Builds Travis’s PNW LX570

[tbisaacs]

Minor quality of life mod this weekend. When I installed my Grom V-line I put in a surface mount socket for wired CarPlay. Upon installing I immediately hated how it looked. Plus after drilling a 1” hole i discovered that the socket interfered with the flaps that slide with gear selector so I created a ton of work for myself to make it work.

One morning I was cruising eBay and found an almost new gear selector panel and parking brake boot! When it arrived I couldn’t believe how like new it was.

I tried to delicately remove the factory 12v socket and enlarged it to 1” and sunk a USB-in socket into it. Here is the side by side after I moved over the off road switches

Of course this requires surgery, everything has to come out:

(The super glue was to glue up some veneer above the heated seat knob that was delaminated)

Overall super happy with this cleanup job.

 

[tbisaacs]

Oh, I steam cleaned my cup holder and off road switches

 

[tbisaacs]

It's a season of change and lots to catch you up on.

First, the easiest one—I ditched my ARB steel skid plates for a beautiful set of E&E offroad full-aluminum ones. This really was no-brainer. They are lighter by ~ 30 pounds, offer more coverage, make changing the oil easier, and are seriously over engineered. And bonus, working with Oliver was super easy.

AHC Delete

The next one is a doozie. I deleted my beloved AHC and replaced it with a set of weapons-grade Dobinsons 3-Way MRAs. What I say next might surprise you—AHC is really good. Like top of the food chain for stock suspension. I really liked it. I abused it and it never complained. I absolutely would buy another AHC truck, and who knows what will wander into my driveway in the future. If you have a rust-free LX with AHC in working order, you should maintain it and keep it. Replacing it is not a small undertaking and you have to be really meticulous or you aren't going to like the performance.

Ultimately, rust was going to take my AHC at some point at probably an inconvenient time. My truck is Canadian and the mechanical AHC components are looking very concerning. All of the valve blocks that hold the accumulators, the cross-over hard line, etc all have a concerning amount of rust on them. So the decision point was start replacing these lines and components or just move on. For every mod I make, I try to ask, will ask:

1. Keep the truck on the road longer?
2. Get me out more?
3. Allow me to tackle more difficult / technical terrain?
4. Have more fun?

Replacing rusty AHC would give me 1 (and would be cheaper), deleting AHC would give me 1 and 4. I agonized over this decision for a really long time—in fact I was going to do it last year and felt like it was such a big decision that I put off making it for a while. Ultimately what there were two things that helped out:

• I talked to a few post-AHC 570 owners and asked what they missed. I did this because I knew I had a bias. Look at my post history—I'm the first to show up with the soap box when an LX owner is curious about deleting AHC. (Spoiler: it's okay to change your mind, try it)
• I drove @HSTexan beautiful heritage edition cruiser with King 2.5s in Ouray (thanks Bryan!!)

With that out of the way, let me tell you how I went about it!

Goals & non-negotiables

• Suspension had to be adjustable. This is my favorite AHC feature so this ruled out any basic monotube options. IMO that would be a huge downgrade.
• Down-travel is more important to me than absolute lift. My sensor-lifted AHC in high mode offer tons of clearance offroad in high mode—netting almost 3" of lift but of course road like a wagon because it easily topped out.
• Keep AFS
• Stock-ish suspension geometry and neutral handling.
• While I'm in there—do some preventative maintenance

Build of materials

• Shocks: Dobinsons 200-series 3-way adjustable MRAs from Exit Offroad
• Coils: C56-544 in front and C59-547 in rear. Huge shoutout to @crikeymike for being super responsive and talking me through this—these netted me just under 2.5" of lift all the way around.
• New OEM front LCAs
• SPC upper control arms from Exit Offroad. These actually have tabs on them and the height control sensors bolted right on. allowing me to keep AFS.
• New "v2" @PerryParts extended bumpstops
• 333-Fabrications alignment cam eliminators
• @eimkeith PCK to keep my panhard level

Once I had the parts, I disconnected the suspension control module at the CANBUS junction (thanks @TN LX570 !) and dropped the truck off with friend Tuan at Integrated Metal Works to do the install as well as an agressive BMC for the eventualality that I do something silly in @MTKID's garage.

No going back

 

[tbisaacs]

I should have grabbed measurements but I was heading out to airport when I dropped the truck off but sitting at just under 2.5" of lift. And it's pretty bang-on side to side.

Ride impressions
Extremely happy so far with tunings that Tuan recommended. My goal was plush but composed and I got it. Honestly couldn't wipe the smile off my face yesterday. The truck just feels very athletic now. Not harsh, but nimble. Ride is subjective but I'm super excited.

IMO AHC's biggest flex is it's ability to corner flat and I did lose some of that. But not much. I dont tow and my load is pretty static so also not worried about augmenting with airbags etc.

What's next?
Immediate priority is getting an aligment later today obviously. Tuan set it at max caster but suspect that will no be necessary. I will post alignment sheet later.

I am so far happy with skinny AHC sway bars. Time will tell but was expecting it to be a handful and it's just not. If this doesn't work out I'm seriously considering a rear Anti-Rock like the Stellarbuilt truck.

