From FJ Cruiser, to 80 Series, to GX460

[r2m]

I plan on doing this with the rear camera because I will be adding a rear tire swing out for my spare.
I’ve thought about doing it for the front camera as well but don’t want to if I don’t have to. I like the stock mount and how it’s pretty hidden in the grill.

I don’t have a 3D printer but could likely figure out a mount.
I cannot weld, but know some people that can. I work at a scrap yard and can source any type of sheet I’d like to mess with creating a mount.

I can't see any welding needed. Just some cutting, bending and drilling of some ±.0625" SS or aluminum sheet metal.

 

[BigSwede]

I can’t imagine the Strike would block much of the camera view, it hardly sticks out at all on my 2018.

 

[FJlandCruiser]

I can’t imagine the Strike would block much of the camera view, it hardly sticks out at all on my 2018.

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Is there any way you can provide a side profile photo?
This is the bumper I want to roll with minus the bill bars. If I can get an idea of how far it protrudes I can mock up some pseudo bull bars and see if it interferes with anything.

Can you also provide an underneath photo? I’ll be adding skids and curious to see how much gap there is from the bumper to cover. Curious if I’ll need to run a custom cover to fill the gap or if like an RCI plate will fit (even tho I’m likely going BudBuilt or CBI skids).

 

[FJlandCruiser]

After looking at the screen with the camera on, I don’t even think if the bumper extends out it will interfere with the downward angle.
It may be visible on the left and right sides, but I think that’s okay.

Now to figure out what systems are tied into the camera, if any.

 

[r2m]

Now to figure out what systems are tied into the camera, if any.

The Death Ray and Tractor Beam.
Not sure which model GX you have but you may also be equipped with Photon torpedoes too!

 

[Washingtontaco]

If you go with the Victory Strike I would suggest ordering it bare and powder coat locally. Inspect the welds and butt joints, if you don't know what you are looking at have a buddy or shop look at it. I had to have mine remade, Victory stood by their product and replaced it.

 

[GrizzlyClint]

The Death Ray and Tractor Beam.
Not sure which model GX you have but you may also be equipped with Photon torpedoes too!

Dude my rig’s got PROTON torpedoes and disruptors. Boom. In yer FACE!!

 

[BigSwede]

Is there any way you can provide a side profile photo?
This is the bumper I want to roll with minus the bill bars. If I can get an idea of how far it protrudes I can mock up some pseudo bull bars and see if it interferes with anything.

Can you also provide an underneath photo? I’ll be adding skids and curious to see how much gap there is from the bumper to cover. Curious if I’ll need to run a custom cover to fill the gap or if like an RCI plate will fit (even tho I’m likely going BudBuilt or CBI skids).

I’ll see what I can do about the photos.

I know I was wondering about underneath coverage too before buying, but the bumper covers all the way down to just short of the bottom radiator support. Nothing additional is needed between the bumper and engine skid plate.

 

[FJlandCruiser]

If you go with the Victory Strike I would suggest ordering it bare and powder coat locally. Inspect the welds and butt joints, if you don't know what you are looking at have a buddy or shop look at it. I had to have mine remade, Victory stood by their product and replaced it.

Good call.
With my work it’s normal to inspect welds, but mainly old welds that crack over time due to high stress. I generally know what I good weld looks like vs bad but our mechanics at the yard should be able to help me out if there’s any In question.

That’s a good heads up. A surprising heads up, but good to know.
I’d rather not powder coat locally just for the hassle and cost, but I’d rather the hassle than a bumper that’s not structurally sound.

 

[BigSwede]

Good call.
With my work it’s normal to inspect welds, but mainly old welds that crack over time due to high stress. I generally know what I good weld looks like vs bad but our mechanics at the yard should be able to help me out if there’s any In question.

That’s a good heads up. A surprising heads up, but good to know.
I’d rather not powder coat locally just for the hassle and cost, but I’d rather the hassle than a bumper that’s not structurally sound.

i had no issues with my bumper, FWIW.

 

[jdam]

Dang, the around view + rear camera is better than the standard camera on my '22. Maybe I should have waited a little for the right model to come in haha.

 

[FJlandCruiser]

The plan for this build has been laid out. I have ordered most parts for the first phase of this build and that first phase will likely last for a long time (roughly 4-5 years before adding much else).

