Lifted Rx300 With Big Tires

[hewitttech]

I love seeing this thread continue. I still think about my lifted 00' RX every time I see one on the road because I had so much damn fun with it. One thing I would recommend for everyone using a spacer lift on a stock setup is to add bump stops to prevent bottoming the shock out. I damaged two sets of front shocks in a year on mine before I figured that one out. Or just be careful and don't hit stuff too hard but what fun is that...And also you definitely need the camber bolts. Mine was at the limit of adjustment with the lift I did.

Here is my current build just to have a picture in my post, 05 Gx470. It is way way more capable but it is heavy and I miss being able to really "rally" it like I was doing in the RX.

 

[Broc Luno]

I posted this over in Golden Wombats thread on best off-road ...

Off-roading an RX seems to be a polarizing subject among Lexus owners?  I made my living doing erosion and trail condition surveys for CA State Parks/OHMVR Div (the off-road side).  I have literally driven thousands of miles of trails in a stock Ford Ranger 4x4 Pick-up and my own personal 88 Big Bronco (both had Lo-range and Posi, no lifts).  The company truck ran street tires.  My Bronco ran BFG A/T's.  Very, very seldom got stuck.  But you gotta use your head ...

The reason I'm on the Lexus forum is that the old Bronco is long in the tooth (230K - original 5.0 engine and AOD tranny), and now that I'm old enough to draw SS and a pension, I am selling the Bronco, and will buy a 2008~9 RX 350. I really want the comfort of a luxury cross-over.  As far as I can tell, the RX will do just fine.

I have been doing a ton of research on what will actually work off road, and be very pleasant on the street?  So many cross-overs have this deficiency or that ...  I won't be doing any black diamond trails (toughest rating), or rock crawl events. But I will be going to the SoCal deserts to finish off a book my Mom started about WW-II training areas and such. That means routes more difficult than gravel/dirt roads.  It means sandy washes and scree slopes.  I know the routes, but I want to get there (photo locations) in comfort. It's a 1,400 mile round trip, before I go on the dirt.

Yes, I could buy a toy like a built CJ-5.  But I also want to travel and pull my boat (16' outboard) out of state.  So comfort is top of the list. Now seeing the crazy Russians in mud and snow, and yah-who kids with older RX's crawling Utah and blasting mud, I'm convinced that the RX is the best of both worlds.

The plan is to have two sets of wheels/tires.  A bit more rugged for known trips involving off road scenarios.  And a set for daily driving and on road trip taking.  So recommendations gladly accepted? 

I'm thinking factory 17x8 alloys and maybe +1 size for daily driver scenarios.  For off road trip set-up I need  more info/ideas/recommendations ??

I don't mind dropping a few $ on wheels, but I don't want something that will look out of place.  So maybe 17x8 alloys with some positive offset to move the tire outboard a bit, and a larger/fatter tire ??

Then I had another thought (duh) ...  Can you fit 16" rims to a 2009 RX 350 ??  Will they clear the brakes all the way around?  

The reason I asked is because that would give you more sidewall to play with w/o getting into the rear strut assembly.  I'm now thinking 16" aftermarket rims with 70 series tires for the off-road combo ...

 

[Broc Luno]

OK, more info.  Looked on RockAuto's web site and compared brake rotors between 3.5 Camry and RX 350.  11" rotor on Camry, 12.5" rotor on Lexus.  So 17" is minimum wheel size.  All 16"ers are out ...

Now, what's the biggest 17 tire that will fit stock suspension ???  And since my preferred vintage is 2009, the limiting factor is clearance around rear strut assembly.

But, we can play games with wheels to get a bit more positive off-set.  RAV4 wheels have 45mm off-set, so they move out a bit and can more easily handle a wider section tire.  Same hub center and lug bolt pattern. 

There are decent used steel wheels available for the RAV4 in 17" & 7" width that would be ideal for work on desert roads and trails where you have to worry about rocks cracking the bead of an alloy wheel.  They'll just bend a steel wheel slightly, but you'll keep your air and get home ...

So far, tire choice is:  Cordovan Wild Trail Touring Cuv - 235x65r17   $81 and free shipping on eBay.

"Excellent value, quality and performance for Crossovers, SUVs and Light Trucks. The Wild Trail Touring CUV provides a smooth, comfortable ride,all-season traction performance and superior durability " all packaged in a stylish design that promotes even wear, enhanced steering stability and handling responsiveness."

