US aftermarket support?

[Altaf]

After owning 80 and 100 series I'm now Cruiserless. I would love to get another 80 but I need the center seating position to have a shoulder seatbelt and not just a lap strap. The 100 series is very nice but a bit larger than I'd like for a daily driver.

I'm now considering the GX470 but I couldn't find much aftermarket support from companies I'm familiar with such as IPOR and Slee. I wanted to start with bolt-on sliders and belly skid plates. I'm not looking for custom or welded solutions.

Does th GX have a good after market support for these basic items? Is the 4th gen 4Runner any better?

 

[GXO]

Sliders are tricky in that the GX needs longer than a 4R or FJ to fit. I tried a few options for bolt on without success.

Skids are easy. If they fit an FJ they fit the GX. 4R definitely has more aftermarket support, but the GX is growing.

 

[SouthernSS]

yeah I doubt anyone develops bolt on sliders for this truck. There's just too many obstacles and too few customers to make it worth it. You've got serious clearance issues with the fuel tank and actually securing a nut onto a bolt. There's also an uneven edge right in the center of the frame that doesnt allow for a flush mount without some sort of spacer.

I really wanted bolt on for the capability of taking them off and returning the truck to stock if the wife chose, but it just wasnt going to work well. I ended up welding them to the frame with intentions of just cutting the legs at the plates if I need to take them off.


Aftermarket support is coming, just be patient.

 

[Altaf]

I almost picked up a GX, was in perfect condition except it lacked KDSS so I passed on it. I guess I will keep looking to see what's out there and probably end up with a 4R.

It's a bit disappointing to see the lack of aftermarket support on the GX but I guess not enough people wheel it in the US.

 

[SouthernSS]

I wouldnt go GAGA over KDSS. I dont have it and didnt have a single problem with articulation out on the trail. If it gets to the point that your sway is the limiting factor in what you're able to climb over, then just take it off when you wheel and put it back on when you dont.

KDSS is nice and all, but its just something else to break or go wrong and usually isnt worth the extra money you'll have to fork over. If you found 2 Gx's for the same price where one had KDSS and one didnt, obviously buy the KDSS version. Other than that scenario, dont worry bout it.

I definitely wouldnt let this stop you from enjoying a GX.

 

[GXO]

Amen. I didn't want KDSS as it does add complexity to both more things to break and making aftermarket stuff work (sliders, etc). I love my 2003. It was a super well taken care of soccer mom car and I couldn't be happier (and I got it CHEAP for the year and miles).

 

[Altaf]

Man everything I've read says KDSS is the cats meow but I'm also someone that likes the fact the LX470 has a built-in lift (AHC) so I can park it most garages but also turn a knob get some clearance.

The deal I walked from was a 2006 GX with 56k miles for $23k. The steering wheel felt pretty tight/weighted, tighter than any Lexus I remember driving. Is that normal?

 

[SouthernSS]

GX has built in lift in rear too. I used it one time for an extra couple of inches of clearance in the back this past wheeling trip.

That 2006 for 23k is a pretty fair deal. This is the one without KDSS? Does it have nav and mark levinson? Dont get hung up on KDSS, 95% of the time KDSS wont even be engaged when you drive it on the street. Unless you plan wheeling this thing at least once a week, I really wouldnt call it a deal breaker.

 

[GXO]

Honestly if you wheel enough to care about KDSS and lift it you will end up on an offroad package for suspension (springs vs. airbags) and the performance is equal in terms of stability and traction once you start firing ATRAC.

 

[Altaf]

No KDSS. It has navi and ML, no rear entertainment (which is a good thing). Completely dealer maintained but does not have the 60k service done and will need new tires in a year or two. I do plan to wheel it occasionally which is why I wanted to get sliders to start.

The lack of aftermarket support really is a bummer for me more than anything else. 4R support seems more common from my google searches.

 

[GXO]

There is support, and you basically found it. SouthernSS, BonnerBB, and I have some pretty built rigs and can guide you to what you want. I wouldn't let it stop you

Between just the three of us I am sure we have considered (or done) just about anything you could come up with.

 

[Altaf]

There is support, and you basically found it. SouthernSS, BonnerBB, and I have some pretty built rigs and can guide you to what you want. I wouldn't let it stop you

Between just the three of us I am sure we have considered (or done) just about anything you could come up with.

You think I haven't already stalked your rigs? My hesitation is installing most things that aren't bolt-on. Coming from an 80series you can pretty much build up your Cruiser to your liking and then bring it back to factory with a socket set.

 

[GXO]

Welded on sliders are easy enough to take off...a little grinding and a big hammer, good to go!

 

[SouthernSS]

this is true, but they've also been out a little longer than the GX too. The only thing that wont be bolt on for me was the sliders, and i could have done it that way if I wanted to invest that much effort into it.

 

[BonnerBB]

95% of the time KDSS wont even be engaged when you drive it on the street.

Sorry SS but you are wrong... It doesn't engage or disengage. KDSS is full time. The point of KDSS is to allow for a larger sway bar to tighten up the on road performance hence the reason my truck corners like it is on rails even though I have 33's.

When my truck articulates it pushed the wheels to the ground. KDSS will push the sway bar up or down if the hydraulic fluid allows it too.

Only thing you can't do with the KDSS version is do a long arm which I had no plans to do. Front skid won't just bolt on either.

The cool music in these videos are the ONLY reason I made sure my truck had KDSS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb7B6h_CNyU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLF6n3nMwww

 

[SouthernSS]

from the wiki:

The interconnection is made up of hydraulic piping and a control cylinder which is located at the frame rail.[2] KDSS, which is fully mechanical, can disengage the stabilizer bars (the bars are jointed, allowing movement independent of one another).[2] This system will not engage during normal driving conditions, when hydraulic pressure is equal. In off-road conditions, KDSS activates when it senses that a wheel has dropped.[2]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_Dynamic_Suspension_System


I thought the whole idea of KDSS was to have a normal stabilizer while on-road but also automatically allow for greater suspension travel off road by temporarily "removing" the bind of the sway bar on the suspension components. From what I can tell, if all 4 wheels are on level ground the system acts as a normal sway bar locking the hydraulic cylinder in place. When one wheel drops it allows the sway bar to become disengaged for better articulation. It may have slight benefits on-road too, but I think the idea behind KDSS was to allow for greater articulation off-road while maintaining on road manners.