GX470, LX470, 4runner Loose Gear Selection Lever Fix (5 Viewers)

[jsantana]

I currently own an 07 LX and 05 GX. When I picked up the GX about a year ago, I noticed the lever would not remain in lateral positions. If I wanted to place the lever in the 4th position, I would have to hold it in place; otherwise, it would flop over to the D position. This was also the case with positions 1 & 2. Not having lateral positions can be an issue if you tow or if position 1 is required on a descent. It turns out this is a common issue and I have found a good fix.

A "locating pin/dowel" within the assembly travels along a path on the underside of the assembly lid. Underneath the dowel is a pretty robust spring. The spring keeps the pin pressed up against the lid. The issue is that over time, the wear on the lid becomes too great, so much so that it allows just enough clearance to cause the dowel to slip out.

If you're lucky, you'll be able to locate the dowel, which you can replace in its retainer, but it'll likely happen again. If you don't find the dowel, you'll need to order a new assembly or locate a used one. The dowel itself is not available for purchase. I was lucky enough to find it. I created a much longer dowel modeled after the original and partnered it with a softer spring. This combination has resolved the issue and has been tested over 6 months. Zero problems thus far.

I had a couple dowels made using stainless steel. I'm thinking of having a larger batch made to sell along with a new spring. Would anyone be interested in such a product?

Attached you'll see the diagram and some photos I took of my assembly. I also recorded a video breaking down the process.

 

[Bralow]

Hi @jsantana

Thanks for the writeup - this is a common problem on the GX.

It looks like you independetly reinvented this fix that the prado guys have been using: 120 Prado shift lever repair kit - Toyota Prado How To's, Technical Information & Reviews - https://www.pradopoint.com.au/forum/marketplace/for-sale/15788-120-prado-shift-lever-repair-kit

He offers it for sale, but it has to ship all the way from Austrailia which is pretty hard to do these days so I think you could have some success selling these here.

Another thing you might want to do on yours is reinforce it and rebuild the channel

1. The round hole that the metal dowel goes in - that plastic form can break. So build up jb weld around it to reinforce it.

2. The underside of the plastic cover - where the metal dowel rides/slides gets a rut/groove worn in it, but from the factory it is flat and smooth. Again you can apply jb weld to fill in the groove. Then sand it smooth and add grease.

These two fixes took mine from sloppy junk to factory smooth.

 

[sundaymechanic]

Hi @jsantana

I've just run into this problem myself. Do you have any more of these to sell or the dimensions of the dowel and spring you used?

 

[fvedmo]

Cost estimate?

 

[LX450JC]

I currently own an 07 LX and 05 GX. When I picked up the GX about a year ago, I noticed the lever would not remain in lateral positions. If I wanted to place the lever in the 4th position, I would have to hold it in place; otherwise, it would flop over to the D position. This was also the case with positions 1 & 2. Not having lateral positions can be an issue if you tow or if position 1 is required on a descent. It turns out this is a common issue and I have found a good fix.

A "locating pin/dowel" within the assembly travels along a path on the underside of the assembly lid. Underneath the dowel is a pretty robust spring. The spring keeps the pin pressed up against the lid. The issue is that over time, the wear on the lid becomes too great, so much so that it allows just enough clearance to cause the dowel to slip out.

If you're lucky, you'll be able to locate the dowel, which you can replace in its retainer, but it'll likely happen again. If you don't find the dowel, you'll need to order a new assembly or locate a used one. The dowel itself is not available for purchase. I was lucky enough to find it. I created a much longer dowel modeled after the original and partnered it with a softer spring. This combination has resolved the issue and has been tested over 6 months. Zero problems thus far.

I had a couple dowels made using stainless steel. I'm thinking of having a larger batch made to sell along with a new spring. Would anyone be interested in such a product?

Attached you'll see the diagram and some photos I took of my assembly. I also recorded a video breaking down the process.View attachment 2772161View attachment 2772163View attachment 2772165

View attachment 2772157

You still have these for sale? I'm interested as I'm having the same issue right now.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I've had a floppy shifter on my 2003 GX470 for like 6 years and finally getting around to fixing it.

All I know at this point is that the repair involves a shorter spring and a longer pin. At least for me on my GX470, the hole seems to be in good shape with the original spring in place, but the pin has gone missing. That's why the shifter has been floppy and doesn't stay in place in "L" unless I hold it myself. So, I just need the shorter spring and longer pin.

