Howdy folks! Just picked up a '13 in Knight's Armor Pearl (1 Viewer)

[jumploops]

Glad to join the forums and have a few questions around my specific use case after lurking for quite some time.

Background:
Live in San Francisco (street parking) and previously drove a 2011 BMW X5. Loved the amenities of that car (heated steering wheel for Tahoe trips) and the general "get up and go" compared to other similarly sized SUVs, but got fed up with the xDrive after getting stuck on some ice during the freak snow storm up in Portland, OR this winter. Oh how I wish I could lock my diff!

As an Eagle Scout I'm keen to hike most places, but with a new 11-month old pup in our lives, the traditional National Parks are less appealing now. Additionally, my fiancé and I drove the X5 around the country this past fall (8 weeks to avoid the smoke season) and loved the ability to bring our dog (and his food) with us everywhere. She wasn't a fan of road trips previously, but the freedom of adventure in a vehicle is hard to pass up now.

Long story short, a friend with a TRD Pro recommended I look into getting a GX. Found an OK deal on a garage-kept and well maintained 2013 and bit the bullet a few weeks ago. Love the truck already and am looking forward to modifying it for future overlanding adventures. Another friend with a Rubicon is constantly badgering me about putting 35s on the GX... but I'm more of an overland/desert explorer type.

Given our proclivity to pack light (at least for the time being) and drive far, I have a few questions for y'all:

- What suspension/tire setup would you recommend for our use case? Leaning towards BP-51s and 33s...
- Extra fuel capacity? Prado 150s have an optional reservoir but a tire rack on the back could equally hold some canisters (may affect suspension question with a modified bumper)
- What else am I not considering?

Oh and I've attached a picture of the new ride and first modification: the F sport grille.

tl;dr - Almost bought a Bison, but the large community around the GX convinced me otherwise. Now stuck with information overload and wondering what I'm missing...

 

[re_guderian]

Welcome! A few thoughts... I never really know what everyone means by "overlanding", so here's my thoughts on order of mods to a) get there, b) enjoy it c) get home without incident, from biggest bang for the buck first...

1) pedal commander, $300. Drives like a totally different truck, useful every. single. time. you. drive.

2) bigger tires. 32"-33". Anything more adds $"s quick. ~$1,200-depending...

3) get some automatic tire deflators. The whole purpose of bigger tires is more ground clearance off road. But you'll want to air them down for extended off road - better traction (see "b" above), and more comfortable experience off road. ~$50

4) Air compressor to air back up. I've been using an MV-50 for over 20 years. Actually, I'm on my second one because I loaned it out and it got used without the filter, but that's another story. But they're only $75 or so. I'm only off-road 8-10 times per year, so have a hard time swallowing the cost ($300-500+) for super fast compressors. Takes me less than 15 minutes to air all 4 back up from 16 to 32 psi.

5) lift. The only reason to lift is to run bigger tires and get even more ground clearance. I had the Ironman foam cell pro setup on my 100 series land cruiser, and loved it. However, I've been pretty darn impressed with the ride quality of the basic Ironman Nitro lift setup that was on my GX when I bought it. It's about as cheap as you'll get for a full spring/shock lift. On sale 25% off for a few more days. Consider future plans - i.e. weight, when getting your springs. ~$1,500 -$3,000+ depending. Upper control arm, KDSS spacers and adjustable rear track bar not really necessary at 2" lift. Diff drop not really needed at that height either. Over that and you'll need upper control arms (about $1k part, install, alignment for SPC's) to fix caster. I'm at 2", and caster just barely out of spec, but acceptably decent handling, so sticking with oem for now.

6) protection - see "c" above. There's some dangly bits you don't want to damage. The GX doesn't have stellar ground clearance and angles to start with. Sliders, then skids, depending on your planned usage. It only takes one hit to add up to a lot of damage. Figure $1,200-$1,500 each, all in, product, paint, tax and shipping.

7) headlights. See "a" and "c" above. I had OEM halogens, and while better than my 100 series, they weren't overwhelming. Maybe the HID's are better? I put LED low beams in ($50), and 9011 trim-to-fit halogen high beams in ($80). Don't care about yellow and white lights mixed together, just wanna be able to see crap at night.

