Builds His and Her GX 460 Builds (1 Viewer)

[TX GX460]

Thanks for posting up details of the powertray. Mine came in today and i'm almost done putting it all together. I never would have thought the 5th gen 4runner tray fits perfectly in our GX. Keep up the good work on the build

Great! Good luck with the install, and make sure to post some pics when you are done. Also, please mention if you have any additional tips or improvements for the install process.

 

[TX GX460]

Wanted to share a nice hack that HitchCrack suggested to me a few weeks ago while we were installing his rear drawers. I have Waian steel gas cans on my rear bumper, and although they are darn near indestructible, filling up the tank without spillage has been problematic. Plus, the MetalTech rear bumper fuel carrier is poorly designed, making it very difficult to put in a full can of gas without a second person helping. HitchCrack suggested a battery operated fuel transfer pump that has a hose long enough to use in-place without removing the cans from the rear bumper. I purchased the following pump from Amazon and it has worked great for me. http://a.co/d/4E4jYzd. Fast transfer time and pretty good about almost emptying the cans. The only complaint I have is that it does not have an adapter for the Wavian spout, and the pump leaks from the bottom. This isn't a problem if your adapter screws into the fuel tank spout, but that isn't an option with the NATO-style spout. So I just needed to hold the pump at an angle so that the drips went back down into the tank spout and everything was good. A very worthwhile expenditure if you are running spare fuel on your rear bumper.

 

[HitchCrack]

Glad to see that you found something that works!! Here is the pump the I carry in my kit on the vehicle. I have used it a few times to transfer fuel out of my cans into the truck. I would really love to do an Aux tank and not have to worry about carrying cans on the bumper.

https://smile.amazon.com/Siphon-Pro...d=1543769145&sr=8-5&keywords=fuel+siphon+pump

 

[r2m]

Not sure where you guys go wheel'n but I've never needed any more than a full tank (or as close to it as possible) at the beginning of a trail. Even the Dusy Ershim trial, a 30 mile difficult trail (in our local Sierras) that'll take several days to cover in slow, mostly rock crawling mode, I've never heard of needing extra fuel. This biggest concern is to make sure one has enough water! That's why both the Specter 5 gal cans on my Metal Tech rear bumper are for water.

Maybe of where I live? I've never gone off-roading in Texas or "Funky Town"...

I have to admit that I would love a sub-tank in the spare tire location with an extra 15 gallons or so! To me, the biggest waste of time throughout my life is putting gas in a vehicle. If I can make fewer stops on a road tirp I'd love that!
On that note, I've done some research and searching and I can't come up with anything for our beloved GX's.

 

[xplorr]

@r2m Long range tanks hopefully coming soon:
CRUISER BROTHERS' GX 460 TEST TRUCK

I love the GX platform - it is big enough to be comfortable, but small and nimble enough to park it, wheel it and not knock off the corners.

The truck will be the development mule for our LRA tank for the GX/5th Gen 4Runner tanks and then get a Kaymar rear bar as soon as I can get my wife to go along with that plan.

 

[wardharris]

@r2m Long range tanks hopefully coming soon:
CRUISER BROTHERS' GX 460 TEST TRUCK

Soon is a relative term for us.

We have helped to develop or upgrade eight tanks for North American vehicles over the last year. With those behind us we are looking forward to getting to the GX 460.

No target date, but it will happen.

 

[TX GX460]

Not sure where you guys go wheel'n but I've never needed any more than a full tank (or as close to it as possible) at the beginning of a trail. Even the Dusy Ershim trial, a 30 mile difficult trail (in our local Sierras) that'll take several days to cover in slow, mostly rock crawling mode, I've never heard of needing extra fuel. This biggest concern is to make sure one has enough water! That's why both the Specter 5 gal cans on my Metal Tech rear bumper are for water.

Maybe of where I live? I've never gone off-roading in Texas or "Funky Town"...

I have to admit that I would love a sub-tank in the spare tire location with an extra 15 gallons or so! To me, the biggest waste of time throughout my life is putting gas in a vehicle. If I can make fewer stops on a road tirp I'd love that!
On that note, I've done some research and searching and I can't come up with anything for our beloved GX's.

We have done some longer trips out of state and off the beaten path where we have needed spare gas, but for 99% of the time I leave my gas cans at home. I agree that the best solution is the LRA tank Cruiser Brothers is working to adapt to the 460, and I have been on their wait list for about a year now anticipating the release date. When it arrives, I can be confident it will have been done right, so I am in no rush. In the meantime, I will likely order the intermediate LRA tank for my wife's 200 series in the next 6 months to give her some additional range and peace of mind. The 460 tank is going to be big (36 gallon), which is bigger than I would normally want but beggars can't be choosers. A 15-20 gallon tank would be perfect, but at the same time I can always just choose to not fill up the tank.

