DRT fabrication cab/body mount relocate on a GX460 (1 Viewer)

[JDUB fab]

Anyone installed one of these on their 460? Debating going this route and the manufacturer said people have installed them but the body can be shifted and create a gap? Waiting for more info from them.

4Runner/FJ cruiser/GX470 Cab Mount Relocation Kit

The factory 4Runner body mounts don’t allow for 35” tires to fit with out rubbing. Even with a cab mount “chop” we see people still having tire...

www.drt-fabrication.com

 

[Tex68w]

I've seen them on @IG, looks like an interesting option.

 

[clrussell]

It sure is nice to see a company with beautiful welds. Not something you’d see every day anymore sadly

 

[r2m]

Just a head's up, it does not say they will work on our GX460's (2013+).
Looks to be only for the 4th Gen 4R's/GX470's.
I like the idea a lot, but it looks like a lot of work (read: $$$). Also, where is the through bolt going through the body at from the frame mount?

 

[JDUB fab]

Just a head's up, it does not say they will work on our GX460's (2013+).
Looks to be only for the 4th Gen 4R's/GX470's.
I like the idea a lot, but it looks like a lot of work (read: $$$). Also, where is the through bolt going through the body at from the frame mount?

More expensive for sure, but way more room created. I messaged the owner of DRT and he said others have put them on the 460, some slight modifications, there may be a slight gap between the mounting plate and the cab mount itself.
Doesn’t sound like anything I can’t deal with. I’m prob gonna pull the trigger soo .

Standby for install thread.

 

[OCGX]

I have one on the shelf, waiting to install. It is very nice. I run his spindle gussets and they are the nicest ones out there.

 

[JDUB fab]

Nice. Please share when you do!

 

[OCGX]

Here is a pic of his spindle gussets.

 

[r2m]

More expensive for sure, but way more room created. I messaged the owner of DRT and he said others have put them on the 460, some slight modifications, there may be a slight gap between the mounting plate and the cab mount itself.
Doesn’t sound like anything I can’t deal with. I’m prob gonna pull the trigger soo .

Standby for install thread.

If you need to gap fill, I made the lift kit for my 100 series LC from this: UHMW Polyethylene Rods
from McMaster-Carr: McMaster-Carr - https://www.mcmaster.com/plastics/shape~rod-and-disc/color~black/impact-strength-rating~excellent/
You won't have to worry about it.
Another option would be an aluminum disk: McMaster-Carr - https://www.mcmaster.com/aluminum/shape~rod-and-disc/diameter~2/

 

[JDUB fab]

If you need to gap fill, I made the lift kit for my 100 series LC from this: UHMW Polyethylene Rods
from McMaster-Carr: McMaster-Carr - https://www.mcmaster.com/plastics/shape~rod-and-disc/color~black/impact-strength-rating~excellent/
You won't have to worry about it.
Another option would be an aluminum disk: McMaster-Carr - https://www.mcmaster.com/aluminum/shape~rod-and-disc/diameter~2/

Sound to me like the gab is between the mounting plate and actual cab mount plate, I’m imagining sliding another piece of steel in between to make it up, if I even have to.
More details when I actually get down to installing it.

 

[r2m]

Sound to me like the gab is between the mounting plate and actual cab mount plate, I’m imagining sliding another piece of steel in between to make it up, if I even have to.
More details when I actually get down to installing it.

Be sure to use stainless if you're just sticking a steel shim in there. Don't need to be bonding things together with rust!

 

[JDUB fab]

Be sure to use stainless if you're just sticking a steel shim in there. Don't need to be bonding things together with rust!

Believe you me, we know how to deal with rust around these parts. It’s brutal, I see all the pics of the western rigs and I get jealous.

 

[JDUB fab]

BIG UPDATE!!

Started down the path of installing the DRT cab mount relocate today. #noturningback Got one side welded up, it fit real nice, no modifications of the plates needed for my 2010. Should be able to finish the other side faster and easier tomorrow. Full write up when I’m done but here is a little teaser..

 

[Washingtontaco]

BIG UPDATE!!

Started down the path of installing the DRT cab mount relocate today. #noturningback Got one side welded up, it fit real nice, no modifications of the plates needed for my 2010. Should be able to finish the other side faster and easier tomorrow. Full write up when I’m done but here is a little teaser..

View attachment 3325521
View attachment 3325525

Looking forward to your write up!!

 

[r2m]

BIG UPDATE!!

Started down the path of installing the DRT cab mount relocate today. #noturningback Got one side welded up, it fit real nice, no modifications of the plates needed for my 2010. Should be able to finish the other side faster and easier tomorrow. Full write up when I’m done but here is a little teaser..