• Product Specifications
• Tire Size: 235x65R17
• Part#: CO-WTX82
• Serv Desc:108 H
• UTQG: 480AA
• Sidewall: BW
• Treadlife Warranty: miles
• Max Load: 2,205 lbs
• Inflation Pressure: 2,205 psi
• Tire Size: 10/32
• Tire Weight: 34 lbs
• Rim Width Range: 7"
• Sect. Width: 9"
• Overall Diameter: 29"

• Features & Benefits
• All-season, on-highway performance at an economical price
• Five-rib tread design for a quiet, comfortable ride
• Wide circumferential channel design delivers excellent wet-road performance
• Progressive size lineup covers many popular SUV, CUV and Minivan fitments

In the desert you want cheap strong tires.  Rocks are your worst enemy.  Goodyear Wranglers will last about a day ... These tires are only 1/2" taller than OEM and the added offset of the RAV4 wheel ought to make it clear the struts on the inside ...  Anyone try this combo ??

 

[Broc Luno]

OK, more info.  Apparently the Toyota Highlander was available in Russia in the same model years as the RX 350 with a Torsen posi-trac rear differential.  There are lots of used ones for sale on Russian dismantlers web sites.

The Toyota part number for a complete rear diff carrier assembly is 41110-21071.  If you enter this with the word Torsen you'll get a slug of images of the diff on display and for sale.

So what is the differential center section P/N from Toyota with the Torsen set-up ??

 

[Brickwall]

Well, the center diff is actually built into and is part of the transmission... The transfer case that you can see underneath is only a ring and pinion gear, the ring being splined onto the transmission output. So all of the power splitting is being done inside the transmission

[Broc Luno]

Thanks, but I was referring to the rear diff.  I want to install a Torsen center section in the rear diff 😈

[hewitttech]

You will likely not be able to find a part number unless you are browsing in that region. If you can get on a russian version of something like toyotapartsdeal and look at the parts breakdowns that would be the easiest. The US has the 'right to repair' laws which is why I can have a professional subscription to Toyota TIS and other Toyota in other regions may not have things like those breakdowns available. You might also be able to reach out to a business like partsouq and see if they can help source it for you. I buy the occasional new Toyota/Lexus part from them that are hard to find or more expensive than they should be in the US. The partsouq on Ebay ships from the UAE which I think is in the same Toyota region you are looking for. It couldn't hurt to reach out to them for help. Another option may be a limited slip out of an early 99-03' or whatever the last year was it was an option before they added electronic traction control and no longer offered the limited slip. I had one tracked down but $300 was more than I was willing to spend on it.

[Broc Luno]

Thanks for the tips.  I will reach out.  I have an inquiry to Australia to see if the option was available there. 

If the guts of the 99~00 diff will fit the Gen II carrier, I might go that route ?  I don't mind building a diff on the bench from a salvage carrier assembly, then swapping when it's in for service ...

I don't know anyone who speaks/reads Russian to help find the parts and arrange the shipping.  I might look around at the JC or somewhere for a Russian language person ...

I'll check out PartsouQ and see if they can help 🙂

[Broc Luno]

As far as tires go on stock rims, I'm thinking 235/R65x17 which are 29" tall (0.5 over stock), or 255/R60x17 which are also 29" tall, but have almost a full inch more thread width 😄

I've been thinking wheels all wrong.  Double checked "positive offset" and that moves the wheel hub out away from the the rim center line.  Backwards of what we want to get tire clearance. We want the rim to move out away from the hub and suspension.  So we need to reduce positive offset ...

So now thinking wheels with maybe 25mm positive offset to move the rim out w/o spacers ... 

Or stock wheels (35mm positive offset) and 1" spacers so you end up at 10mm positive overall 🙂

[Broc Luno]

OK, more Posi Diff info (from a Rav4 forum):

This is what I found on toyodiy:

41110 carrier assy, differential, rear
41110-42011 final gear ratio=41:14=2.928 (open) 1 € 2,110.35
41110-42031 final gear ratio=41:14=2.928, w(lsd) 1 € 3,461.99

41309a shaft sub-assy, rear differential side gear
41309-32020 2 € 120.94
41309-42010 w(lsd) 2 € 178.48

41334d ring, shaft snap (for rear differential side gear shaft)
90520-22012 2 € 2.37
90521-28004 w(lsd) 2 € 0.99

As far as I can see, these three parts are the only ones that differ between the open differential and the LSD. The pictures posted by toyodiy don't show any visual difference.  On another forum, one member claimed that recently (2010, February) he was quoted by Toyota "only" 2500 pounds in order to have an LSD fitted.

