Adventures and Ramblings of a Lexus GX460 ("Land Cruiser Lite" URJ150)
- Thread starter SnoViking
- Start date
SnoViking
Adventurer
SnoViking
Adventurer
So Wednesday evening, around 6pm, I decided that now's a good time to do the rear shocks on the GX. The sun was out and the weather was warm. Surprisingly, the rear shocks only took about 45 minutes to install. I think it took me longer to amass the jack and jack stands.....
With the completion of the rears, I found some newly formed energy for the front shocks. I had to actually work all day Thursday (the b@stards.....) and since it was so nice on Friday, I decided to play hooky from work and play mechanic. The fronts wen't pretty well. It was a little tight getting the old struts out from the A-arm cage but I managed. I had to knock loose the steering arm but that was it. I went with a set of the Bilstein 5100s (front and rear) and the fronts are adjustable for ride height. I put it on the second setting which claims to net 0.85" of a lift (on 4Runners). I ended up right around 0.5" which I was really happy about. I didn't want to actually lift the truck any (as I like the ride height) but the 0.5" gave me just enough clearance for the new tires. They just barely rub when going in reverse and turning (and I mean, just barely....). The 5100s ride pretty nice. Some people have said they are a bit rough until they warm up but I'm not Baja-ing any and they are a major improvement over the old, tire, OEM units.
I may end up going down the IronMan Cell Foam Pro road like the other GX owners are doing but for now I'm happy with the performance (and price) of the Bilsteins.
I wanted to preserve as much factory ride quality as I could in the rear but I needed a bit more carrying capacity. When the truck is loaded down with camping gear, kids, and dogs, the rear was a bit weighed-down. You could feel the rear "wallow" over bumps. This could have partially been because of old tired rear shocks, but it also needed alittle more spring rate to help. I went with a set of the Air-Lift 1000s. These are the same ones the 4Runners and FJ Cruisers use. The install was a bit more than the 1 hour it says on the instructions. I had to completely remove the rear springs and trim the factory rubber bump-stop-things. The rear air bags took me about 3 hours for everything. I ran the air valve up into the rear cargo area and plumbed it behind the one access door.
With the completion of the rears, I found some newly formed energy for the front shocks. I had to actually work all day Thursday (the b@stards.....) and since it was so nice on Friday, I decided to play hooky from work and play mechanic. The fronts wen't pretty well. It was a little tight getting the old struts out from the A-arm cage but I managed. I had to knock loose the steering arm but that was it. I went with a set of the Bilstein 5100s (front and rear) and the fronts are adjustable for ride height. I put it on the second setting which claims to net 0.85" of a lift (on 4Runners). I ended up right around 0.5" which I was really happy about. I didn't want to actually lift the truck any (as I like the ride height) but the 0.5" gave me just enough clearance for the new tires. They just barely rub when going in reverse and turning (and I mean, just barely....). The 5100s ride pretty nice. Some people have said they are a bit rough until they warm up but I'm not Baja-ing any and they are a major improvement over the old, tire, OEM units.
I may end up going down the IronMan Cell Foam Pro road like the other GX owners are doing but for now I'm happy with the performance (and price) of the Bilsteins.
I wanted to preserve as much factory ride quality as I could in the rear but I needed a bit more carrying capacity. When the truck is loaded down with camping gear, kids, and dogs, the rear was a bit weighed-down. You could feel the rear "wallow" over bumps. This could have partially been because of old tired rear shocks, but it also needed alittle more spring rate to help. I went with a set of the Air-Lift 1000s. These are the same ones the 4Runners and FJ Cruisers use. The install was a bit more than the 1 hour it says on the instructions. I had to completely remove the rear springs and trim the factory rubber bump-stop-things. The rear air bags took me about 3 hours for everything. I ran the air valve up into the rear cargo area and plumbed it behind the one access door.
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SnoViking
Adventurer
Snuck two camping trips into the last two weekends. :wings:
The truck rides so much nicer with the new shocks and adjustable air bags in the back. Once loaded down, I throw about 35psi in the air bags and I can't even tell there's 500# worth of gear, kids, and dogs in the truck.
We ran out towards Western PA last weekend for a little event down at the Falling Water House. The event turned out to be a bit of a bust (rain, rain, rain....) but we had a good time none the less. I also got to try out the new roof top tent arrangement which is working pretty nice. I pulled the tent body off the frame and reversed the canopy extension portion that is supposed to be over the ladder. I have the Tepui Autana which we really like and although the canopy extension over the ladder is nice, its more functional when I can open it over the two pelican boxes I have mounted to the front of the rack. Once deployed, the boxes are covered, and dry, and easily accessible from within the tent.
