What Did You Do With Your 120 Today? (6 Viewers)

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Yeah it could have been very bad. Disappointed in myself for being so careless putting it back together.

Happens to us all if we do this work long enough. For me personally, probability is highest when I'm rushing.
 
Jowl Recovery Split Shackle 3/4, aka Jeep Rescue Device..

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Thinking about putting a couple up front too. Problem is, I don't anticipate taking a strap...
 
Got the LCA and axles in today. I probably spent 3x as much time trying to separate the ball joint than taking everything apart and torqing everything back up. All went smoothly, will top off diff fluid tomorrow and go for a drive.

The Moog LCA seemed to already have some grease in the ball joint, I was surprised to see they have a fill port though, not sure if I have to add some more before use.

The wheels are barely off the ground in the pics so the axles actually have less flex than that.

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I would suggest putting a bit more grease in the LBJs. I typically fill mine until the boot looks somewhat bulged/inflated. Your look a bit deflated so they might need some more. I give mine 4-5 pumps of grease at each oil change (along with the driveshafts), although they are typically pretty bulged out and probably don't need grease that often. If you put too much grease in it will just squeeze out of the bottom of the boot.

FYI, at least on my rig, the grease zerk they include cannot be actually reached when the LBJ/LCA is in the rig (too close to the CV shaft). I put a set of 45-degree zerks on (from the local parts store) and they are now accessible if the wheels are turned outward to full lock.
 
Update: Filling the driver's side lca ball joint was doable, got it nice and plump until overspill. Passenger side is a no go, even holding the wheel uncomfortably to the right, that axle is just in the way. I'll have to look for said 45deg zerk as that is great advice, it would work perfect! Will do only the passenger side and then get an alignment. I also re-greased both icon uca.

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In other news, new front runner rack and fairing installed! Dropped some coin over the labor day sales hehe.

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Haha maybe. I went through a clublexus thread today from late 2004 with a bunch of GX owners having issues with the hitch. Apparently lexus did not offer a hitch or the towing package on any GX with kdss that was manufactured prior to April 2004. That’s the date that determines which of the 2 hitch part numbers you need.

Apparently that’s why my GX also lacks that receiver mount. After April 2004, the bolt pattern for the receiver mount (and pintle hitch) changes, too. The 4 bolts that mount to the back of the frame and the 2 to on the bottom are spaced differently.

There’s a wrecked 2003 with the full hitch at a part’s yard local to me. Gonna pop in this week and see if I can check the fit of that hitch and receiver mount. If it works, I’ll stick with it. If it doesn’t, I’ll probably stick with the curt. If the powder coating fails, I can sand and spray it. From the pictures I’ve seen online, it doesn’t look to sit any lower than the Lexus tube hitch. Same with the “hidden hitch” brand. Maybe I’m just not looking close enough.
I am having the same issues with Class IV OEM Lexus (Toyota) hitch. First off I would prefer the OEM vs. aftermarket (Curt, etc) simply because it is OEM and fit appears better. Secondly, I have found a couple of GX470 parts vehicles that have a hitches. One has a manufacture date of January 2004 and the other is August 2004.

Your great information clears up the issue I have been seeing pn parts pages with 2003 and 2004 being different then 2005 to 2009.

One question, were all OEM hitches on 2005-2009 PT22889460 (6500#)?

Thanks again for great, timely info.
 
I am having the same issues with Class IV OEM Lexus (Toyota) hitch. First off I would prefer the OEM vs. aftermarket (Curt, etc) simply because it is OEM and fit appears better. Secondly, I have found a couple of GX470 parts vehicles that have a hitches. One has a manufacture date of January 2004 and the other is August 2004.

Your great information clears up the issue I have been seeing pn parts pages with 2003 and 2004 being different then 2005 to 2009.

One question, were all OEM hitches on 2005-2009 PT22889460 (6500#)?

Thanks again for great, timely info.