Suspension: Ironman 4x4 Stage 3 Foam Cell 3" medium spring lift kit
Wheels: RRW RR6-H wheels in Matte Bronze, 17 inch wheel with -12 offset
Tires: BFG K02's 285/75/17
Skids: BudBuilt Full Armor skids - Steel
Front Bumper: Victory 4x4 Strike with Bull Bar - Steel
Rear Bumper: Victory 4x4 Strike, with rear swing out tire carrier - Steel
Sliders: Victory 4x4 - Steel
Roof Rack: Victory 4x4

I also got some new light bulbs to replace all stock interior lights from the dim yellow light to a bright white led light. It's surprising some of the things they don't update on the new vehicle, but I'm okay with it.

I just picked up the truck today from being ceramic coated here locally and I'm looking forward to starting this build off when stuff starts trickling in.

Going back to my 2017 Premium, the vehicles brakes worked fine, but I noted that the pressure that was needed to on the pedal to keep the car stopped seemed significant. Whatever changed in 2023 has solved the problem. The car feels normal at a stop with hardly any pressure on the brake pedal. Cruising also feels better when coming to a stop. The brakes feel much more responsive. I'm curious if its just because they're new pads and it'll fade, but for now its great compared to my 17.

Small things I'll need to do:
Breather for the differentials
I've seen briefly something about KDSS Extension with lifts? Not sure if I will need to worry about that, I'll look into that more
Reflash or update ecu once bigger tires are on so speedo and odo is accurate.

 

[r2m]

Reflash or update ecu once bigger tires are on so speedo and odo is accurate.

From everything I've heard, I don't think it's possible to correct the speedo for larger tires, even after regearing. Regearing didn't work for me.
But if you know different and can do it, that would be awesome, especially for everyone on this form with larger tires!!

 

[FJlandCruiser]

After about a month of ownership and about 2250 miles, here’s a quick little review/recap of a 2023 black line vs a 2017 premium

Cruise Control
I know the cruse control on the 17 was not good. Having said that, the cruise control on the 23 is atrocious. Mainly going downhill is my biggest issue. On the 17 I feel like it didn’t change gears going downhill, it’d just cruise a bit and go above the desired speed. On the 23, this thing jerks and changes gears and jerks the brakes a bit – awful. I feel like we know the cruise control on the GX is bad overall, but somehow it got worse.

Radar cruise control and lane departure alert
Cruise control aside, this is more on the function of the radar portion. No comparison to the 17, but my wife’s 18 Acura MDX has this feature. Acura > GX. It will pick up vehicles in my lane when nothing is there and hit the brakes. It will pick up cars going in the other direction on a two lane highway and hit the brakes. Overall I guess it works okay, but for a $63,000 vehicle I expected it to be better than it is. I find myself taking the cruise completely off when going downhill. Lane departure works okay, but doesn’t pick up until the vehicle is already outside of the lane. It is sometimes inconsistent, it will sometimes alert before the tire is on the line but sometimes it wont alert at all. My wife’s MDX is 10x better than this and it’s a 2018.

Overall, this is not something that was a big deal for me, however getting into a 23 with these features I expected them to work as well or better than my wife’s car that’s 4 years older. The excitement is totally smashed when I get annoyed using these features; and more so when I compare to an older car that’s better.



Infotanment
I was skeptical about the screen in general. Up until a few years back, touch screens in cars were not great in my opinion; this works great. Its sensitive and quick enough. Apple car play is also huge. I ended up getting a wireless dongle that connects my phone to the wired carplay, it works great and no more wires.

I will say, before I set up the wireless apple car play dongle, when I’d get into the car after using wired carplay, the audio would be off. I’d have to manually choose Bluetooth to get audio (or whatever source you wanted) or plug back into the phone for carplay to come up. I feel like it should default to Bluetooth, or the last used source, if carplay isn’t available.


Heated steering wheel
Hilarious. Again, not something I really care much about. But only 9 oclock and 3 oclock portions of the wheel are heated under the leather. It works fine, but just funny that only 25% of the wheel is heated. Also, not to keep comparing, my wife’s MDX has the button to turn on the heated steering wheel on the wheel itself. Much easier and more convenient to turn on with my thumb vs reaching under the steering wheel to turn on. Also, why is the timer on the heated steering wheel so short???