This past weekend we ran down to Shenandoah NP for a few days and even though we got more rain
() it was still a good weekend. Sunday turned out beautiful and we enjoyed every bit of it. Spring is springing in the park!
(Sorry for the under-exposure..... it was crazy sunny out and there's only so much I could do with an iPhone.....)
The truck rides so much nicer with the new shocks and adjustable air bags in the back. Once loaded down, I throw about 35psi in the air bags and I can't even tell there's 500# worth of gear, kids, and dogs in the truck.
We ran out towards Western PA last weekend for a little event down at the Falling Water House. The event turned out to be a bit of a bust (rain, rain, rain....) but we had a good time none the less. I also got to try out the new roof top tent arrangement which is working pretty nice. I pulled the tent body off the frame and reversed the canopy extension portion that is supposed to be over the ladder. I have the Tepui Autana which we really like and although the canopy extension over the ladder is nice, its more functional when I can open it over the two pelican boxes I have mounted to the front of the rack. Once deployed, the boxes are covered, and dry, and easily accessible from within the tent.
This past weekend we ran down to Shenandoah NP for a few days and even though we got more rain
() it was still a good weekend. Sunday turned out beautiful and we enjoyed every bit of it. Spring is springing in the park!
(Sorry for the under-exposure..... it was crazy sunny out and there's only so much I could do with an iPhone.....)
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SnoViking
Adventurer
Outer Banks Trip No. 1:
We made the first of our bi(tri?)annual Outer Banks trips this season and had a blast. We love the Duck and Corolla areas and always end up down here a few weeks each year. If we could decide which area we liked the best we'd prob just buy a house down here and spend the summer playin' bums.... But it is fun exploring the different areas and houses. We usually spend the time drinking beer, crabbin', eating Duck Donuts, and just exploring around with the whole family. We always host my parents and my two sisters (with families) down and there's usually a pretty good group of 10-15 people at any time. To get the summer started we always do the two weeks before the Memorial Day weekend and people tend to come and go throughout the weeks. It's a bit quieter down here this time of year and it's a nice contrast to the June/July/August crowds. When we come down during the busy times we always tend to remark how nice and quiet it is during our May trips. August is nice because it's hot and sunny, but the crowds dull the shine....
I always take a day (or two) and go exploring up on the 4x4 beach up North of Corolla. There are few places on the East coast where you can drive on the beach and this is one of them. It's awesome! My one daughter and I loaded up the truck with some beer and Duck Donuts and went exploring to find some wild horses. We didn't see any horses this trip but we still enjoyed the jaunt! In previous trips the wild horses have been for numerous and "tame" and more like squirrels and have almost been a nuisance while enjoying the sun and sand. Nothing this year...... If my wife wasn't terrified of driving on the beach I'd by a plot of land up there and build a nice beach cottage with a view!
We had an awesome trip and can't wait to be back down here in August. We have the same house booked again and with the recent addition of SUP boards the sound has been fun exploring (if the wind lets you....)
On to some pictures!
One of the cooler bridges Near Dover DE we passed while driving South.
Cruising through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel <- Always a favorite.
Watching storms roll through from the deck while crabbing. We caught hardy and crabs this year. But we did see a bunch of otters....... coincidence? prob not..... :Wow1:
Out enjoying some fish tacos and Coronas. This year, with all the kiddos, seemed to feel like we were always herding cats...
Enjoying the Outer Banks wildlife.....
Trying to beat the wind..... *we lost....*
Inhaling some Duck Donuts whilst enjoying the beach and quasi-sun up on the 4x4 beach North of Corolla. (I'm not a huge donut fan; more a bagel guy. But I usually play fat-kid and eat my weight in Duck Donuts while I'm down here. :chef: The maple and bacon donuts are the best!)
A whole beach to ourselves.
[i
We made the first of our bi(tri?)annual Outer Banks trips this season and had a blast. We love the Duck and Corolla areas and always end up down here a few weeks each year. If we could decide which area we liked the best we'd prob just buy a house down here and spend the summer playin' bums.... But it is fun exploring the different areas and houses. We usually spend the time drinking beer, crabbin', eating Duck Donuts, and just exploring around with the whole family. We always host my parents and my two sisters (with families) down and there's usually a pretty good group of 10-15 people at any time. To get the summer started we always do the two weeks before the Memorial Day weekend and people tend to come and go throughout the weeks. It's a bit quieter down here this time of year and it's a nice contrast to the June/July/August crowds. When we come down during the busy times we always tend to remark how nice and quiet it is during our May trips. August is nice because it's hot and sunny, but the crowds dull the shine....
