Build Roody’s 2018 Lexus GX460 Build, Adventure, and Hooniverse Podcast

[Rednexus]

I had my diff breather routed under the rubber gas filler seal for a long time. Never an issue. When I re-geared and changed from 80w90 to Lucas 85W140 gear oil per ECGS recommendations, I started getting stinky gear oil smells in the cabin all the time. Especially when towing up a big hill. I used a heat gun on the diff and it was barely over 200F, so I think it's just due to the stinky gear oil, as opposed to a problem with the diffs.

At the insistence of Mrs. Rednexus, I poked the breather through like @Roody did. No more stinky smells! IMO putting them through the rubber gas filler area seal is the way to go. Having it in the taillight area would probably also get stinky smells in the cabin.

FYI - you can easily DIY a breather extension with a Toyota hose barb (90404-51319), about 3 feet of vacuum line, and a Doorman axle vent. Although, the TEQ kit is about the same price as buying the parts individually. But, you can still get water in your diff, even with that kit. When a hot diff hits cold water, it can pull it in past the axle seals, especially on a higher-mileage rig.

 

[xychromosome]

I did consider it but chose otherwise. The gas gap route inherently vents fumes, and should there be any-- ideally none whatsoever given the sealed nature of the diff and breather-- I didn't want them anywhere near the cabin or even cargo hold. I also don't mind seeing it every time I put gas in the tank.

When I routed my read diff breather to the rear taillight it was completely external to the rear cabin. I haven't smelt any fumes back there. My wife, who is the ultimate authority on any offending odor, hasn't mentioned anything either

 

[Banandalorian]

What about the front diff?
Or is that another year's wait?

I think the 460s have the front diff and tcase breathers extended a little bit up into the engine bay (If I'm wrong I should probably go change my diff oils)

 

[Hiluxforever]

I think the 460s have the front diff and tcase breathers extended a little bit up into the engine bay (If I'm wrong I should probably go change my diff oils)

Thats my understanding as well. Comes up next to the battery.

 

[llm]

I think the 460s have the front diff and tcase breathers extended a little bit up into the engine bay (If I'm wrong I should probably go change my diff oils)

the front diff goes up pretty high. I would guess about 3" below the top of the front wheel well. I have the knockoff ARB breather kit and just extended the front diff up another 8-10 in to where I mounted the manifold. I didnt do the Tcase nor Trans but my understanding is that those vent to the top of the cases, so about the floor level.

 

[Hiluxforever]

I used to be religious about doing it and never spent time in water. Now I am the reverse.

I am usually still below the axle tubes, so thats NBD. I have learned to go super slow in water. There can be massive rocks hidden in them.

Long term I will probably do something to raise them, but I dont daily my truck anymore. If I have to do fluids once a year, thats cool.

 

[Roody]

Latest truck update: Battery died so went back to Costco and swapped it for a replacement thanks to their 36 month warranty. Their battery tester confirmed the battery itself was bad (and it wasn't the fault of the GX).

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[Roody]

More exciting update: Our latest recording of the Hooniverse Podcast is up, with special guests Mark and Jack of Savagegeese



(Links to Apple/Spotify to come)

 

[dudemancool1904]

Latest truck update: Battery died so went back to Costco and swapped it for a replacement thanks to their 36 month warranty. Their battery tester confirmed the battery itself was bad (and it wasn't the fault of the GX).

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Not meant to hi jack but Costco batteries have been lacking. They got rid of their awesome 42 month no questions asked warranty and anecdotally I seemed to have one fail always in the last few months of ownership. On the 200 ive had much better luck with Toyota OEM batteries.

 

[Roody]

Not meant to hi jack but Costco batteries have been lacking. They got rid of their awesome 42 month no questions asked warranty and anecdotally I seemed to have one fail always in the last few months of ownership. On the 200 ive had much better luck with Toyota OEM batteries.

Not hijacking at all-- and I don't disagree, but the affordability and 36 month warranty combo of the Costco battery was unbeatable here in CT when I was looking for a battery at the time in early 2024. I'll eventually revisit getting a better one once this replacement battery dies.

 

[Roody]

Because it came up in the BS thread, I was looking back at pictures of my GX from when I first saw and subsequently bought it... October 22, 2021

So innocent, so unsuspecting

And the most recent pic of the GX on my phone (hood up for compressor hooked to battery)

 

[Rednexus]

IMO they look neutered stock, but badass when modded . There are not many rigs that can transform so easily.