View attachment 3325521
View attachment 3325525

Are those 35's you have on it? If so, that cab mount relocate kit will help. You'll still need to be sure your rim offset is enough to not rub on your control arms and of course bang those pinch welds.

 

[JDUB fab]

Are those 35's you have on it? If so, that cab mount relocate kit will help. You'll still need to be sure your rim offset is enough to not rub on your control arms and of course bang those pinch welds.

Yup 35x12.5! -10 offset so clears the UCA just fine, but it’s probably making the rear rubbing worse, this should definitly help the situation. After the BMR I’ll be hammering the pinch welds and probably cutting out the low hanging side step mount at the front. Not ever going back to the oem side steps, and the wheel hits on that a little.

 

[r2m]

To run the 315/70R17's (34.4") BFG's I had to have an alignment done that moved the caster forward. That helped a lot. I only have a wee bit of rubbing now at lock-to-lock.

 

[JDUB fab]

FINISHED the relocate and did a shake down run on the rocks to test.
Happy to say I did not rub on the body mount at all!!!

Overall it took me 3 days dispersed within a week to complete. I think it could be done in 1 long day or 2 easier days depending on paint cure time. I had to wait an extra day because I didn’t realize the paint I used needed 24 hrs to cure. I did this one side at a time due to needing to jack up the body a little.

My thoughts: DRT makes awesome quality products first and foremost. I’m in no way sponsored by them and paid full price for this product. As a metal fabricator artist and designer myself, it’s nice to see a well made product that considers a lot of small things in the design.

Fit up on my 2010 GX460:
as I was told by the owner there was a small gap on the PASSENGER side, between the plate that welds to the frame and the mount that bolts through to the body. See images and descriptors below. the gap was not large enough to warrant anything other than a bit more filler wire from the mig welder. On the DRIVER side the distance between the mount and plate was super tight. This brings me to believe the GX body sits slightly over the to driver in relation to the body mounts (compared to a T4R or Tacoma). This issue while important to note, did not deter me from installing this, and loving the results thus far.

Prep:
Removing the trim and carpet enough to get to the mount bolt top is east except for the STUPID ASS plastic screws that hold the foam spacer down on the drivers side. Good luck with that . Patience for such things is not one of my virtues I broke one and was able to get the other off and reattached. Seems fine.

Jacked the front and put it on stands on both sides, measured the disctance from the pinch weld to the ground at a marked location, removed the body mount bolt and removed the front and rear mounts bolts to get more lift of the body to work. Pro tip, the body mount bolts have a square bottom so you can hold them with a wrench, as the passenger side front is impossible to get to the top.
Once all three body mount bots are removed or lossened I put a block of wood and jack under the body and lifted it up an inch or more to get as much room as I dared to work. I feel like a 1” body lift would be manageable and not require much relocating lol.

Breakdown of old mount:
Probably the hardest/most time consuming part of the whole process is removing the welds from the old body mount off the frame. The actual meat of the mount is easy to sawzall off and presented no issues. The stubborn welds and remaining bit of the mount take a while. I ended up combining good old grinding with some filleting with the sawzall blades along the weld to decrease grinding time. ESPECIALLY the weld on the top of the frame.. that’s the hardest to reach.

 

[JDUB fab]

Cleanup:
After cutting and chiseling as much of the old mounts welds off as possible I ground down to bare metal with a flapper sander pad and removed a rough paint on either side for the new mounting plate. I then prepped the surface with steelit paint, a weldable stainless infused $$$ expensive rattle can. But as the new mounting plate would be over the large circle cut out and thus subject to getting salad and water I wanted the back to be painted. It was the first time using the product. After welding I’d say it’s better than regular paint, not as nice as bare metal.

Weld up:
Now it’s a matter of bolting in the new mount, and sliding the frame plate up, dropping the body down to the aforementioned measurement plus 1/16 to account for bushing compaction after full weight is on the mohnt. Once I liked the placemat I tacked it up and then removed the bushing, jacked the body back up and got the laying burning it in. As I said in the beggining the driver side was super tight and I even ground down the mount a little to get it to fit, and the passenger side had about 1/8 maybe a little more of a gap between the mount and plate. Neither scenario was a problem.
I also painted the backsides of the plates before welding.

Driver:

Passenger:

 

[JDUB fab]

Finished welding:
No hating on the beads unless you also post your welds on public forums, then by all means. Plus it’s crazy awkward positioning on the ground under a truck outside lol.

After it cooled I painted it up with the steelit black. And left that overnight before reinstalling the busing on each side.

Again I did this one side at a time. Let it dry and then reinstalled the bushings and then did the other side. I was worried about jacking up both sides of the body at once.