Builds "Rednexus" - 2007 GX470 Build Thread (4 Viewers)

[HomersCanyonero]

I have SRQ Fabrication front recovery points and a rear aluminum receiver-mounted D-ring in the 6,500# OEM trailer hitch. If I happen to get stuck, the soft shackles are probably a bit too big for the SRQ fab points, but I keep a set of D rings in them at all time and would hook them up that way. I mainly got the soft shackles for hooking up to other rigs, but do want to get one of these for the rear to replace my existing receiver mount and allow the D-rings to be skipped.

Also mounted up the Refined Cycle & Off-road front fire extinguisher mount and a 2.5-lb extinguisher. This is a pretty simple, $50 mount (CNC-cut and powder coated steel), and it fit perfectly (but does require cutting the interior trim - which I used a Dremel for and could have done a cleaner job on).

I got the Refined mount as it was a bit cheaper than other mounts and made here in Missouri. In taking a few short trips, the extinguisher isn't really noticeabe, but I'll probably need to remove it when I sleep inside the GX and move the seat all of the way forward. It definitely seems easy to get to for emergency use (my rig or someone else's).
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I have the apex overland front recovery points and I need to check to see how big of a soft shackle fits in there.

For the rear, I have a d-shackle mount for recovery but I also bought a basic metal pin to attach the rope to it.

The pin attaches to the factory hitch without needing a mount.

 

[Rednexus]

Good idea, I have the pin in my hitch at all times to hold in the D-Ring, and could just utilize that if I need to pull out a stuck rig.

 

[Rednexus]

Took care of a few lingering items today.

I was having rear brake issues - one caliper was wearing out the inner pads a lot faster than the outers. So I installed a pair of NAPA Adaptive One reman calipers and new Bosch pads. I also took an opportunity to swap out the body-to-axle rubber hoses with PowerStop SS hoses. Around two years ago I had replaced the other 4/6 hoses with PowerStop SS hoses, but stripped fitting on the axle hard lines when I attempted these to so they hadn't been done yet. Two new OEM Toyota hard lines (<$25 each) solved the problem. The GX has a better pedal feel and stops a bit better now too. Also I love how easy the electric-assist brakes on these rigs are to bleed - they shoot out a constant stream of brake fluid when the bleeder valves are opened.

Also got up-to-date on stickers. Some were from my buddy whose Tundra I help lift, the other NP stickers are from a AZ/UT trip that Mrs. Rednexus and I just got back from. It may be seen as a bit of a travesty on this forum, but we took the Highlander instead of the GX to some of the best off-roading regions in the USA. We mainly did hiking and sightseeing, and stuck to the pavement, and the Highlander got 30-39 mpg on that trip - using less than half the gas my GX would have. Gotta love Toyota hybrids. Next time we make it back there it will be in the GX pulling our camper.

 

[TLar25]

My GX had become quite noisy while driving, which I attributed to my Wildpeaks getting a bit worn. Until I started to feel some feedback through the steering wheel....and it kept getting louder. Yup, it was front wheel bearing replacement time. Got a pair of new assembled bearings and hubs from Yota Bearings and Hubs, with NSK bearings and a Doorman hub, for $150/shipped per side.
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Removing the old hubs was super easy, maybe 20 minutes per side. Nothing was seized on either side.
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Both the DS and PS hubs were non-OEM replacements. The DS (which looked new when I bought the GX) was a complete no-name hub. It had a lot of play and grinding, and was missing the O-ring. The PS hub has a "Precision" marked bearing. It didn't have much play but was pretty noisy.
View attachment 3314134
I put things back together, for a total replacement time of around 45 min per side. The GX drives much quieter now with only minimal AT tire noise.
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Lesson learned - cheap wheel bearing suck. The DS bearing couldn't have had more than 40K on it and it was already shot. These are easy enough to replace but should last more like 100K. We'll see how the NSK bearings/Doorman hubs last.

Nice! I've got a set sitting in my garage that I need to do on my 4runner. Do you need an alignment after doing this? Or just a check maybe?

 

[Rednexus]

Nice! I've got a set sitting in my garage that I need to do on my 4runner. Do you need an alignment after doing this? Or just a check maybe?

It should not need alignment, since the wheel bearings are outside of the alignment cams and tie rods.

 

[Rednexus]

So I replaced the "flow matched, reman Denso 12-hole injectors" from eBay with a set of reman 12-hole injectors from Dirty Deeds. I was on the 2nd set of eBay injectors (from a reputable seller per Toyota forums) and was still getting a rough warm start for the GX, indicating some fuel leakage into the intake after shutting down the GX.