 

[Roody]

IMO they look neutered stock, but badass when modded . There are not many rigs that can transform so easily.

Agreed, the street tires / side steps / low hanging bumpers really street-ify the look. I have since remedied all of that haha

My original plan was to go for an Aussie-esque look, something OEM+ plus or like what you'd see on 4WD 24/7. Haven't strayed too far from that original vision.

 

[Roody]

2018 Lexus GX460 Build Project | Hamilton Premium CarPlay Conversion Kit Review (x-posted from Hooniverse)


As stout as it was mechanically, the 2010-2022 Lexus GX460 was a technological dinosaur even in its heyday. Laden with ancient infotainment featuring an antique looking screen and infuriating controls, the system only received a factory infotainment upgrade for the vehicle’s closing 2022-2024 model years. To remedy the earlier GX460’s woes, Hamilton Motor Company set out to build a DIY retrofit kit that emulates the refreshed model’s center stack. Long story short, Hamilton succeeded with flying colors.

My own 2018 GX was one of those trucks with said frustrations. Issues were plentiful: Not enough buttons; woefully slow; screen doesn’t support swiping; no CarPlay; etc. Grom’s VLine2 attempted to bridge the gap and served a decent improvement but it couldn’t help the OEM system’s old bones.

TBC...

 

[Roody]

What is it?​

Instead of just being a plug-in CarPlay dongle or even simple screen swap, Hamilton’s Conversion kit is a full center stack replacement for the pre interior-refresh GX460. It comes as one unit that you swap in for the components above the OEM CD player (which stays), and it has a 12-inch screen just like the post-refresh 460. The system has wired and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and critically it preserves all factory functions. That means the original microphone, steering wheel controls, backup camera, and factory software are as usable as they are in a stock rig. And most importantly: Real buttons and knobs!

…why is it?​

We’ve come a long way from swapping in single and double-DIN radios. As cars have become more screen-reliant– and people have become more phone dependent– the vehicles around them have been tailored accordingly. As such, tech like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are frequently at the top of the list for what consumers are looking for most in their next vehicle.

But secondhand buyers also don’t want to spend money they don’t have to, and the post-interior-refresh GX460s regularly sell for a $10k premium over the models with the old interior. Hamilton touts a full DIY install for its conversion kit, which means buying an earlier GX460 and ponying up for the $1,349 Hamilton conversion product is still a huge money save versus buying the newer vehicle.

Install is only a slight PITA.

Install​

I’ve been through this rodeo before. Installing the Grom VLine2 meant pulling the whole original head unit out of the vehicle, so I was familiar with the process that kicks off the Hamilton install. I wasn’t prepared for how much undoing there was from my mosh-posh Grom doings, and though removing everything only took about 15 minutes it was the close to 4 hours of sorting out my prior shortcuts that led to my mental undoing in this process.

Once that was sorted out, installation of the Hamilton kit was pretty straightforward. Every wire comes labeled, and there are plenty of good YouTube videos showing how to make A match up with A, B match up with B, and so on.

TBC...

 

[Roody]

Install including pre-assembly probably took 7 hours in total, of which 4 were because of my past self unintentionally sabotaging this round being a headache-free process. I could do the whole thing again in probably an hour and a half. Bonus? In the process– since the cup holder center tunnel covering was already out of the GX– I routed my external GMRS speaker into its theoretical forever home, wedged underneath the shifter.

Conclusion​

I have no qualms about saying when things don’t work great, or a product doesn’t work as intended, but that’s not the case here. I’ve been using the Hamilton retrofit kit in my GX for four-plus months now and while it’s not perfect– no retrofit kit is, and no new vehicle has perfect tech either for that matter– it’s pretty great. Even the sound quality of the stock speakers seems improved versus with the stock head unit. That could be placebo effect though.

OEM funcitonality
And though the Hamilton’s buttons, knobs, and panel matching aren’t 100% up to Lexus quality standards, the fit and finish are solid. Every install and setup issue I had was easily remedied by Hamilton’s excellent customer support team. Occasionally it won’t connect to my phone automatically, but I don’t doubt that’s the fault of my phone.

