V-line from Grom and see how the audio is with a good clean signal. I know the Mark Levinson system can be pretty good, but I'm sure the speakers all need a revamp and the best value is probably to rip them all out and replace with aftermarket. I'm not sure I deserve an "audiophile" title, but I pay a lot of attention to audio quality and have enjoyed using measurement mics and DSPs to really dial in audio systems.

The Plan
Reliability
Leak fixes are first. Followed by AHC tuning. There's also a broken stud in a rear wheel. That obviously needs to be repaired.

Driveability
Many rubber parts in the chassis are worn. I'll replace as many bushings as I can as I go.

Tint
My 99 has 35% up front and 20% in the rear on top of the OEM tint. In the summer that tint makes a world of difference for comfort and it also helps protect the interior and occupants from UV. I'll potentially do 35% all around on the LX.

Steering Wheel
I had my Supra wheel redone by Dallas Custom Steering Wheel and it's a work of art. I'll send this LX wheel off to them to get some much needed new life in that leather.

Armor - Sliders
Slee Slider Steps are wonderful. I have them on my 99 and plan to add them to this LX.
View attachment 2177626

Armor - Skid Plates
Protecting the underbelly will be worthwhile peace of mind for occasional trail events/outings.

Armor - Front and Rear Bumpers
I like the Dissent bumpers/skids quite a bit. I wonder if @benc will offer up a deal if I go all out on aluminum Dissent gear at once?
View attachment 2177628

Wheels/Tires
The rig comes with fresh Cooper AT3 tires, but they're 32". I like 33's for summer highway and trail driving. 17" wheels would also be better for trails. I'm not in love with the Lexus wheel's style and would prefer something with a slightly more flush offset. The Alpha Command wheels have my eye and come in a variety of offsets.
View attachment 2177618

This may as well be titled "The LX that 'Mud Built" because without the Mud community support of YotaMD this would not exist. So I offer an upfront and sincere "Thank You!" to you awesome folks that support your community vendors like YotaMD.

Now, let's dive into the fun stuff.

2006 LX470 in Cypress Pearl.

View attachment 2177625

As Received
-216k miles as of Jan 2020
-AirTop RTT on factory rails
-Budget drawers
-Solar Panel, charger and battery
-Otherwise all OEM

The Good
-Airbags
Requirement. In 2003, the 100 series got optional side and curtain airbags. This 06 has all the airbags available in the 100 series to my knowledge.

-5 Speed
Requirement.

-VVTI
Requirement.

-AHC
Requirement. The system is complete and functional. I'm a fan of the benefits the system offers and complex troubleshooting is more like a fun adventure than a pain for me.

-Clean and Stock
This rig is a good starting point for a build. Previous service includes AHC accumulator replacement and a full 100k Slee service at 200k. The things that aren't clean on this rig are relatively easily "undone" or repaired.

What's Wrong?
-No YotaMD Key
Need I say more?

-AHC Pressures
Springs/bars are likely original and need to be replaced/upgraded/adjusted to correct neutral pressures.

-Coolant Leak
Appears to be the rear water bypass. Takes some labor, but overall should be a cheap fix.
View attachment 2177631

-Oil leak
Previous mechanics told the PO the valve cover and power steering pump were leaking. I agree on the valve cover, can't verify the pump yet.

-Aux Battery and Wiring
I think the PO wired this up in an afternoon and was anxious to hit the trails. It's ugly. Rat's nest is an appropriate description. For something that's going to be stored in my house where my family sleeps, I need to take this all out. I like the idea so I may redo it, but for now it just needs to come out for my own peace of mind.

-Solar Panel Adhered to Roof
Similar to the wiring, the panel seems to have been rushed. It's a flexible panel that was glued or siliconed to the roof. Why? Why would you silicone a flexible panel to the roof of a nice LX470?

-Tailgate Garnish Loose
The garnish piece in the LX has clips and inset studs that hold the plastic garnish piece to the tailgate. Mine are mostly broken and the result is that the garnish piece rattles when you close the tailgate and hatch. VERY annoying and sounds very cheap/broken.

-Roof Top Tent
While I love the idea of an RTT, I want to store the LX in my garage.

-Drawers
After living with SS1 system I can't use these budget drawers. Once filled they take more strength to move than my wife can easily muster, they don't lock in or out, they come all the way off the rails if you pull them too far, they look less refined than I'd like and they are too low profile to store most of what I want to store. I co-own Air Down Gear Up so an SS1 system is basically a requirement.

