Not a Prado! Lexus GX470 custom build

Once again, the good old USA shows us not only how it is done but how hard it can be to modify four-wheel drives in Australia in order to keep on the right side of the law.

When was the last time you saw a J150 Prado fitted with 37-inch tyres driving the streets of Sydney? I’ll answer that for you, probably never. In America, where vehicle modification laws appear far more relaxed, this Lexus is the result of building what you want.

This Prado, sorry, Lexus GX470, is Chase’s first 4WD, and I don’t know many people who can say their first fourby was a V8-powered wagon on 37s. He decided to get into the game after messing around with a 2WD Toyota 4Runner, spending 15 years before that drifting his Nissan S13 which is still buried up the back of his garage.

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When asked about why he decided to build up a Lexus GX470, Chase said: “I wanted a reliable mid-size SUV for tight trails in Arizona, where I live, that was capable of getting me to some of the harder-to-reach spots in the south-west.

“All Lexus GX470s come with the extremely reliable 2UZ-FE V8 and are full-time 4WD with Torsen centre locking differential. Finding a fourth-gen 4Runner with the same powertrain and low miles was extremely hard to do at the time as most of them came with a V6. Also, Lexus tends to be cared for better and not abused as much,” Chase tells us.

“I wanted a reliable mid-size SUV for tight trails in Arizona, where I live, that was capable of getting me to some of the harder-to-reach spots in the south-west"

“I bought this one in absolute mint condition, with only 99,000 miles on the clock. I managed to buy the nicest one I could find.”

So, while it probably can’t be done legally in Australia, this is a damn good indicator that it can be done, and done well. Besides, it just looks cool. Let’s take a closer look at one of the most insane Lexus GX470s we’ve ever seen.

Suspension mods

A wild Lexus such as Chase’s is going to need some significant suspension modifications to fit the 37s, as well as make them work off-road. Chase has done the work himself too, which is quite an achievement. The vehicle has been lifted approximately three inches using a range of suspension components including Dobinson MRR/MRA long-travel shock absorbers from a Prado 150.

On the front end, Chase has selected Alpha Foxtrot Designs upper and lower control arms in long-travel configuration. These were chosen to offer a reasonable width off-road, whilst still allowing 11 to 12 inches of travel. The hub was also moved forward 1.5 inches in an attempt to get the tyre moved away from the factory body mount.

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Custom knuckles have been fitted, utilising one-inch Uniballs for the upper and lower ball joint. YotaMafia 12-inch limiting straps and DuroBumps bump stops round out the front-end suspension, other than the use of two-inch wider axles to reach the additional width provided by the long-travel kit installation.

At the rear, Chase installed a larger 8.2-inch axle from an FJ Cruiser with factory E-Locker (regeared to 4.88 with an ARB air locker in the front). It also runs Dobinson MRR/MRA shocks as well as a Dobinson adjustable Panhard bar.

As the Lexus originally rolled off the production line with airbag suspension, Chase ditched that to run coil springs using Dobinson long-travel progressive springs and a Southern Style OffRoad spring conversion kit, before adding DuroBumps bump stops to complete the package.

Fitting 37s

It may come as a surprise, but fitting 37s to a Lexus GX470 is a bit of a mission. However, there’s nothing that can’t be achieved with an angle grinder, a few talented mates and a positive attitude.

When asked about those monster 37x13.5R17 Toyo Open Country Mud Terrain tyres mounted on ALPHAequipt 17x10 bead-locked wheels, there’s no surprise this took a bit of work.

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“Fitting the 37-inch tyres was a bit of a challenge,” Chase admitted. “I clearanced a lot of the body pretty well in the driveway, but out on the trail I ended up having some issues with the rear plastic guards and front bumper that required some trail trimming.

“To fit 37s, both the front and rear wheel arches have been tubbed/modified to clear at full flex with no body lift. The bottom door trim was removed to clear sliders, and the front fenders are also fibreglass wide fenders from McQueen Fiberglass that integrate the Dobinson snorkel seamlessly into the fender and provide additional clearance for larger tyres.”

Bar work and protection

Providing protection to the front of Chase’s Lexus GX470 is a 4X4LABS bumper kit, which Chase assembled, welded and Raptor-Lined together himself at home. Once the Raptor had dried, he also bolted up a WARN Zeon 12-S winch for added peace of mind.

