Builds 2007 GX470 Build Thread (1 Viewer)

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A couple of updates, I wanted so bad for balance beads to work so I saw what I wanted to see in the YouTube videos and was hooked, and yeah no those don't work in my 37's, if anything they are worse than my not-so-great balanced tires. I added 16oz a wheel per bad math calculations. Application Calculator - https://www.counteractbalancing.com/application-calculator/ calls for 14 oz with 37" mt's added 2 ounces for the wheels extra chunk and landed on 16oz.

I opted for balance beads because I was in a pinch before a trip and was mounting up some new wheels, with no time to get to a good tire shock for good balancing I thought I'd try my hand and potentially only waste $45. And waste it was.

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What are the details on the grill emblem? 175mm?
Are you asking me to measure the emblem, otherwise I don't know what size it is I ordered it with the grill as I said.
 
A couple of updates, I wanted so bad for balance beads to work so I saw what I wanted to see in the YouTube videos and was hooked, and yeah no those don't work in my 37's, if anything they are worse than my not-so-great balanced tires. I added 16oz a wheel per bad math calculations. Application Calculator - https://www.counteractbalancing.com/application-calculator/ calls for 14 oz with 37" mt's added 2 ounces for the wheels extra chunk and landed on 16oz.

I opted for balance beads because I was in a pinch before a trip and was mounting up some new wheels, with no time to get to a good tire shock for good balancing I thought I'd try my hand and potentially only waste $45. And waste it was.

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I want to retract my comments on balance the balance beads. After a few more camp trips I decided to remove my wheel spacers (Spydertrax 1.25”). My effects backspacing with the spacers was 3.25” (wheel BS 4.5, spacer 1.25, 4.5-1.25 = yup 3.25). It was clear a firewall chop was required with 3.25 and I’m ok with that, but also wanted to suck these wheels in a bit, so deleting g the spacers was in order. Moving along I noticed LESS a lot LESS vibration at speed,
Still a little here and there but I mean 37” MT….. so maybe they do work.
 
PSA, when you do a body lift there is a little slack in your electrical and hoses. Not much on the GX though. I had an intermittent issue (might still be there I'm waiting) where the truck would just die. It took me some time, but I finally saw the wiring for the fuel pump was taught...... like a tiger. So I lengthened it.

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Then, it started acting funny..... so I replaced the fuel pump.

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This weekend I played the Let's learn bead locks the hard way. Keep in mind the manufacturer says OFFROAD USE only and 25psi max.

I find it at the moment kind of like marine engines and equipment, a mix of black magic and luck. When I installed the BLs I lost some bolts, as in the broken at the 3/4 line, thought nothing of it because this company had some issues a few years bag with bad hardware. I likened it to the issues Trail gear had with hub studs on the 80 axle a few years ago. Anyway, I replaced the broken one with a new one from Tractor Supply and went on with my life. I Had this nagging feeling though that the breakage had something to do with the bolt heads not sitting flush, there was the slightest bit of daylight under them..... I sent photos of that and what looked to be no coning (deflection) of the BL Ring to them and we agreed that it looked ok.

A few easy camp/ wheel trips and a few more bolts here and there. Fast forward to this past weekend, I worked all day on a weld/fab project with my brother had dinner, crashed for a couple of hours, and then headed home. The failure happened at 0300 on a cold and lonely section of the turnpike, the bridge had a massive breakdown lane, and that made it better. I swapped in the spare and kept on trucking. Yesterday I did a head count of the # of failed bolts, 19 had snapped in the same way the others before had. I figured the only thing left to try was the spacers to get the mounting surface level or closer to that of a thick bead. Time will tell if the BL's were worth the extra hassle.




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Little Beadlock update, the 1/8 or 3mm spacers came in, and I have had just enough time to install them on the offending wheel. THingd that I noticed immediately after the torque sequence.

- torque sequence took less time as the bolt bottomed out and reached torque faster (no chasing)
- bolt heads started on one edge of the hole and ended dead center, whereas before that kept going toward the center causing the coming of the ring.
- the rock ring has a more level appearance compared to what it looked like before.

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Alright,, the weekend came and went, added adjustable upper links (whoever designed that DS mount up in the gas tank should be kicked in the nutz) even with a 2" BL that was a PIA! I installed 3 of the 4 sets of bead lock ring spacers will finish the last one tonight and drop them off at Discount Tire tomorrow for balancing (decided to delete the balance beads and paint the barrel with lead weight). Steering rack bushings were replaced while on the truck, a long-barreled air chisel made pretty short work of the old bushings and now the steering is back to TOIGH!.

Dropped off 4 loose wheels at mt closest Discount Tire, they had them done in about hours. 11 oz, 5 oz, 8 oz, and 3 oz, and the wheels run scary smooth. The recently replaced steering rack bushings also help.
 
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Got some time to take some rear measurements and check for clearance.

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So what did we learn?

Shocks are limiting travel and that's ok at the moment.

I do need to sort out which Perry Parts rear bumps I need 4.5" reg or 5.5" extended. Compression in the photos above show 4" max*

DS is making light contact with the RCI gas tank skid at this particular angle (keep in mind sways are disco'd and the shocks are not attached)

The rear tires are just kissing the plastic trim on the door cladding, so 1 more full turn on each of the links should sort that out.

Apex Rapid valves are freaking insane 32 psi to 10 psi in about 13 seconds.........WOW!
 
Did a little headlamp resto over the weekend. The PO used a tinted clearcoat and it looked good, but about 2 years into it, missing clear developed and it looked not so good. I considered ALiexpress's replacement lenses @ $140 shipped, but thought nah, I have all the bits to do this myself and reclear. So I did.

Wet sand 220, 600, 2000, 3000, then oh crap the thousands are for headlight polishing and not for clear coating, back to 600 (because I didn't have 800). Shake the Spray max glamour clear 2 min, pop the magic button, another 2 min, then lay down your light clear, wait 10 min and repeat, and on and on.

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I resprayed but it didn't come out as well as the 1st time. I am past my pot life so perfection will have to wait for another time. I have a list of other items to be completed prior to GSMTR.
 

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