Builds His and Her GX 460 Builds (1 Viewer)

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I installed the Stedi replacement LED fog lamps on my ARB Summit bar today. They are definitely a step up from the stock halogen. They aren't as bright as the baja designs squadron pros we put on the LC 200, but they function more like traditional fogs.

FYI, although the units I purchase are for the Summit Bar, they make replacement LED units for ARB classic, Iron Man Premium and other specific bumpers. Because of size and shape differences, each design is different as well.

The photo below is looking at the light from the bottom. So the LED emitter for th fog portion is downward facing, and then it hits a curved reflector that directs the light forward. One thing this means is that the light stays low and does not direct upward. Instead there is a pretty clean cut-off vertically for better fog visibility and less reflection back at the driver. Unfortunately these are white, rather than yellow, which isn't as good for fog visibility. I may tint the lens shield yellow in the future.
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Installation was pretty simple. First step is to remove the protective lens shield. Good time to clean it too. One screw on the outside and it pops right out.
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Remove the bash plates from each side of the bumper to access the rear of the lights. Unplug the original ARB fog from the wiring harness. The next step can be a little confusing. The lights have an adjustment screw that allows it to pivot for manual height adjustment. To remove the light, the adjustment screw must be free of the plastic retention pin it sits in (the one with a hole in the bottom for accessing the adjustment screw head). That means you have to tighten (clockwise) the screw to push it up and free it from the retention pin it sits in.
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Once you have screwed it in far enough for the light to tilt down and be free of the retention pin, you can pop out the light forward. Pop out the plastic retainer pin as well. Replace it with the plastic retainer pin provided in the Stedi kit.

This is a good time to clean the plastic fog surround. I also treated it with a marine protectant.

Now install the Stedi light. Like the ARB halogen bulb, the Stedi light has an adjustment bolt that works in the same way. All necessary hardware is in the box. One thing that surprised me was that the adjustment bolt supplied (M5) was smaller than the hole in the housing it was supposed to go into, such that it could slide in and out freely. But the threads in the hole did not match an M6. I figured out that, because the light pivots and the head of the adjustment bolt stays in the retainer location, it must be allowed some pivot movement in the housing. The angular force of the bolt against the side of the hole keeps it in place.

To install, you are supposed to have the adjustment bolt in place, screwed in far enough to clear the retainer pin. It feeds through a spring and would not necessarily stay in place without me holding it for the reasons mentioned above regarding hole size. So I added an M5 nut on the bolt to hold it in place during the install. I went ahead and kept it on afterwards, because it provides additional security against slippage of the adjustment bolt that could cause misalignment issues.
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Now, feed the wires in through the hole and install the light, making sure that it slides into both pivot locations with the back tilted up so the head of the adjustment bolt clears the retainer pin. Then use your small Phillips driver to unscrew the adjustment bolt until it is seated in the retainer location and the light is aimed where you want it to be.

Now the only thing left to do is wire it up. The harness plugs directly into the ARB harness for the fogs. The light has a DRL function with a separate yellow wire. I attached it to the wire on my ARB marker/indicator lights in the bumper that serves the same purpose (sorry, not the best photo).
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Replaced factory bump stops with Wheelers today. This was long overdue. Factory nump stops are dense and not very forgiving, plus they are meant for regular (non-lifted) geometry. The Wheelers stops are softer to provide a more forgiving impact and compression, and taller to work with suspension lifts.

Front factory bump:
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Taking it off is a little annoying. It simply unscrews as a unit. You can remove it by hand but need to loosen it first. A 3" channel lock or pipe wrench can do it. The Wheelers replacement has a hex cap screw up the center and it comes with an allen key to install.
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Wheeler's also has spacers to compensate for various geometries. I purchased some but am starting without first and will add them later if needed.

Below is a comparison of rear stops.
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When installing the rear, make sure to zip tie the line out of the way as shown below so it doesn't get pinched between the bump stop and axle.
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I'll update once I have a chance to try them out offroad.
 
I finally had the opportunity to try the LP9 pros and Stedi Txpe-X Pros side-by-side. The pictures below are just before a rise to get an idea of beam pattern. LP9s are on the right, Stedis on the left. Pictures aren't the best; I will try to do some longer distance ones next to show any difference in spot throw.

Overall I was very impressed with the Stedis, especially for the price. As you can see below, the Stedis are every bit as bright as the LP9s (if not brighter), with a similar spot pattern. But the Stedis also offer significantly better wide/scene lighting. After seeing them side by side and comparing manufacturing quality, I would personally choose the Stedi Txpe-X Pro over the LP9 Pros, even if there wasn't such a huge price difference. With the price difference it seems like a no-brainer to me personally. The Stedis come with everything you need - wiring harness, relay, switch (two of them, with different lead lengths), and all hardware. The bracket appears to be more sturdy as well. Both are exceptional lights, but the Stedi is the better deal in my mind.