So I went over to Concelli Toyota parts and looked it up:

• SKU: 41110-42031   (But listed as discontinued)
• Other Names: Carrier, Carrier Assembly Differ
• Description:4 wheel drive, with limited slip. 4wd, with limited slip. RAV4. From 4/96.
• Replaces: 41110-42030  (But listed as discontinued)

Not conclusive, but RX's use the 41110 Carrier Assembly too ...

So I jumped over to Highlander first year (USA 2001) and started to look at rear diffs. Came up with this:

• SKU: 41301-48020
• Other Names: Case Sub-Assembly Diffe
• Description:HIGHLANDER; W/LIMITED SLIP

Which confirms the Unicorn part numbers - Yeah It's also still available as a Toyota part in the system. This is the Torsen center section that Toyota calls the differential vs the whole rear carrier which we might typically call the differential in used parts speak.

But as shown in the RAV4 comments above - it does require side gears (spider gears) and snap rings. But I think it can still be built with OEM parts - yeah !!

[Luke4Peace]

On 1/20/2019 at 6:15 PM, mnewxcv said:

I'm not a frequent poster here but I do get email notifications of this thread so I'm checking back. I painted my wheels a few weeks ago. Tires are Cooper AT3 4S 235/65/17

 

Love this thread.. I have a 2008 RX350 and looking to put the same Cooper AT3 4S 235/65/17 tires on without adding a lift or spacers. How has this setup worked out for you? 

[Eddy23]

Did this to my 99 Lexus been eyeing this forum for a while I was about to do the spring spacer but ehh I went with the strut spacers from Russia. I chose to go  with after market wheels did the 0 offset just so I wouldn’t rub. My tires specs are 235/70r16 Bfg km3’s. My wheels are methods 16/8.5 replaced the front control arms tie rods and sway bar end links in the process and all the the struts are new too. 

[Dafo]

That’s a great look! And the tires look big for their size. Mine are 235 at’s and don’t look so beefy at all. 
 

Which Russian spacers did you go with? 20, 30 or 40 mm?

[T Money]

On 5/17/2020 at 10:59 PM, Eddy23 said:

Did this to my 99 Lexus been eyeing this forum for a while I was about to do the spring spacer but ehh I went with the strut spacers from Russia. I chose to go  with after market wheels did the 0 offset just so I wouldn’t rub. My tires specs are 235/70r16 Bfg km3’s. My wheels are methods 16/8.5 replaced the front control arms tie rods and sway bar end links in the process and all the the struts are new too. 

I am looking to get wheels on my 07 rx, would that wheel size fit on mine stock? You said that u have new struts and control arm stuff. 

[RX for Fun]

Has anyone tried taller tires without the spacers?  235/75/16s are what I ended up with.  Guess I could just mount them up and see what happens.  Only .89” larger in diameter than stock and it seems like the rear strut has about 1” clearance in the stock configuration.

[Dafo]

I am running new cooper discoverer 235/70/16 which are 28.82” tall if one trusts the factory specs. They have just about 5/8” clearance in the rear (on original struts). So it might be close but you‘d have 1/2” to work with at the strut, which means up to 1” taller tire before you hit it.
 

Most AT 235/75s seem around 29.7” tall which means .9” taller total than the 235/70s, and .45” taller at the strut. So by that logic it should fit but barely. But there’s only one way to find out. Please let us know!

Edited July 11, 2020 by Dafo
Had the 235/75 tire average height wrong

[Broc Luno]

Well, just a  short update:  After ordering and cancelling or returning, or just dumping in the recycle bin (after getting refund) on three eBay "Torsen Posi's" sold as used, I finally got a real one.  Came out of a Highlander with 119K miles in Oregon.  So they are out there 🙂

Had back and forth's with the vendors.  Most won't even take the time to pop the rear cover and actually check ...  They insist they are factory Torsens.  But when they get here, they are not.  Sent letter to Toyota asking about using VIN or Build Plate to ID candidate cars, no dice - they would not supply any info (not good customer support).  I really don't get the secrecy around this stuff ??

