Builds DRANGED's GX470 build/ownership thread (1 Viewer)

[DRANGED]

(ongoing MOD list at bottom of this post)

New here, new to yota/Lexus, and truck-based platform for that matter.
I come from a heavily modified FT, DR AWD Subaru platform. I've wheeled it, I've road tripped it, I've rally crossed it, I've raft and camper hauled it, I've put 140K on it and I've pushed the envelope from capable, to able to, "uh...really?" with that car; now with 2 growing boys living in Moab....I/we needed to change our platform.

I'm the lucky buyer of this '07 beauty.

GX-Superu twin towers

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• Aug 27, 2016

The Superu's retirement from daily duties

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• Jan 17, 2017

I drove from Flagstaff, AZ (Thanks Bruce, you rock!!!) straight to take-out beach on the Colorado river, upstream of Moab, UT to show my wife and kids our new ride.

The next weekend we took it out to tower arch in Arches, NP, to stretch it's legs on a trail. . . .

Tower arch 1

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• Aug 28, 2016

tower arch 4

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• Aug 28, 2016

flex1

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• Aug 28, 2016

flex 2

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• Aug 28, 2016

flex 5

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• Aug 28, 2016

flex 6

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• Aug 28, 2016

In this audience, needless to say, it rocks and my mind has been blown!! I mean, I know Lexi and Yotas are phenomenal rigs and my buddy here (@gahi) has shown me much awesomeness from his lifted 80, but being behind the wheel is a whole different experience!

Off the shelf this thing can and will do anything I could've hoped for in our next rig (tap-tap, the maze sometime soon?? . I've wheeled a bit around Moab in my Legacy (there are verifiable stories there...), like the white rim (pavement to pavement in under 5 hours) and I pulled of Lockhart Basin in it (yeah, its legit). But the comfort, quiet, power, buttery smoothness, and capability (did I mention comfort, quiet and capable?) of the GX is ... well, a lion in a kitten's clothing.


I'm glad to be here and will populate (prossibly agonizingly slowly) with mods, trips experiences, and just chats through time.

And since numbers are cool and palindromic mileage is rad, here's were I am in the 2nd week of the new year.

1/16/2016

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• Jan 16, 2017

palindromic mileage is fun

MODs and repairs:

Battery: 1st was Autocraft SIlver 27f from Car Quest in 12/2017. That failed Jan 2021, so replaced that with NAPA Legend Premium 24f
Weathertech all weather mat for hatch and 2nd row
Removed running boards
DIY hitch riser and 'recovery point'
engine cover removal
BFG AT/ KO2 LRE 265x70 17 (favorite KO2 promo video)
First pinstripes ;P
Door pockets
FSB outer bushings and KDSS bushings
RSB KDSS bushings 09/2019 and again in 11/2021
DIY rack for the hatch
HAM radio antenna mount
Scepter MFC (post #91)
Rhino Rack Awning and DIY mounting
0.75" leveling spacer and install
Factory side rail slot discovery and cam-nut (unistrut nut) install
RadRubber engine bay splash guards
Fender liner mod for larger tires with lift
DIY 0.25" thick x 2" diameter bump stop drops
Wind-cutting rope wrap on roof basket
hide-a-key mod
Treaty Oak recovery point install Dec, 2018 ... replaced with Trail Taylor March, 2020
Roof basket lateral slippage remedy
Reprogramming window auto function after battery disconnect
Rhino-Rack Prado 120/GX470 back bone, 84*x49" pioneer platform and wind fairing.
new radiator cap
Metal Tech/OPOR GX 470 KDSS sliders: DOM bare steel ... EPIC prep and install begins here, No rivnuts and sleeved pass center leg bolt-through
Some wheeling damage, camry dent repair. (Driver rear boiled water dent repair, first pass front, then driver and pass front here
Rhino-Rack accessories fabrication:

• cross bars for Rino-Rack pioneer platform, so mount Rhino roof box on platform;
• Rhino tie-down loops recreated
• Grab Handle fab

Master key fob: replace fob shell, link to fob(s) (2 for $14 shipped), transponder swapped straight over, no re-programming, and Fob battery swap
Charcoal canister replacement
Front bumper skin trim for slightly AA improvement
Rear airbag hac mod (increase rear lift lift while retaining airbag HI and Low)
Victory 4xx4 center console molle panel install
Custom HAM bracket fab and install, which finalized the move from Baofeng UV-5r HT to Btech UV-24-x2 VHF/UHF DB transceiver
GX 460 front brake upgrade
0.75" BORA wheel spacer install.
GX470 TRD pro grille raptor light wiring

 

[DRANGED]

first mod.