 

[r2m]

We have done some longer trips out of state and off the beaten path where we have needed spare gas, but for 99% of the time I leave my gas cans at home. I agree that the best solution is the LRA tank Cruiser Brothers is working to adapt to the 460, and I have been on their wait list for about a year now anticipating the release date. When it arrives, I can be confident it will have been done right, so I am in no rush. In the meantime, I will likely order the intermediate LRA tank for my wife's 200 series in the next 6 months to give her some additional range and peace of mind. The 460 tank is going to be big (36 gallon), which is bigger than I would normally want but beggars can't be choosers. A 15-20 gallon tank would be perfect, but at the same time I can always just choose to not fill up the tank.

I guess this question is also directed at Cruiser Brothers also: When you you say "36 gallon" tank, are you referring to an auxiliary tank or a replacement tank for the factory 23 gallon tank we currently have?
Just a larger 36 gal tank to replace the stock would awesome! but I'd settle for an auxiliary tank also.
As a famous person just posted, "...beggars can't be choosers."

 

[TX GX460]

I guess this question is also directed at Cruiser Brothers also: When you you say "36 gallon" tank, are you referring to an auxiliary tank or a replacement tank for the factory 23 gallon tank we currently have?
Just a larger 36 gal tank to replace the stock would awesome! but I'd settle for an auxiliary tank also.
As a famous person just posted, "...beggars can't be choosers."

LRA tanks are auxiliary only. They come with a fuel transfer pump you switch on when needed. The LC has 3 different auxiliary size options, but the GX 460 will likely only have the 36 gallon option. It goes where the spare tire is. You can see pictures installed in the Prado 150 on the Long Range Automotive Australian website.

 

[r2m]

Thanks! I'll go take a peek at that.
I wonder how low they hang down below the bumper? If they'll compromise my departure angle?
But it would be nice with my current 11.5 to 13 mpg to travel 650 plus miles before needing a fill-up!
That'd get me all the way up to South Lake Tahoe on one fill-up! And then I can top off on the really cheap gas in Nevada!

 

[wardharris]

Sorry

We haven't developed the kit yet so aux tank capacity for the GX 460 is not known yet.

The GX 470 aux tank is 33 gallons, so that is a reasonable target.

No ETA yet. Hoping Sprint 2019

 

[r2m]

Sorry

We haven't developed the kit yet so aux tank capacity for the GX 460 is not known yet.

The GX 470 aux tank is 33 gallons, so that is a reasonable target.

No ETA yet. Hoping Sprint 2019

Just a request, please don't compromise the departure angle by having the tank hang down too low.
If it can't be avoided, at least have a skid plate.
I'll be looking forward to it!

 

[TX GX460]

Thanks! I'll go take a peek at that.
I wonder how low they hang down below the bumper? If they'll compromise my departure angle?
But it would be nice with my current 11.5 to 13 mpg to travel 650 plus miles before needing a fill-up!
That'd get me all the way up to South Lake Tahoe on one fill-up! And then I can top off on the really cheap gas in Nevada!

They tuck up in the frame pretty well and usually angle up in the back for improved ground clearance. The departure angle is usually no worse than with a spare tire underneath.

 

[ducktapeguy]

Not sure where you guys go wheel'n but I've never needed any more than a full tank (or as close to it as possible) at the beginning of a trail. Even the Dusy Ershim trial, a 30 mile difficult trail (in our local Sierras) that'll take several days to cover in slow, mostly rock crawling mode, I've never heard of needing extra fuel. This biggest concern is to make sure one has enough water! That's why both the Specter 5 gal cans on my Metal Tech rear bumper are for water.

Maybe of where I live? I've never gone off-roading in Texas or "Funky Town"...

I have to admit that I would love a sub-tank in the spare tire location with an extra 15 gallons or so! To me, the biggest waste of time throughout my life is putting gas in a vehicle. If I can make fewer stops on a road tirp I'd love that!
On that note, I've done some research and searching and I can't come up with anything for our beloved GX's.

I was at the Racetrack Playa in DV last year and had some guy offering to buy a few gallons of gas from me because he didn't think he had enough to make it out.

I've run out of gas a couple of times (not in the GX), I've been uncomfortably close to empty and needed to detour to find gas stations more often than I would like. An extra 8-10 gallons would be about perfect for me. I have a 22 gallon aux tank in my FJ40 and it's probably my favorite addition to the vehicle. It takes away all the stress and planning for gas stops on a trip and lets you really explore without limitations. It also allows you to bypass the $5+/gal gas in places like Panamint or Shoshone or Big Sur and go an extra 100 miles to fill up at $3/gal.

I like the idea of a small aux tank above the spare because carrying gas cans usually requires some type of bumper mounted carrier, which adds a lot of unnecessary weight even when you don't carry any fuel. A 35 gallon aux tank is way overkill, but still pretty cool.

 

[LTSR]

Great! Good luck with the install, and make sure to post some pics when you are done. Also, please mention if you have any additional tips or improvements for the install process.

Please let me know if you're not ok with me posting this here. I finished the mounting install this weekend. I would advise to others is to mount the 10mm bolts with the powertray. I used blue painter tape to hold them down and install the tray as a whole. The larger bolts that hold the tray to the chassis can be installed after. As seen here below:

Also the orientation of the pressure switch should be facing the engine. I originally mounted it facing the brake master cylinder (BMC) hoping it would fit but as the photo shows it rubs on the BMC:

I reclocked the pressure switch:

All done:

I added some padding to the portion of the tray that connects to the fender side as I didn't want direct metal to metal and ruining the factory paint:

Factory parts I removed and are now in a storage box. I did not notice any increase in engine bay noise from removal of the factory plastics:

I will be finishing the wiring hopefully this week.

