ben7

Hi everyone,

I’ve posted on here before as I was looking to purchase a Lexus GX 460, so after much searching and researching my family and I are blessed to be owners of a 2017 Lexus GX 460 Premium with just over 29K miles!

I come from a sports car world and am new to the off-road world (my other car is a modified 2020 Subaru WRX STi), so I really love the “raw feel” of a vehicle.

The STi is one of the last analog sports cars available and I wanted the same rough, analog, and reliable (old-school body on frame) vehicle for an SUV, and since this shares the bones of the Toyota Landcruiser Prado, it has serious 4WD chops but can take my family places in comfort, so I consider this the “STi equivalent” of the off-road world.

Initially I was looking for a white exterior color, but I couldn’t find a good condition one and I really wanted the tan (Ecru I think it’s called) leather (it really lights up the interior) so when this black GX 460 showed up at a really good price, I jumped on it and totally love the car!

The GX 460 is great, I love that old school V8 and it drives smooth!

The previous owner had painted or powder coated the stock rims black which I thought I wouldn’t like at first, but I’m really loving it the more I look at it. It goes with the car.

My plans for it are the following (in order of importance):

1. Grom VLine unit for Apple CarPlay (The GPS that comes with the car is quite old)
2. Two detachable headrest DVD screens for the kids
3. Crawl control and MTS install
4. 3” lift (with upper control arms) and 285 wide BFG KO2 all-terrain tires
5. 17” method wheels (or should I go with 18”wheels?)
6. Rock sliders
7. Red tail lights from the sport model (I don’t like the clear tail lights currently on the vehicle)

I’m basically looking to take my family on trips and have it the GX 460 be well behaved and comfortable on the highway but able to go off road without any problem.

Some questions I have are:

1. Can anyone recommend a good install shop in Southern California to install the Grom VLine unit as well as the crawl control/ MTS units with the calibration? Can this be done at a Lexus dealership?
2. For the 3” lift, I’ve been quoted $4K (parts and labor) at a shop for the OME BP 51 kit with Bilstein shocks with KO2’s and method 17” wheels to around $7K for the same tires and wheels but with a King lift kit with reservoirs. I’m new when it comes to the off-road world, so do I need the King’s kit or is the OME and Bilsteins with upper control arms good enough for what I need, which is some sand duning and off road trails in the mountains? Can you recommend a good shop to do this work in Southern California?
3. After the lift kit and tires are installed, how long should I drive with it until I do an alignment?
4. When I tested 4 Lo, the throttle is almost sluggish and it feels very lazy to shift and drags out a gear. I assume this is normal since 4 Lo would be used at low speeds on a serious off road condition, correct?

I’m excited to upgrade my Lexus GX 460 so I would really appreciate your help in ironing out some of these questions.

Thanks!

sjz

1. When I tested 4 Lo, the throttle is almost sluggish and it feels very lazy to shift and drags out a gear. I assume this is normal since 4 Lo would be used at low speeds on a serious off road condition, correct?

When you're in 4Lo you shouldn't really be changing gears anyway. Its for extremely slow crawling, not for driving around. If you're just on the beach or a dirt trail you shouldn't be using 4Lo. I'd recommend doing some youtube research on 4Lo usage to avoid burning out .. everything. - seems like a decent place to start (get past the first minute or so.)

nuclearn8

First off congrats. Looks like you found a great lightly used GX!
I can't recommend any shops in Cali, but maybe a few other suggestions for your consideration

I'd shy aware from a reservoir style lift kit such as OME-BP51's... they are overkill for the use you describe and highly maintenance intensive with regards to rebuilds every several years. I Would get the alignment done as soon after the lift as possible.
With 17" wheels you'll have a lot more tire options so that is a wise choice.... rather than methods I'd recommend considering the EvoCorse dakar wheels: https://www.mainlineoverland.com/col...ner-gx460-et-0
I would recommend ipads and the toyota headrest clamps, more functionality in and out of vehicle for same price if not better, plus can be removed to prevent theft when vehicle is parked.
Your 4Lo sounds like it's operating correctly

JRT3

Congrats. Nice complimentary ride to the STI.

ben7

Thanks for the YouTube link. Also I just checked my 4Lo at the dealership and they said it’s working well.

ben7

Thanks, I just found a good shop thats close to my house that will do the suspension/wheels/tires installs for a fair price.

