What roof mounts are you using for the light bar above the windshield? Do you have less wind noise fromt he single row?
Builds Wheel In Luxury -a GX470 build (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter The Great Him
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- Thread starter
- #262
Custom made ones. No one makes a set for the GX yet. I believe that I was the first person to place a light bar on a GX and so I had to have mine custom made. And it's still not a popular enough mod for anyone to make them and produce them for market.
- Thread starter
- #263
So I have had a set of maxtrax now for about 6weeks and yesterday I got to use them for the first time. I was in a new housing development that come to find out was halted because of the natural spring that the developer can not control. Anyhow after spending the morning sledding with my kids and some friends we go to leave, and I decided to pull through instead of backing up. I new where thought I had a good idea where the spring was because of the small pond it has created... Nope I moved ahead about 20' and promptly sunk the Lexus to the frame. It was my first attempt or personal use of the maxtraxs and they did amazing! Well worth their cost, considering the tow bill would have been close to the same. Intact I was so impressed when I got home I bought another set a onI'll have 4boards now.
Man the sliders look great. I can't wait for it to warm up so I can get my opor sliders installed. How hard was it to bolt them on?IMG_20160922_080728872_HDR[/url] by Isaac Yocum, on Flickr[/IMG] ok so some updates here, got my sliders on, and boy are they beautiful! trimmed the running boards to keep the good clean looks.
i also have swapped out the dual row light bar for a single row bar, i like it a lot better, as its a lot less noticeable, sleeker looking and more inline with where i want this build to go.
i had a suspension failure a few days ago and so i was forced to buy some new front coils overs. Mark at MetalTech really twised my arm with a set of the IronMan foam cell pros lol. no serisouly though, he took care of me and got a great deal on a set of coilovers. a big thanks to Catlin down at SSO for reaching out with the offer to help get the gx back up and running, i just needed it ASAP and couldnt afford to have it down for multiple days waiting for parts to arrive.
i will be picking up a set of Maxtrax here this week for the GX as well, i actually won these in a raffle so im supper stoked.
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- Thread starter
- #265
It wasn't that hard. The drivers side u-bolt was a little tricky, just took some finess and some thinking. The rivnuts or nutcerts are just fine if you know what you are doing, might be worth buying a few extras and practice with them, -hint drill the hole too big
Good to know, thanks. I've never used rivnuts before so I may practice with some spares first.
Sorry to bring this up again. I plan on installing these sliders this weekend or next and I'm trying to get my ducks in a row. I've studied the instructions that come with the sliders, they are hard for me to follow, especially with no pictures. I found this forum post in my research and wanted to know your thoughts. The guy kinda went his own route and got nuts and bolts and drilled all the way through the frame as opposed to the riv nuts. I don't really want to spend any more money on bolts or welding, and was curious your thoughts on how you feel the riv nuts are holding up and if I should just go that route. The extra bolt method in this link below seems a little easier if I've never done riv nuts before. Thanks for any advice.
4th Gen OPOR Sliders installed - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
- Thread starter
- #268
No worries. Yes you could do that, but you will need to find something better than the washers they are using in the back side, you could easily pull those into the frame severely damaging the frame permanently with such a small washer. MetalTech supplies that small rectangular plate for a reason, it won't bend or deform like a washer will, and it does a much better job of spreading the load out across the area. The frames are also thicker on the outside if I remember correctly, so there would actually be more holding power with the nutcert not to mention it's on the opposite side of the frame from the other through bolt, thus creating a more secure and stronger mounting system. There was some engineering and thought that went into these. Literally my first set I installed took me 2hrs, and that included cutting up my running boards to keep the clean fender profile. I had never seen a set before other than already installed on a vehicle. I did have a second person who was a big help when. It came to holding the sliders and positioning them ect. I could see it taking that long per side(so 4hrs total) for one person.
I know and understand the confusion, cause at first I was like what!? But seriously trust me, these things are strong and not going to go anywhere.
I know and understand the confusion, cause at first I was like what!? But seriously trust me, these things are strong and not going to go anywhere.
Very good information thanks for the response, and your totally right about the washer on the backside having the chance to tear through the frame-I didn't really consider that but now it's obvious. I'm just gonna use the hardware metal tech supplied and go that route-it was obviously designed that way. I'll just do what you and several others have done on here and install as designed-plus I don't want to go spend anymore money. Thanks again!
@mtwilly87
My experience with the sliders was very very different than TGHIM and to be honest it was a little embarrassing but meh it is what it is. Here is the link: OPOR - GX470 Slider Install
The key is to get the correct drill bit size for the Revetnuts so they won't spin. I ended up buying $50 worth of additional rivetnuts and my company bought the tool to install them for $250. And it was still a PIA! If you have a bad shoulder it will be toast after this weekend install!
Good luck and at the end you will probably understand why many people have just tapped out and welded them on.
