The GX470 is a Land Cruiser Prado under the leather, and most are still on factory struts that float over every dip and dive on every stop. These Bilstein 6112s replace that strut with a 2.6-inch monotube body and a 60mm digressive piston, far more oil and control than what came off, and lift the front 0.6" to 3.2" for a level stance and bigger tires.

We take it one step further. The 6112 normally shows up as a box of loose parts with a note that says "spring compressor required," and on the GX470 Bilstein also requires two new Toyota upper mounts (48609-60100) that aren't in the box. We build them for you, at the height you choose, with those Toyota mounts installed, so what shows up at your door is two finished coilovers ready to bolt in to your GX470.

How We Build Them

Every pair is built to order after you pick your lift setting above. Here's what happens on our bench:

• Set the circlips. The 6112 body has a row of numbered grooves, and where the circlip sits decides your ride height. On the GX470, Bilstein uses the same groove on both sides. We set each coilover to the setting you ordered.
• Seat the billet spring perch. The anodized aluminum spring seat sits on the circlip and carries the spring.
• Compress and install the Bilstein spring. We use a mounted, shop-grade strut compressor. This is the step that makes DIYers nervous, for good reason: a coil spring under load stores a lot of energy.
• Install new Toyota upper mounts (48609-60100). Bilstein requires them on the GX470, and the rubber in the factory mounts has been soaking up potholes for close to twenty years. Every GX470 build gets a new pair.
• Torque, check, label. The top nut gets torqued to spec, each coilover is checked and marked driver or passenger, and the pair is boxed together.

Why Buy Them Assembled?

• No spring compressor. Rental "clamshell" compressors are the most dangerous tool most people will ever use in a driveway. You skip that part entirely.
• No mismatched sides. A common 6112 mistake is setting the two sides one groove apart by accident, which leaves the truck leaning. Ours are set and checked as a pair.
• The Toyota mounts are already on. Bought loose, you'd order two 48609-60100 mounts separately. Ours come with them.
• Faster install. Assembly is the slowest part of a coilover job. With that done, the job is removing two struts and bolting in two.

All nine grooves are approved on the GX470: 0.6" at #1 to 3.2" at #9, same groove both sides. There's no stock-height setting.

How to choose: Measure from the center of each wheel to the fender lip, front and rear. The difference is your rake; pick the setting closest to it plus any rear lift you're adding. Steel bumper or winch? One setting higher. Stuck between two? Call us: (213) 433-3616.

Matching the Rear: Bilstein 5100 or 5160?

The GX470 rear runs on coil springs or, on many trucks, height-control air springs. The front kit fits either way. On coils, the coils set rear height and the shock only needs the right length. Still on rear air? Call us before adding a rear shock.

The Bilstein 5100 (33-313146) is the default. It uses a 46mm digressive piston in a zinc-plated monotube body and covers stock height up to 2" of rear lift. With Bilstein valving at both ends, the fresh front doesn't feel sharp while the rear bounces around on tired stock shocks.

The Bilstein 5160 (25-311211 left, 25-325096 right) is for a rear that lives loaded. The remote reservoir adds oil capacity, so damping stays consistent with a full cargo area, a rooftop tent or a trailer, and on long washboard roads.

Run the 5100 if:

• The rear is on stock coils, or up to 2" of rear lift
• It's a daily driver that sees dirt on weekends
• You want Bilstein control at both ends for the least money

Run the 5160 if:

• The cargo area is always full: drawers, fridge, water, recovery gear
• You run long washboard or desert roads where shocks get hot
• You tow a small camper or a utility trailer regularly

When you need something else: More than 2" of rear lift, or still on the factory rear air springs? Call us and we'll plan the rear: (213) 433-3616.

Shop the Bilstein 5100 Rear Pair for the GX470

Shop the Bilstein 5160 Rear Pair (2003-2009 4Runner listing, same parts)

On the Road

Bilstein tunes for control first. Against worn factory struts, the GX feels more planted: less nose dive, less roll, and a front end that settles after a dip instead of floating. It's firmer than the Lexus ride, and we'd rather tell you now.

Off the Road

The 2.6-inch body holds more oil than the factory strut and sheds heat better, so damping stays consistent over a long gravel road. The digressive piston stays firm on small inputs and opens up on bigger hits.

The Honest Trade-Offs

• There's no stock-height setting. The lowest is 0.6".
• Rear air changes the rear plan. Call us before adding a rear shock.
• Your height is set when we build it. Changing it later means taking the coilover apart with a strut compressor. Measure before you order.
• Firmer than stock. See "On the Road" above.
• Built to order. Every pair is assembled for your truck, so it takes longer to ship than a box pulled off a shelf.
• The top settings work the front end harder. From about 2.5" up, the factory upper control arms and ball joints run at steeper angles and the CV axles work harder. If your alignment shop can't bring camber back into spec, aftermarket upper control arms fix it.
• Don't stack a spacer on top. A strut spacer on top of a 6112 pushes the front past what the factory arms and axles are built for.

Install Notes

• Fits 2003-2009 Lexus GX470.
• Toyota upper mounts 48609-60100 come installed. Bilstein requires them on the GX470.
• Rear air or X-REAS: call us before ordering a rear.
• Carrying a steel bumper, winch and gear full time? Bilstein's heavy-load version is 47-311190.
• For a 2010 or newer GX460, you need a different Bilstein 6112 kit (47-310025).
• Removing a strut spacer? Leave it off.
• Get an alignment right after install. Any lift changes camber and toe.
• Recheck the front height after the springs settle in over the first few hundred miles.
• Most people with a floor jack, jack stands, and a basic socket set can swap the pair in an afternoon. The heavy lifting is done.

Who Should Buy These

GX470 owners who want a real lift and real damping in one job, with the Toyota mounts already on and no spring compressor in the driveway.