new GX owner, coming from 3rd gen 4runner

[The Great Him]

just acquired a 04 GX, 130k, no nav, no KDSS, dark leather, SPM exterior, 3rd row... its basically everything i was looking for other than the 05 and ABM. it has a few issues but those are slowly getting resolved, waiting on HID kits from DDM. getting a new windshield tomorrow(i think this one leaks -either that or its the moonroof). put a set of 285/70/17 nitto terra grapplers on it along with some old tundra/sequioa limited wheels i had laying around from my 4runner, no rubbing other than in reverse at full lock(not worried about that in the least).

future plans include ASFIR skids, and hidden winch mount, MetalTech sliders, OME or Radflow lift(once the air suspension goes out), ARB rear locker, and Weathertech inside and out.

i spent the evening under the truck with a few cans of expoy sealer paint to curb any frame rust that is starting -it spent its first three years in PA then came out west. it has a couple of things that are bothering me, the auto tilt mirrors seam to be intermittent, i have a electrical drain that is bad when it rains(leaky windshield or moonroof drips down the A-pillar and into the dash and on the fuse block/panel.) a couple of my dash lights are out, as well as some of the illuminated switches on the HVAC system. overall im happy with it. its a lot nicer than my 3rd gen, has way more power, gets better MPG, and can seat 3 more.

2014-12-26_08-23-47 by isaacyocum, on Flickr
IMG_9280 by isaacyocum, on Flickr
IMG_9281 by isaacyocum, on Flickr
IMG_9284 by isaacyocum, on Flickr
IMG_9307 by isaacyocum, on Flickr

 

[The Great Him]

this is the link to my build on my 3rd gen runner if anyone is interested in it...

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/105400-rescue-runner-build-thread.html

 

[TOYOTARIG]

You fit 285/70's with no lift! That is awesome! Is the offset on Tundra wheels different then the factory wheel?

I loved your Rescue Runner Build. I cant wait to see the GX all built up.

 

[JLee]

Have you tested full lock + compressed suspension? I am hoping to pick up my GX soon - was thinking about 255/75R17, but if 285's fit I will keep that in mind.

 

[The Great Him]

yes the offest is different. im not sure on the numbers, but the wheels sit further out. they are pretty much perfectly flush with the edge of the finders, giving it a much more agressive look. -lol once again i have managed to fit 285s on a stock rig where people told me all day long it would never work.

the goal of the GX will be to remain subtle. no aftermarket bumpers, no crazy lift(2" is enough). i want it to fit in at the ballet/orchestra and not draw any attention. i want it to be unassuming and to have people pay it no attention, yet be very capable and get the odd looks and double takes when its seen off road. the point of this is to be a family rig that i feel safe exploring in with my family. sure i could do that in my 4runner, but it was getting cramped and lacked the creature comforts and refinement that this has. i dont want to "wheel" this per say, but if i get into something that i wasnt expecting(its happened before) i want to be at easy knowing its perfectly capable of self extrication and retreating back to civilization unassisted. -the pictures of it in the snow, the ones where its in the meadow, i almost got it stuck there, would of been nice to know i had a winch and or a rear locker to make things easier and less stressful. as it was judicious amounts of throttle were used/needed to free Tux and get us on out way again. while yes that is a technique, its not the one i prefer. i was off the trail there(sure bad on me) but i had no intentions of tearing up the meadow, thankfully my tires are not aggressive enough to really do much damage in the snow, but still id much rather have just eased out of there with little impact.

 

[The Great Him]

i have not tested full stuff yet. i do plan on the body mount chop. but again for now and daily driver duties its perfectly fine and driveable, again the full lock and full stuff would only happen at very low speeds so i still dont think there is much risk for damage to occur. especially with my tires, as they are not a super aggressive tire with big voids on the lugs. MTRs, SST or KM2s might have be another issue though. the next tire im thinking about running is the Cooper ST MAXX, as it looks to have a little bit more open tread than the Nittos, and yet still retain the road manors.