I've read a lot of posts and seen a lot of pictures to try to figure out the diameter and length of the pin and the spring. I'm waiting for parts to arrive. Unfortunately, these parts only come in packs of 10 units and I had to order multiple sizes to figure out which one works the best.

Once I get the parts and I confirm that it solves my floppy shifter problem, I'll make the extra kits available for sale for a limited time, so I can recover some of my costs. The parts are fairly cheap...but it costs money to buy bubbly envelopes, drive to the USPS, and buy postage to the continental USA. So, I'm hoping all this comes around US$15 per kit...but we'll see.

Stay tuned...and while you are in there with the shifter open...check the plastic blushing that holds your transmission cable in place. I checked mine and it's disintegrating. I touched it and a small piece fell off. I'm ordering that bushing and it's a ridiculously high price at $30 plus tax for such a little plastic bushing. Unfortunately, I need to fix this bushing to ensure I can shift into gear.

 

[agntjay818]

So I was on a trail today. Tried to go from 2 to L and bam, was stubborn to get into L so as I placed more pressure I heard a crack and piece rattle inside! So now the shift knob is super loose, doesn’t stay in 4th or L. If placing in 4 it goes to D, if placing on L it goes to 2.

Luckily it goes into D, N and P! I haven’t opened up the gearbox but where can I get those PiNS?

 

[dkkim]

Hi Guys,

So, this post helped me a few years ago *the day before a big cross-country moving trip pulling a trailer*! Yay IH8MUD forum!!!
One good turn deserves (many) others, so here's a modest contribution:

- First, the above sales link for the gent from Australia seems to still work. 120 Prado / GX 470 auto shift lever repair kit | AMTS 4x4 - https://amts4x4.square.site/product/120-prado-gx-470-auto-shift-lever-repair-kit/2
I bought a kit from him (reasonable price for the work and trouble if you ask me! Plus helps support people doing that kind of work).
I may install it for comparison or keep in reserve for my mother's GX 470.

- Second, I had to fabricate a replacement locally on very short notice. So I couldn't use the above kit though I ordered it to have later.
This post is to help others do the same if they need to to get out of a jam.

Hope this helps!

DK



Method:
--Used the photo on the Australia site to infer the relative measurements for the initial fit (I'm listing my own direct measurements here of the Australia AMTS 4x4 kit to help others, see photos).

Spring length 0.762"
Spring width 0.215"

Dowel (pin) length 1.225"
Dowel (pin) width 0.225"

--Cut a piece of scrap metal dowel to the estimated lengthand used a grinder wheel to grind a dome-shaped surface on one end, then polished it for smooth tracking along the plastic plate.
--Found or bought a spring (can't recall). Had to estimate the stiffness. Stiffer is probably better, within reason (?)

ETA: Clarification that the photos and measurements are from the AMTS kit, not my initial locally-sourced and fabricated fix.

 

[kbahus]

If anyone needs to do this repair a 15/64" drill bit works well. I ended up cutting the spring down more, maybe three more coils than what is shown the picture. I incrimentally cut it down until I could get it over into 4th gear without too much trouble. I also cut the drill bit to the length posted above. @dkkim Thanks for posting the measurements!

 

[psilocyBen]

Hi @jsantana

Thanks for the writeup - this is a common problem on the GX.

It looks like you independetly reinvented this fix that the prado guys have been using: 120 Prado shift lever repair kit - Toyota Prado How To's, Technical Information & Reviews - https://www.pradopoint.com.au/forum/marketplace/for-sale/15788-120-prado-shift-lever-repair-kit

He offers it for sale, but it has to ship all the way from Austrailia which is pretty hard to do these days so I think you could have some success selling these here.

Another thing you might want to do on yours is reinforce it and rebuild the channel

1. The round hole that the metal dowel goes in - that plastic form can break. So build up jb weld around it to reinforce it.

2. The underside of the plastic cover - where the metal dowel rides/slides gets a rut/groove worn in it, but from the factory it is flat and smooth. Again you can apply jb weld to fill in the groove. Then sand it smooth and add grease.

These two fixes took mine from sloppy junk to factory smooth.