Upon pulling out the old injectors and comparing them to the Dirty Deeds injectors, a few things became apparent, including 1) the eBay injectors were all exactly the same color plastic (looked brand new), relative to the Dirty Deeds injectors which had obviously been in a running vehicle and were various shades of blue, 2) the numbers/lettering on the eBay injectors didn't exactly match the Dirty Deeds injectors, and 3) there were some minor differences in the plastic injector body. One of the plastic end caps on the eBay injectors also came out when I pulled it, resulting in me having to fish it out of the intake port (surprisingly easy with a 4-prong grabber...).

So....it seeming like I may have gotten a set of new knockoff injectors instead of reman Denso injectors. The GX does run a bit better with the Dirty Deeds injectors in it, but I haven't tried a warm start yet. The eBay seller offered me a refund minus the flow match fee....I'm tempted to demand a full refund including shipping but have some reservations about flat-out accusing them of selling counterfeit parts. Thoughts?

Green O-ring = eBay injector, Orange O-ring = Dirty Deeds injector

 

[BigNick]

So I replaced the "flow matched, reman Denso 12-hole injectors" from eBay with a set of reman 12-hole injectors from Dirty Deeds. I was on the 2nd set of eBay injectors (from a reputable seller per Toyota forums) and was still getting a rough warm start for the GX, indicating some fuel leakage into the intake after shutting down the GX.

Upon pulling out the old injectors and comparing them to the Dirty Deeds injectors, a few things became apparent, including 1) the eBay injectors were all exactly the same color plastic (looked brand new), relative to the Dirty Deeds injectors which had obviously been in a running vehicle and were various shades of blue, 2) the numbers/lettering on the eBay injectors didn't exactly match the Dirty Deeds injectors, and 3) there were some minor differences in the plastic injector body. One of the plastic end caps on the eBay injectors also came out when I pulled it, resulting in me having to fish it out of the intake port (surprisingly easy with a 4-prong grabber...).

So....it seeming like I may have gotten a set of new knockoff injectors instead of reman Denso injectors. The GX does run a bit better with the Dirty Deeds injectors in it, but I haven't tried a warm start yet. The eBay seller offered me a refund minus the flow match fee....I'm tempted to demand a full refund including shipping but have some reservations about flat-out accusing them of selling counterfeit parts. Thoughts?

Green O-ring = eBay injector, Orange O-ring = Dirty Deeds injector
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I'm sorry to hear about this Red, your a stand up nice guy. Were me, Id call em out on it and demand a full refund or else you'll report them from here to the outside edge of the solar system on every online forum there is including ebay. That's just me though. I think you guys have seen me talk good and bad about these folks selling stuff. I don't know the money angle and what you can afford to lose, you start calling them out and a whole new avenue opens up for them to tell you to get lost, so that's a consideration and a higher chance of outcome at that point.

 

[Rednexus]

Yeah, you're right. Looks like you can also report it as counterfit directly on eBay and bypass the seller. Assuming they are counterfit (90% sure they are), I really don't want anyone else to have to go through swapping out injectors multiple times like I have. I'll see how it runs tomorrow and if the warm start issue is solved. If it is solved, even if they aren't counterfit, the rebuild must have been poor quality.

 

[MrTorgue]

What a bummer.

 

[AmericanKing]

So I replaced the "flow matched, reman Denso 12-hole injectors" from eBay with a set of reman 12-hole injectors from Dirty Deeds. I was on the 2nd set of eBay injectors (from a reputable seller per Toyota forums) and was still getting a rough warm start for the GX, indicating some fuel leakage into the intake after shutting down the GX.

Upon pulling out the old injectors and comparing them to the Dirty Deeds injectors, a few things became apparent, including 1) the eBay injectors were all exactly the same color plastic (looked brand new), relative to the Dirty Deeds injectors which had obviously been in a running vehicle and were various shades of blue, 2) the numbers/lettering on the eBay injectors didn't exactly match the Dirty Deeds injectors, and 3) there were some minor differences in the plastic injector body. One of the plastic end caps on the eBay injectors also came out when I pulled it, resulting in me having to fish it out of the intake port (surprisingly easy with a 4-prong grabber...).

So....it seeming like I may have gotten a set of new knockoff injectors instead of reman Denso injectors. The GX does run a bit better with the Dirty Deeds injectors in it, but I haven't tried a warm start yet. The eBay seller offered me a refund minus the flow match fee....I'm tempted to demand a full refund including shipping but have some reservations about flat-out accusing them of selling counterfeit parts. Thoughts?

Green O-ring = eBay injector, Orange O-ring = Dirty Deeds injector
View attachment 3383663
View attachment 3383664

Interesting I have experience a couple rough warm starts this summer on my 03 GX with OEM injectors. I thought maybe my starter might be going out. I might be experiencing a failed injector.

