kroorda

Hi Matt, My GX is also a Premium. Likewise, that prevents both you and me from doing mods (particularly lifts) that would otherwise be available to non-premium GX's. I non-premium GX is much like a Toyota Prado or 4Runner, so lifting it can be done without much effort and cost. HOWEVER...if you would like to lift your Premium, you also need to lift (insert spacers) under your airbags so that the lift on the airbags is exactly the same (distance) as the lift on the suspension. Likewise, you will need to be creative and create your own airbag spacers. As far as I know (and I've looked hard), no one makes such a spacer. Additionally, such a spacer (under the airbags) is an absolute must. Otherwise, not only will your airbags, adjustable height, and adjustable ride control NOT work correctly, but your vehicle computer will also be very grumpy about what you've done, and will drive you nuts.
I am in the mountains of Colorado and use my GX a lot off-road. I wanted the 'nice ride' of the Lexus as well as the capability of a 4Runner. Looking back, I (and you) should not have gotten a 'Premium' GX.

motolex722

iTrader: (4)

This past summer I took my 2010 GX out to Rausch Creek, an off-road park up in PA and hit some pretty tough trails and it took it all in stride. If I had an extra inch or two of ground clearance it would have been smooth sailing over all the rocks but this thing is no joke capable. Played with all the fun off-road goodies the GX has and I was like a little kid in a candy shop. The only casualty was a few scrapes, dinged up front skid plate and a blown out tire but a few upgrades over the winter should help with all that.

Looking to upgrade tires to BFG KO2, 285/60/18 (31.5" Tire) or 275/65/18 (32" Tire) & an Old Man Emu Lift Kit. Here's some pics from my little off-road adventure. PS, the dogs did not enjoy being tossed around haha.

tecman

Thanks for the pics motolex722 nice to see someone willing to test the GX abilities and get some scars on the way.

Give the puppies a treat

2506ackley

I saw a gx470 last week that had been lifted 3 inches, had mud tires, and a winch. It looked good.

i have no doubt they would make a good hunting truck.

kroorda

Motolex,
Sounds like a great drive. It's good to see people who are actually using the capabilities of their GX. Before you lift your GX, do remember... If you have a Premium model, a lift is not a simple thing and should probably be avoided - unless your airbags are lifted equally and simultaneously. However, if you have a standard model, yes, go for the lift. You might also look at Michelin LTX tires. They are amongst everyone's favorites and are supurb both on and off-road.

bd5400

It's not a premium so no worries about the air suspension. You can tell from the window trim.

motolex722

iTrader: (4)

No air bags here. Cool feature when the trucks new, but no fun when they break. I stay away from the bags at all cost. Michelin LTX are definitely nice but looking for a more aggressive look. Thanks for the feedback!

stilespend

If you have a premium with the rear airbag suspension and want to lift, MetalTech 4x4 offers a rear coil conversion that fits the GX460. The 1st Gen GX's are becoming pretty popular off road vehicles and in time the 2nd Gens will be just as popular. I just got rock sliders custom built by MetalTech installed so that I can really start to test the limits of the truck. All GX460's come standard with KDSS, which is a system, but will limit the size of the lift you can install to 3". Anything over that you'd have to forgo the KDSS system.

For those of you on FB and wheel your GX like a boss, check out GXOR (https://www.facebook.com/groups/LexusGXOR/). We have a nice group of 800+ members that are dedicated to the GX platform (120/150 series). Ton's of information by some really knowledgeable people on there.

Suspension:
Front - Bilstein 5100's set on second notch (0.85" lift) with stock coils
Rear - OME 10mm Spacer
Tires - 275/70r18 KO2's

Armor:
First set ever of Metal Tech's OPOR rock sliders for GX460

ksu1998

iTrader: (1)

I have Toyo open country at and i have have been though some mud road to go fishing. Was going to lift a little bit have a Tacoma to build up now

ksu1998

iTrader: (1)

Perfect setup here ^^^ IMO

daman7676

iTrader: (1)

Just curious, what size tire are you running? Looks great!

Twelve1

Metaltech4X4 makes great products

stilespend

I ended up ordering Ironman 4x4 Foam Cell Pro's (full coilover up front with new rear springs/shocks) as well as a pair of Total Chaos upper control arms. Install was last weekend and I absolutely love the setup! Install was actually pretty simple, but I was worn out after the install that I haven't taken any good pictures yet. Here are some teaser pictures.

bbqsoup

Beautiful truck! How much lift did you get from this setup? How does the CV joint look? I used to have Warn manual hubs on my last truck with lift and they saved many CV boots.
Looks really nice with the slides on

stilespend

Thanks BBQSOUP! I ended up with about 2 inches of total lift, but didn't do any precise measuring before and after especially since I had Bilstein 5100's on the front before hand. I do expect the springs to settle a little over time, but that can be easily fixed with a spanner wrench. The CV joints angles look good many guys run this exact set up on their GX470 and haven't had a single issue aside from normal wear and tear.