I know this is old but are you certain that the factory transmission box lid underside track where the metal dowel runs across is supposed to be completely flat? I’m on a trip right now and I was having a hard time shifting to 2nd and the dowel popped out. Shifter became floppy and I was unable to maintain 4th or L. I luckily was able to locate and fish out the dowel with a magnet but when I reassembled everything it’s still super hard to shift vertically. I’m wondering if I just need to apply more grease since I wiped some off when cleaning or if I need to add JB weld and sand flat. Here’s what mine looks like. There’s a super deep hole where the dowel sits when it’s in drive but it’s hard to believe that was a result of wear. Just want to make sure I don’t make this worse. Any insight is hugely appreciated

 

[dkkim]

I cannot remember, and am hundreds of miles from the vehicle, but here are my thoughts:
-the underside of the plate is kind of odd-looking, so that might not be itself an indication. I can't answer your question as to whether the wear is too deep. However...
-IIUC the issue is that the pin binds and sticks as it's near its limits or falls out and then becomes floppy

My advice:
-orchestrate a fix that changes the pin length (as above); this is also prophylactic and will probably mitigate the issue if the hole is too deep (as in my case, I changed the pin and didn't address the plastic detent plate beyond greasing it)
-grease to be sure though if the issue is wear you stil have to fix the pin length problem

HTH
David

 

[psilocyBen]

I cannot remember, and am hundreds of miles from the vehicle, but here are my thoughts:
-the underside of the plate is kind of odd-looking, so that might not be itself an indication. I can't answer your question as to whether the wear is too deep. However...
-IIUC the issue is that the pin binds and sticks as it's near its limits or falls out and then becomes floppy

My advice:
-orchestrate a fix that changes the pin length (as above); this is also prophylactic and will probably mitigate the issue if the hole is too deep (as in my case, I changed the pin and didn't address the plastic detent plate beyond greasing it)
-grease to be sure though if the issue is wear you stil have to fix the pin length problem

HTH
David

Thanks for the reply. Yeah looking closer at the track where the dowel runs along, there’s definitely some wear but nothing insane. I think the issue is more with the dowel. I saw the measurements of the one from the kit you posted. Looks like I can get a similar size rounded dowel on Amazon and just cut down the OEM spring, but the issue is I can only find the dowels in 5mm or 6mm. Your measurement of .225 inches is about 5.7mm. I’m thinking the 6mm might be too big. Maybe the 5mm will suffice?

 

[dkkim]

Hey @psilocyBen , @kbahus used a 15/64" drill bit. My math is diameter = (15/64") * (25.4mm/") = 5.953 mm, so closer to 6mm than 5 mm.
IIRC there is some play (extra space) in the recessed channel that holds the rod.

So you might be ok with either but I would try with the 6mm first.

To "round out" the end, I used a grinder but I'm betting you could do it by hand with any really abrasive material if you're out in the field.

Hope this helps!
David

 

[psilocyBen]

Hey @psilocyBen , @kbahus used a 15/64" drill bit. My math is diameter = (15/64") * (25.4mm/") = 5.953 mm, so closer to 6mm than 5 mm.
IIRC there is some play (extra space) in the recessed channel that holds the rod.

So you might be ok with either but I would try with the 6mm first.

To "round out" the end, I used a grinder but I'm betting you could do it by hand with any really abrasive material if you're out in the field.

Hope this helps!
David

I stuck a 15/64 bit in there and it seemed like the perfect tight fit with pretty much no wiggle room and I decided I didn’t want to risk it not fitting so I ordered a 5mm. Amazon also only had 6mm x 35mm long dowels so I decided to get a 5mm x 30mm which is closer to the kit pin length. But you’re probably right, the difference is so small that 6mm prob would fit. My main concern is the slight extra play will cause extra stress on the surrounding plastic hole/enclosure and may lead to a break, but hopefully it’s fine. Thanks a bunch for the insight and help here

 

[Rednexus]

I used a kit from AUS. Kind of pricey honestly, but it came with everything and has the longer pin. I think @stupidchicken03 found this kit originally. They do ship some out of the US as well.

120 Prado / GX 470 auto shift lever repair kit | AMTS 4x4

120 Prado / GX 470 auto shift lever repair kit

amts4x4.square.site

 

[psilocyBen]

For anyone else reading this and trying to DIY, a 6mm dowel is too large. It fits inside the hole but it’s too tight to move up and down easily and will get stuck in the down position rendering it useless. Additionally, when cutting your spring, start at just under 2” total length (dowel + spring) and cut down in VERY small increments, testing each time with the cover on secured with the pin, until you can shift without too much trouble. The length/tension really has to be exact. Too much and it won’t shift. Too little and it will move too easily. One more tip is, it helps to screw the shifter knob back on when testing so you can see exactly how it will feel shifting once it’s all reassembled. The extra length provides more leverage that feels a lot different than just moving the metal rod alone.