 

[JLee]

I'm debating between Falken Rocky Mountain ATS II's (have them on my Tacoma and they have treated me very well) or General Grabber AT2's. It sounds like we have similar goals - I'm looking for 1-2" lift and ~32" tires (I don't want to re-gear and I don't want to feel a loss of power, have had enough of that with a stock geared 80 on 35's), basically just enough to be competent offroad and still be a comfortable daily. I'll end up with armor eventually, though - would like to be able to run the trails my Tacoma could handle without suffering body damage (I've seen the aftermath of a GX on Broken Arrow up in Sedona..it lost paint on the front end).

 

[GXO]

hmm, which year tundra are those from? Seems like a nice option. I need new wheels and some take offs or used of these powercoated black would be nice until I go big with beadlocks.

 

[The Great Him]

hmm, which year tundra are those from? Seems like a nice option.

First gen Tundras, 2000-2006. Same with Sequoias. These are the limited wheels, they have a much darker finish on them and are not as common as the sr5. They are a 17x7.5 wheel. IMO probably on of the best looking OEM Toyota wheels ever made.

 

[The Great Him]

Well this is just s***ty... Computer just dumped the transponder coding... The truck is just cranking for 10sec and shutting down. WTF

 

[JLee]

How much of a power hit did you notice with the bigger tires?

 

[GXO]

You should be able to recode the key, or get in to the dealer to do the same.

My truck was originally sold in Guam, so I had quite an adventure when my key broke, so I feel your pain!

 

[The Great Him]

Keys don't lose programs do they?

 

[GXO]

Shouldnt. Hard coded to chip. If it is the transponder, I think that is under $200?

 

[The Great Him]

ne

Shouldnt. Hard coded to chip. If it is the transponder, I think that is under $200?

new keys from the only dealer in town are a 2 week wait, and $250 + $60 to program -that was with me having a good key... not sure if that price changes now that i dont have a key worth anything now

 

[The Great Him]

How much of a power hit did you notice with the bigger tires?

power notice, none, mileage took a hit though -gotta remember im coming from a 3.4l 4runner that has almost an additional 1000lbs on the GX... so power was kinda lacking there. so i might have lost some power, but i really didnt notice it, along with that i only drove it a day and a half before putting the bigger tires on so maybe it did lose a bit, but ill never know. i already have(had) way more power than the 4runner did.

 

[JLee]

I'm coming from an 80 with stock gears and 35s; I know the feeling.

 

[The Great Him]

so its been at the dealer for the last day and a half. took it there because of the b2799 code and the electrical drain. they have traced down the drain electrical drain to the EFI system (a solid 2amp constant draw), and believe that the battery going dead as often as it was, told the computer that the truck was stolen setting of the b2799 code... so they are looking more into the source of the draw and hopefully fixing the issue or at least letting me know what the issue is.

ill report back and let everyone know my findings.

 

[GXO]

hmmm, if it isnt obvious, start looking for worn wires in the engine bay. Lil critters stripping a wire and cause a ground/draw

 

[The Great Him]

water damaged the wire harness, the dealer was able to clean/save/salvage the harness but the ECU/M is shorted, anytime there is power applied to it there is a consistent 2amp draw... needs a new ECU/M. so for a grand total of $1780 i will have a new ECU/M installed and programmed and water leak sourced i will have my rig back on monday. i might end up having lexus go ahead and replace the windshield if that turns out to be where the leak is coming from(i highly suspect this is the case). at that point i will be taking that to the dealer we bought it from and asking for them to cover half. if they hesitate i will just go after them for the full amount and disrupt a large portion of their customer base... -they are right of a military post and i will do everything in my power to make sure none of my soldiers ever buys a vehicle from them and if i have to post flyers on every bulletin board on post i will. -the dealer admitted that thats where at least 1/3 of the customers are from. and JAG is always big about soldiers being ripped off by businesses around posts. there is no way this dealer could not have known about the water leak. i had the car for one day and had a water leak in a light rain... they knew it had a electrical draw/drain, and told me it was someplace no where near that. i even told the Lexus dealer what the other dealer told me when i bought it, they checked and double checked their claim and could not find anything. i think the first dealer was just full of it and knew it.