What is interchangeable with the GX? 4 runner FJ (1 Viewer)

[GXO]

Amen sir.

 

[THeGeNTLeMaN]

the term "without trimming anything" is the hard part when you get into this hobby ... at this cross road you ask yourself why am wanting to make this change and who am i making it for ... Iv said it before my truck and modifications are for me ... the GX is about a 10yr old vehicle with a ball park mileage of 100k ... I dont see in its foreseen future being the iconic vehicle that is gonna go down in value bc of upgraded modifications ... if your on ih8mud its bc your taking this thing of road in some way ... to say you wanna upgrade but not do some trimming on these vehicle limits you very much ... now trimming metal fender is one thing but ... trimming a plastic fender liner is another the only thing you will ever have to trim on the body for is to fit an ARB bumper .... Chances are after you or any of us sells or vehicle 3rd 4th 5th hand the person buying it has the intention of doing what we have in mind ... but we're not building and modifying for the next owner we're doing it for us now ... we're doing it to bring out what lies beneath the soccer mom mall hopper and accentuating what the 120 series vehicle was built to really do ...

set a goal what do i want it to do ? ... achieve function, do it sturdy and reliable, then add your own touch of styling ... in that order you cant go wrong and you and anyone behind you will appreciate it more later on down the road ...

now this thread has gone off course ... the question was "what is interchangeable from the GX, 4runner, and FJC" ... answer is within a certain year time frame they are all 120 platform chassis so they share pretty much the same components ... give or take a few options ... if your asking in regards of suspension ... its all pretty much the same ... your gonna order 4runner and FJC parts to fit a GX if its not already specified (someone correct me if im wrong) ...
now what are you trying to achieve? ... what vision do you have as far as stance and tire size? ... what do you plan on doing in the vehicle? .... our answers may not be what you had in mind but with your goals and our experience we can collaborate that and maybe help you get there

 

[wingysataday]

wow I apologize If i pissed you guys off. I have spent hours reading up on this, searched forum after forum and the reason I ask questions is because there is so many differing opinions. Some say to run a diff drop kit, some say diff drop is useless, some say run aftermarket UCA's some say they are not needed, some people say 285's don't rub at all with a small lift some say you don't need a lift with 285's, some say to keep the air suspension and use spacers. Their honestly is about 100 different configurations you can come up with. I really was hoping to clarify some things but it seems I will just have to figure out what suits me best.
My vision is a reliable lift that requires little to no maintenance, I wheel rarely but when I do I want something capable. I am ordering opor sliders for sure and will for sure be adding a lift 2-3". I would love to run 285's and I can handle some rubbing, I am buying aftermarket wheels and tires. I did find out today that they have the 275 bfg's which is great! I will be speaking with metal tech shortly to see what we come up with.
Again I apologize, If their are any suggestions for threads to read please post them I will gladly read through them.

 

[wingysataday]

next time I will post on the scentsy forum maybe they can help me through this emotional time.

 

[The Great Him]

wow I apologize If i pissed you guys off. I have spent hours reading up on this, searched forum after forum and the reason I ask questions is because there is so many differing opinions. Some say to run a diff drop kit, some say diff drop is useless, some say run aftermarket UCA's some say they are not needed, some people say 285's don't rub at all with a small lift some say you don't need a lift with 285's, some say to keep the air suspension and use spacers. Their honestly is about 100 different configurations you can come up with. I really was hoping to clarify some things but it seems I will just have to figure out what suits me best.
My vision is a reliable lift that requires little to no maintenance, I wheel rarely but when I do I want something capable. I am ordering opor sliders for sure and will for sure be adding a lift 2-3". I would love to run 285's and I can handle some rubbing, I am buying aftermarket wheels and tires. I did find out today that they have the 275 bfg's which is great! I will be speaking with metal tech shortly to see what we come up with.
Again I apologize, If their are any suggestions for threads to read please post them I will gladly read through them.

you pissed no one off, and sorry if i came across harsh... it just seamed that the question had been asked more than once in the thread, and has been answered more than a few times in other threads... im just out spoken and say things how i see them, thats just me -and it easy to do it over the internet lol

again as stated by someone else what qualifys a "a little rubbing" or "slight rub" or "fits fine" is open to interpretation. some people say that if it rubs it wont fit, others say fitting means usable but still rubs occasionally or slightly... there is almost endless opinions as you stated. but you stated yourself that you are ok with a some rub, so thats why i am telling you that a 285 will fit. the two toyota wheels that i know of that will allow for a 285 is the FJC 6 spoke 17" and the tundra/sequoia split spoke 17" wheels. both of those have an aggressive enough offset to allow for a 285 with or without a lift. do you have to run a UCA, no, as i did not and had no serious issues -though my alignment was off and was not correctable once i lifted, so i went with SPC arms. you can keep the rear air suspension if you like, many of us (I included) have proven it to work with a lift, but it is prone to leaking and damage when off road, hence why we have chose to go with a conventional coil spring. personally i dont think a diff drop is really important on these rigs as say it is in a older 3rd gen 4runner or 1st gen tacoma. again yes there are a lot of options, but thats the case with just about any vehicle, and its a good thing, without options we would all be getting bent over and charged outrageous prices for one and only part that will work. really if you wanted to go super cheap you could have your GX lifted for about $100. -a spacer lift in the front, and a couple of spacers to lower the ride-height sensors in the back. thats all you really have to have to lift it.