Weathertech

row 2 sans pro

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• Oct 4, 2016

row 2 protected

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• Oct 4, 2016

rear sans pro

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• Oct 4, 2016

rear protected

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• Oct 4, 2016

I've since trimmed the hatch mat so it stays while the 3rd row can be deployed.

 

[D21FJ60]

Welcome! How do you like those Kuhmos?

 

[DRANGED]

Welcome! How do you like those Kuhmos?

thanks.

They're fine, came on the rig. they grip sandstone fine, but so does bald rubber and they're snow handling is pretty good. On road manners are quiet and confident as well. IIRC they're a size up from stock (they're 265-70 17).

My experience is mostly with Grabber AT2s and some older BFG KOs (I had some discoverers previously but they were LT tread but car tire # of plies), but on a 14" rim and 3,000# rig

 

[Dharma Dude]

Beautiful truck. I'm new to this thread so this question is a bit late. It looks like you did quite alot of off-roading with the stock suspension. Is that true? Are you considering adding a lift or modifying the suspension?

 

[JLee]

Beautiful truck. I'm new to this thread so this question is a bit late. It looks like you did quite alot of off-roading with the stock suspension. Is that true? Are you considering adding a lift or modifying the suspension?

I did this trip on stock suspension. It does better than one might expect.

 

[Kid]

Subaru on Lockhart Basin trail, Moab?!!!!!!!!

Is this you ??

 

[gahi]

ya, that's him!

 

[DRANGED]

Beautiful truck. I'm new to this thread so this question is a bit late. It looks like you did quite alot of off-roading with the stock suspension. Is that true? Are you considering adding a lift or modifying the suspension?

hey,

Stock is fine for me for this rig for now and a while. I will pull off the runningboards and eventually add rock sliders, but beyond that heavy mods to this rig aren't priority. It does VERY well stock and for my and my family needs, moding isn't high priority, logevity, comfort, capability and reliability are, all of which are well met as is.



but when the kids are out of the house. . . .

 

[DRANGED]

Subaru on Lockhart Basin trail, Moab?!!!!!!!!

Is this you ??

yup.

 

[DRANGED]

Well, as they say with goal setting, write it down and tell someone then there's accountability.
Now with 5 months of ownership and plenty of thinking about it yet no action, then I draft a build thread and 2 weeks in I'm accomplishing


Today saw a running board delete.

running board stock

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• Jan 30, 2017

running board removed

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• Jan 30, 2017

running board gone

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• Jan 30, 2017

lower profile

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• Jan 30, 2017

running board clearance

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• Jan 30, 2017

SANS running board clearance

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• Jan 30, 2017
• 1

running board front wheel well clearance

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• Jan 30, 2017

SANS running board front wheel well clearance

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• Jan 30, 2017

running board rear wheel well clearance

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• Jan 30, 2017

SANS running board rear wheel well clearance

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• Jan 30, 2017

Taped, tied and tucked the running board lighting harness.

Running board delete lights plug taped

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• Jan 30, 2017

Running board delete lights plug tied

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• Jan 30, 2017

Running board delete lights plug tucked

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• Jan 30, 2017

another perspective of stock-not stock

running board driver stock

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• Jan 30, 2017

running board delete passenger stock

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• Jan 30, 2017

running board driver stock low

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• Jan 30, 2017

running board delete passenger stock low

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• Jan 30, 2017

 

[DRANGED]

Spring is here (there's no reason to verify that though !! Mid 70s most of last week, so I went out to Crystal Geyser (and it was erupting, sweet!) and the Whitewash sand dunes with a buddy.

crystal Geyser 3/7/17

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• Mar 13, 2017

whitewash sand dunes-La Sals 3/7/17

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• Mar 13, 2017

witewash sand dunes 3/7/17

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• Mar 13, 2017

Still marveling at stock suspension travel!

rear compression CG trail 3/7/17

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• Mar 13, 2017

rear droop CG trail 3/7/17

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• Mar 13, 2017

 

[DRANGED]

Then went to Wipeout trail loop with same buddy who was in town wanting some trails....

Stool oogling over stock articulation.

poser droop whipeout loop trail 3/9/17

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• Mar 13, 2017

It's superhero-style droop!!!!

siq droop whipeout trail loop 3/9/17

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• Mar 13, 2017

 

[GXMac]

Pretty nice- I like that you are documenting everything so well. Also, you may want to start on those mods soon, it's going to be a while before those little ones are out of the house.