I have some time off in December and intend on fully decommissioning the rest of the AHC components. I'll pull the passenger side bumper wing and extract the pump, and will drop the sliders for all the hardware on the framerails. I'll happily pass them along to a local owner as spare. There is no need carrying around an extra 200 pounds of dead weight.

 

[Boston Mangler]

I should have grabbed measurements but I was heading out to airport when I dropped the truck off but sitting at just under 2.5" of lift. And it's pretty bang-on side to side.

View attachment 3752304View attachment 3752305




View attachment 3752306

Ride impressions
Extremely happy so far with tunings that Tuan recommended. My goal was plush but composed and I got it. Honestly couldn't wipe the smile off my face yesterday. The truck just feels very athletic now. Not harsh, but nimble. Ride is subjective but I'm super excited.

IMO AHC's biggest flex is it's ability to corner flat and I did lose some of that. But not much. I dont tow and my load is pretty static so also not worried about augmenting with airbags etc.

What's next?
Immediate priority is getting an aligment later today obviously. Tuan set it at max caster but suspect that will no be necessary. I will post alignment sheet later.

I am so far happy with skinny AHC sway bars. Time will tell but was expecting it to be a handful and it's just not. If this doesn't work out I'm seriously considering a rear Anti-Rock like the Stellarbuilt truck.

I have some time off in December and intend on fully decommissioning the rest of the AHC components. I'll pull the passenger side bumper wing and extract the pump, and will drop the sliders for all the hardware on the framerails. I'll happily pass them along to a local owner as spare. There is no need carrying around an extra 200 pounds of dead weight.

View attachment 3752312

Well thought thought out and descriptive post. Love it! Great work.

Question…. LCA bolts…. Did you remove the caster/camber adjustment gizmos or is the LX different in that area?

I FINALLY got an appointment for my alignment today

 

[tbisaacs]

Well thought thought out and descriptive post. Love it! Great work.

Question…. LCA bolts…. Did you remove the caster/camber adjustment gizmos or is the LX different in that area?

I FINALLY got an appointment for my alignment today

No but the 333 hardware has square plates instead of oval so less likely to get knocked out of alignment. They promise set-and-forget alignment.

 

[Boston Mangler]

No but the 333 hardware has square plates instead of oval so less likely to get knocked out of alignment. They promise set-and-forget alignment.

Interesting. Going to look more into this!

Thank you

 

[sedole]

Wow, I'm shocked! Welcome to the dark side haha

Excited to see what you continue to do with it suspension wise! Adjustable suspension is definitely on my list down the line. Bilsteins were too good a price to pass at the time.

 

[tbisaacs]

Wow, I'm shocked! Welcome to the dark side haha

Excited to see what you continue to do with it suspension wise! Adjustable suspension is definitely on my list down the line. Bilsteins were too good a price to pass at the time.

Hah thanks! Read and re-read your build thread a few times, particularly your sway bar setup. Watching closely.

LX w/AHC LX w/o AHC Land Cruiser

We all friends!

 

[Heckraiser]

Thanks for sharing. I have fought the AHC delete battle in my head since I got the truck. This is the first truck I've had (in a very long line) that hasn't had a lift. At first I hated AHC, but have grown to really appreciate it. To me, now that I've grown accustomed to AHC, the biggest remaining downside is all the junk on the outside frame rail that will really be an impediment to the best possible clearance once I install my body lift. Aside from overall size, the 200's low rockers are it's biggest weakness off road, IMO, and with AHC, you can't move the sliders up.

 

[HSTexan]

Nice! Have been very excited to see how it turned out and your initial impressions after taking the leap.

 

[TLC2013]

Looks great! Keep us posted on how the suspension performs. I have been eyeing this same Dobinsion set up when/if my 45mm Tough adjustable suspension wears out.
When you have the opportunity would you post your hub to fender measurements. Our builds are close in weight with Dissent bumpers, Skids, sliders…etc so I am real curious what this would provide.

 

[LXGus]

It's a season of change and lots to catch you up on.

First, the easiest one—I ditched my ARB steel skid plates for a beautiful set of E&E offroad full-aluminum ones. This really was no-brainer. They are lighter by ~ 30 pounds, offer more coverage, make changing the oil easier, and are seriously over engineered. And bonus, working with Oliver was super easy.

View attachment 3752284

AHC Delete

The next one is a doozie. I deleted my beloved AHC and replaced it with a set of weapons-grade Dobinsons 3-Way MRAs. What I say next might surprise you—AHC is really good. Like top of the food chain for stock suspension. I really liked it. I abused it and it never complained. I absolutely would buy another AHC truck, and who knows what will wander into my driveway in the future. If you have a rust-free LX with AHC in working order, you should maintain it and keep it. Replacing it is not a small undertaking and you have to be really meticulous or you aren't going to like the performance.