Car's at Vasser Toyota in Napa getting other service work (door locks, blend door failure, etc) and they are putting new seals into my Torsen and installing.  Will report on drive-ability issues if any come up ...

[Dafo]

11 hours ago, Broc Luno said:

Well, just a  short update:  After ordering and cancelling or returning, or just dumping in the recycle bin (after getting refund) on three eBay "Torsen Posi's" sold as used, I finally got a real one.  Came out of a Highlander with 119K miles in Oregon.  So they are out there 🙂

Had back and forth's with the vendors.  Most won't even take the time to pop the rear cover and actually check ...  They insist they are factory Torsens.  But when they get here, they are not.  Sent letter to Toyota asking about using VIN or Build Plate to ID candidate cars, no dice - they would not supply any info (not good customer support).  I really don't get the secrecy around this stuff ??

Just fyi, you could go to https://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/resources/vehicle-specs and put in a VIN number. Then click the "Download full specs" button under the vehicle image. On page 2 of the downloaded document it should say `LD Rear Limited Slip Diferential (LSD) Factory` if it has it. That's where I verified that I have one, although I haven't been able to test out if it's functional after 200k miles on mine.

[Broc Luno]

That works fine if you have a Lexus VIN.  In general, Toyota VIN's are a bit harder to decode.  And not all Wreckers will supply the VIN until after you buy the part ...  Since Lexus stopped offering Torsen Posi's after 2001 or so in the USA, you'd be searching on old vehicles, usually with a lot of miles.

But, Toyota offere3d the same rear diff in Highlanders and Rav 4's.  So getting a later model rear diff with less miles out of one of these is more likely.  But, in doing so you end up where I was with bogus and misleading parts sales and the hassel of sorting it all out.

Of course, if you are really fixated on this and have the cash, you can still buy a Torsen center section from Toyota for your existing re4ar diff at about $2,400 and then the cost of installation.  That's why I went the used route ...

[hewitttech]

Just so there is no confusion, this is just simply a limited slip (LS) differential, it is not a Torsen, it is not a Posi-trac and there is no such thing as a torsen posi. You can generically call it a posi but Pos-Trac is/was GM's name for their limited slip units, its like calling a bandage a Band-aid regardless of the brand. The problem with almost every limited slip is the clutches only have a certain amount of service life. I would not expect a 200k mile limited slip to really be any good without replacing the clutches but maybe you get a good one. 

Torsen is a completely different type of unit that uses extra helical side gears to balance power and it is a much better option. You find the torsen as center differentials in the higher end Toyota/Lexus 4WD vehicles, and not typically as front or rear differentials unless you are talking higher end performance cars. To me, the center diff (called a transfer case on the RX) is the biggest limiting factor for off-roading the early AWD without VSC. It is a 75/25 front to rear wheel power split and without a way to lock it or stop a wheel from spinning you are still completely limited by the traction of the other wheels. If you loose traction in the front like getting stuck in a muddy ditch, your limited slip in the rear really doesn't matter much because you are not going to get power worth a flip to the rear wheels. I had a LS rear tracked down for mine for $300 and decided it was not worth doing especially considering I would still probably have to replace the clutches. The best solution without changing vehicles or doing a full power/drivetrain swap was to pull the VSC out of an 02-03 to put in my 00'. It would be much easier to get an AWD with VSC though and build that. I still love the idea of a 2.7L Tacoma 4x4 power/drivetrain swapped in with a turbo....

I was running 2" wheel spacers and those give you much more clearance at the spring perches. The major problem is the AWD already couldn't turn fro crap and the spacers made it even worse. But they do let you fit bigger tires, especially like the BFG K02 that have those big side lugz. Keep up the good work though I really love seeing what people are still doing to have fun with these! If you get your rear limited slip in I am curious to know how it does so keep us posted.

 

On 2/9/2020 at 2:38 PM, Broc Luno said:

 

 

[Broc Luno]

Just to be clear on my terminology:  Center section means the guts of a differential (carrier & internals), and in my posts, does not refer to the transfer case. I do mean to be introducing the transfer case into this discussion in any way.

The used diff example I'm dealing with is not simply a Posi, this is a Torsen center section with spiral gears and no clutches.

I am new to Toyota and Lexus and their terminology.  I use phrases and terms I have used all my life, all the way back to NASCAR in the late 1960's (Super Modifieds). 