That is the Toyota part number but it will fit our trucks no problem. The equivalent Lexus part number is PT228-60540 for the 05-09 6500lbs hitch. You can find it for about the same price as the Toyota hitch now but it used to be more. Only difference between them is the rubber hitch cover says Toyota vs Lexus
 
Ordered and installed the Prado 120 black window trim pieces, also upgraded my Phoenix PX6 head unit courtesy of Sergey over at the GXOR Facebook group. This upgrade changes the overall look of the unit, boot screen, wallpaper and on screen controls and also updates the firmware. I was also able to get apple CarPlay to finally work 👍

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Hi .. where did you get the black window trims?
 
Made some improv platforms built around wanting to place a little road trip cooler right behind the center console. It's a simple carpeted 2-piece, easily removable if I want the rear seats in again. Was also able to secure the cfx3 55, a jackery explorer 1000, and various boxes with camp, kitchen, and sports equipment.

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Then packed it with said gear (1 surfboard, 2 foil boards, 3 wings, camp gear, cooking gear, lots of food, plenty of deet) and spent a few days in OBX. I tried getting the hard shell roof tent on before and wasn't too reassured with how much it wobbled, so I took it off and will figure it out another time, I took a regular tent instead. Still didn't stop me from having a good time in the outer banks! I could also pile everything to a side and sleep in the truck if necesaary.

Here's a shot before taking off to surf at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, got distracted by the stoke and didn't really stop to take more pics. The front runner drop table I got a few weeks back held up really well also, taking a 2-burner stove, various glass tupperwares, and a large 2.5gal water bottle with no fuss. Sorry no cooking action shots :p

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Then today I went wingfoiling at kite Point before heading back home given the storm that's about to hit, so I took the time to snap a quick shot. I need to figure out the right brackets to mount the light bar lower, it's catching too much air :)

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I'll def be going back to OBX, those bugs out there though must be lab engineered because I practically bathed in deet and still got viciously attacked. Enjoy! :p
 
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Made some improv platforms built around wanting to place a little road trip cooler right behind the center console. It's a simple carpeted 2-piece, easily removable if I want the rear seats in again. Was also able to secure the cfx3 55, a jackery explorer 1000, and various boxes with camp, kitchen, and sports equipment.

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Then packed it with said gear (1 surfboard, 2 foil boards, 3 wings, camp gear, cooking gear, lots of food, plenty of deet) and spent a few days in OBX. I tried getting the hard shell roof tent on before and wasn't too reassured with how much it wobbled, so I took it off and will figure it out another time, I took a regular tent instead. Still didn't stop me from having a good time in the outer banks! I could also pile everything to a side and sleep in the truck if necesaary.

Here's a shot before taking off to surf at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, got distracted by the stoke and didn't really stop to take more pics. The front runner drop table I got a few weeks back held up really well also, taking a 2-burner stove, various glass tupperwares, and a large 2.5gal water bottle with no fuss. Sorry no cooking action shots :p

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Then today I went wingfoiling at kite Point before heading back home given the storm that's about to hit, so I took the time to snap a quick shot. I need to figure out the right brackets to mount the light bar lower, it's catching too much air :)

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I'll def be going back to OBX, those bugs out there though must be lab engineered because I practically bathed in deet and still got viciously attacked. Enjoy! :p
That's a whole lot better then the $2k Goose wants for basically the same thing. Bravo!!
 
That's a whole lot better then the $2k Goose wants for basically the same thing. Bravo!!
Thanks! Not gonna lie, the goose platform looks really nice. I had to pick my battles on what to spend on and this had the added benefit of being something easy to put together and personalized.

I did get all the pricier items at a discount to justify the splurge though hehe. The rack + fridge + aux battery were my prios. I decided a portable battery suits my needs better, it's mainly for the fridge, and I can also throw it in the fuel econo beater for other trips where the truck is less convenient.