Brakes
I think I touched on this before, but the brakes on my 17 were not great. The pressure that needed to be applied to the pedal to keep the vehicle stopped was a lot. The 23 is much much better. Not sure if its just new pads and rotors, but overall braking is vastly improved.

Headlights
These headlights are fantastic. The look super sharp and they’re just great. Auto high beam, sometimes comes on when it shouldn’t. I’ve only driven two other cars with auto headlights, and they both worked better than the GX in respect to not blinding anyone. 2018 MDX and 2021 Ford F150 Limited.

Overall, I feel like most people don’t buy the GX because it looks sharp. I know I ended up on the platform because it checks off all the boxes I wanted out of a vehicle that I can use for my family for years to come. I did not buy the 2017 GX because it was an amazing looking vehicle. But dang – the details they’ve changed in 2020 and 2022 in addition to the blackline trim…this thing looks really sharp. The front end with the headlights and grill (headlights specifically) just look so good. I’m excited for this to be around for a long long time.

 

[FJlandCruiser]

Next step will be to install the Ironman 4x4 lift kit. Everything for it, from Ironman, has come in the mail so far. I am looking at the weekend of Feb 10th for my install date. I have from now until that week to ensure I've got everything I need for install; all tools and all parts needed.

Other than what is included with the kit itself, what am I looking at needing for this install? Based on the Ironman install video, I THINK I have what I need, but curious on first hand issues.
I read that I may need to disconnect the brake lines in the rear, but not sure if this is really needed. But issues like that, having extra brake fluid on hand, is the type of stuff I'm going to research for now to try and ensure I've done my homework.

I will also be doing all of this work on jack stands in my garage. Any tips or tools to consider to add to my toolbox? It's been about 3 years since I've done serious wrenching, and it was on a much smaller and older vehicle.

 

[r2m]

After about a month of ownership and about 2250 miles, here’s a quick little review/recap of a 2023 black line vs a 2017 premium

Cruise Control
I know the cruse control on the 17 was not good. Having said that, the cruise control on the 23 is atrocious. Mainly going downhill is my biggest issue. On the 17 I feel like it didn’t change gears going downhill, it’d just cruise a bit and go above the desired speed. On the 23, this thing jerks and changes gears and jerks the brakes a bit – awful. I feel like we know the cruise control on the GX is bad overall, but somehow it got worse.

Radar cruise control and lane departure alert
Cruise control aside, this is more on the function of the radar portion. No comparison to the 17, but my wife’s 18 Acura MDX has this feature. Acura > GX. It will pick up vehicles in my lane when nothing is there and hit the brakes. It will pick up cars going in the other direction on a two lane highway and hit the brakes. Overall I guess it works okay, but for a $63,000 vehicle I expected it to be better than it is. I find myself taking the cruise completely off when going downhill. Lane departure works okay, but doesn’t pick up until the vehicle is already outside of the lane. It is sometimes inconsistent, it will sometimes alert before the tire is on the line but sometimes it wont alert at all. My wife’s MDX is 10x better than this and it’s a 2018.

Overall, this is not something that was a big deal for me, however getting into a 23 with these features I expected them to work as well or better than my wife’s car that’s 4 years older. The excitement is totally smashed when I get annoyed using these features; and more so when I compare to an older car that’s better.



Infotanment
I was skeptical about the screen in general. Up until a few years back, touch screens in cars were not great in my opinion; this works great. Its sensitive and quick enough. Apple car play is also huge. I ended up getting a wireless dongle that connects my phone to the wired carplay, it works great and no more wires.

I will say, before I set up the wireless apple car play dongle, when I’d get into the car after using wired carplay, the audio would be off. I’d have to manually choose Bluetooth to get audio (or whatever source you wanted) or plug back into the phone for carplay to come up. I feel like it should default to Bluetooth, or the last used source, if carplay isn’t available.


Heated steering wheel
Hilarious. Again, not something I really care much about. But only 9 oclock and 3 oclock portions of the wheel are heated under the leather. It works fine, but just funny that only 25% of the wheel is heated. Also, not to keep comparing, my wife’s MDX has the button to turn on the heated steering wheel on the wheel itself. Much easier and more convenient to turn on with my thumb vs reaching under the steering wheel to turn on. Also, why is the timer on the heated steering wheel so short???

Brakes
I think I touched on this before, but the brakes on my 17 were not great. The pressure that needed to be applied to the pedal to keep the vehicle stopped was a lot. The 23 is much much better. Not sure if its just new pads and rotors, but overall braking is vastly improved.