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Rock sliders were then fitted, which were supplied by RRW and are welded to the frame of the Lexus. At the rear of Chase’s vehicle, he decided to install a Coastal Off Road weld-together bumper, with a single swing-away arm Chase designed with 4X4LABS that not only swings out but also down.

Underneath Chase’s Lexus, you’ll spot ¼-inch-thick alloy skid plates from Rocksteady Motorsports, which Chase mentions are well-worn these days. There’s also a fuel-tank skid plate and rear differential protection from C4 Fabrication, which Chase mentions have been fabricated from 3/16-inch steel for extra beef.

12-volt set-up

To get this 12V party started, Chase has a total of five batteries in his Lexus – yes, you read that right. There are four 100Ah Battle Born heated lithium batteries in the back providing 400Ah of lithium grunt, as well as one 100Ah AGM battery for starting duties.

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Managing this massive amount of lithium power is a Victron 50A Bush Boost DC-DC charger, two smart shunts and a Victron 3000W inverter to power his induction cooktop. Topping up charge to this huge battery bank is a Sunflare 180W solar panel mounted on the AluCab roof tent, which is regulated via a Victron 150/70 Solar Charger.

If you thought having 400Ah of lithium batteries was serious, wait until you see the lighting system Chase has assembled. All forward-facing lights are from Baja Designs, as well as four rear-facing lights also from Baja Designs. If that’s not enough, Chase upgraded his headlights to custom retrofits from BXBuilt with upgraded projectors, RGB halos, RGB Demon Eyes and custom etching on all four projectors, which Chase says are his favourite Easter Egg on the Lexus.

Touring interior

One of the most dramatic changes, according to Chase, was the complete redesign of his interior touring set-up. The whole second-row seating and old third-row storage system were stripped from the Lexus, and the entire interior was gutted before sound deadening was painstakingly applied prior to the installation of the new storage system built by Aiden James Customs.

“We worked hand-in-hand with JETG Designs to develop a one-of-a-kind system that, as viewed from the back, has a main 40-inch deep drawer on the bottom right for tools and two 36-inch drawers right above it for cooking utensils and dry food,” Chase explained.

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“The left side has a hidden 75L fridge behind a drop-down 1800W dual-element induction cooktop. I believe this might be the first built-in SUV induction system in the USA. A lot of the house electronic wiring is also hidden back here, and just above is an extremely wide and 40-inch-deep drawer for other camping gear like chairs, a table, and other large flat items.

“The second-row seat was deleted to house the four 100Ah LiFePO4 batteries from BattleBorn Batteries, and all the Victron electronics mounted on a main electrical panel just above. There is also a 10-gallon water tank (roughly 38 litres for us Aussies), and room for clothes storage inside the second-row seat delete. All doors and drawers in the system also have automatic lighting, so you can easily access what you’re looking for at night.”

Talk about an incredibly functional and well-thought-out interior set-up.

Issues along the way

When building something as unique to this level, there are going to be challenges that present themselves along the build path.

“This has been a long-term process of progression over four years or so, and many broken parts and upgrades,” Chase tells us.

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“I’d say the biggest learning for me was how I wanted the interior set up. I had a relatively simple interior with a home-made platform in the third-row seating area that did me well for years. I learned what worked, what didn’t work, and what my ultimate set-up would be for the interior for me.

“I was fortunate enough to partner with Aiden James Customs and BattleBorn Batteries to make that all a reality in terms of a storage system designed to work well with the rear tailgate, and a power system large enough to support induction cooking and camera/device charging while out on longer trips.”

Special thanks

Chase tells us he could not have achieved this build without the help of all of his sponsors and supporters. Special thanks go to his good friend and business partner Hunter Constantine for spending long hours with Chase in the mad-dash to finish the rig’s latest updates before Overland Expo West.

Chase would also like to thank Aiden James Customs, BattleBorn Batteries, Toyo Tires, Baja Designs, Image Craft & MultiCam Vinyl, Long Range America, Kaon USA, Emuwing, Alpha Foxtrot Designs, ALPHAequipt, Midland USA, Barebones Living, Adventure Imports, Sunflare Xplor, Adam’s Polishes, WARN Winches, McQueen Fiberglass, DuroBumps, Ohana Rig Supply, Dobinsons USA, Factor 55, and Desert Does It.