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A few weeks ago we installed a 24 gallon auxiliary tank from Long Range America (LRA) on the 200 series (Long Range Fuel Tanks from Long Range Automotive - Buy in America). LRA makes auxiliary tanks for the GX as well, but for now only a 33 gallon option. The LC 200 has three choices: 12.5, 24 and 33 gallon. Because they are all the same price, the choice is based on your needs. We went with the 24 gallon to double our range while trying to keep better clearance and lower weight as compared to the 33 gallon model. But from what I have seen of the 33 gallon on the 460, it stays out of the way better than you would think.

As you can see below, the 24 gallon trucks up nicely in the frame where the spare tire goes and stays higher than many other components. The kit comes with everything needed, including new filler neck, hoses, hardware, transfer pump and gauge/switch. Unless you are a certified mechanic LRA is unlikely to let you install yourself and is selective about shops it will send the tank to, so talk to them before order to make sure you are on the same page with them. I had it done at Tandem Automotive in Fort Worth area, which is also an authorized LRA retailer, so there was no issue there.

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The fuel filling works pretty well once you get the hang of it. The nozzle has two directional fill holes, as shown below. Once you fill one, you slightly rotate the nozzle to fill the other. Overflow from one will flow into the other as well.
20200519_175407.jpg


The gauge and pump switch are small and fit on a switch blank. Shown below is with accessory turned on to show function. The lights show fill gauge, and the button turns the pump on and off. The pump is noticeable at first until fuel starts flowing, but then it is quiet enough that it is not noticeable with the car on, even when stationary.
20200520_140707.jpg

The transfer of fuel is pretty slow. I would place it at about 0.5 gal/min. One thing to note is that the vehicle fuel gauge is programmed to have a slow/delayed rise while the vehicle is on. So if you are using the transfer pump, shut it off at around the 7/8 full mark to prevent over-filling the main tank.

So far we are very happy with this product. We take the main tank down to a out 1/4 full, transfer fuel from auxiliary so that fuel is being cycled through and not stagnant, and then fill up. This way we always have at least the equivalent of a full tank of gas and range in the vehicle. We are looking forward to our trip to Colorado next month and only having stops governed by bladder capacity and not range issues.

Another note of warning. Although LRA is based in California, the products are not CARB compliant and will not pass inspection there. Check your own state regulations before installing.
 
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A few weeks ago we installed a 24 gallon auxiliary tank from Long Range America (LRA) on the 200 series (Long Range Fuel Tanks from Long Range Automotive - Buy in America). LRA makes auxiliary tanks for the GX as well, but for now only a 33 gallon option. The LC 200 has three choices: 12.5, 24 and 33 gallon. Because they are all the same price, the choice is based on your needs. We went with the 24 gallon to double our range while trying to keep better clearance and lower weight as compared to the 33 gallon model. But from what I have seen of the 33 gallon on the 460, it stays out of the way better than you would think.

As you can see below, the 24 gallon trucks up nicely in the frame where the spare tire goes and stays higher than many other components. The kit comes with everything needed, including new filler neck, hoses, hardware, transfer pump and gauge/switch. Unless you are a certified mechanic LRA is unlikely to let you install yourself and is selective about shops it will send the tank to, so talk to them before order to make sure you are on the same page with them. I had it done at Tandem Automotive in Fort Worth area, which is also an authorized LRA retailer, so there was no issue there.

View attachment 2332336

View attachment 2332309
View attachment 2332312

The fuel filling works pretty well once you get the hang of it. The nozzle has two directional fill holes, as shown below. Once you fill one, you slightly rotate the nozzle to fill the other. Overflow from one will flow into the other as well.
View attachment 2332315

The gauge and pump switch are small and fit on a switch blank. Shown below is with accessory turned on to show function. The lights show fill gauge, and the button turns the pump on and off. The pump is noticeable at first until fuel starts flowing, but then it is quiet enough that it is not noticeable with the car on, even when stationary.
View attachment 2332318
The transfer of fuel is pretty show. I would place it at about 0.5 gal/min. One thing to note is that the vehicle fuel gauge is programmed to have a slow/delayed rise while the vehicle is on. So if you are using the transfer pump, shut it off at around the 7/8 full mark to prevent over-filling the main tank.

So far we are very happy with this product. We take the main tank down to a out 1/4 full, transfer fuel from auxiliary so that fuel is being cycled through and not stagnant, and then fill up. This way we always have at least the equivalent of a full tank of gas and range in the vehicle. We are looking forward to our trip to Colorado next month and only having stops governed by bladder capacity and not range issues.

Another note of warning. Although LRA is based in California, the products are not CARB compliant and will not pass inspection there. Check your own state regulations before installing.

So you are getting about 600 miles to a tank? Thank you for testing this out! I am leaning toward the 24 gallon tank now. The 33 gallon tank might be a little much for what I want to do
 
So you are getting about 600 miles to a tank? Thank you for testing this out! I am leaning toward the 24 gallon tank now. The 33 gallon tank might be a little much for what I want to do
Unfortunately, the GX 460 only has the 33 gallon option. The 200 series land cruiser has 3 different sizes available, but that's because they didn't have to modify the tank design to fit the U.S. spec vehicles. For the GX, several changes had to be made to the Prado 150 tank to get the fit right, and with the offroad GX market still relatively small they are only offering the largest capacity at this point.
 