With that said, I think I might keep the suspension stock for a few more months as the dealership has put brand new Goodyear Wrangler tires and I really like the black wheels, so I’ll probably do my suspension/wheels/tires upgrade in the summer.

I was actually thinking of doing a Kings full kit because I’ve been hearing that they are the best in the off-road suspension business which provides both comfortable road trip on-pavement rides as well as durable off-road adventures.

It’s pricey, but it’s a once and done thing till I have to rebuild the shocks.

Which suspension setup do you suggest?

ben7

Thanks, yeah it’s the best of both worlds...on-road performance (STi) and off-road performance (GX 460).

nuclearn8

Hard to beat the reliability and durability of a basic OME or Ironman lift
https://www.metaltech4x4.com/ome-201...it-2-5-3-lift/
https://ironman4x4america.com/foam-c...gx460-stage-1/

also likely the best bang for the buck and most reliable ball joint UCA's are JBA if you need those...
https://jbaoffroad.com/jba-a-arms/lexus-gx460-uca.html

to each their own.... I just feel strongly unless you're doing high speed desert racing, the reservoir shocks are overkill for road and general off roading, but it's your money sir.
Looking forward to seeing what you decide!

ben7

Thanks for the links.

ben7

Since these all season Goodyear Wrangler 265 tires are brand new, I feel bad about replacing them so early with the 285 sized all terrain BFG KO2’s.

Even if I do the suspension and wheels/tires upgrade this summer, these tires will have about 2,000 miles on them.

I will probably end up selling them but I haven’t decided if I will sell the 18” painted black stock wheels to replace them with the 17” bronze method wheels as these stock wheels are really growing on me! lol

tecman

I typically don't like black wheels but looking at your pictures I think they look good. Most people go with flat or a satin finish so the gloss finish looks nice on your black truck

ben7

Thanks, I’m really liking the black wheels as well.

BigSvensk

Agreed, never saw the point of remote reservoir shocks for the stuff most of us do here.

ben7

Just thought I’d put some quick thoughts in as a new owner after driving it for just over a week.

It drives solid, really comfortable, I don’t feel any bumps in the road. I did some highway trips and my wife and kids love the comfort and room compared to our old Honda Pilot, so I’m really impressed with the ride quality.

The driving dynamics are just about what I expected:

- Steering feel is quite numb (coming from my STi’s hydraulic steering setup where you feel every thing on the road).
- Handling is subpar and I take corners easy, however not as bad as I originally expected and taking corners are not as scary as I thought it would be in a tall SUV (I’m assuming the KDSS is at work here). I also figure that handling will get worse once I put a lift kit on it with bigger tires.
- Acceleration is snappy off the line (I love that V8 roar!), however I noticed that it likes to shift more quickly and always keep the transmission at a higher gear (possible to save fuel). It’s also quite lazy when I put my foot down on the gas pedal and it doesn’t drop gears unless I’m really putting my foot down. I mean slapping the gear shift to manual mode would solve it, but I usually like to keep the automatic transmission in drive and let the computer do its job. Does anyone with the “Luxury” trim in sport mode have a better time with automatic gear changes?
- The sound is great. The stock exhaust works well for the GX 460. It roars when I start it which I love, and has a nice “throaty” sound when on the throttle, but quiet when cruising.

I haven’t taken it off-road yet but I hope to do an in-depth review on my YouTube channel as soon as I get a chance and maybe do a video off-road review once I put a lift kit on it with bigger tires.

It has a very analog and mechanical feel as well and the luxury aspect of the car doesn’t remove that raw driving experience which I really appreciate in an automobile.

Overall, I love how my GX 460 drives and the fact that it’s a big body on frame SUV. I get to sit higher up and have a great view of the road, its reliable, it’s super comfortable on road and I’m sure it’s extremely capable off-road (which I would like to
test soon on an off-road trail).

Its truly a unicorn in a field of watered-down, bland crossovers. I love cars that have an analog feel as I just stated above, and like my STi gives me that same enjoyment for on-road performance, this will give me that same enjoyment off-road but with the added benefit of going on long road-trips with my family in luxury.

situman

Hehe your roads must be made of marshmallows.