@The Great Him Nice build thread! I frequent T4R.org and also own a 3rd gen 4runner. Like you, I'm now looking for something nicer to daily drive. My 4runner has been great and I've built it up to be very capable for my uses with 285's, lift, full armor, winch and rear locker. However, it has nearly 400,000 km now and although the body rust isn't bad at all right now, it's progressed noticeably over the 4.5 years I've owned it.
I am not able to buy a GX470 AND keep the 4runner, so my plan would be to buy a GX470, modify it like I did the 4runner and wheel all of the same stuff with it. I will design and build all of my own armor this time, so the limited options for the GX470 isnt an issue. My main concern is whether the GX 470 is as "fun" to drive as the 4runner. My 4runner is the 5 speed and I love it, but I have kind of just accepted the fact that if I want something more modern and comfortable, I have to live with an auto transmission. That being said, the irony of showing up to the trails in a locked and armored Lexus sounds pretty fun to me!
Being the owner of both of these vehicles, what advice can you offer??
I am not able to buy a GX470 AND keep the 4runner, so my plan would be to buy a GX470, modify it like I did the 4runner and wheel all of the same stuff with it. I will design and build all of my own armor this time, so the limited options for the GX470 isnt an issue. My main concern is whether the GX 470 is as "fun" to drive as the 4runner. My 4runner is the 5 speed and I love it, but I have kind of just accepted the fact that if I want something more modern and comfortable, I have to live with an auto transmission. That being said, the irony of showing up to the trails in a locked and armored Lexus sounds pretty fun to me!
Being the owner of both of these vehicles, what advice can you offer??
What size/brand light bar are you running? What about mounts? Also do you have a link for the small bumper LEDs and the ditch lights?
Really like your GX! Looks great and those are the lights i have been wanting to install. Ordering wheels and tires in January and LIghts once i get some more info.
- Thread starter
- #273
Well smiles per mile the GX is way better. And honestly cost per mile is also better. Going back to the 4runner after driving the GX does not give me a nostalgia feeling, like I got when going back to my 85 pickup from the 4runner. Basically if i had to pick between the two I'd take the GX. I'd miss the 4runner, I'd mainly miss the lockers and gears. But that's about it. The GX is more refined in every aspect, and has every bit as much of a solid and quality feel to it. I thankfully am not in a position where I have to chose so I can have both, honestly it would suck to lose one, but without hesitation I'd give up the 4runner before the GX (I'd actually give up my wife's Yaris first).
- Thread starter
- #274
It's a 50" radius single row bar, it's not a brand name, but preforms just as good as my friends 40" E series rigid bar. The mounts are custom made one off mounts. The rear bumper lights are from eBay I think. They are all the same, I think I paid like $30 for them. The ditch lights are KC flex lights, in spread pattern, awesome little lights! The Mount/brackets are from CBI OffRoad and are for a 4th gen 4runner.
- Thread starter
- #275
Well yesterday I finally got around to doing a project I have known about and been wanting to do probably from within the first couple months of ownership of the GX. I swapped out the front brakes for the brakes for a 2014 4runner. The calipers on 4th gen 4runners and GX470s are known for seizing and causing issues. So I started buying parts, started off with a set of new calipers from NAPA auto parts -rather hard to find, had to get them all the way from the east coast. Then I sourced a set of performance rotors from LC Engineering (had already been running their rotors for a 4th gen). The pads remain the same, so nothing changes there, but I did put in Akebono pads who makes Toyota OE pads.
Had some issues with my hard lines out of the calipers coming off, so I ended up breaking them and having to go down to NAPA and buy two new sections of hard line and bend and make my own lines -this to longer than everything else.
Had some issues with my hard lines out of the calipers coming off, so I ended up breaking them and having to go down to NAPA and buy two new sections of hard line and bend and make my own lines -this to longer than everything else.
- Thread starter
- #276
Just ordered the parts for the rear gate/door gas strut replacement. Should be here by the end of the week, I'll install and report back with my findings.
Thanks for the feedback. How do you feel about the size and weight of the GX? It's pretty close to the size of an FJ80, which seems like such a tank compared to a 3rd gen 4runner. Compared to the 80, the GX has a shorter wheelbase by 2.5", is 2" narrower, and weighs roughly the same.
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- #278
Yes they are almost identical, but the GX is way more refined, and much more powerful. It does weigh more thought, a lot more. That being said it's lighter weight than my 3rd gen as it sits now. The GX sure does not feel as big as it is. The GX is so nimble in comparison to either of those two; 3rd gen or 80series.
I would own a GX before I'd own a 80, but I would not buy a second GX before is buy a 80. An 80 will be my next rig.
I would own a GX before I'd own a 80, but I would not buy a second GX before is buy a 80. An 80 will be my next rig.
NMBruce
SILVER Star
Like to know how you like the brakes? Why didn't you do the Tundra brake upgrade?
- Thread starter
- #280
What tundra brake upgrade? Tundras use a 5lug set up, you'd never get it to work/fit.
