Builds Nomads GX460 build - DIY, hands on (1 Viewer)

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Just another SoCal 460 trying not to look like a minivan. Part of the fun for me is the DIY aspect of modding. I look at things and think about how I can do it for less or get a better bang for the buck.

I'm not just going to buy and bolt on aftermarket parts all over. Nothing wrong with it and I love seeing high dollar builds.
I usually get inspired and think how I can get similar function for less cost.
"Built not bought" is real but I do recognize a time/effort/final quality aspect as well. I may look at the cost of materials and decide that building will not gain me anything over modifying or buying something else available. Sometimes I still do it if I just want to learn a new skill.

I'll post what projects I get done here. After struggling with electrical and overall build quality issues that kept me from really enjoying my Jeep Wrangler during the pandemic, I finally got it running clean and sold it. Bought the '13 GX460 and hope it does well to do mild offroading and fun backwoods trips with the kids.

I usually catalog everything on my blog so I can go back and check and also not forget in time what and how I've done it.
I don't make money on it, I have no advertising, and forgive me if its poorly written and the photos are basic. It's not a "how-to", but more "I-did".
Blogs are not my hobby, but hopefully I can show just enough to give inspiration to other's creativity.

www.nomadsgx460.blogspot.com
I don't make money on it! I have no advertising! It's just a place to put it all.
Forgive me if its poorly written and the photos are basic. It's not a "how-to", but more "I-did".
Blogs are not my hobby, but hopefully I can show just enough to give inspiration to other's creativity.
 
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Removed 3rd row seats, and along with the large tow hitch, lost in all close to 200 lb!
Rear seats, brackets, seatbelts, trim = 127#
6.5K large tow hitch (I've never towed, only need a bike rack hitch) = 65#
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I used 3/4 plywood as flooring. 2x2 as spacers/crossbars drilled for bolts through all into the seatbelt mounts.
I added back the two rear cargo clips, and then the tracks on the sides are slotted aluminum tracks with locking adjustable tiedowns from a BMW X3 in a junkyard.
Added sound deadening to the flooring under this panel, added trunk liner material from the auto upholstery store (If I redo it I'll just get real auto carpet but I thought the tan they had would clash with factory.
Only irreversible change was the "cupholder" hole I cut in the trim for the fire extinguisher.
 
I was going to fab up my own table with wood plank, cord and some door hinges but saw this Jeep JK table option, with molle mounts, for so cheap that it was worth trying.
Cheapest GX460 and GX470 tailgate table at $35 from ebay.
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It does need a bit of modification so I felt good about it.
Modifications were:
Flip the table top, add 1/4 spacers to bottom hinge bolts, flip hardware
Grind 1/8" off of both L bracket mounts
Add metal bracing behind mount bolts going through the plastic
Rivnut one hole in the rear doorskin to accept a new bolt where a panel clip was to help support plastic trim
Make a wooden tabletop that will mount for a work surface (may leave it off)
 
I picked up the good old Sequoia wheels locally for a 17x7.5 offroad option and put on 255/70 r17 A/T tires "Pizza cutters" for a lift and to get off the beaten path.
I stripped and painted the wheels with VHT Graphite gray but may opt for a darker charcoal gray in the future.
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Ideas coming up soon:
DIY welding in a Magnaflow muffler.
I've got a bunch of fluids on the way.
A plan for an intake crossover tube that deletes the factory resonator but still uses the factory airbox.
A roof rack design for trips and when I need to haul things that uses the factory low profile rail
Shocks and a mild lift
Adding the budget crawl control wiring, and multi terrain select.
DIY fender liners
Possibly DIY sliders - but steel prices are no fun right now
 
Nice! Interested to see what your roof rack ideas are. I am on the fence about getting bars from LFD that utilize the stock rails or go full rack.
I'm going to start with superstrut, make them like lfd bars, weld caps on the ends, flush to outer edge of stock rails, make clamps. then see how I like them. I would like to try extruded aluminum bars for a flat platform full rail length. Clamping to stock. 1" profile basically.
But I also figure I can do the same low profile welding steel, just a slight weight penalty but larger cost savings.
 
Ideas coming up soon:
DIY welding in a Magnaflow muffler.
I've got a bunch of fluids on the way.
A plan for an intake crossover tube that deletes the factory resonator but still uses the factory airbox.
A roof rack design for trips and when I need to haul things that uses the factory low profile rail
Shocks and a mild lift
Adding the budget crawl control wiring, and multi terrain select.
DIY fender liners
Possibly DIY sliders - but steel prices are no fun right now
When you say sliders, do you mean rock sliders for the rocker panels or skid plates for under carriage?
For skid plates you could use aluminum or Delrin/polypropylene. Using Delrin/polypropylene is a very impact resistant material and known for it's lubricity, thus using it for skid plates will make it easier when sliding over an obstacle. It's also lighter than steel and I think also lighter than aluminum!
 
I meant rock sliders but yes, that's a good idea too for sliders. Not sure anything beats the price of steel though, even when its high.
 
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Yesterday I cut out the huge muffler and added in a Magnaflow. I managed to mess up the angle of the rear outlet but I'll probably just remove the rear resonator.
$110 muffler, $8 2.5" pipe and lots of measuring and some welding. Nice sound as all others have said. I'm hoping the rear resonator removed doesn't change it much. Everyone says it doesn't.