Ultimately, rust was going to take my AHC at some point at probably an inconvenient time. My truck is Canadian and the mechanical AHC components are looking very concerning. All of the valve blocks that hold the accumulators, the cross-over hard line, etc all have a concerning amount of rust on them. So the decision point was start replacing these lines and components or just move on. For every mod I make, I try to ask, will ask:

1. Keep the truck on the road longer?
2. Get me out more?
3. Allow me to tackle more difficult / technical terrain?
4. Have more fun?

Replacing rusty AHC would give me 1 (and would be cheaper), deleting AHC would give me 1 and 4. I agonized over this decision for a really long time—in fact I was going to do it last year and felt like it was such a big decision that I put off making it for a while. Ultimately what there were two things that helped out:

• I talked to a few post-AHC 570 owners and asked what they missed. I did this because I knew I had a bias. Look at my post history—I'm the first to show up with the soap box when an LX owner is curious about deleting AHC. (Spoiler: it's okay to change your mind, try it)
• I drove @HSTexan beautiful heritage edition cruiser with King 2.5s in Ouray (thanks Bryan!!)

With that out of the way, let me tell you how I went about it!

Goals & non-negotiables

• Suspension had to be adjustable. This is my favorite AHC feature so this ruled out any basic monotube options. IMO that would be a huge downgrade.
• Down-travel is more important to me than absolute lift. My sensor-lifted AHC in high mode offer tons of clearance offroad in high mode—netting almost 3" of lift but of course road like a wagon because it easily topped out.
• Keep AFS
• Stock-ish suspension geometry and neutral handling.
• While I'm in there—do some preventative maintenance

Build of materials

• Shocks: Dobinsons 200-series 3-way adjustable MRAs from Exit Offroad
• Coils: C56-544 in front and C59-547 in rear. Huge shoutout to @crikeymike for being super responsive and talking me through this—these netted me just under 2.5" of lift all the way around.
• New OEM front LCAs
• SPC upper control arms from Exit Offroad. These actually have tabs on them and the height control sensors bolted right on. allowing me to keep AFS.
• New "v2" @PerryParts extended bumpstops
• 333-Fabrications alignment cam eliminators
• @eimkeith PCK to keep my panhard level

Once I had the parts, I disconnected the suspension control module at the CANBUS junction (thanks @TN LX570 !) and dropped the truck off with friend Tuan at Integrated Metal Works to do the install as well as an agressive BMC for the eventualality that I do something silly in @MTKID's garage.

No going back

View attachment 3752292View attachment 3752293View attachment 3752297View attachment 3752300View attachment 3752301View attachment 3752302View attachment 3752303

View attachment 3752299

Great post! I'm definitely following this. I NEVER plan to replace my AHC, but if it ever were to rust out, this would be a great resource. I'm curious about your skids. I'm assuming you went with E&E over Dissent based on the amount of coverage area. They also look pretty beefy. Are there any other reasons you went in that direction? I ordered Dissent skids in August, and they should be ready in a month or so. I'm just questioning that purchase now. Awesome recap!

 

[tbisaacs]

Great post! I'm definitely following this. I NEVER plan to replace my AHC, but if it ever were to rust out, this would be a great resource. I'm curious about your skids. I'm assuming you went with E&E over Dissent based on the amount of coverage area. They also look pretty beefy. Are there any other reasons you went in that direction? I ordered Dissent skids in August, and they should be ready in a month or so. I'm just questioning that purchase now. Awesome recap!

Thanks! The unique design feature of the EE skids are the rigid subframe. This design overcomes the short coming of aluminum being more prone to dents and deformation.

 

[nwfl4runner]

We lost another one! Looks good, is the rear swaybar staying far enough away from the rear shocks on flex?

 

[grinchy]

I’m interested in adding the Ahc stuff to my garage, particularly the left side valve manifold and the pump reservoir assembly. Let me know if it’s not already spoken for.

My local must keep Ahc reason- in Low I can still fit in the SeaTac parking garage- by about an inch.

Sorry the rust got ya!

 

[sedole]

Hah thanks! Read and re-read your build thread a few times, particularly your sway bar setup. Watching closely.

LX w/AHC LX w/o AHC Land Cruiser

We all friends!

Oh yeah I'm still a fan of AHC too. All 200s can be friends!

Mine likely wasn't as rusty as yours, but enough that I was going through the same considerations you did. There were more than a few rusted components and fittings that I ended up just having to cut off because I couldn't get them apart. Removing the whole system was a pita..

 

[tbisaacs]

We lost another one! Looks good, is the rear swaybar staying far enough away from the rear shocks on flex?

Barely but cycled it without springs and everything clears. I wish they mounted outboard

 

[tbisaacs]

I’m interested in adding the Ahc stuff to my garage, particularly the left side valve manifold and the pump reservoir assembly. Let me know if it’s not already spoken for.

My local must keep Ahc reason- in Low I can still fit in the SeaTac parking garage- by about an inch.

Sorry the rust got ya!

All yours Sam! I plan on pulling everything on my December break.

 

[Knowbuddy]

Thank you for posting your thoughts. I don't have an LX570 but came from the LX470 world and had AHC removal remorse. For my first 200 I got a 2008 kinda ratty but not rusty Land Cruiser. But I believe if I upgrade in a few years it'll be an newer 570.