Builds Zzyzx85's 2007 GX470 (2 Viewers)

[zzyzx85]

Good to know. One of these days I'll find a flat parking lot (maybe the Costco around the corner lol), take everything out, and re-measure.

I didn't want to raise it up too high (as you mentioned, to keep droop) and wanted to retain some of the factory rake, which it looks like this current setup does. I just need more tire now

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Good to know. One of these days I'll find a flat parking lot (maybe the Costco around the corner lol), take everything out, and re-measure.

I didn't want to raise it up too high (as you mentioned, to keep droop) and wanted to retain some of the factory rake, which it looks like this current setup does. I just need more tire now

Yeah…that’s problem with a 2” lift…you need to fill the wheel well with more tire!

Read up on caster, wheel offset, and trimming the liners to figure out the larger tire mods.

I fit 285/70R17s on 17x7.5 wheels with zero offset and a 3.7* caster. Trimmed the liners a little. I had rubbing on the front sway bar on full lock turns.

Removing the front sway bar eliminated all my rubbing and I still have stock LCAs and the body mount intact. In TC UCAs.

 

[zzyzx85]

Yeah…that’s problem with a 2” lift…you need to fill the wheel well with more tire!

Read up on caster, wheel offset, and trimming the liners to figure out the larger tire mods.

I fit 285/70R17s on 17x7.5 wheels with zero offset and a 3.7* caster. Trimmed the liners a little. I had rubbing on the front sway bar on full lock turns.

Removing the front sway bar eliminated all my rubbing and I still have stock LCAs and the body mount intact. In TC UCAs.

I have those FJC 8-holes that i'm planning on using. Given how expensive tires are nowadays, I plan on using up my current tires (even if I'm going to be looking a little goofy for a while haha), then using up the tires that were on the FJC 8-holes, then getting fresh tires when those are done.

 

[Rednexus]

I'm up closer to 3" in the front and still have pretty good flex. The rig has several inches of downtravel still - I have not measured it, but think it's around 3-4" or so. It also has over 13" of clearance under the stock skids on 33s, with stock LCAs and Ironman UCAs. I have an idea for an engineered swaybar disconnect and will get one designed next year sometimes. I can't wait to run one of these without the front swaybar as they can get a bit rough on roads that are overly off-camber.....frankly it's the only situation where a Jeep can overtake one of these rigs on a non-rockcrawling trail.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I'm up closer to 3" in the front and still have pretty good flex. The rig has several inches of downtravel still - I have not measured it, but think it's around 3-4" or so. It also has over 13" of clearance under the stock skids on 33s, with stock LCAs and Ironman UCAs. I have an idea for an engineered swaybar disconnect and will get one designed next year sometimes. I can't wait to run one of these without the front swaybar as they can get a bit rough on roads that are overly off-camber.....frankly it's the only situation where a Jeep can overtake one of these rigs on a non-rockcrawling trail.
View attachment 3738855

Someone on YouTube Tinkerers Adventure did a very detailed analysis on the GX/FJC/4R articulation

The front IFS limits down travel to like 4”. If you lift the front 3”, it basically reduces down travel by the same amount.

The only way to add down travel is to do a long travel front setup with extended LCAs and CVs and that gets pricey.

The extended Bilstein shocks (both 5100 and 6112) get you like an extra 1” of downtravel, but lifting it 2” reduces it again.

Tinkerers Adventure did a great job on his videos and he (Kai) is a force in the Toyota/Lexus world

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I'm up closer to 3" in the front and still have pretty good flex. The rig has several inches of downtravel still - I have not measured it, but think it's around 3-4" or so. It also has over 13" of clearance under the stock skids on 33s, with stock LCAs and Ironman UCAs. I have an idea for an engineered swaybar disconnect and will get one designed next year sometimes. I can't wait to run one of these without the front swaybar as they can get a bit rough on roads that are overly off-camber.....frankly it's the only situation where a Jeep can overtake one of these rigs on a non-rockcrawling trail.
View attachment 3738855

By the way, if you truly have 3” of front lift, then your center of hub to bottom of fender should measure over 23”

 

[Rednexus]

By the way, if you truly have 3” of front lift, then your center of hub to bottom of fender should measure over 23”

I'm right at 23" from hub/fender bottom. It's all relative as the OEM springs had probably sagged 1" or more. With 33s and the lift, I have nearly 5" more ground clearance under the same front skids as I had stock, so I'm thinking the lift brought it up around 4" from where it was on the worn OEM suspension.

I'll take some measurements next time I put a jack under it, but it definitely has downtravel and definitely does not bind any CVs despite not having a diff drop. I have seen those videos and like them....all I can say is that my rig articulates quite well . He did give me the idea to design a disconnect though, it'll just take me some time and a few old sway bars to get a workable prototype developed.

Note it's hard to get a great picture - but the bottom of the sewing tape is at the middle of the hub.

 

[zzyzx85]

Someone on YouTube Tinkerers Adventure did a very detailed analysis on the GX/FJC/4R articulation

The front IFS limits down travel to like 4”. If you lift the front 3”, it basically reduces down travel by the same amount.

The only way to add down travel is to do a long travel front setup with extended LCAs and CVs and that gets pricey.