Unfortunately, the GX 460 only has the 33 gallon option. The 200 series land cruiser has 3 different sizes available, but that's because they didn't have to modify the tank design to fit the U.S. spec vehicles. For the GX, several changes had to be made to the Prado 150 tank to get the fit right, and with the offroad GX market still relatively small they are only offering the largest capacity at this point.
Well I guess its the best choice because it is the only choice. Hopefully the more people who modify their GX the more products they will make. We shall see.
 
A few weeks ago we installed a 24 gallon auxiliary tank from Long Range America (LRA) on the 200 series (Long Range Fuel Tanks from Long Range Automotive - Buy in America). LRA makes auxiliary tanks for the GX as well, but for now only a 33 gallon option. The LC 200 has three choices: 12.5, 24 and 33 gallon. Because they are all the same price, the choice is based on your needs. We went with the 24 gallon to double our range while trying to keep better clearance and lower weight as compared to the 33 gallon model. But from what I have seen of the 33 gallon on the 460, it stays out of the way better than you would think.

As you can see below, the 24 gallon trucks up nicely in the frame where the spare tire goes and stays higher than many other components. The kit comes with everything needed, including new filler neck, hoses, hardware, transfer pump and gauge/switch. Unless you are a certified mechanic LRA is unlikely to let you install yourself and is selective about shops it will send the tank to, so talk to them before order to make sure you are on the same page with them. I had it done at Tandem Automotive in Fort Worth area, which is also an authorized LRA retailer, so there was no issue there.

View attachment 2332336

View attachment 2332309
View attachment 2332312

The fuel filling works pretty well once you get the hang of it. The nozzle has two directional fill holes, as shown below. Once you fill one, you slightly rotate the nozzle to fill the other. Overflow from one will flow into the other as well.
View attachment 2332315

The gauge and pump switch are small and fit on a switch blank. Shown below is with accessory turned on to show function. The lights show fill gauge, and the button turns the pump on and off. The pump is noticeable at first until fuel starts flowing, but then it is quiet enough that it is not noticeable with the car on, even when stationary.
View attachment 2332318
The transfer of fuel is pretty show. I would place it at about 0.5 gal/min. One thing to note is that the vehicle fuel gauge is programmed to have a slow/delayed rise while the vehicle is on. So if you are using the transfer pump, shut it off at around the 7/8 full mark to prevent over-filling the main tank.

So far we are very happy with this product. We take the main tank down to a out 1/4 full, transfer fuel from auxiliary so that fuel is being cycled through and not stagnant, and then fill up. This way we always have at least the equivalent of a full tank of gas and range in the vehicle. We are looking forward to our trip to Colorado next month and only having stops governed by bladder capacity and not range issues.

Another note of warning. Although LRA is based in California, the products are not CARB compliant and will not pass inspection there. Check your own state regulations before installing.
That's what I'm talking about! 24 gallons tucked up high and out of the way AND CARB compliant!
I don't need 33 gal's. For myself that's too much weight and low hanging fruit for banging on a rock.
 
That's what I'm talking about! 24 gallons tucked up high and out of the way AND CARB compliant!
I don't need 33 gal's. For myself that's too much weight and low hanging fruit for banging on a rock.
Would be nice. Don't hold your breath for that.
 
So you are getting about 600 miles to a tank? Thank you for testing this out! I am leaning toward the 24 gallon tank now. The 33 gallon tank might be a little much for what I want to do
Good news! LRA just announced a 24 gallon tank for the GX 460 on GXOR. They aren't on the website yet but I am sure you can find out more if you send them an email.
 
BUT!!!! Is it CARB compliant for California????
Otherwise I'm just green with envy.
 
Nice info on the tanks. I'm also glad to hear they're moving forward with a smaller unit for the 460.

Enjoy Colorado when y'all come! If you're around Colorado Springs and need anything, reach out.

Jake
 
Thanks for the posts. And yes, we now have a 24 gallon option for the Prado 150-based "Americans" - 5G 4Runners and GX 460s.

We are slowly working away on engineering for submission of CARB exemption but with everything else going on - COVID, state government/staffing, etc. it will take a while.

Cheers,
Ward Harris
 
Thanks for the posts. And yes, we now have a 24 gallon option for the Prado 150-based "Americans" - 5G 4Runners and GX 460s.

We are slowly working away on engineering for submission of CARB exemption but with everything else going on - COVID, state government/staffing, etc. it will take a while.

Cheers,
Ward Harris
That's great news for the California crowd. It's too bad you have to jump through all the bureaucratic BS in CA, but thanks for doing the legwork.

As a side note, my wife is stoked that we have her 200 series Kaymar bar back from powdercoat. Should be installing it in the next week or so.
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