Builds 2018 Premium 460 build

[Washingtontaco]

I think the underfill was partially my fault from when I added the tray cooler.

Cool... so much easier using an OBD tool like that.

Fairly substantial factory under-fill

I think mine was down around 6 ounces

I think that was partially my fault from when I added the trany cooler.

 

[Washingtontaco]

A couple of quick mods this weekend. The GX is well know for the plastic cladding that restricts its of road capability. My rear bumper cover had already taken a few hits and my concern was ripping the whole thing off on the trail. First I removed the spoiler trim, then I cut approximately 3” off the cover. This has afforded me better departure angle. The mud flaps are now exposed to damage when backing up and getting sucked in so I made some cable restraints. Not sure the cable I used will be durable enough. We shall see. Lastly I was able to relocate the trailer plug connector up higher out of harms way. The receiver hitch should protect it. Most of this is temporary until I find/purchase a rear bumper I like. Before someone states it yes the final cut was filed smooth.

 

[Tex68w]

I hope we don't have to wait much longer for some new rear bumpers to drop.

 

[Washingtontaco]

I hope we don't have to wait much longer for some new rear bumpers to drop.

I'm bit tired of waiting. I spoke with Jason Demello while in So Cal. He said it's coming after the 5th gen 4 Runner.

 

[Tex68w]

I'm bit tired of waiting. I spoke with Jason Demello while in So Cal. He said it's coming after the 5th gen 4 Runner.

I am as well but I am personally not willing to settle for what I see as sub standard options that are currently available.

 

[giovanni]

The Expedition One looks nice and is a very clean / elegant design. But your note about poor service and workmanship (and what I read) make me want to wait.

I need to raise my trailer plug connector like you did - it got close to hitting on my last trip out.

 

[r2m]

Spoilers really do spoil off road ability!
Okay... so it's a bad play on words, but hey! I've only one cup of coffee so far this morning!

 

[Washingtontaco]

The Expedition One looks nice and is a very clean / elegant design. But your note about poor service and workmanship (and what I read) make me want to wait.

I need to raise my trailer plug connector like you did - it got close to hitting on my last trip out.

Tex68w mentioned one time that his buddy destroyed his. I looked up the cost, they run about $400 bucks so I was always in the back of my head not too.

 

[r2m]

I mangled my trailer plug on a trail and need to fix that some time and then tuck it up so it doesn't happen again.

 

[Washingtontaco]

Built a small storage cubby and attached it to the top of my compressor mount bracket. Needed a place for my beer opener.

 

[Acrad]

Good beer choice

 

[OsideGX]

I've been watching your build progress for awhile. I decided to follow in your tracks. I purchased a 16 GX460 in white. I installed my Ironman bumper last weekend and had a few questions.
1-How did you displace the radiator so that the T-nut bolts dont make contact?
2-How did you mount the parking senors? I cant figure out how to get them flush with the supplied parts.
3-Not related to the bumper. Are your Rago shock guards the 5th gen 4Runner model? Rago is telling me they don't have anthying to fit my rig.
My Demello sliders are supposed to be getting powdercoated this week. I should be able to pick them up from Demello in 2 weeks. Shipping damage was the only bad thing I heard about their products. I really appreciate your build info and any help you can give me.

Thanks

 

[Tex68w]

2-How did you mount the parking senors? I cant figure out how to get them flush with the supplied parts.

You'll need to use o-rings and/or rubber washers to space out the sensors correctly.

 

[OsideGX]

You'll need to use o-rings and/or rubber washers to space out the sensors correctly.

Thanks. I'm assuming the tab that is used to mount the sensor into the stock "ring" need to be removed to make that happen. I didn't want to modify the sensor without a thumbs up from the someone else that has completed the install. The lack of info on mounting the Ironman bull bar for a 150 onto a GX460 is comical. I agree with the reviews that stated the printed instructions were low image quality and lacking direction. I downloaded the instructions from the website, but that doesnt improve anything other than the image quality. I really appreciate everyone that has documented their install methods.

