KC Masterpiece
Hard Core 4+
- Joined
- May 4, 2019
- Messages
- 2,231
Last weekend we drove down to Denver to trade in our 2018 Tundra on a LX570.
We have been discussing moving on from the 80 for the past year. Many of you may have seen my other thread on the topic and thank you for helping me work through the thought process. We have had the 80 for 8 years and it has been a fantastic adventure vehicle for us. On top of that it was also my favorite vehicle to build. Anyone here who has been behind the wheel of a properly setup 80 knows how fantastic they are on the trail, but even with the right gearing a 1fz with 35s and a lift does not create the most family friendly highway vehicle. It has also been quite a few years since I actually have wheeled the 80 anywhere close to its potential. Our 4x4 use has shifted from dedicated trail days towards adventure camping. We still want a capable go almost anywhere vehicle but came to the conclusion that the 200 platform would be far superior for our current use case. Maybe I will get back into an 80 one day, but its overkill for the next few years.
I was torn between the 200 and LX. We owned a LX470 that we traded in on the Tundra. It did a few adventure trips and I was impressed with what the platform could do, and of course the 2UZ was a fantastic engine. That was also my first experience with an AHC equipped vehicle. I was skeptical until a backpacking trip out in Dark canyon when we did a car drop with the 470. I did a 10 mile run on our last day to close the loop and retrieve the LX. On the way back I was going 100mph on the 4wd road and was blown away with how smooth the ACH system was. Knowing the 570 system made massive improvements, I was always intrigued.
We decided to go the LX route instead of a 200 based on the cost of entry and build cost savings with the ACH system. I still expect there will be some suspension improvements as part of this build, but the ACH system is perfect for our use case. I spent many late nights on MUD reading up on ACH builds to convince myself that the system is robust, and likely better than any aftermarket offering in the ways we need. Being able to lower the vehicle for loading cargo and dogs is huge, and we get to maintain a more handling friendly height while on the road. After test driving both 200s and 570s I was very impressed with how the 570s handled. We were looking for a truck with good maintenance history and around 100k on the clock. On average I was seeing a $10 to $15k difference just to buy the LC badge. If I want to show off the LC badge I have the 60. For a family adventure vehicle the Lexus is downright nicer in every way. The interior quality on the post facelift trucks is fantastic and I expect it will hold up just as well as the LC variant. Time will tell. Keeping the AHC also saves us 5k on build cost compared to a basic BP1 suspension setup, and better handling on road.
A 2017 LX570 with the luxury package showed up on CarGurus last week and we were originally drawn to it due to the color. The starfire pearl looks great, and white has the tendency to always look good. Every while vehicle I have owned cleans up fantastic and hides swirls and pinstripes well. Paint on this truck is 8/10 but looks 10/10 unless you get up really close. It has the cabernet interior which I was worried would be too flash, but looks fantastic in person. Its already a Lexus, so why not! What ultimately sold us on this was the maintenance history and undercarriage condition. This was a Texas truck its entire life and received service at the Lexus dealership every 5k for its entire life. By the book service, including the 60k ACH fluid change. 2017 with 96,484.
The tires are down to the wear bar and will be replaced ASAP. 20" wheels will be going at the same time. Currently looking at a 295/70/18 or 285/70/18 depending on brand and fitment. A 33" on the larger side feels like it will be perfect for this build. I have been very inspired by this rig https://expeditionportal.com/classifieds-lexus-lx-570/ and our build will have lots of similarities.
Build Plans
The "goal" of this build will be to do everything right the first time. Slow and steady. Adding only what we need for function, and keeping the truck closer to OEM for reliability. Aftermarket parts are great, but I have learned that builds that remain closer to stock are more reliable and less maintenance heavy.
- Retain ACH system. May make small adjustments to increase load capacity and travel but the system itself will stay.
- 33" AT tires on 18s
- Slider steps with ACH globe protection
- Belly armor TBD
- Front ARB with hoops (I just love the look on the LX)
- Slee or Dissent rear swingout.
- Roof rack TBD
- No drawers, cargo area will remain open for dogs.
- Rear seat delete
- Rear screen delete
- onboard air
- cargo safety barrier
We are still looking for a new daily for Amber. After seeing and driving the LX she now wants a matching GX460!
