Builds "Rednexus" - 2007 GX470 Build and Fabrication Thread (3 Viewers)

[Rednexus]

New NAPA hose is in. 15 minute job including bleeding - gotta love how quick the electric-based brakes on these bleed.

To close the loop on PowerStop's customer service, they flat out refused to offer any reimbursement/coupon/rebate/other help for their critical component that failed early which they could not replace in a timely manner (in addition to their customer service staff being a bit rude on the phone). Not impressed with them at all - I won't be buying anything of their products again and told them such via email. Comparatively, Ironman sent me a new $1100 set of front coilovers much quicker and with much less hassle when they had issues in a non safety-critical manner. Hopefully my replacement SS line still shows up in a a few weeks .

 

[GrizzlyClint]

New NAPA hose is in. 15 minute job including bleeding - gotta love how quick the electric-based brakes on these bleed.

To close the loop on PowerStop's customer service, they flat out refused to offer any reimbursement/coupon/rebate/other help for their critical component that failed early which they could not replace in a timely manner (in addition to their customer service staff being a bit rude on the phone). Not impressed with them at all - I won't be buying anything of their products again and told them such via email. Comparatively, Ironman sent me a new $1100 set of front coilovers much quicker and with much less hassle when they had issues in a non safety-critical manner. Hopefully my replacement SS line still shows up in a a few weeks .
View attachment 3428861

That's really disappointing as I love their brake kits.

 

[Rednexus]

That's really disappointing as I love their brake kits.

I was even planning on getting one based on feedback from you and others! The kits may be good, just don't expect them to be very helpful if you have an issue and get in a pinch.

 

[GrizzlyClint]

I was even planning on getting one based on feedback from you and others! The kits may be good, just don't expect them to be very helpful if you have an issue and get in a pinch.

I'm really bummed by your situation. Other than spending like $1,200+ these are the best brakes you can get for our rigs.

 

[Rednexus]

I'll try DBA Kangaroo rotors and EBC pads when I do upgrade. It'll be a couple years though, probably prior to pulling our camper put West in 2025. The stock brakes have been fine for around here

 

[kody472]

I'll try DBA Kangaroo rotors and EBC pads when I do upgrade. It'll be a couple years though, probably prior to pulling our camper put West in 2025. The stock brakes have been fine for around here

Where are you sourcing these parts from? I've been following this thread and it's really disappointing about PowerStop's customer service. That's one issue about any company that will turn me completely away.

 

[Rednexus]

Where are you sourcing these parts from? I've been following this thread and it's really disappointing about PowerStop's customer service. That's one issue about any company that will turn me completely away.

TireRack appears to have them. They ain't cheap but I don't mind spending money of brakes if I go towing out west. They appear to just have them for the 150 platform (not the 120) so they'd require the GX460 front caliper upgrade, which I want to do anyway. I could end up trying something else since this mod is almost 2 years out for me (who knows what might be on the market then). My basic Bosch pads and rotors are still pretty new and doing just fine.

https://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes.jsp?make=DBA&model=4X4+Survival+Series+T3+Rotor&group=4X4+Survival+Series+T3+Rotor&partNum=DBA42716S&autoMake=Toyota&autoModel=4Runner+4wd+Sport&autoYear=2007&autoModClar=

 

[Rednexus]

Enjoying awesome sleeping weather.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Enjoying awesome sleeping weather.
View attachment 3431075

Bright LEDs in there….I see your hunting crocs are ready to be deployed!

 

[Rednexus]

Bright LEDs in there….I see your hunting crocs are ready to be deployed!

More like camp lounging crocs . Camo crocs are quite popular here in our Midwestern campgrounds!

 

[aztoytec]

Who makes that air mattress? How do you like it?

 

[Rednexus]

Who makes that air mattress? How do you like it?

Thermarest Neo Lite XTherm. They are not cheap but very light, comfy, and great for backpacking. Probably overkill for car camping.

 

[Rednexus]

Started some "light wrenching" where I didn't even get dirty this weekend. This included starting the buildout of my DIY accessory/relay fuse box on the Apex Overland mount. This does fit, but required relocating the fuel pump resistor down lower (I'll post pics of that later). It also will require some trimming to provide more clearance for the harness coming out of the master cylinder. However, I'm pretty happy with it for $30; I would have spent more than that DIY'ing one.

Also worked up a diagram for the under-hood components of this setup (still need to do one for the inside). I'm an engineer, but a civil and not an electrical (EE). My EE friends would surely laugh at this since I'm using non-standard symbols. But it will work for me. I'll have relays under the hood for front and rear lockers, side camp lights, ditch lights, and LED light bar, and a ABS/ATRAC/VSC off button. Inside the rig there will be 2 relays for a secondary "Lockers Enable" switch and relay and that will trigger the LED light bar and ditch lights based on the high-beams being turned on. I've purchased most of the custom switches from CH4X4 and custom switch panels from Blue Dog Design Works to make all of this happen. I'm way over the cost/complexity of something like an Auxbeam switch panel, but probably cheaper than a SwitchPros. This is the "hard" way to do things, but I like DIY'ing the stuff and getting it set up exactly the way like it.

Now to start the cumbersome process of actually wiring all of this up. I've bought lots of deutsch connectors from Amazon and different-colored wire from MilSpecWiring.com get that process going.

 

[Rednexus]

Recall replacement Ironman UCAs are in. Interesting that they went with a Moog greaseable UBJ....my old ones have a no-name non-greaseable. I have Moog LBJ's anyway so it's not a big deal to grease these as I'm hitting up all the other grease zerks on my rig. Would have preferred 555's, but my Moog LBJs have been fine, so whatever.

 

[Rednexus]

Last TrailManor trip of the year, made better with some exploring of the lower Current River Country.

 

[DRANGED]

Does that camper slide fore-aft and up?

 

[Rednexus]

The rear and front sections swing down to the middle on a set of torsion bars. It's around 3-4' shorter in height and 7' shorter in length collapsed. Tows great with a GX - we got 13.4 mpg (uncorrected) on our 100-mile drive home yesterday on 2-lane backroads. I would have only gotten 17-18 mpg unloaded.

 

[Rednexus]

Dining room table wrenching on a rainy day.

 

[eklipsephil]

Not a EE either (ME with some exposure to that EE sorcery) but the jumper between the breakers looks wrong to me. If your compressor breaker fails closed, you're going to cook both wires. Also, the rings on the jumper look close to the mounting screw which will short, so might want to insulate that screw.

 

[Rednexus]

Not a EE either (ME with some exposure to that EE sorcery) but the jumper between the breakers looks wrong to me. If your compressor breaker fails closed, you're going to cook both wires. Also, the rings on the jumper look close to the mounting screw which will short, so might want to insulate that screw.

The compressor actually has 2 breakers, one built into it and the aux so I'm not sure it needs to also be behind the 60a breaker that feeds the main panel. I currently run the compressor off of just a 10 ga wire.

However I may switch to a plastic screw or cap for the breaker mounting as I agree that they are kinda close.