but with many things that we do, there is a bunch of ways, and then there is a few right ways. we are trying to direct you to the right ways of doing this, so you dont have to come back and redo things later because something failed -like an over inflated air bag in the back getting pinched and leaving you with no suspension at all, and costing you $100+ in towing and then how ever much in repairs to get back on the road -you would be lucky if it happened close to home and you could just throw in a set of springs you had sitting around and it didnt ruin any plans for a weekend camping trip or other activities let alone make you miss a day of work or the like. also we stated the SPC arms as they will allow for the most adjustability when it comes to getting the proper alignment and saving those nice new tires you just spend $1200 on. sure these few little things cost a little more up front, but they save you more in the long run and make things just that much easier and nice when you upgrade further in the future.

also some things are easier to see in person than explain, once you have everything in front of you and you start working on it and putting it together a lot of things will make more sense and become clearer.

 

[THeGeNTLeMaN]

wow I apologize If i pissed you guys off. I have spent hours reading up on this, searched forum after forum and the reason I ask questions is because there is so many differing opinions. Some say to run a diff drop kit, some say diff drop is useless, some say run aftermarket UCA's some say they are not needed, some people say 285's don't rub at all with a small lift some say you don't need a lift with 285's, some say to keep the air suspension and use spacers. Their honestly is about 100 different configurations you can come up with. I really was hoping to clarify some things but it seems I will just have to figure out what suits me best.
My vision is a reliable lift that requires little to no maintenance, I wheel rarely but when I do I want something capable. I am ordering opor sliders for sure and will for sure be adding a lift 2-3". I would love to run 285's and I can handle some rubbing, I am buying aftermarket wheels and tires. I did find out today that they have the 275 bfg's which is great! I will be speaking with metal tech shortly to see what we come up with.
Again I apologize, If their are any suggestions for threads to read please post them I will gladly read through them.

Im somewhat new to this aswell and just "finding a thread that explains this" is easier said than does when you havent been in the 120 series forums everyday for the last few years as new tech develops ... I actually only been here for two months beleive it or not and my brain is gonna explode with the info ...
So here is the set up I have and my experience ....
-I am running 275 70 18 General Grabber (about a 33" tire with 18" rim)
-suspension .... radflo 2.5 coil over shocks in front and its about 3" of lift (i think , correct be if im wrong) and radflo 2.5 shocks and springs in the rear ... combo'd with the metal tech spring conversion kit (the $250 kit w/ bump stops)
- at this point my setup is tucked pretty good with alot of tire ... it rubs pretty badly in front wheel well and at full lock in reverse on a body mount at the rear of the tire
- to fix the front rub some people just trim the plastic wheel well that droops down below the bumper it seems ... (you'll see what i mean when you look at it) or you can use heat ( which is what i did ) ...
use a heat gun, heat the plastic, pushed it up and inside out clearing it out of the way....
you will still be rubbing at this point... turn the wheel so the outside of your thread is in the center of the wheel well ...
heat the plastic and roll and shove something between the plastic and the tire (hammer, base ball, etc ... work your way up) ... allow the plastic to cool down to get it to stay .... heat cool heat cool ... you may still need to attach a zip tie on a corner to pull it out of the way to keep the tire from rubbing but you'll get the idea ...
so those are your options at that point ....trim or heat
- To fix the rear of the front tire rubbing ....
its hitting metal and its really only a problem at full lock ...
to get clearance here if it bothers you ... make a mark where the tire hits , move the tire out of the way ,
get a grinder or dremel tool and start shaving that metal down a lil bit till your happy ....
dont be afraid your not gonna hurt anything its not much to take off ... personally i didnt care about this so i didnt do it
-And this is how I sat... cant even tell i trimmed heated or changed anything ...

-your gonna need an alignment bc your front camber will be pigeon toes due to the lift

- I guess you can call this a stage 1.5 lift if you want

- next thing you could do would be front control arms ... i did upper and lower from total chaos ... its expensive but awesome! ... moves the lower ball joint to the top of the lower control arm and gives a bit more freedom under the wells and absolutely no rubbing and all the reliability and peace of mind you could ask for but not necessary

_read and follow my build thread i think it may help .... and maybe start your own so its more specific to you... everyone here has been very helpful ... like i said im pretty new too and iv done alot more than iv realized in 2 months ... so i was asking the same things not long ago... hope iv helped


click---->"THe GeNTLeMaN" BuiLD THReaD

 

[THeGeNTLeMaN]

and dont mind "The Great Him" ... Hes bluntly opinionated but be he means well ... always helpful

 

[GXO]

I am not pissed off, but imagine what I had to do when I built my GX a few years back. There were no parts, 2 forum posts from people trying what I was trying, and no vendor knew a thing about these things. I bought stuff, tried it, and luckily everything worked (except the sliders I tried). I even shipped a Prado bumper and snork from Aussieland without knowing if they would fit...then I had to make them fit! No coil mounts, no knowledge of the best way to do it, and no one to ask.