Here we go! Excited to get into this new platform.
We have been discussing moving on from the 80 for the past year. Many of you may have seen my other thread on the topic and thank you for helping me work through the thought process. We have had the 80 for 8 years and it has been a fantastic adventure vehicle for us. On top of that it was also my favorite vehicle to build. Anyone here who has been behind the wheel of a properly setup 80 knows how fantastic they are on the trail, but even with the right gearing a 1fz with 35s and a lift does not create the most family friendly highway vehicle. It has also been quite a few years since I actually have wheeled the 80 anywhere close to its potential. Our 4x4 use has shifted from dedicated trail days towards adventure camping. We still want a capable go almost anywhere vehicle but came to the conclusion that the 200 platform would be far superior for our current use case. Maybe I will get back into an 80 one day, but its overkill for the next few years.
I was torn between the 200 and LX. We owned a LX470 that we traded in on the Tundra. It did a few adventure trips and I was impressed with what the platform could do, and of course the 2UZ was a fantastic engine. That was also my first experience with an AHC equipped vehicle. I was skeptical until a backpacking trip out in Dark canyon when we did a car drop with the 470. I did a 10 mile run on our last day to close the loop and retrieve the LX. On the way back I was going 100mph on the 4wd road and was blown away with how smooth the ACH system was. Knowing the 570 system made massive improvements, I was always intrigued.
We decided to go the LX route instead of a 200 based on the cost of entry and build cost savings with the ACH system. I still expect there will be some suspension improvements as part of this build, but the ACH system is perfect for our use case. I spent many late nights on MUD reading up on ACH builds to convince myself that the system is robust, and likely better than any aftermarket offering in the ways we need. Being able to lower the vehicle for loading cargo and dogs is huge, and we get to maintain a more handling friendly height while on the road. After test driving both 200s and 570s I was very impressed with how the 570s handled. We were looking for a truck with good maintenance history and around 100k on the clock. On average I was seeing a $10 to $15k difference just to buy the LC badge. If I want to show off the LC badge I have the 60. For a family adventure vehicle the Lexus is downright nicer in every way. The interior quality on the post facelift trucks is fantastic and I expect it will hold up just as well as the LC variant. Time will tell. Keeping the AHC also saves us 5k on build cost compared to a basic BP1 suspension setup, and better handling on road.
A 2017 LX570 with the luxury package showed up on CarGurus last week and we were originally drawn to it due to the color. The starfire pearl looks great, and white has the tendency to always look good. Every while vehicle I have owned cleans up fantastic and hides swirls and pinstripes well. Paint on this truck is 8/10 but looks 10/10 unless you get up really close. It has the cabernet interior which I was worried would be too flash, but looks fantastic in person. Its already a Lexus, so why not! What ultimately sold us on this was the maintenance history and undercarriage condition. This was a Texas truck its entire life and received service at the Lexus dealership every 5k for its entire life. By the book service, including the 60k ACH fluid change. 2017 with 96,484.
The tires are down to the wear bar and will be replaced ASAP. 20" wheels will be going at the same time. Currently looking at a 295/70/18 or 285/70/18 depending on brand and fitment. A 33" on the larger side feels like it will be perfect for this build. I have been very inspired by this rig https://expeditionportal.com/classifieds-lexus-lx-570/ and our build will have lots of similarities.
Build Plans
The "goal" of this build will be to do everything right the first time. Slow and steady. Adding only what we need for function, and keeping the truck closer to OEM for reliability. Aftermarket parts are great, but I have learned that builds that remain closer to stock are more reliable and less maintenance heavy.
- Retain ACH system. May make small adjustments to increase load capacity and travel but the system itself will stay.
- 33" AT tires on 18s
- Slider steps with ACH globe protection
- Belly armor TBD
- Front ARB with hoops (I just love the look on the LX)
- Slee or Dissent rear swingout.
- Roof rack TBD
- No drawers, cargo area will remain open for dogs.
- Rear seat delete
- Rear screen delete
- onboard air
- cargo safety barrier
We are still looking for a new daily for Amber. After seeing and driving the LX she now wants a matching GX460!
Here we go! Excited to get into this new platform.
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