8) bling. The cup holders suck. Get some inserts from made-by-Matt. Phone holders, etc. Dog junk.

There's only been one place "I've" gone in the lower 48 that required extra fuel, and that was the west desert / Deep Creek mountains on the UT/NV border, and that was an extended trip that was easily handled by 2 roto-pax on the OEM roof rack. Unless you have specific plans, sub tanks and rear bumper Jerry cans are big, big bucks per gallon, and very, very rarely needed with adequate planning. Again, you may have specific destinations that require it, but it's SUPER expensive, adds major hassle to everyday driving, and rarely needed, so... why? And that's acknowledging 8 mpg in 4-low. That's 180 miles of range on the stock tank. Where are you going that's 90 miles of 4-lo?

 

[r2m]

Given our proclivity to pack light (at least for the time being) and drive far, I have a few questions for y'all:

- What suspension/tire setup would you recommend for our use case? Leaning towards BP-51s and 33s...
- Extra fuel capacity? Prado 150s have an optional reservoir but a tire rack on the back could equally hold some canisters (may affect suspension question with a modified bumper)
- What else am I not considering?

tl;dr - Almost bought a Bison, but the large community around the GX convinced me otherwise. Now stuck with information overload and wondering what I'm missing...

First, welcome to the forum!
Second, get a cup of your favorite hot (or cold) beverage and spend some time pursuing the sticky thread at the top of the forum, especially the manuals, ultimate off road kit and aftermarket product/vendors. Also go to this Builds section (GX460 / Prado150 - https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/gx460-prado150.271/?prefix_id=41 ) and look at some builds that would be similar to what you want.
Most importantly, and I encourage all the folks new to this, decide upon your end game. First off, what do you want to do with your rig? Rock crawl, pre-run, day trips on fire roads, overlanding, etc:.? When you decide what you want it for, then you know how and what you need to do to your GX to get you there!

So, to answer a couple of your questions above:
DO NOT LISTEN to your friend, unless he has a GX!!! With all due respect, his comment about bolting on 35" tires is pure ignorance from a person who has little or no off road experience, at least with GX's.
If you go to my build thread here: GX460 / Prado150 - https://forum.ih8mud.com/forums/gx460-prado150.271/?prefix_id=41 at post # 165, you'll see the maximum size tire that will fit. It is a 285/75R17 tire. Yes you can go with a 35" tire, but you'll have to do more suspension lift, maybe a body lift, diff drop and more trimming. This is all assuming you really want those 35" tires to work on a real off road trail and not be a "mall cruiser".

• For your suspension, again decide want your end game is and see what kind of off roading you're likely to be doing. Most people get the 2.5" - 3" suspension lift (without diff drop) with almost any size tire than 34" and often comment on how much better the GX drives!
• I have the MetalTech rear bumper with swing-out spare tire and dual jerry can mounts. I almost always have one for fresh water and the other I have an ammo can with recovery gear. Only ONE time have I ever needed to bring an extra 5 gallons of fuel. My off road club did the Mojave Trial this past month (I live down here in So. Cal) and the club said from the time we get on the trail to next gas could be 200 miles. With my rig built as it is, I get highway up to 18 mpg, on trails about 11 mpg, so I loaded up my gas f gal jerry can for security. 3 days later, never needed it. Actually had a 1/4 tank left when we got back on pavement! So the moral of the story is if you always gas up before heading off pavement, you will never need extra gas, unless you're doing some special long overlanding.
• What you're not considering and I would consider necessities for overlanding would be:
  • Onboard air compressor and as mentioned above tire deflators (good suggestion re_guderian!).
  • Dual batteries. One for starting your vehicle and the other for accessories such as the air compressor, winch, auxiliary lights, small refrigerator, charging ports for phones, laptops, and the list goes on...
  • RECOVERY GEAR!!!! If you're not wanting a winch, at least get some shackles, either hard or soft, a shovel, MaxTrax or similar recovery boards and some tow straps and maybe a tool bag to keep them all in.
  • First aid kit!