I always take a day (or two) and go exploring up on the 4x4 beach up North of Corolla. There are few places on the East coast where you can drive on the beach and this is one of them. It's awesome! My one daughter and I loaded up the truck with some beer and Duck Donuts and went exploring to find some wild horses. We didn't see any horses this trip but we still enjoyed the jaunt! In previous trips the wild horses have been for numerous and "tame" and more like squirrels and have almost been a nuisance while enjoying the sun and sand. Nothing this year...... If my wife wasn't terrified of driving on the beach I'd by a plot of land up there and build a nice beach cottage with a view!
We had an awesome trip and can't wait to be back down here in August. We have the same house booked again and with the recent addition of SUP boards the sound has been fun exploring (if the wind lets you....)
On to some pictures!
One of the cooler bridges Near Dover DE we passed while driving South.
Cruising through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel <- Always a favorite.
Watching storms roll through from the deck while crabbing. We caught hardy and crabs this year. But we did see a bunch of otters....... coincidence? prob not..... :Wow1:
Out enjoying some fish tacos and Coronas. This year, with all the kiddos, seemed to feel like we were always herding cats...
Enjoying the Outer Banks wildlife.....
Trying to beat the wind..... *we lost....*
Inhaling some Duck Donuts whilst enjoying the beach and quasi-sun up on the 4x4 beach North of Corolla. (I'm not a huge donut fan; more a bagel guy. But I usually play fat-kid and eat my weight in Duck Donuts while I'm down here. :chef: The maple and bacon donuts are the best!)
A whole beach to ourselves.
[i
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SnoViking
Adventurer
Left work tonight and when I put my gear selector in drive it just felt "funny". Didn't think too much about it until about half way home..... Boom, check engine light on, 4Lo light flashing, and the traction control light flashing.....
I pulled out my OBDII sensor and plugged it in quick as I was driving to make sure I wasn't slowly (or quickly) doing any damage. I had a P0705 code which is for the PRND switch. This made a bit of sense since the gear selector felt funny.
Once I got home I pulled apart the center console to take a better look at the shifter and see if I could see anything broken.....
Well, well, well.... what do we have here..... The ring was down inside the gate-tree wedged against the metal rod.
I'm not 100% sure what is it but I think it may be an old ring clip for the leather shifter boot. My GX has the "upgraded" leather interior and the optional shift knob.... I'm willing to bet that's been in there since 2010 when the dealer put the knob on....
I fished it out and made sure nothing looking broken, hit each of the pivot points with a bit of dry-grease and buttoned it back up.
Tomorrow I'll make sure the clip didn't break any of the little plastic detents....
I pulled out my OBDII sensor and plugged it in quick as I was driving to make sure I wasn't slowly (or quickly) doing any damage. I had a P0705 code which is for the PRND switch. This made a bit of sense since the gear selector felt funny.
Once I got home I pulled apart the center console to take a better look at the shifter and see if I could see anything broken.....
Well, well, well.... what do we have here..... The ring was down inside the gate-tree wedged against the metal rod.
I'm not 100% sure what is it but I think it may be an old ring clip for the leather shifter boot. My GX has the "upgraded" leather interior and the optional shift knob.... I'm willing to bet that's been in there since 2010 when the dealer put the knob on....
I fished it out and made sure nothing looking broken, hit each of the pivot points with a bit of dry-grease and buttoned it back up.
Tomorrow I'll make sure the clip didn't break any of the little plastic detents....
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SnoViking
Adventurer
This past weekend I met up with some folks from ExPo and T4R.org and did a bit of the TNJT. We all met up Friday morning up at High Point State Park in Northern New Jersey and set off from there. We had a nice little convoy throughout the weekend and made out way south. It was a bit more tarmac than expected but we still had a good time. We didn't make it all the way south to Cape May due to time constraints but had a blast in Brendan T Bryne and Wharton State forests.
The truck performed great (as usual) and besides a broken door handle (stupid tree....) no issues or complaints. The capability of these trucks just continues to amaze me. We played around in mud, sand, and cross-axle whoops and the truck didn't miss a beat. I didn't hear the traction control beep or respond at all.
The truck performed great (as usual) and besides a broken door handle (stupid tree....) no issues or complaints. The capability of these trucks just continues to amaze me. We played around in mud, sand, and cross-axle whoops and the truck didn't miss a beat. I didn't hear the traction control beep or respond at all.
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SnoViking
Adventurer
George Washington National Forest (VA/WV) Exploring
A buddy and I managed to plan a long weekend of exploring around George Washington National forest. We loaded up the trucks with gear and kids and had a blast. Ive never been down to that part of VA and now I just want to go back and explore some more.