It's nice smooth V8 down low and actually isn't much louder above 3k rpm (seems to quiet down). The stock muffler had an internal flap I believe for high rpm flow so this seems to sound similar at freeway downshift passes. Around town its def more sound.

 
So I chopped out the rear resonator for the low pro rear pipe.
Not a good idea, for me. Many have said "it does nothing" but not true. I could tell a few more decibels, which wasn't too bad actually. BUT, Lots of boomy resonance peaking at 1.5-2K rpm. So this is not great for around town or freeway hills where its under load at that rpm.
I'll have to fit it back but will probably put it in front of the muffler.

My analysis, the muffler size is too small. It really needs a longer body. Not sure why everyone said that small one was perfect. If its totally screwed I'll start over with a larger body magnaflow.
 
So some progress being made on the DIY heavy duty roof rack crossbars.
Version 1.0, as I have had so many different ideas as I make them.
I have to stick with one for now just to get them on.
At minimum they'll allow me to haul 4x8 sheets home from HD.

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So some progress being made on the DIY heavy duty crossbars. Version 1, as I have had so many different ideas as I make them. I have to stick with one for now just to get them on. At minimum they'll allow me to haul 4x8 sheets home from HD.
View attachment 2910140View attachment 2910141
Please refresh, are these cross bars for your rack or for the interior?
As a suggestion, albeit, maybe a little more costly, have you considered extruded aluminum like T-slot 20x20 or 20x40
Super strong, infinitely adjustable, light and they don't rust! And there are a lot of attachments and accessories.
 
For the roof rack.
I looked at extruded aluminum and was very close to ordering it. But for the cost I figured I'd try this first and see if I even like the setup. $22 for a 12' strut.
There were so many iterations I'd thought of I wanted to try the cheapest first. Then I can test the hook attachment, the width, the number of crossbars etc.
I'm not sure if I want to stick with stock rail width, go wider, stay with individual crossbars or connect them in a frame etc.
 
So far so good. Low profile, may not need much of a fairing. It should get plywood, piping etc home no issues. It'll hold maxtracks, shovel, rotopax and an awning perfectly fine as well. For a tent I'd make some from the larger size and 3/8" bolts/hooks.

Painting it truck bedliner now. I'll add rubber pads under the contacts.

Now I have a better idea on how I'd approach a larger build
 
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I got sidetracked from the roof bars (considering extruded aluminum, or a steel tube flat platform build). They look very small, but stealthy. I think they'd look better as a double wide set. Connect the angled ends, stitch weld along the center. They'd be just as low profile, but would be more substantial looking, and would hold more weight.
May revisit later.
 
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My distraction was adding rock sliders. Not in my budget at 600-1000, in my opinion. I don;t mind others that purchase, but its not my way. I looked up the cost of steel tube and prices are high it still cost $300 with no bender.
I looked at Trail Gear DIY kits at around $350 - 400.
I researched and watched used markets for take offs.
As I looked at used parts, I noticed how much cheaper the Jeep JK stuff was.
DIY kits are basically sliders welded and you do the fit, mount plates, and extensions.

Well, my catalog of poor ideas keeps growing...

I picked up a set of Rock sliders for the Jeep JKU (4 door) for $80. Cheaper than I can buy the same amount of tube steel...
Stock sideskirts are 74", these are 73" and have an extra inch I can cut and cap to 72" or even less if needed.

20220203_183104.jpg

They have a 3rd rail on the bottom, not the best design, but I can use the extra material so its perfect for me.
I cut off the mounts, cut off the support bars and third rail.

Well, looks like a "DIY rock slider kit" in the making! Ugly now, but they'll clean up. As long as I don't botch the job.
20220204_174928.jpg
 
Bit of progress
Sliders are half ground down. Just got 3/16" 6"x6" steel plates for the mounts. Will grab some time on the weekends to start the template process. will try to make two mounts each side, use as many threaded locations and then may add a third mount leg once those are done. Gotta max out my little 110v welder so I got .030 wire and will go slow. Probably stacking 1/4" loops trying to get as much heat in the plate as I can while keeping it straight.

Installed Bilstein 5100 all around, for my mostly highway use with occasional trails (no "crawling"). 1.7" spring perch height (didn't do a before measure) but ground to fender is 35.5" front rear on stock tires.
Ride is more composed over speedbumps, good on road, a tiny bit more feedback on the road but not harsh or "truck like" as some said. I have the stock springs on the third perch. Install was basic (ignoring my flubs that took time away) once I loosened the LCA and removed the upper ball joint. Broke the driver abs sensor and got the christmas light dash till I soldered the wires back together.
I've kept rear bags till they die, added 5 washers under the sensors to raise the rear.

Since I have a set of Sequoia wheels with larger tires to go on but no TPMS sensors in them, I installed a switch to jump the pink and yellow wire on the TPMS module. Worked perfectly. Highway tires for a getaway this weekend, then once I repaint the other wheels I'll install them.

Waffling on roof platform build options. I may go with extruded aluminum bars or go ahead and make an arb style platform with round tube.
 
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All talk no pictures???
Proof's in the pic's! :D
Keep up the great work! Hope you get this Presidents Day Monday off, give you a wee bit more time.
 

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