OEM functionality is still accessible.
Ultimately, the Hamilton kit delivers on its promise. My 2018 GX460’s stock infotainment and even the Grom VLine2 worked fine and bothered me minimally, but– as I have said countless times– I’m extremely fortunate to drive an array of the latest and greatest cars out there, and that means getting back into my 460 felt like a time capsule– which is a good thing, in some capacities. It’s why I bought it, and why I love how it’s stuck in the year it was conceived in– just the right amount of tech, no more, no less. V8, body on frame, no interfering ADAs, etc. Then again, it sometimes also just feels old, more like the 2010 model year vehicle the GX460 was introduced as. That old foundation is still there, but the Hamilton kit makes the livability of the truck in modern times that much better.

Needless to say, I’m extremely impressed with the Hamilton conversion kit and so far I highly recommend it. I’m not just saying that because they sent it to me at no charge for the purpose of media/marketing. This is a truly great update that makes a pre-interior refresh GX460 feel very much like the later vehicles at a fraction of the price. I love how it has improved the look and functionality of my GX’s interior, and only “those who know, know” will notice it’s not OEM. Well done, Hamilton.

 

[Banandalorian]

Good write up. I've been eyeballing the Hamilton kit since I heard about it last year.

 

[Roody]

Good write up. I've been eyeballing the Hamilton kit since I heard about it last year.

It's honesty really good. I can nitpick things if someone wants to go down to the nitty gritty, but it is a MASSIVE improvement over the stock 2018 GX460's infotainment and HVAC setup.

 

[alhounos]

Agreed, the street tires / side steps / low hanging bumpers really street-ify the look. I have since remedied all of that haha

My original plan was to go for an Aussie-esque look, something OEM+ plus or like what you'd see on 4WD 24/7. Haven't strayed too far from that original vision.

hah, i was just scrolling through the pics and thinking "I love the Aussie look" Bull bar and skinny tires are what make it, I think. American builds tend to be a bit more aggro, and often kinda cheesy.

 

[r2m]

Install including pre-assembly probably took 7 hours in total, of which 4 were because of my past self unintentionally sabotaging this round being a headache-free process. I could do the whole thing again in probably an hour and a half. Bonus? In the process– since the cup holder center tunnel covering was already out of the GX– I routed my external GMRS speaker into its theoretical forever home, wedged underneath the shifter.

Conclusion​

I have no qualms about saying when things don’t work great, or a product doesn’t work as intended, but that’s not the case here. I’ve been using the Hamilton retrofit kit in my GX for four-plus months now and while it’s not perfect– no retrofit kit is, and no new vehicle has perfect tech either for that matter– it’s pretty great. Even the sound quality of the stock speakers seems improved versus with the stock head unit. That could be placebo effect though.

OEM funcitonality
And though the Hamilton’s buttons, knobs, and panel matching aren’t 100% up to Lexus quality standards, the fit and finish are solid. Every install and setup issue I had was easily remedied by Hamilton’s excellent customer support team. Occasionally it won’t connect to my phone automatically, but I don’t doubt that’s the fault of my phone.

OEM functionality is still accessible.
Ultimately, the Hamilton kit delivers on its promise. My 2018 GX460’s stock infotainment and even the Grom VLine2 worked fine and bothered me minimally, but– as I have said countless times– I’m extremely fortunate to drive an array of the latest and greatest cars out there, and that means getting back into my 460 felt like a time capsule– which is a good thing, in some capacities. It’s why I bought it, and why I love how it’s stuck in the year it was conceived in– just the right amount of tech, no more, no less. V8, body on frame, no interfering ADAs, etc. Then again, it sometimes also just feels old, more like the 2010 model year vehicle the GX460 was introduced as. That old foundation is still there, but the Hamilton kit makes the livability of the truck in modern times that much better.

Needless to say, I’m extremely impressed with the Hamilton conversion kit and so far I highly recommend it. I’m not just saying that because they sent it to me at no charge for the purpose of media/marketing. This is a truly great update that makes a pre-interior refresh GX460 feel very much like the later vehicles at a fraction of the price. I love how it has improved the look and functionality of my GX’s interior, and only “those who know, know” will notice it’s not OEM. Well done, Hamilton.

This reply pretty much consolidates all three of your posts.
In short, great write up!
I was really bummed when my daughter, a few years ago, bought a 2013 Rav4. The infotainment screen was SO NICE! It had album cover art, full color, it was awesome! And here I am in a premium Lexus, just one step down from the their best (LX) model, my GX, and I have a screen that looks like Windows 3.1!
I just couldn't understand how Toyota/Lexus would let that happen!

Back to your write up. Does one have to have a Premium model with the infotainment system to use the Hamilton or will it work on any trim level?