Builds Polar Bear's GX build thread (1 Viewer)

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Polar Bear

Is it supposed to sound like that?
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Threads
23
Messages
638
Location
Cle Elum, WA
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As a recovering 80 series addict, I've stepped over to the dark side and picked up an '06 GX 470 for my winter commuting duties. I've got a beastie 190 mile round trip across Snoqualmie Pass five days a week- and during the winter they require chains half the time- so a solid snow rig is a must for me.

This one was priced right and was nearly a straight trade for my old pickup, so it was a no brainer decision.

During this build thread I'll be starting with a thorough baseline of maintenance: timing belt, water pump, idler pulley, engine & cabin air filters, engine oil change, trans fluid change (not looking forward to pumping 16qts lying on my back), oil change for the front rear and center differentials, and a power steering flush.

The long range plan: a mild build that will retain it's road manners while still dabbling in light overland work. A 2" lift, 285's, sliders, front bumper, rear bumper with a carrier, and enough lighting to be classified as a Hazard To Navigation by the FAA.

I've got no interest in making this a rock buggy on 40's- there's better rigs to chop up which are more suited to the task.

First fixes: a chimp apparently attempted to close the airbox and broke off both tabs for the clips on the front, so eBay to the rescue and it's on its way. The TPMS light was flashing and would not stay reset, so instead of chasing sensor replacement with my wallet I performed the TPMS disarm illustrated in a thread here on Mud; worked like a charm and gave me a chance to change out the cabin air filter (shown below). I'm guessing this was carrying the full 163K miles of use and had never seen daylight.
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I'm going to change the oil, run it for 5K and then send out a sample analysis to see what the health of the motor is, and determine what a healthy change interval is based on the driving I do; Blackstone labs give great reports and recommendations for the money.

Coming up this week: all three diffs get an oil change, the low beam Deauto HID and high beam LED headlights get installed, the airbox gets replaced, and the power steering gets a flush. Pics of the various fluid conditions to come.
 
Wow, nice plan. You will be good for a while with all that preventive maintenance.
 
That's a hell of a commute! I used to do Lynnwood to Burlington 4x week but you've got that beat...especially in winter! Welcome aboard. I'm dragging my feet with my build (new home purchase) but my plans are similar to yours. Keep us posted on the progress!
 
Welcome aboard - every good build thread should start out with a pic of a dirty cabin air filter :).

1,000 miles/week - you must really love your work!!! :clap:
 
@Polar Bear

Link to the TPMS disable? I've seen the one where you have to dig around under the dash meddling with wires. Is this the same?

Yup, that's the one. It's pretty easy with only basic tools. Took me twenty minutes and I was in no rush.
 
Welcome aboard - every good build thread should start out with a pic of a dirty cabin air filter :).

1,000 miles/week - you must really love your work!!! :clap:
It's good work, but living way out by a mountain town was more about a quality of life issue for my family. And you won't find good paying work where I'm living, so I end up commuting 47,000 miles a year.

It's a trade-off I'm willing to make, and my only regret is that I waited so long to make the move. Been driving this route for 7 years now- pretty sure that would put me out there near lunar orbit distance...
 
It's good work, but living way out by a mountain town was more about a quality of life issue for my family. And you won't find good paying work where I'm living, so I end up commuting 47,000 miles a year.

It's a trade-off I'm willing to make, and my only regret is that I waited so long to make the move. Been driving this route for 7 years now- pretty sure that would put me out there near lunar orbit distance...

I like your priorities and kudos to you for making it work.

I just forced myself to stop mentally calculating the annual spend on fuel for that commute (hoping you're able to write that, and other expenses, off for your taxes) - cheers! Sorry for the sidebar, handing your thread back over to you :).
 
Popped the CEL and all the traction control warning lights last night while over two hours from home with the family.

I pulled the code and it was PO456 which is likely just a loose gas cap- no biggie. What I found weird was that a warning for a minor evaporative system leak would trigger a complete shutdown of all stability and traction control systems. Strange logic circuit from wherever designed that one.

I cleared the code so I'll see if it comes back after tightening the cap. If it does return I'll just buy a new cap. If that doesn't fix it I'll have my shop perform a smoke test when it goes in for the timing belt so I can track it down. No sense buying a new charcoal canister and purge valve if it's not necessary.
 
I like your priorities and kudos to you for making it work.

I just forced myself to stop mentally calculating the annual spend on fuel for that commute (hoping you're able to write that, and other expenses, off for your taxes) - cheers! Sorry for the sidebar, handing your thread back over to you :).