-Audio
I finally got my audio dialed in on my '99 LC (Morel Virtus components, DSP amp, dual 10" Focal subs). Going back to OEM audio is dreary to put it nicely. I'll likely start with a V-line from Grom and see how the audio is with a good clean signal. I know the Mark Levinson system can be pretty good, but I'm sure the speakers all need a revamp and the best value is probably to rip them all out and replace with aftermarket. I'm not sure I deserve an "audiophile" title, but I pay a lot of attention to audio quality and have enjoyed using measurement mics and DSPs to really dial in audio systems.

The Plan
Reliability
Leak fixes are first. Followed by AHC tuning. There's also a broken stud in a rear wheel. That obviously needs to be repaired.

Driveability
Many rubber parts in the chassis are worn. I'll replace as many bushings as I can as I go.

Tint
My 99 has 35% up front and 20% in the rear on top of the OEM tint. In the summer that tint makes a world of difference for comfort and it also helps protect the interior and occupants from UV. I'll potentially do 35% all around on the LX.

Steering Wheel
I had my Supra wheel redone by Dallas Custom Steering Wheel and it's a work of art. I'll send this LX wheel off to them to get some much needed new life in that leather.

Armor - Sliders
Slee Slider Steps are wonderful. I have them on my 99 and plan to add them to this LX.
View attachment 2177626

Armor - Skid Plates
Protecting the underbelly will be worthwhile peace of mind for occasional trail events/outings.

Armor - Front and Rear Bumpers
I like the Dissent bumpers/skids quite a bit. I wonder if @benc will offer up a deal if I go all out on aluminum Dissent gear at once?
View attachment 2177628

Wheels/Tires
The rig comes with fresh Cooper AT3 tires, but they're 32". I like 33's for summer highway and trail driving. 17" wheels would also be better for trails. I'm not in love with the Lexus wheel's style and would prefer something with a slightly more flush offset. The Alpha Command wheels have my eye and come in a variety of offsets.
View attachment 2177618

YotaMD guy, I just bought a 2006 LX470 in Cypress Pearl. I haven’t even taken delivery yet, but stumbled upon this thread. Vehicle looks EXACTLY like what yours looked like when you got it, so I am very interested in seeing how your progress comes along. I had even tentatively decided on the Dissent front and rear armor (minus the bull bar). Thanks for your posts so far, and keep posting! I can’t wait to see the bumpers installed.

 

[devlooper]

Budget Drawers out, Air Down Gear Up SS1 in! I've got the usual Baltic Birch version in now, but a new and improved material will be installed shortly. Stay tuned for that.

Also got the solar panel, DC charger and wiring redone and verified. The battery is tucked under the SS1 cargo divider nice and sung. I'll add a small strap to the side and it'll be neatly stowed and secure. The charger is a little exposed right now on the topside. I will likely move it to the underside or protect it up top with a custom cover, but for now I want to see the indicator lights and learn how and when this thing works.

View attachment 2233385

View attachment 2233387

I'd love to find a connector I can use here. All the loose cables are pretty annoying. Zip ties can clean it up a little, but a connector would pull the cables together and make removal a breeze.
View attachment 2233397
Recessed hardware and tie down ramps on the SS1. So glad to have this system in now! Rock solid and snag free.

View attachment 2233394

This is what I'm very interested in. Do you have this second battery hooked up to the starting battery or are you only relying on Solar to keep it charged?

If its hooked up to the starter how'd you run the wires and what sort of wires/parts did you use? I'd love to have a second battery but the AHC in my lexus wont allow it right now, and I think I'd like to have a second battery tucked under my drawers.

 

[SlowBuild]

This is what I'm very interested in. Do you have this second battery hooked up to the starting battery or are you only relying on Solar to keep it charged?

If its hooked up to the starter how'd you run the wires and what sort of wires/parts did you use? I'd love to have a second battery but the AHC in my lexus wont allow it right now, and I think I'd like to have a second battery tucked under my drawers.

Some have squeezed dual batteries into stock location, AHC is not prohibitive. Not sure what to search for but I know there’s a thread or two. I might try this.

 

[devlooper]

Some have squeezed dual batteries into stock location, AHC is not prohibitive. Not sure what to search for but I know there’s a thread or two. I might try this.

Thank you, I'll look more into squeezing two batteries in the stock location.

 

[civil offroad]

Goooooood stuff on the way, courtesy of Ben @benc at Dissent Offroad.

Now to decide on the color-scheme. I'm thinking color-matched main sections with a dark grey accent on smaller pieces.

View attachment 2241940

View attachment 2241941

Looks like you got the Aluminum Bumpers too. Good Choice, but I may be biased myself!