Some of the fun is figuring it out!

My point would be that you don't need to ask since there are 15+ build threads on this forum. Look at them, figure out what you want, and then duplicate it with your own flare. Q&A is more when there isn't a road to follow, and the folks on this forum have driven ahead of you quite a distance, so you should benefit from the knowledge right in front of you vs. trying to redraw conclusions that are long completed.

 

[wingysataday]

I'm subscribed to gentleman thread
Thanks again for all your help. Even you "great him"

 

[GXO]

If you have a single issue in your build once you get it popping, post up! We have seen most of the tricks and pitfalls mid-install.

 

[The Great Him]

lol its your opinion that im opinionated.... err wait a minute lol.

sorry ive just been around toyotas a long time, most of my life actually, and its what i know... im only trying to save others the pain i have felt from learning the hard way and being bone headed. -i wont ever give advice that i would not fallow or have not done seen done and know to work or not work depending. and yeah im a cut to the point no beating around the bush kinda guy. truth hurts sometimes, but it still doesnt change the fact its the truth, and i try to live by that. no harm ment or intended

 

[dnp]

Just bought another GX to build. Subscribed.

Meant to pick the brains of all the GXers I saw at the SCC last weekend, but I was having too much fun eating, wheeling, exploring, etc. Looks like I'll be making up for lost time on the 120 forum.......

 

[ChiTown]

The lower control arms on the GX are prone to bushing failure so you may want to inspect yours closely as even with a 2" lift in the front the 265/70/17 KO2's would rub in reverse because of the deflection of torn bushings.

As with any truck your first consideration should be what is the majority of use the truck will see (most of us that's street use) and then consider the minimum use (off road, expo, rock crawling), now find the best suspension setup that will do both well without sacrificing one completely, then pick the tire size that fits with that suspension.

If you want an educated opinion on suspension / control arms don't be afraid to call the suspension manufacturers that have a lot of engineering experience with the GX like Icon Vehicle Dynamics (check out Adventure Driven's GX with Icon stuff) rather than MetalTech who is really just a retailer / installer.

As far as the diff drop talk to the guys at Nitro Gears to the actual truth to how/why it works. The internet is full of opinions so go to the engineers to get the facts.

 

[wingysataday]

Had a great conversation with the guys at metal tech...awesome. Just saying they are getting my $1600. I'm getting the iron man full kit. B springs in front and light springs in the back. I'm getting them all assembled and ready to install with "diy" rear airbag delete kit. I'm also getting the OPOR sliders raw. Thanks for yalls help

 

[THeGeNTLeMaN]

As far as the diff drop talk to the guys at Nitro Gears to the actual truth to how/why it works. The internet is full of opinions so go to the engineers to get the facts.

Oh and I didn't need a diff drop... don't know anyone who has

 

[wingysataday]

metal tech didn't say I needed one(dif drop kit). He said UCA's are a good idea but i don't have the budget for those yet so I will try everything out without them. I never had them on my Tacoma and drove that thing for 74k miles, maybe geometry is diff on the 120's.

Backspacing on rims???? What do you guys have? What would cause the least trimming?
Also I don't mind a little rub but I'm really liking the 275-70-17 bfg's! I think they will be a great compromise to my obsession with the 285's.

"-10 to -12 offset with 4.5 backspace with 285/75R17 was what this truck was made for! Perfect stance!"

"FWIW, if you go with a larger tire (285) that offset will cause rub in a big way. I got method wheels with -12 offset and 4.5 backspacing and chopped the body mount and no rub at all (even flexed at full lock)."

"Stock Lexus GX470 wheels are 17x7.5, 25mm offset, 4.75" backspacing"

"Realize that they have a higher backspacing than 3rd Gen 4Runners. The 3rd Gen's have a 4" 5/8" and 4th Gen's have a 5". The wheels will look pushed in and shorten the track width.

 

[THeGeNTLeMaN]

My wheels are 18" Methods with a -12 offset and 4.5 back space ... page 2 of my build thread are pics ...

 

[GXO]

If you do go to that wheel and offset/backspacing it will look PERFECT, but you will need to chop the body mount.

 

[wingysataday]

Anyone have a pic of this body mount chop?

 

[THeGeNTLeMaN]

Anyone have a pic of this body mount chop?

this is the part i was telling you on the rear of the front tire where you will need a grinder ... it unmistakable your tire will be hitting it .... and its a body mount ...

I have a bit more lift bc I have the TC control arms so I'm not hitting but it's still close at full lock ....
1st pic : driver side full lock left
2nd pic: driver side full lock right (measuring tape pointing to body mount)