The extended Bilstein shocks (both 5100 and 6112) get you like an extra 1” of downtravel, but lifting it 2” reduces it again.

Tinkerers Adventure did a great job on his videos and he (Kai) is a force in the Toyota/Lexus world

Tinkerer's Adventure and Kai have been a great resource since before I picked up my GX. As an engineer myself, I find his videos have enough technical insight that I can understand what's going on without being overwhelmed with info.

This video was very helpful in what not to do when lifting a GX (especially in the case of the modified 460):

 

[Rednexus]

Right at 2" of downtravel (i.e., droop) for my non-KDSS rig with 3" of lift up front. Not sure what the issue is with the GX460 in that video, but my 470 certainly seems to out-flex it significantly (also see the pic from earlier with it waaaay up on a trailer ramp), and has a Bronco Raptor amount of front ground clearance. IMO the bonkers ground clearance of this setup far outweighs suspension travel - my rig is faster on most trails than my buddy's swaybar disconnected JK Rubicon and will go up things with ATRAC only that he needs both lockers to get up.

 

[zzyzx85]

my guess is too stiff of springs. he's riding at the top of his strut travel

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Right at 2" of downtravel (i.e., droop) for my non-KDSS rig with 3" of lift up front. Not sure what the issue is with the GX460 in that video, but my 470 certainly seems to out-flex it significantly (also see the pic from earlier with it waaaay up on a trailer ramp), and has a Bronco Raptor amount of front ground clearance. IMO the bonkers ground clearance of this setup far outweighs suspension travel - my rig is faster on most trails than my buddy's swaybar disconnected JK Rubicon and will go up things with ATRAC only that he needs both lockers to get up.
View attachment 3739158
View attachment 3739156

try the cross travel index (CTI) to measure articulation.

I bought some ramps at HF and added cement blocks to make them be close to 12” high.

Put the ramps in opposite corners and try to see if you can make it up the ramp. Kinda like what Kai does on his videos.

I feel like my HD rear sway bar helps push the front down to keep the wheels more planted on the ground, thus improving traction on rutted roads.

Anyways, I feel like the CTI is more indicative of balanced articulation and better traction than the one tire ramp. But that’s just my opinion.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Tinkerer's Adventure and Kai have been a great resource since before I picked up my GX. As an engineer myself, I find his videos have enough technical insight that I can understand what's going on without being overwhelmed with info.

This video was very helpful in what not to do when lifting a GX (especially in the case of the modified 460):

Right…I’m following his advice.

I removed the front sway bar.

I replaced the rear sway bar with HD one.

I keep my lift in front at 2.25” lift.

I have the extended length 6112s in front with HD coils

Rear long travel with extended rear sway bar links.

I’m happy with the articulation offroad and the highway stability.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

my guess is too stiff of springs. he's riding at the top of his strut travel

Removing both sway bars causes you to lose articulation in the front. The rear sway bar actually transfers articulation forces to the front.

That’s why a HD rear sway bar transfers more articulation to the front to force the front tires to go down into the ground

 

[zzyzx85]

Removing both sway bars causes you to lose articulation in the front. The rear sway bar actually transfers articulation forces to the front.

That’s why a HD rear sway bar transfers more articulation to the front to force the front tires to go down into the ground

So if i'm understanding it correctly, since the KDSS system essentially "disconnects" both sway bars in a situation as shown in the video, KDSS is more of a con than a plus?

 

[HomersCanyonero]

So if i'm understanding it correctly, since the KDSS system essentially "disconnects" both sway bars in a situation as shown in the video, KDSS is more of a con than a plus?

Hmmm….i don’t have kdss, so I don’t know when it disconnects on its own. I’m not sure if Kai was disconnecting kdss to show his point.

But that’s an interesting observation you make.

My statement was on removing both sway bars on non-kdss…

Kdss is great when it’s on. It forces the tires to stick to the ground with force…and it disconnects when offroad (slow rock crawling) to give you more articulation compared to having both sway bars on.

I think the best balanced articulation is when HD rear sway bar is on and front is off which I think kdss cannot achieve

 

[zzyzx85]

Hmmm….i don’t have kdss, so I don’t know when it disconnects on its own. I’m not sure if Kai was disconnecting kdss to show his point.

But that’s an interesting observation you make.

My statement was on removing both sway bars on non-kdss…

Yep, I understood your statement.

I should comment my thought in the swaybar video and see what Kai says...

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Yep, I understood your statement.

I should comment my thought in the swaybar video and see what Kai says...

See my edited comment I just added.

 

[zzyzx85]

After a few weeks of driving around, I decided to check on my rear suspension today. Loosened and retorqued the trailing links, and paint marked the nuts that I could get to.

Also, glad to see the track bar is horizontal. Dr. KDSS BOTCK doing its job.

Time to get an alignment!

 

[zzyzx85]

Didn't make it to the alignment shop in time on Saturday so I'll ride it out another week.

Might be the last time we see these two together. My friend sold it to our Norcal friend after he bought a 1st gen Raptor 6.2L.

These Rad Rubber Designs fender liners came in a few months ago but I finally had a chance to install them after all the suspension work I did.

Two very different "wagons"

 

[zzyzx85]

Finally made it to the tire/alignment shop.
Nothing special; just a factory spec alignment.