 

[TX GX460]

Nice clean install, and thanks for the additional pointers and clarification. I also like the foam tape idea where it attaches to the fender. Keep up the good work.

 

[TX GX460]

Finally found a decently priced 2014+ GX 460 rear bumper cover on ebay this past week, which just arrived on Friday.

That means it's off to the powdercoater with the Kaymar bumper for color match. The trip from Australia was a little rough on the black powder coat, so I would have had to at least touch up the powder coat with paint even if I wasnt changing the color.

If anyone is looking for a used knights armor pearl color matched MetalTech stage 3 Lancer rear bumper, mine will be available soon. DM me for details.

 

[TX GX460]

The Kaymar bumper is on! Not a terrible install, even for one person (with assistance lifting the bumper on). I will try to do as thorough of a write-up as possible, but it will take time so please bear with me. I realize that in the photos below the paint color does not match for the bumper cover; I mistakenly gave my paint guy the wrong paint name so it will have to go back for a re-shoot. Until then I will just deal with the mismatch.

 

[TX GX460]

Some initial thoughts:
I have not attempted installing the swing arms yet. As you can see from the side shot above, the lights for the 2014+ model extend out much further than for the 2010-2013. As a result, I may not be able to install the swing arms without removing the lights and/or trimming the bumper cover further. If that is the case I may end up attempting to install a 2010-2013 rear bumper cover that has the necessary room. I purchased some large heat shrink end caps that I will shrink around the posts for the swingarms and then pack with a little marine grease until the swing arms are installed. My stopgap solution was to put Ziploc baggies over the posts and use duct tape to secure them, which is what you see above. This was especially necessary given the rain we have had the past few weeks.

The quality of the Kaymar product is good. I have had a few minor fit issues, which I will detail in this thread. But overall I am much happier with this solution than the MetalTech Lancer. I like MetalTech and have bought a number of products from them in the past, but I must say that I was disappointed with the Lancer design and execution. The design of the Kaymar allows for improved departure angles over stock while maintaining factory hitch ratings and a clean, near-factory appearance.

I suggest re-installation of the rear mudflaps. They serve to hold the bumper cover trim in place at the fender well, and provide a little help in protecting the sensors and wiring harnesses in the bumper from debris. I trimmed the mudflaps a little, but you could just as easily keep them on.

Because of how close the swing arm posts come to the reverse lights in the bumper cover, you must do all your trimming and install of the bumper cover before installing the bumper. As I learned the hard way, removing and reinstalling the bumper to fit on the cover is not something you want to have to do.

The factory reverse lights are covered by the swing arm posts, so there is no need to try to wire them up. The lights in the Kaymar bumper are sufficient.

 

[wardharris]

Some initial thoughts:
I have not attempted installing the swing arms yet. As you can see from the side shot above, the lights for the 2014+ model extend out much further than for the 2010-2013. As a result, I may not be able to install the swing arms without removing the lights and/or trimming the bumper cover further. If that is the case I may end up attempting to install a 2010-2013 rear bumper cover that has the necessary room. I purchased some large heat shrink end caps that I will shrink around the posts for the swingarms and then pack with a little marine grease until the swing arms are installed. My stopgap solution was to put Ziploc baggies over the posts and use duct tape to secure them, which is what you see above. This was especially necessary given the rain we have had the past few weeks.

The quality of the Kaymar product is good. I have had a few minor fit issues, which I will detail in this thread. But overall I am much happier with this solution than the MetalTech Lancer. I like MetalTech and have bought a number of products from them in the past, but I must say that I was disappointed with the Lancer design and execution.

I suggest re-installation of the rear mudflaps. They serve to hold the bumper cover trim in place at the fender well, and provide a little help in protecting the sensors and wiring harnesses in the bumper from debris. I trimmed the mudflaps a little, but you could just as easily keep them on.

Because of how close the swing arm posts come to the reverse lights in the bumper cover, you must do all your trimming and install of the bumper cover before installing the bumper. As I learned the hard way, removing and reinstalling the bumper to fit on the cover is not something you want to have to do.

The factory reverse lights are covered by the swing arm posts, so there is no need to try to wire them up. The lights in the Kaymar bumper are sufficient.

Thanks for your leadership in posting up on the Kaymar install. As North American agent/distributor for Kaymar, we are open for business and shipping bars and carriers monthly. As a GX 460 owner, I am excited about the bar and the future LRA tank. It is likely that we will go with a smaller tank than the 33 gallon model seen on the GX 470 kit (which also served the 4G 4Runners) - around 24 gallons.

One thought on the spindles - we can get you some formed spindle covers if you wish to run the bar without carriers. Around $20 each as I recall.

We are here to help - just call 209-636-0831 or shoot an email to info@cruiserbrothers.com

Thanks

Ward Harris and Georg Esterer