There's a lot of great off road trails up in Tahoe! We have a place there in So. Lake Tahoe and are up often! You even have the famous Rubicon trail!
So, sit back read and enjoy!

 

[Junglejack]

Glad to join the forums and have a few questions around my specific use case after lurking for quite some time.

Background:
Live in San Francisco (street parking) and previously drove a 2011 BMW X5. Loved the amenities of that car (heated steering wheel for Tahoe trips) and the general "get up and go" compared to other similarly sized SUVs, but got fed up with the xDrive after getting stuck on some ice during the freak snow storm up in Portland, OR this winter. Oh how I wish I could lock my diff!

As an Eagle Scout I'm keen to hike most places, but with a new 11-month old pup in our lives, the traditional National Parks are less appealing now. Additionally, my fiancé and I drove the X5 around the country this past fall (8 weeks to avoid the smoke season) and loved the ability to bring our dog (and his food) with us everywhere. She wasn't a fan of road trips previously, but the freedom of adventure in a vehicle is hard to pass up now.

Long story short, a friend with a TRD Pro recommended I look into getting a GX. Found an OK deal on a garage-kept and well maintained 2013 and bit the bullet a few weeks ago. Love the truck already and am looking forward to modifying it for future overlanding adventures. Another friend with a Rubicon is constantly badgering me about putting 35s on the GX... but I'm more of an overland/desert explorer type.

Given our proclivity to pack light (at least for the time being) and drive far, I have a few questions for y'all:

- What suspension/tire setup would you recommend for our use case? Leaning towards BP-51s and 33s...
- Extra fuel capacity? Prado 150s have an optional reservoir but a tire rack on the back could equally hold some canisters (may affect suspension question with a modified bumper)
- What else am I not considering?

Oh and I've attached a picture of the new ride and first modification: the F sport grille.

tl;dr - Almost bought a Bison, but the large community around the GX convinced me otherwise. Now stuck with information overload and wondering what I'm missing...

View attachment 2657523

Nice! Did you purchase it from Serramonte? If so, I actually drove down from Humboldt to buy that car and briefly did. They could not get it to pass smog for a few days and I ended up picking up a 2021 Premium instead as I had been there 3 days.
The service history is utterly killer on that one which can be seen if you register on Lexus's website.

 

[jumploops]

Thanks for all the wonderful advice and warm welcomes!

Did you purchase it from Serramonte? [..] The service history is utterly killer on that one which can be seen if you register on Lexus's website.

Sounds like I'm lucky to not have! - private party in East Bay, vehicle was originally from Nevada (same family). I had previously checked out a few GX's from Texas and... boy does that Lexus paint struggle with that southern sun! Best of luck with the '21 GX.

Re: re_guderian
I hadn't considered the Pedal Commander, will check it out! The automatic tire deflators are a great suggestion, and I already have a (measily) tire compressor and was wondering about the fancier ones on the market. I like your suggestion of the MV-50, stability is the best utility when it comes to being outdoors. The previous owner changed some of the bulbs, but I haven't driven much in the dark yet -- good advice to test before my first real trip. Oh and the cup holder suggestion is great as well, I've noticed wobbles already with the large built-in holders.

Unless you have specific plans, sub tanks and rear bumper Jerry cans are big, big bucks per gallon, and very, very rarely needed with adequate planning.

Part of my interest lies in overlanding through the deserts of north west Nevada/south east Oregon. Having the extended tank is a huge plus for those situations because I'm not really going from Point A to Point B and plan to exist in a much more exploratory mode. I'm a bit of a novice astrophotographer, but having the ability to roam around BLM land at my leisure is a huge plus to the Prado 150s extended tank -- adding the OEM parts or the tank from Long Range America to my GX is definitely in the cards. With that said, maybe I should just get a bumper with some jerry cans...

Re: r2m
Hah! 35s were never on option for me, I've been leaning toward a tire size of 275/70r17 and wheel size of 17x8.5 -10mm. As I understand it, this should fit with minimal rubbing with adequate suspension (2"+). I'm currently leaning towards the Ironman FCP Stage 2 kit as they seem to be the only option that I could reasonably get by mid-June. I would love the OME BP-51s, but sourcing them seems difficult. The FCPs seem low maintenance and a good "entry-level" kit for my purposes. Kings seem like the best longer-term option (and I'd be willing to depart with a heftier chunk of change) but they're backordered for 7 months!