I am an experienced off roader who got paid for years to do off-road trail condition surveys, erosion assessments, etc.

I am not an expert in Lexus or Toyota parts naming conventions.  But among the off road community outside of Toyota the terms I use are fairly commonly used ...

 

[Kingkaithethird]

Hello All

I registered an account on this forum just so I can post here. 

I have a 2013 RX 350 AWD. 17'' steel rims, 235/70/17. Yokohama Geolander 015. No rubbing, no lift. Acceleration is a bit slower, but on the plus side, the larger tires seem to have alleviated the jumpiness of the car a little. My goal is overlanding. I love the idea of a go anywhere camp anywhere vehicle. See photos. 

I am here with a question. I think Brickwell mentioned using toyota highlander struts, among other parts, gave his RX a little bit of lift. I was wondering if same can be accomplished for the 2013 RX. I'm under the impression that either the highlander suspension set up is taller and stiffer, or that the King springs provides most of the stiffness while the highlander strut give it a slight lift. Point is, if the highlander parts work on the RX to give it a mild lift, then I will not use spacers.

I'm kinda of caught in a conflict. On the one hand, I want to give the RX a bit more clearance to make it more capable. Of course, no rock crawling, but that's not my goal (weekend warrior and proof of concept is more align w my goals). On the other hand, I want to keep the CV joints in the proper angle and not having to deal w camber and etc. You see, since this is an overland/offload vehicle, I want to keep all the parts in the position they were designed for to maximize their strength and minimize chances of damage. This means I should leave the ride high alone. 

I am trying to also trying to keep this build as affordable as possible, thus i have elected to use my maxtrax as a makeshift crossbar/roof platform than going in on the thule setups. Keeping things affordable is also a reason why I want to use toyota parts instead of going for coil overs. I emailed the ebay seller that was linked in one of the posts here about king springs. Unfortunately, the do not make springs for the 2013 model year. 

TBH, I care less about actually doing it, but care more about constructive conversation. Anything you want to throw at me is fine. My mind is made up about what I want to do in this car, so not like you telling I'm being stupid is going to stop me. Having said that, I do enjoy constructive criticism and if you can throw a specific part at me that works, even better. 

Lastly, Brickwell and Hewittech. You guys are freaking awesome. Brickwell, I saw your steel bumper, that's some fine work. Hewittech, that new GX is looking fine, can't wait to see what else you will do to it/with it.

Lets keep this thread alive and venture on1 

[JMW256]

Hi Everyone, I have been watching this forum for over  a year and am impressed with all of the cool lifted RXs. Last year I bought a 2004 RX330 with intentions of lifting it. I purchased the Russian spacers but was not impressed. I tripped on a amazing lift from Norhwoodsperformance.com. It is a 1.5 inch lift with bolt on spacers that  already account for the  camber adjustment. It is not necessary to take apart the strut assembly to install. All that is needed is to remove the strut assembly and bolt the spacers on top. After the install I had an alignment done and needed minimal adjustments. No camber bolts. I am running 245  65 17 Yokohama AT tires. The Moto Metal wheels have 5.5 inches of backspacing. Ideally 5 inches of backspace would be perfect. Yes they are very close in the back but they don't rub. I looked into the 08 to 13 rear highlander strut swap but decided not to go that route .  With my lift and the increase in tire diameter I got a sold 2 inches of lift. That's over 9.5 inches of clearance.  The RX is solid. It rides very good and corners well.  Yea off road it is does surprisingly well. I am currently working on a front skid plate and LED lights. If anyone would like me to post more details on installing the lift I have lots of pictures.

[JMW256]

So here are some pictures of the lift install. The first 2 pictures are the rear spacers and the second 2 pictures are the front. Also the front anti sway bar links need to be changed out to shorter ones.

[hewitttech]

Love seeing the new additions to the crowd, keep em coming, they are looking great! I especially like seeing this on the 330's and 350's now. The strut spacers would for sure be the way to go to keep the cost down and make it simple, especially if they already adjust for the camber difference that is awesome. If you can get a link posted up for those spacers so everyone else can look into them if they wanted to.
I don't want to turn this into a GX thread so I won't go into the build details but suffice to say... the GX has become a monster. It ate everything I had into my RX and was still hungry. I can't sling it around like it did the RX (which was most of the fun) but it will go places most people wouldn't even consider with a normal 4x4.