 

[Tex68w]

You still need the backing strip, I don't recall exactly what I left and/or removed but I know that I stacked some rubber washers to properly space it out.

The directions are down right awful and that coupled with the fact that it's designed for the Prado front end only make matters worse. I basically tossed the directions aside and looked at pics of other installs and figured it out from there.

 

[Washingtontaco]

I've been watching your build progress for awhile. I decided to follow in your tracks. I purchased a 16 GX460 in white. I installed my Ironman bumper last weekend and had a few questions.
1-How did you displace the radiator so that the T-nut bolts dont make contact?
2-How did you mount the parking senors? I cant figure out how to get them flush with the supplied parts.
3-Not related to the bumper. Are your Rago shock guards the 5th gen 4Runner model? Rago is telling me they don't have anthying to fit my rig.
My Demello sliders are supposed to be getting powdercoated this week. I should be able to pick them up from Demello in 2 weeks. Shipping damage was the only bad thing I heard about their products. I really appreciate your build info and any help you can give me.

Thanks

I completely displaced the radiator, I used thick washers under the bolts to shorten the length that protrudes the opposite side of the fastener to not contact the radiator tanks. Use the O rings they work great. Take a sensor with you to a hardware store to get the correct diameter. You will need to stack a couple in each location.

Thanks for following the build! It’s been a lot of fun.

I had my sliders powder coated locally as I wanted semi gloss to match the bumper and will do the same when I purchase a rear bumper.

 

[Washingtontaco]

Been a while since posting. I took a 3400 mile round trip to New Mexico. The GX performed flawlessly! Loaded up with camping gear for two people for 10 days she was a bit heavy @ 7300 lbs.

A glaring need did arise while driving down to NM. Gearing, I rarely got into 5th or 6th gear. 5th gear maybe 25% of the time and 6th on long down hills. This was evident in the 13 mpg @80-85 mph. Granted having a Oz Tent and the spare tire on the roof rack was no help but the gears need to be addressed and will be after the holidays, January/February time frame.

The Radflow suspension was so comfortable on the road and performed exceptionally off road. I love the how these vehicles drive.

On the way down we stopped at the Alvord Desert Hot Springs in Southeast Oregon. Before it got popular on Instagram it was a great place to stop for the night. They expanded the camping area and doubled the price to camp. The playa had several camps large and small. Guess I’ll need to find that next great place!

 

[Washingtontaco]

We landed in Tularosa NM after 27 hours of driving. We set up camp on a friend’s property. The forecast prior to departure was for mid 60s during the day and mid 40s at night.

Monday evening that all changed. We had rain, hail then 4” of snow Tuesday night that stuck around until Thursday morning when the sun and warm returned. Fortunately we were prepared for the weather with proper coats, rain gear and a Mr Heater Buddy heater for the tent.

During the heaviest snow one of the telescoping poles collapsed under the heavy wet snow. Simple fix was to reset the pole and ensure it was fully locked. We used a rake to remove the heavy snow off the tent roof.

For base camping I love the Oz Tent. Plenty of room for two adults, two separate rooms, one being the tent itself and the other room being the awning with walls. The heater helped to maintain comfortable sleeping temperatures although condensation was an issue in the awning room.

 

[Washingtontaco]

Prior to the trip to NM I had mounted my Rigid scene lights but hadn’t wired them due to higher priorities. With the sun not rising before 7:00 am they would have been useful. These were previously installed on my Taco and are very useful especially with ski season coming up. I camp/ski around the West in the winter, with short days they are a necessity for me.

Easy wire up and routing. The Front Runner roof rack channels make hiding wiring a breeze. I just located a few well place holes in the rack, ran the wires aft and down the rear door jamb and behind the right taillight housing. A couple dabs of RTV to fix the wire in place.

 

[Washingtontaco]

Routing of the wiring.