All BS aside, I have the Harrops front and rear, they work great but very rarely use them. Nice to have when you need the thing. Just my humble opinion but I ran a 9inch rear in my jeep, it was nearly indestructible. The GX with its measly 8" is an example of catastrophic under build on a rig that heavy and with that much engine. Putting 35s on there an doing some moderate to hard rock climbing is asking for a shredded ring gear. I cant find the website now, but there's a guy out there building a built rear I think with a 9" and locked. it was a beautiful piece but if I remember right would set you back about $8k
I found it, Fusion builds them with a 35 spline 9":
Fusion 35 Spline HD Fabricated 9" Rear Axle for Toyota Tacoma / 4Runner / FJ Cruiser / Lexus GX 470 - https://fusion4x4.com/collections/toyota-tacoma-axle-assemblies/products/fusion-35-spline-hd-fabricated-9-rear-axle-for-toyota-tacoma
Its a beautiful piece and would round off the gx into an indestructible rig.
Fusion 35 Spline HD Fabricated 9" Rear Axle for Toyota Tacoma / 4Runner / FJ Cruiser / Lexus GX 470
Vehicle and Model Year: GX 470 - 2003-2009 (1st Gen)
Axle Width: OE Width (65.6")
Gear Ratio: 3.89
Locker/Traction: Detroit Locker
Pinion Yoke: 1350 with Conversion U-Joint (Select if using OE Driveshaft)
Axle Brackets: Yes, weld on 4Runner, FJ Cruiser Brackets, or GX 470 Brackets
Inspection/Fill Cap: No thanks
Fusion Commercial Paint Coating: Yes, ship fully painted
$7,430.00
Pretty good thread here:
Found another one too, East Coast Gear can build a 60 to the door for about $6k:
Anyway, its a good subject for a thread, the GX rear. Its the weak point of the entire rig and deserves careful thought when doing mods, changing tires and what you plan on using the thing for. I put some thought into mine, which is, I'm not much of a giant tire guy and I'm not going on the King of Hammers with my GX, a bit of rock crawling ability is nice to have. I fully expect my 8" to shred someday and when it does, Ill be going back in with a well built rear end that does away with the weak link completely. But I don't run 35s , I'm running 285s or 33s so I'm keeping my tire size down, that limits me on severe trails but, I'm not taking the GX on severe trails either, I don't want body damage, bang up the side and then some money starts pouring in. So, for me the 8" with the Harrop is good for now, when it shreds I go back in with bigger better.