 

[BlueCruiser84]

This thing probably feels like a long-travel race truck coming from a built Subaru.

I friggin' love what you did with the Subaru. Makes having a lifted 4x4 on 35s seem a little silly.

 

[DRANGED]

This thing probably feels like a long-travel race truck coming from a built Subaru.

I friggin' love what you did with the Subaru. Makes having a lifted 4x4 on 35s seem a little silly.

lol. Yeah and thanks!

That sedan was/is pretty rad and awfully capable, for what it is. I argue it's the most modified stock Suby out there (everything but bumper and rims are factory Subaru bits, just mix-N-matched from different models)!
Definitely different beasts with regard to function (Superu vs. GX) though, and for the really real stuff, there's just NO comparing to the GX. Off the shelf capability and done with comfort and ease vs. maxing out the limits of capable-able and pushing it in that well done moderately-heavily moded roo.
YET, I did pull of lockhart on my own power without locking in anything (ergo center viscous, no locking anything), with two 2-3" lifted cruisers and 2" FJ! So there IS that.

That roo isn't dead ... yet. It's definitely had a hard decade+ and kept on giving, but now not a dedicated family hauler, I'm freed to do some other things to it. hehehe!

Still, and honestly though even with KDSS, I'd rather be in the Suby for high speed dirt/gravel, snow is debateable.

Subaru does have some magic regarding the power/weight vs traction ratio that excels in snow.

But for road trips, hauling gear, camping, shlepping, and any trails and honestly (save MPG) for daily driving it's GX all the way!!!

thanks again.

 

[DRANGED]

Pretty nice- I like that you are documenting everything so well. Also, you may want to start on those mods soon, it's going to be a while before those little ones are out of the house.

haha, copy that.

 

[DRANGED]

I forgot to add a repair from early on (technically first repair) that rectified a rear thumping which I noticed from the beginning.
RSB bushing replacement (Octoberish, 2016) cleared that right up.

 

[DRANGED]

Welcome! How do you like those Kuhmos?

Khumo review update:

Not stellar.

P-metric is NOT an LT, despite tread pattern. So plusses, its quiet, good handling in dry, wet and snow but pretty quick tire wear. When I got the truck, the tires looked pretty new (caveat: I did not spec the tread depth, just visual) and were 1/2 size over stock which is good in my book.

265*70 17 LT; 265*65 17 (stock) RT

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• Apr 20, 2017

265*70 17 LT; 265*65 17 (stock) RT

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• Apr 20, 2017

8 months in, they have 8-9/32 tread remaining (kind of quick wear for like 5-6K miles). they're wearing pretty evenly but I had to get 2 alignments to verify/check a right pull in the truck.

I've trailed them a couple times and was pleased, but yesterday I incurred a horrible sidewall gash...

death of khumo road venture AT51 GASH

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• Apr 20, 2017

knife-edge tire slicer

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• Apr 20, 2017

This reminded me of the promo videos of the new BFGH AT/KO2 (check in at :40 of this clip) and I thought longingly about those. I've blown sidewalls on my Grabber AT2s as well... apparently sidewalls need to be tougher in Moab.

The good of it is it wasn't on trail, so changing it was easy, and bad of it is it wasn't on trail, so I wasn't having fun.
IT WAS IN MY EFFING DRIVEWAY!!!

knife-edge tire slicer

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• Apr 20, 2017

death of khumo road venture AT51

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• Apr 20, 2017

So again coming from Subaru land, the blessing and curse of AWD. blow one worn tire, buy four!
I'm working on finding a used with similar tread wear/circumference for now, and looking forward to Memorial Day tire sales. . . .

That is all ... for now.

 

[DRANGED]

I built a hitch riser.

This was inspired by a White Rim trip. So have the bike rack, AND a recovery point, and sure one can buy all this stuff, but hell, what a fun project to MAKE it...from scrap on-hand!

hitch riser & anchor exploded

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• Apr 20, 2017

hitch anchor bar

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• Apr 20, 2017

hitch riser & anchor

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• Apr 20, 2017

hitch riser & anchor

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• Apr 20, 2017

hitch riser & anchor

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• Apr 20, 2017

I know, I know. the gusset is on the wrong side.
I was eager to stick metal together that night. So it goes.

I've pulled a car around the block and up my driveway with it, but a real-world extraction... uh, my confidence is mediocre to okay for the guy behind me. .
It looks good, but I'm not a trained welder. . . paint it black and it looks rad mounted. Plus, mounted is a good place to store it too.