2 Gen GX460 best year or trim level for 2 to 3 inch lift / wheel and tire upgrade / overland build

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Sharky1528

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Guy's ,
I'm coming from an 80 Series where the sky is the limit when it comes to lifts and tire upgrades but after reading about the GX460's ( 150 ) Series there is a limit on lift size and wheel upgrades ... I'm wanting to stay in the 2 1/2 to 3 inch lift with say 33's or 34's and plan on some mid level wheeling / overlanding. I'm looking for a GX460 now ( 2014-2018 ) and didn't know if there was a year or trim level that got you a more friendly platform to start a build from ? better gear ratio's or did they all have the same diff gears etc. etc.

Thanks in advance..

Sharky
 
It’s all the same really. It comes down to things like exterior aesthetic and base vs higher trim levels. The rest is pretty much the same from 2010-2021. The 2010-2013 gives you a little more approach angle from the factory and a good front bumper option that does not require cutting. I know this because that was one of the primary reasons why I bought a 2010 in the first place. Make sure to also get one with powered 3rd row so you can use some wiring harnesses from @THEOZMAN to give you a great source of power without going through the firewall.
 
Have to agree with MrTorgue!
The only reason I purchased a 2013 Premium is because it was the very last year of the straight across style front bumper and at the time there were no steel bumpers for the 2014+ spindle front grills. And I wanted the Premium for the 3 climate zones, seat cooling, better stereo, etc.
You are spot on with the tire size and suspension lift you want to go with, especially considering that is exactly how mine is set up. (Builds - R2M 2013 GX460 Overland Build - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/r2m-2013-gx460-overland-build.1104719/ )
From 2010 on up, the only difference in trim levels that would affect suspension and armor will be:
  • Premium will have air bags. This is a non-issue. They are deleted all the time when, as was done on mine. Many people note how they like the ride better after their suspension upgrade and I concur.
  • Premium will have headlight washers which you may lose depending upon what bumper style you go with. I lost my headlight washers with the MetalTech front bumper.
Those are about the only things I think you'll have any issues with what you want to do, and I'd consider them to minor. :meh:
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the first couple of years you could get a Base with cooled seats and 3-zone as options? Pretty sure my '11 is a base - no air bag suspension, heated steering wheel, or headlight washers, but has 3-zone climate and cooled seats :cool: . I actually think there's better bumper options out there now for the 14+, as in the Victory Blitz (with the side wings under the factory plastic), or Strike, and even the Ironman Deluxe doesn't look like such an inverted-cow-catcher on the 14+ as compared to the massive overhang on the 10-13's. Pretty steep price differential through the years, if budget is a concern. Drive train is mostly (exactly?) the same throughout the run so far.
 
re_guderian said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the first couple of years you could get a Base with cooled seats and 3-zone as options? Pretty sure my '11 is a base - no air bag suspension, heated steering wheel, or headlight washers, but has 3-zone climate and cooled seats :cool: . I actually think there's better bumper options out there now for the 14+, as in the Victory Blitz (with the side wings under the factory plastic), or Strike, and even the Ironman Deluxe doesn't look like such an inverted-cow-catcher on the 14+ as compared to the massive overhang on the 10-13's. Pretty steep price differential through the years, if budget is a concern. Drive train is mostly (exactly?) the same throughout the run so far.
Click to expand...

My 2010 base has all of that standard IIRC. I don't have the heated wheel, airbags or headlight washers. So pretty much I got lucky to of chosen a 2010 I think.
 
Not trying to get to far ahead but the Victory Blitz has really caught my eye and should provide enough ground clearance and protection for the mild wheeling I would be doing.. my days of Rock Crawling are over.. I did see an ad on Auto Trader with someone mentioning a gear ratio so I was not sure if they were all geared the same..
 
Sharky1528 said:
Not trying to get to far ahead but the Victory Blitz has really caught my eye and should provide enough ground clearance and protection for the mild wheeling I would be doing.. my days of Rock Crawling are over.. I did see an ad on Auto Trader with someone mentioning a gear ratio so I was not sure if they were all geared the same..
Click to expand...

This is something that I've been wondering. I see different numbers for various years so I'm keen to see what's the actual answer. Paging @Acrad !!
 
My two cents would be find the lowest mileage mall crawler 2013. The front end on the 2014 and newer is ugly, and they get worse the newer they are. Time takes a toll on seals and other things. I bought a 33,000 mile 2018 because I never want to work on it other than oil changes. Love the truck, don't care for the front end.

I also think in the long term the 2013 and older will hold it's value better just because of the looks.
 
MrTorgue said:
My 2010 base has all of that standard IIRC. I don't have the heated wheel, airbags or headlight washers. So pretty much I got lucky to of chosen a 2010 I think.
Click to expand...
I've seen a lot of confusion about base models with 3 zone climate. If you have it on a base model it means yours came with the Comfort Plus package.
Comfort Plus.JPG
 
The 10-13 base came with more options than '14+ base but there was a cost related to that. Heated/Ventilated seats and power folder 3rd row are on all 10-13 models. Perhaps the power folding isn't something you use but Ozman's 3rd row tap makes me glad I have them.

Nuluxe came along in 2014 as well and there was a de-contenting.

2014 article

Lexus GX has quietly more than doubled its sales this year - Autoblog

There are some things in this industry that we're perplexed by, like the infotainment system on our long-term Subaru WRX or why the Mitsubishi Mirage is allowed to exist, among other things. Let's add one more to that group, with the Lexus GX. It's not a particularly bad vehicle for a big...
www.autoblog.com www.autoblog.com


Screen Shot 2021-06-10 at 1.30.38 PM.png
 
On 3rd zone HVAC... I always try to remind others who don't know it has a heater core in the back as well on a 460. The 470 was AC only for 3rd zone.

There are 17 vents on 3rd zone HVAC model

[From GCC market brochure]
1.png
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Screen Shot 2021-06-10 at 1.41.58 PM.png
1.jpeg
Screen Shot 2021-06-10 at 1.43.00 PM.png
 
Last edited:
I know that both our old 100 series Landcruisers have a second heater core for the middle seat.
How do I know??
On my LC, it somehow got a leak and puked antifreeze all over the middle seat floor. Stunk like antifreeze for a loooong time! Had to replace the core and hoses.
Only happened to my LC, not my wife's.

And on that note, quick funny story about my GX third row climate control. Couple years ago drove out to my Dad's in the middle of Texas in July (what were we thinking??).
Had the climate control set to 72°F and it was in triple digits outside. For some reason we couldn't get cool! Dropped the climate down to 64°F and still feeling warm air from somewhere. I started to get a sick feeling in my stomach that we were going to have a very expensive coolant leak somewhere. :nailbiting:
Pulled over to see what the problem was and found out the rear climate control was set to around 80°F and blowing hot air up to the front!! Last time my daughter and her boyfriend sat in the back it was cold and they cranked the heat. o_O
Reset the middle climate to 72°F, brought up the front climate to the same temperature and we were almost too cold the rest of the trip!
What a relief that's all it was! :rofl:
 
2017 GX460

JTJBM7FX3H5179270)
Recent Arrival! 2017 Lexus GX 460 Silver Lining Metallic 18" x 7.5" 6-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels, 2nd Row Captain's Chairs, 3.909 Axle Ratio, 3rd row seats: split-bench, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 9 Speakers BOSE, ABS brakes, Air Conditioning, Alloy wheels,

I didn’t think they had that Ratio ???
 
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