Headlights
These headlights are fantastic. The look super sharp and they’re just great. Auto high beam, sometimes comes on when it shouldn’t. I’ve only driven two other cars with auto headlights, and they both worked better than the GX in respect to not blinding anyone. 2018 MDX and 2021 Ford F150 Limited.

Overall, I feel like most people don’t buy the GX because it looks sharp. I know I ended up on the platform because it checks off all the boxes I wanted out of a vehicle that I can use for my family for years to come. I did not buy the 2017 GX because it was an amazing looking vehicle. But dang – the details they’ve changed in 2020 and 2022 in addition to the blackline trim…this thing looks really sharp. The front end with the headlights and grill (headlights specifically) just look so good. I’m excited for this to be around for a long long time.


View attachment 3209069

View attachment 3209071

Regarding all the driving controls (cruise control, lane departure, etc.) I wonder if some/all of these can be changed in TechStream?
I can easily imagine there being options for lane departures sensitivity settings like: high - mid - low, or some type of adjustment.
Regarding the heated steering wheel, yeah, I too was a little disappointed that only the leather sections heated up. But at least it's better than a sharp stick in the eye!!
BTW, how's the seat coolers? I know it's the wrong time of year to ask, but do they put out more air?
To feel mine, I need to be wearing a very light shirt and shorts to feel anything at all from the cooler fans and even then it's very light.

 

[FJlandCruiser]

Regarding all the driving controls (cruise control, lane departure, etc.) I wonder if some/all of these can be changed in TechStream?
I can easily imagine there being options for lane departures sensitivity settings like: high - mid - low, or some type of adjustment.
Regarding the heated steering wheel, yeah, I too was a little disappointed that only the leather sections heated up. But at least it's better than a sharp stick in the eye!!
BTW, how's the seat coolers? I know it's the wrong time of year to ask, but do they put out more air?
To feel mine, I need to be wearing a very light shirt and shorts to feel anything at all from the cooler fans and even then it's very light.

The seat coolers put out more air than my 17 did, but still not the greatest. The MDX in my driveway, I can usually feel the coolers on with my work pants on.

I just bought the MDX this past summer, and man...I'm blown away with how much I like it. Its an 18 with the advanced package, and it is actually a great driving experience. Obviously, a completely different type of vehicle than the GX, but I definitely enjoy driving it.

 

[BigSwede]

Next step will be to install the Ironman 4x4 lift kit. Everything for it, from Ironman, has come in the mail so far. I am looking at the weekend of Feb 10th for my install date. I have from now until that week to ensure I've got everything I need for install; all tools and all parts needed.

Other than what is included with the kit itself, what am I looking at needing for this install? Based on the Ironman install video, I THINK I have what I need, but curious on first hand issues.
I read that I may need to disconnect the brake lines in the rear, but not sure if this is really needed. But issues like that, having extra brake fluid on hand, is the type of stuff I'm going to research for now to try and ensure I've done my homework.

I will also be doing all of this work on jack stands in my garage. Any tips or tools to consider to add to my toolbox? It's been about 3 years since I've done serious wrenching, and it was on a much smaller and older vehicle.

You shouldn't have to undo the rear brake lines, you are just swapping shocks and coils, right?

The Ironman install video is pretty good. You'll just need metric sockets and tools; a pry bar can be helpful at times.

 

[FJlandCruiser]

You shouldn't have to undo the rear brake lines, you are just swapping shocks and coils, right?

The Ironman install video is pretty good. You'll just need metric sockets and tools; a pry bar can be helpful at times.

Correct, shocks and coils.

And I’ve got metric sockets and a pry bar. I think I’m equipped for this but it’s just been awhile since I got after it in the garage.

 

[Banandalorian]

I'm gearing up to install my Dobinson's next weekend so I'm going through the same checklist. You don't need any highly specialized tools, but it does look like ratcheting combo wrenches (Gearwrench or similar) are pretty crucial for the top nuts on the shocks. I don't think there's enough room to get a regular extended socket in there. I did see someone on Youtube just cut holes through their inner fender sheet metal to get a socket onto the front shocks which was...special...

Otherwise it looks like the big GX-specific things are the KDSS procedure, disconnecting the front sway from the KDSS brackets rather than LCAs, and not torqueing anything with a bushing until wheels are back on the ground.