How do you like the MetalTech bumper? Any downsides? I'm currently leaning toward the JWOffroad rear tire carrier, keeping the rear bumper stock. The main concern I have is the additional length of the vehicle with a swing out carrier (either bumper or especially hitch-mounted) as we are forced to street park in the city.

The recovery gear and first aid kit is a must have. As for a winch, I'm eventually looking at something like this, keeping the theme with the rear. With that said, I'm not opposed to going full replacement on front and rear bumper, just seems overkill at the moment.

Very excited to get up to Tahoe!

Thanks again for all the advice, will update here as the build progresses.

 

[r2m]

Re: r2m
How do you like the MetalTech bumper? Any downsides? I'm currently leaning toward the JWOffroad rear tire carrier, keeping the rear bumper stock. The main concern I have is the additional length of the vehicle with a swing out carrier (either bumper or especially hitch-mounted) as we are forced to street park in the city.

I like the Metaltech bumpers but here's my take:
Pro's:

• styling, but that's me.
• Not as huge as the Ironman or ARB's.
• I like having the recovery points for shackles.
• The rear bumper sticks out about 8+ inches or so. This is one of my favorite features. I have a rubberized traction tape (skateboard tape) on it and It's large enough to stand or sit on. You can work on it, whatever. It's like having a tailgate! Best of all, it doesn't affect my departure angle at all.
• The backup lights are super bright in the rear bumper which is great at night with the backup camera.
• Enough options fuel, water, etc. I keep one jerry with water and a gravity flow tap as a water/wash station. The other jerry mount I have an ammo can with recovery gear in it.

Con's:

• Not as thick of sheet material for the bumpers as I'd like. I bent them a wee bit with some rock crawling that I thought wouldn't happen. But maybe I was a little harder on that trail than I thought.
• The swing-out tire carrier sags a wee bit so I have to do just a little lift to get it latched again. Not a big deal, but would have been nicer to have it aligned correctly.
• Since I built my rig before a lot of the new products have hit the market, there were not many options for front bumpers, hence I purposely purchased the very last year of the old straight across bumper GX, a 2013 GX460 Premium. At the time there were no bumpers available for the "spindle" grills on the newer 2014+ models. So what I'm getting at is I would like to have been able to keep my headlight washers which I lost with the MetalTech front bumper.
• The front bumper needs a protective plate to cover the washer bottle on the front passenger side. It's kind of exposed. Hasn't been a problem yet. But....

That's all I can think of right now!

Regarding fuel, Not sure if it was this thread or another, but a few weeks ago my wife and I did the Mojave trail over a 3 day weekend. Our off road club suggested we bring an extra 5 gal of fuel for how long we'd be off grid. After 3 days of very extensive overlanding, I still had a 1/4" tank of gas left ALONG with my 5 gal jerry can I never needed. Seriously, unless you're going to be going out for more than 4 or 5 days and traveling ALL that time off grid, I really think one or two, 5 gal jerry's of gas will more than get-er done. Remember that's 10 gallons of gas and my worst mileage while overlanding (in my very heavy rig with very large tires) is about 9 or 10 MPG off grid, so with 10 gallons of extra fuel, you'd still have almost a hundred miles to get to a service station. Even in the middle of Nevada, that's doable, and my Mom used to live in Winnemucca, so I've been out in that neck of the woods (high desert...).

For me, my reason for wanting a long range gas tank is that the BIGGEST waste of time in my life is spent at gas stations! If I could cut my time in half by only going to full up every other week or longer, that's a huge win for me! I know, it still take the same amount of time to fill a tank with 20 gallons twice as it does to fill a 40 gallon tank once. The issue is not having to pull into gas stations all the time! Isn't that why we all shop at Costco?? So we don't have to go to the local market all the time, just do the once-a-month shopping at Costco and call it done. Same with filling up my tank.