Builds "Rednexus" - 2007 GX470 Build and Fabrication Thread (11 Viewers)

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This is one of those "I'm happy and jealous" moments. Looks amazing
It's definitely worth the trip out here if you're into wheeling. The Lexus has been flawless and outperformed the Jeep. With the exception of the Poughkeepsie Gulch wall that he did and the Cummins he winched out. I made it to the base of the wall (getting to the base included the toughest obstacles I've done), but I didn't try to go up it due to no lockers.
 
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Make sure to go to the Stronghouse Brewery right there in town. Sam makes the best beers in town 🍻 Great food too!
Hit that up yesterday. Awesome beer and elk cheddar brat. One of the coolest brewpubs I've been to anywhere.
 
And all done. Crossing the plains tomorrow and heading home. Tired after climbing a 14er this morning and wheeling, hiking, gold panning, and exploring for 8-10 hrs most days. Epic trip with my buddies. The GX did great. Damage includes a couple wheel gouges, missing rear bumper clip, and new smash in the skidplate. Can't believe how well it wheeled with 33s while being super comfy and dead reliable zipping 80 mph across Kansas.
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Looks like you had some good fun! If you had to put a finger on it what would you say was the most important mod for your trip?
 
Probably the combo of skids, 33s, and a lift. This gave my GX quite a bit better clearance than the 2" lifted JK Rubicon on 33s we wheeled with, and allowed me to tackle the vast majority of the obstacles faster and easier than a SFA rig. I have around 13" of clearance under the front skid and probably 18" or more under the sliders (which, I never once touched on this trip!). So clearance, clearance, clearance won the game. The traction of the AT4Ws (better than the AT3Ws) aired down to 18 psi, ATRAC, and picking good lines did the rest.
 
Wow, great pics and amazing area. Went out there in 2020 and then 2021. I want to go back so bad. Lol Your truck looks awesome on the 33s. Also the rare green is under appreciated.

Curious, when you're up in elevation, what grade gas do you run? I know you have header/intake/tune, etc. Do you run 91+ at home?

I ran 87 up there, was too chicken s*** to put 85 in, which was a painful fill up near Telluride. Lol
 
SW Colorado is an amazing place indeed! It's not terribly far from here (day and a half of driving). Unfortunately both Black Bear and Imogene Pass were closed due to mud and rock slides, so my wheeling crew wants to head back again in a couple years to check those off and also hit up Moab. I hadn't been to that part of the world since 2021 either, and before that, since 2014! I end up in Denver a couple times a year for work, and honestly don't care for the Front Range that much; SW CO is just so much better.

I usually run 87 at home and run 85 up there. Zero issues and the rig had plenty of power (way more than the Jeep!), but I also have an 87 tune on it. It got some pretty crazy MPG at altitude too, including 18 mpg on a run from Creede to Walsenburg where we ran Medano Pass. Overall that's a big drop in elevation, but we have at least 15 miles of wheeling in 4 low and some fun in the sand as well.

It was also interesting that the Jeep basically got the same MPG as my GX and had the same-sized fuel tank. We were usually within 1/8 of a tank of each other on gas, which made stopping to re-fuel easy.
 
In other GX-adjacent news, the rebuild of my 2015 Harbor Freight utility trailer is complete. This had a DIY treated plywood floor and sides that rotted out over the past 8 years. I fixed it with 300# of steel that included a 14-ga diamond plate floor and a new and extended C-channel tongue (built from scratch, as the old one was twisted) that allows me to actually see the trailer while backing. I built the upper structure out of 1.5" angle iron so it'll be easy to replace the new plywood in the future. My welding and fabrication skills went from bad to novice during this job - glad to practice on a cheap old trailer instead of something nice. Running my Hobart 210 MVP on 120V did prove challenging - can't wait to be in the new shop with 220V so I can more easily weld thicker stuff.

I do have a few areas to touch-up with more Ford Red tractor paint, but otherwise she's already been used and is way more sturdy than the old iteration.
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YES!!

Improvering the 'ol HF trailer!!!
Weld up the seams?
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and make supports for those floppy fenders so you can stand on 'em! ;)
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And dood!

MAAAAD Props on ALL your mods and improvements!!

Holy cow man what a well redone, improvered rig!!! :p
 
Sorry haven't been following page by page for most of this year, butbriefly caught up this morning, MAN< tons of work, mods, repairs, improvements, etc!!

PROPS DUDE!!

Looks like you're on the orad! Are you making it out to my backyard on this trip, or just CO??

Give a shout out if you make it all the way over here, It'd be rad to say hi!! 🤘
Thanks man! I've been working on it too much if anything :). Ready for a break for a while! Love your fender mod on the HF trailer - will do the same on mine! The crappy bracket has broken before.

And yes I just got back from the CO side of your local state line on Saturday. Probably won't be back out that way until 2026 but will let you know when we head out!
 
Nice! Good to know on the octane levels. I'm hoping to make a return next year, or the year following. SW CO definitely has the coolest stuff and feels the most rugged and remote area to explore.

My best MPG ever was in CO, got 21 MPG cruising slowly downward in elevation, but like you had a few miles of slow going 4LO exploring on last dollar pass.

When I went in 2020, it was in my friend's preVVTI LX470 on 33s. That thing felt like a dog going up hill, was always gear hunting, and never returned over 15 MPG. Meanwhile the GX feels great in elevation. It doesn't feel all that much down on power versus home, and is happy to climb hills around 2.7-3k RPM. MPG on the highway is always above 16-17. Granted, between the weight, VVTi, and smaller baby 32s, I can't be that surprised.
 
Agreed! These things are great alpine rigs. Never once wanted for power, even with 2 guys and a weeks worth of camping gear loaded up.
 
How does the GX do keeping up with the Rubicon?
Faster on and off pavement. IFS is much quicker on rough roads/trails than a SFA rig. He did one obstacle I didn't attempt (Poughkeepsie Gulch wall) and walked right up it. I didn't want to try it and risk breaking my rig since I don't yet have lockers.
 
Just when I thought my Power Stop saga was over! Maybe the 1-star Google Review I gave them coupled with a photo of my tire covered with brake fluid from their POS hose actually did something. Regardless, it looks like I wasn't the only person they were selling junk parts to. Hopefully others will have their hoses replaced prior to losing their brakes.

They'll be getting a $250 invoice from yours truly for my personal labor in replacing the hoses. Ironman paid me before, I'm betting powerStop will tooI might also throw in the receipts for the new OEM Toyota hoses I replaced them with.
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