It all pencils out- the cost of living out in the hinterlands is so significantly lower that the cost of fuel, maintenance, and throwing away a car every 6-7 years still lands me on the positive side of the ledger. I figured out the total cost per mile when calculating my commute and what car to buy- you've got to include major maintenance, minor maintenance (oil changes & frequency based on oil analysis), cost of tires and expected lifespan, insurance on a particular vehicle, and then estimate the probability of how often you're going to feed your car to an unaware elk in the road or errant semi driver.

Like any big decision, you just build a risk model and then try to make the best decision from there. But as my buddy likes to say- if you want to hear God laugh, just tell him your plans...
 
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Installed the Deauto HID 6000K low beams tonight.

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Also installed the Techmax Mini LED bulbs- 6500K for the high beam.
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I like this combination- I've been running it for a while in my Mazda 6 and it seems like a real winner. No glare, a well focused hot spot and surface-of-the-sun bright. These both cast a nice wide beam as well which makes spotting the elk herd on the shoulder at 5am much easier- a weekly occurrence for me.

The reason I don't run the much cheaper but almost as bright LED low beam is that I have run into problems with the lower operating temperature of the LED when it's snowing hard. I have problems with the snow sticking to the lens and completely obscuring the beam, forcing me to pull off on the shoulder and scrape them clear every twenty miles. Since my winter commute is through blizzard conditions on Snoqualmie pass about half the time, this is a real concern for me. The HID melts it off nicely.

Oh yeah, and to keep the hood from depleting my meager collection of remaining brain cells, I replaced the hood struts.

I replaced the gas cap this afternoon because it kept throwing the error code- $45 at the Bellevue Lexus dealer!!! However after looking around at the Sultan Of Brunei decor, I was able to see how they paid for it. Nice decidedly undersells their efforts.
 
Hey Polar, good call on the GX, and yeah, bellevue Lexus is legit. Quick question as I am moving up to snoqualmie pass to live, was the 80 series just to much of a pain on the commute? I have a LX470 and GX470 but have always wanted a LX450, just hate to put so many miles commuting to Issaquah every day... But F it, I want to enjoy what I drive every day...
 
You'll like life at the pass- you'll need some heavy equipment to move snow in the winter (I've got both a tractor and a hefty snowblower). Your vehicle choices are not going to let you down up there, for certain. Keep food and emergency supplies in all your rigs in case avalanche closes the highway while you're on it- I've used my stuff before.

I stopped using my 80 for commuting over the pass for a couple of reasons; it was a nice example of a triple locked 97 and it felt wrong to burn it up with 48K miles a year of asphalt duty when I prized it's capabilities to take me and my family to amazing places. The fuel bill was steep at 10.5mpg, but it also felt like I was unnecessarily taxing it by forcing it to climb the pass at 75mph at near redline for miles on end- she was never a racecar to start with and all the mods didn't exactly flatter her road manners. I loved driving it, but ultimately I wanted to use it for wheeling more than commuting so I decided it was wiser to buy a disposable fuel efficient car every 5 or six years when they hit 250K miles. Now I just use the GX for bad weather crossings during the winter or if I'm hauling the family & dogs somewhere or heading off-road.

If you're not routinely making the trip, go ahead and drive the 80, you'll like it. But if you are a regular commuter you'll be shocked at how fast the odometer rolls up after your first year.

Welcome to the neighborhood!
 
Gosh I love that color. If we ever need to get a second one I'm going to hold out for that!
Yup, I love the color- understated but great depth. The pearl in it makes it look like different colors in different light.
 
This is an awesome thread. Love your detail and included information. I can't imagine your conditions, it makes me want to go snow wheeling...as we get 3" of the white flaky stuff down here and Bam.... it's mayhem.

Love that color also, subscribed!
 
This is an awesome thread. Love your detail and included information. I can't imagine your conditions, it makes me want to go snow wheeling...as we get 3" of the white flaky stuff down here and Bam.... it's mayhem.

Love that color also, subscribed!

Yeah, living here has definitely recalibrated my opinion of what constitutes bad weather :D It's not terribly unusual to tread through a foot of fresh snow every morning on the way out to the garage. The hilarious part is that the schools are rarely late and almost never cancelled- their bus drivers are total animals and cannot be deterred it would seem.
 
Good advice sir, enjoy the 120/80 combo and have fun. I know its the 120 forum, but post a pic of that 80 if you get the chance...
 
I forgot to post this when I slapped some studded boots on her in the beginning of February- I mounted a set of Nokian Hakkapelitta 9 rubber in 265/65 to get me across the pass every day.

Wow- what a combination. This thing could only be topped by a tracked vehicle. We received record snowfall this February and the GX never even blinked. I thought my 80 was a beast but this combination with ATRAC was eye popping.
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