 

[Rednexus]

Drove the GX around 400 miles today. The warm start issue is 100% fixed and its definitely more responsive and has better part throttle power. So the eBay injectors were either counterfit or poor quality remans. I'll try going through eBay to get this addressed first....stay tuned.

 

[Rednexus]

Interesting I have experience a couple rough warm starts this summer on my 03 GX with OEM injectors. I thought maybe my starter might be going out. I might be experiencing a failed injector.

They are worth replacing or rebuilding on a older rig as they are really a wear item. You can either pull the injectors and ship them out for rebuilding (to somewhere like InjectorRX) or put in the Dirty Deeds 12-holes. I initially chose the 12 holes to avoid having the rig down for a week. Shipping the stock 4-holes out would have been cheaper. There is a big debate on 12-hole vs. 4 hole....after having both the 12 holes seem to be a bit better but not drastically so.

 

[AmericanKing]

They are worth replacing or rebuilding on a older rig as they are really a wear item. You can either pull the injectors and ship them out for rebuilding (to somewhere like InjectorRX) or put in the Dirty Deeds 12-holes. I initially chose the 12 holes to avoid having the rig down for a week. Shipping the stock 4-holes out would have been cheaper. There is a big debate on 12-hole vs. 4 hole....after having both the 12 holes seem to be a bit better but not drastically so.

I agree its better to have the parts on hand when replacing instead of waiting. I am leaning towards the 12 hole injectors and swapping out to a VVTi intake manifold. I'm sure you will see the most out of your injectors with the long tube headers.

 

[Rednexus]

I received the following response from the injector seller, CS Performance (silvershot_platnium on eBay) today:

Upon further examination, we have identified that there was indeed a batch of injectors earlier this year that had issues with leaking during warm starts. We have since discontinued those units, as we realized that (though they are genuine OEM Denso cores) they were recast with different plastics and, unfortunately, became contaminated during the process. We want to assure you that the injectors we currently offer do not go through such recasting procedures, ensuring their authenticity and top-notch quality.

Regarding the color variation and different text/numbers on the injector body, we want to clarify that this is entirely normal for genuine Denso injectors. They can exhibit varying shades of blue and show some signs of wear due to their use and the manufacturing process.

We deeply regret any inconvenience you faced with the injectors and the need for multiple replacements. We take full responsibility for this matter, and we are committed to resolving the issue to your satisfaction. We are more than willing to issue you a full refund for the injectors you purchased from us and we will provide free shipping for the return of the injectors.

In summary, their response is that the injectors were a bad-batch and that the injector bodies were re-cast, but they have offered me a full refund. To the bigger question - are these real Denso injectors? Honestly I have no idea and cannot prove it either way without opening up the injectors (though re-casting the body with a Denso logo on it if it is not a Denso injector body seems odd). The Dirty Deeds injectors are definitely working better.....they were $375 shipped vs. $280 shipped for the CS Performance injectors. Perhaps you just get what you pay for at the end of the day....the CS's had good reviews on the Toyota forums, but you never know. I am satisfied with the refund and the overall tone of their response and will be shipping my injectors back.

My advice is either to 1) just have your 4-holes rebuilt locally or by shipping them out and dealing with the downtime or 2) buy 12-holes from Dirty Deeds due to questionable supply chains elsewhere.

 

[BigNick]

I received the following response from the injector seller, CS Performance (silvershot_platnium on eBay) today:



In summary, their response is that the injectors were a bad-batch and that the injector bodies were re-cast, but they have offered me a full refund. To the bigger question - are these real Denso injectors? Honestly I have no idea and cannot prove it either way without opening up the injectors (though re-casting the body with a Denso logo on it if it is not a Denso injector body seems odd). The Dirty Deeds injectors are definitely working better.....they were $375 shipped vs. $280 shipped for the CS Performance injectors. Perhaps you just get what you pay for at the end of the day....the CS's had good reviews on the Toyota forums, but you never know. I am satisfied with the refund and the overall tone of their response and will be shipping my injectors back.

My advice is either to 1) just have your 4-holes rebuilt locally or by shipping them out and dealing with the downtime or 2) buy 12-holes from Dirty Deeds due to questionable supply chains That is a good outcome red

Sounds like a pretty good outcome. Too bad you had to go through all that work to get there. The good news is you're now an expert on four seventy injecters.

 

[BigNick]

I received the following response from the injector seller, CS Performance (silvershot_platnium on eBay) today:



In summary, their response is that the injectors were a bad-batch and that the injector bodies were re-cast, but they have offered me a full refund. To the bigger question - are these real Denso injectors? Honestly I have no idea and cannot prove it either way without opening up the injectors (though re-casting the body with a Denso logo on it if it is not a Denso injector body seems odd). The Dirty Deeds injectors are definitely working better.....they were $375 shipped vs. $280 shipped for the CS Performance injectors. Perhaps you just get what you pay for at the end of the day....the CS's had good reviews on the Toyota forums, but you never know. I am satisfied with the refund and the overall tone of their response and will be shipping my injectors back.