 

[suprarx7nut]

This is what I'm very interested in. Do you have this second battery hooked up to the starting battery or are you only relying on Solar to keep it charged?

If its hooked up to the starter how'd you run the wires and what sort of wires/parts did you use? I'd love to have a second battery but the AHC in my lexus wont allow it right now, and I think I'd like to have a second battery tucked under my drawers.

Thank you, I'll look more into squeezing two batteries in the stock location.

I've got a CTEK D250S like this: 56-677 | CTEK D250S Dual Battery Charger

It does most everything you want in a 2 battery setup, including:

-Isolates the starting battery when the car is off.
-Charges the aux battery with solar AND the alternator.
-Charges the starting battery with solar once aux battery is full.

The only thing it doesn't do is provide a switch for jumping the starter battery with the AUX battery, but I'm not sure if that even exists in a charger like this.

Battery location is super flexible. First, I'd figure out what size second battery makes sense for you. If you only need a small battery, your options are plentiful. If you need a BIG second battery, then it's gets more limiting. For me, something pretty damn small is fine. I don't leave the grid for days on end and I don't run a coffee maker or big array of camp lights so I can get away with a small battery like the PO happened to have in this car. I think it's 36Ah. Not much, but plenty for day trips and simple overnighters. Once I get a fridge slide designed and fabbed that second battery should also allow me to keep the fridge plugged in a theoretically indefinitely cold. Should come in handy for Costco and for cold beer throughout a camp trip.

One thing I still want to incorporate is a battery box. I don't love having a live battery in the cabin, even if it's segregated under the SS1 platform.

 

[wvrx]

Nice build, can’t wait to see the dissent gear color matched and installed! Are you going with Dissent front bumper too? The new high clearance bumper looks intriguing...

 

[suprarx7nut]

Nice build, can’t wait to see the dissent gear color matched and installed! Are you going with Dissent front bumper too? The new high clearance bumper looks intriguing...

Yes, Dissent front is going on as well. I'm focusing on the rear right now, but the front is in my garage as well as a set of skids. All aluminum. Front pieces should get paint in the next week or two with installation shortly after that. I'm waiting on the 12.5k Comeup Winch to be delivered so it can be installed along with the front bumper.

I like the high clearance a lot. It looks like a battleship deck or something. Very cool design.

 

[devlooper]

I've got a CTEK D250S like this: 56-677 | CTEK D250S Dual Battery Charger

It does most everything you want in a 2 battery setup, including:

-Isolates the starting battery when the car is off.
-Charges the aux battery with solar AND the alternator.
-Charges the starting battery with solar once aux battery is full.

The only thing it doesn't do is provide a switch for jumping the starter battery with the AUX battery, but I'm not sure if that even exists in a charger like this.

Battery location is super flexible. First, I'd figure out what size second battery makes sense for you. If you only need a small battery, your options are plentiful. If you need a BIG second battery, then it's gets more limiting. For me, something pretty damn small is fine. I don't leave the grid for days on end and I don't run a coffee maker or big array of camp lights so I can get away with a small battery like the PO happened to have in this car. I think it's 36Ah. Not much, but plenty for day trips and simple overnighters. Once I get a fridge slide designed and fabbed that second battery should also allow me to keep the fridge plugged in a theoretically indefinitely cold. Should come in handy for Costco and for cold beer throughout a camp trip.

One thing I still want to incorporate is a battery box. I don't love having a live battery in the cabin, even if it's segregated under the SS1 platform.

This might be something to look into. I have a noco jump starter for the starting battery if that gets drained so I dont need to worry about a switch for jump starting.

as much as I want a fridge, i'd have to re-configure the sleeping situation (as my sleeping is inside my rig) so I'm going to stick with coolers for now. but I think I just want a battery large enough to run some interior lights, USB fans in the summer. Maybe run some external camp lights from it also, so I dont think I need a giant battery. Just something to get by on weekend trips that isolates my main battery.

Thanks for the link!

 

[suprarx7nut]

This might be something to look into. I have a noco jump starter for the starting battery if that gets drained so I dont need to worry about a switch for jump starting.

as much as I want a fridge, i'd have to re-configure the sleeping situation (as my sleeping is inside my rig) so I'm going to stick with coolers for now. but I think I just want a battery large enough to run some interior lights, USB fans in the summer. Maybe run some external camp lights from it also, so I dont think I need a giant battery. Just something to get by on weekend trips that isolates my main battery.

Thanks for the link!

Yeah, I think you need something very small. 36Ah should be plenty and those are small enough to fit a few places under the hood or in the cabin (ideally in a battery box).