We went back and forth on places to camp and originally planned on just wild (dispersed) camping but our wives/children "insisted" we find a place with at least a pit-toilet. We scored a campsite at one of the State Parks (which I loved so much I'm not telling the name for fear of word getting out and people ruining it.... ). We had 3 state park options picked out and the one we ended up at was picked because it was closest within both our driving distances. Upon seeing the other two options (reminding of a trailer park next to an airport), I was SOOOOO glad we took a chance on option A. I couldn't find any additional information about the park besides the standard, cut and paste, government info found online.
We putz around camp and did day trips and explored all the fun fire and back roads.
We had a blast.
Kiddos posing by the park sign (we try to get a picture in front of any of those brown signs we see)
Stopped for a quick lunch at an overlook. The sun was quite intense and I was happy to have the awning.
Camp all setup! Cooking and libations!
Miles of dust! Love the patina!
Dust, dust, dust.
A buddy and I managed to plan a long weekend of exploring around George Washington National forest. We loaded up the trucks with gear and kids and had a blast. Ive never been down to that part of VA and now I just want to go back and explore some more.
We went back and forth on places to camp and originally planned on just wild (dispersed) camping but our wives/children "insisted" we find a place with at least a pit-toilet. We scored a campsite at one of the State Parks (which I loved so much I'm not telling the name for fear of word getting out and people ruining it.... ). We had 3 state park options picked out and the one we ended up at was picked because it was closest within both our driving distances. Upon seeing the other two options (reminding of a trailer park next to an airport), I was SOOOOO glad we took a chance on option A. I couldn't find any additional information about the park besides the standard, cut and paste, government info found online.
We putz around camp and did day trips and explored all the fun fire and back roads.
We had a blast.
Kiddos posing by the park sign (we try to get a picture in front of any of those brown signs we see)
Stopped for a quick lunch at an overlook. The sun was quite intense and I was happy to have the awning.
Camp all setup! Cooking and libations!
Miles of dust! Love the patina!
Dust, dust, dust.
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SnoViking
Adventurer
I DID A THING......
So as much as I love the RTT, one of the draw-backs is once you're setup at camp, you're stuck at camp.... I've been trying to decide if we wanted to migrate back to ground tent camping or explore a pop-up( Not ready for that yet) or a trailer. I decided to keep my eyes open for a trailer and play with that. A mid 1950s Bantam T3-C trailer popped up on the local craigslist and I jumped on it. I'm still not sure if it's beyond my scope of desired "fixing-upping" but time will tell. I'm getting a quote to get it media blasted and have a few repairs done. As much as I'd like to go crazy and build the "ULTIMATE ARMY TRAILER!" I propably wont. I think I'll get it fixed up so it's road safe and worry-free, do a few small things, and then if the trailer life suits us, I'll prob sell this one and look into a CVT or Smittybilt trailer. More updates to come in this chapter.....
Picking up the trailer:
After a quick wash-down and assessment (also test fitting Yakima towers for the RTT):
So as much as I love the RTT, one of the draw-backs is once you're setup at camp, you're stuck at camp.... I've been trying to decide if we wanted to migrate back to ground tent camping or explore a pop-up
( Not ready for that yet) or a trailer. I decided to keep my eyes open for a trailer and play with that. A mid 1950s Bantam T3-C trailer popped up on the local craigslist and I jumped on it. I'm still not sure if it's beyond my scope of desired "fixing-upping" but time will tell. I'm getting a quote to get it media blasted and have a few repairs done. As much as I'd like to go crazy and build the "ULTIMATE ARMY TRAILER!" I propably wont. I think I'll get it fixed up so it's road safe and worry-free, do a few small things, and then if the trailer life suits us, I'll prob sell this one and look into a CVT or Smittybilt trailer. More updates to come in this chapter.....Picking up the trailer:
After a quick wash-down and assessment (also test fitting Yakima towers for the RTT):
jwalk04Disco
Observer
This is a great thread, thx. I'm deciding between GX460, 200, 100 and LR3/LR4. I've done a fair amount of reading. Almost overloaded at this point, but you've done a great job with your GX. How has your friends Land Rover faired out when you're on the trails?
HitchCrack
Member
Do you have any pictures of how you attached the RTT to the pioneer platform? I normally have my RTT mounted to my trailer but thinking of doing a trip without the trailer and would love to move the tent to the rack on the 460. Also how does the truck handle with the weight and resistance up on the rack?
Thanks-- HitchCrack
Thanks-- HitchCrack