My advice is either to 1) just have your 4-holes rebuilt locally or by shipping them out and dealing with the downtime or 2) buy 12-holes from Dirty Deeds due to questionable supply chains That is a good outcome red

Good outcome.. Too bad you had to do all the work.. Good news is your an expert at changing them.

 

[Rednexus]

I finally threw in the towel on my exhaust woes. I spent another weekend back in July trying to get rid of the 3,000-rpm plus whistle and the 1,500-2,100 rpm drone, to no avail. I ended up calling up Dirty Deeds and chatting with Keith. I explained the situation, he suggested that I ship my Borla system to him, and that he'd weld in one of his mufflers, quarter-wave resonators, and he had a way to fix the whistle. The system ended up being gone for about 2 weeks, including shipping.

Just installed it this afternoon. Impressions are:

1. The DD muffler weighs about 2X as much as the Borla and 3X as much as stock. I think it's a 5" SS cylinder packed with a ton of something (maybe stainless steel wool?).
1. Sounds WAY better than the Borla....the Borla had a super deep tone, but droned badly and didn't have much of that V8 rowdiness. The Dirty Deeds has a bit more rasp and just sounds better overall.
2. The whistle I had from 3,000 rpm on is GONE. I saw how he fixed it - won't share here as he was kind of coy about it - but it was super easy and I wish I would have thought of it myself.
3. It's quiet at 2,000 rpm and up - like 57 db. Zero drone at cruising speeds. Should be great for towing.
4. Still some loudness from 1,500-2,000 rpm (around 60 db) but better than before. I left one of my Helmholtz resonators on there and may make it a bit larger to address those lower frequencies, but it's much more livable than before.
5. Power is about the same as the Borla and more than stock.

Overall - happy with the outcome, but it shows just how difficult it is to get an exhaust totally dialed on one of these. I'd throw an exhaust firmly in the DO NOT RECOMMEND bucket, unless 1) you don't mind screwing with it for months and spending 2X as much money as you thought to get it dialed or 2) you're younger and don't mind the sound (I did not mine drone in my teens and twenties....different at 39).

 

[HomersCanyonero]

I finally threw in the towel on my exhaust woes. I spent another weekend back in July trying to get rid of the 3,000-rpm plus whistle and the 1,500-2,100 rpm drone, to no avail. I ended up calling up Dirty Deeds and chatting with Keith. I explained the situation, he suggested that I ship my Borla system to him, and that he'd weld in one of his mufflers, quarter-wave resonators, and he had a way to fix the whistle. The system ended up being gone for about 2 weeks, including shipping.

Just installed it this afternoon. Impressions are:

1. The DD muffler weighs about 2X as much as the Borla and 3X as much as stock. I think it's a 5" SS cylinder packed with a ton of something (maybe stainless steel wool?).
1. Sounds WAY better than the Borla....the Borla had a super deep tone, but droned badly and didn't have much of that V8 rowdiness. The Dirty Deeds has a bit more rasp and just sounds better overall.
2. The whistle I had from 3,000 rpm on is GONE. I saw how he fixed it - won't share here as he was kind of coy about it - but it was super easy and I wish I would have thought of it myself.
3. It's quiet at 2,000 rpm and up - like 57 db. Zero drone at cruising speeds. Should be great for towing.
4. Still some loudness from 1,500-2,000 rpm (around 60 db) but better than before. I left one of my Helmholtz resonators on there and may make it a bit larger to address those lower frequencies, but it's much more livable than before.
5. Power is about the same as the Borla and more than stock.

View attachment 3392666
View attachment 3392665


Overall - happy with the outcome, but it shows just how difficult it is to get an exhaust totally dialed on one of these. I'd throw an exhaust firmly in the DO NOT RECOMMEND bucket, unless 1) you don't mind screwing with it for months and spending 2X as much money as you thought to get it dialed or 2) you're younger and don't mind the sound (I did not mine drone in my teens and twenties....different at 39).

Thanks for the advice! Although the rocks are starting to pound on my tailpipe.

 

[BigNick]

Thanks for the advice! Although the rocks are starting to pound on my tailpipe.

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That's the one I put in. I'm happy with it. Now, my hearing is kind of jacked up over listening to turbine engines most of my life. But, I honestly don't hear too much of a drone with it. I noticed they now sell an axle back as well.

 

[Rednexus]

For rock protection, you could have a muffler shop remove the rear resonator and add in a turndown in the similar location as the Magnaflow. That should be a $50-100 job and would provide more clearance.

Reviews on the Magnaflow are all over the place....some say zero drone, others say it's unbearable.