The inverter in the truck is acting up as it powers on, off, on, off.. weird. At this point I have no use for it so I'm thinking of repurposing it for a 12v socket instead and plugging the battery charge cable there later. For now I'm glad I got the jackery solar panel extension cord as I've been using that to reach the 12v socket up front, tucking the excess under the co-pilot seat. I'm still shopping for cheaper solar panel options to use with an adapter. Those are the next 2 details on my list while I figure out what to do about the hard shell roof tent mounts.
 
Been a busy few weeks showing the old girl some love after a couple of years of “neglect.”

  • New roof top tent - ikamper bdv
  • Trimmed front and rear bumpers
  • Installed metaltech hitch
  • Re-painted my rear swingout
  • Installed the liftd custom center caps for SCS f5s after painting the center caps (Rustoleum Metallic “Flat Soft Iron” is a nearly 1:1 match for the matte gray SCS uses)
  • Re-wired my license plate light - been running without one for over a year
  • Retrofit Diode Dynamics SSC2 Pro (amber) into my fog light housings
  • Realized one of my Firestone airbags had a puncture- replaced with AirLift 1000s

Today specifically I did what may be my favorite mod to date…

Wired in a KDSS bypass switch - THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS @Jstawgn
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Rig ran good today on inaugural run after 18 month build project. Icon suspension squeaks and growls here and there. Little bit of tire rub up front when stuffed and turning, lockers are fabulous, although the front one makes steering difficult when tight quarters so just shut off when I can. ARB did its job when it was time to air up. Did some fairly technical runs today, all good. Going out on a guided run tomorrow with spotters, so , maybe some more technical obstacles to be found.

Another group here from Oklahoma, several built 470s and 460s, some of the 470s were dinged and dented from trail use, so I opted not to run with those guys and just explored on my own.
 
Yesterday I re-mounted my Diode Dynamics SSC2 Pro fog lights into my factory housings after realizing the driver and passenger pods were not oriented the same. Driver was projecting light wayyy out to the left while passenger was mostly straight.

Today I installed a few things on the front KDSS system:
  1. Dr. KDSS Sway Bar End Adapters: KDSS front sway bar end adapters - https://drkdss.com/collections/kdss/products/kdss-front-sway-bar-end-adapters?variant=43757779878115
  2. Dr. KDSS KDSS Bushing Bracket: Kdss bushing bracket - https://drkdss.com/collections/kdss/products/kdss-bushing-bracket
  3. Nolathane - 27.5mm Sway Bar Mount Bushing Set (these are the same ones Dr. KDSS sells, but he was out of stock and they were cheaper buying direct): Nolathane - 27.5mm Sway Bar Mount Bushing Set (KDSS) - https://www.nolathane.com/products/rev004-0604-sway-bar-mount-bushing
My bushings were absolutely SHOT so I figured I may as well go all out. The install was easy in concept, but ended up being a pain as most things relating to KDSS are. Once I got the passenger side done (took a couple of hours and I don't want to talk about it) the driver side was a cake walk.

I also wanted to replace the front and rear stabilizer/bar bushings but the dealership wanted nearly $300 for the 4 of them so I ordered them online this evening for $100. I don't know why I even try anymore - it's always the same story. Once I get those installed I think I'll be ready for another 245k miles.

Next up - I want to try to sell my engine skid locally and order a new one. RCI's newer design appears to have addressed the issues I had with versions 1 and 2 of their 470 KDSS skid so I am eager to get one. Moddedbyphil will be visiting the area again in a couple of weeks so I plan to get a tune from him as well.

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Flawless runs today, plenty of air on articulation. Got a squeak, I think it's the rear anti sway bar bushings. I forgot to lube them on install. Mostly all blue runs but IMHO, some should've been blacks. Harrop E lockers freakin beautiful, on/off when needed and not. The jeeps out here in force, they all get kick of a Lexus doing what they do, except in GX comfort. Shout out to Jonathon with Merus Adventure, trail leader and excellent spotter..

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