When is a GX too fat?

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UNCnalledge

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Moving this discussion to its own thread (and I am sure there are tons on this topic on MUD/ExPo/etc)...

no telling what can of worms this will open up but here goes - I am open to new lines of thinking on this, but I will try to lay out why I am very particular about how much weight I add to my GX:

1) there isn't much room between the GVWR and the curb weight
2007 GX470 specs:
curb weight: 4871
GVWR: 6200
Therefore, payload capacity is 1329
I camp with 2-3 other people and when I calculate out how much payload I am carrying I think I am eating up nearly 1000lbs of the payload. This only allows me a cushion of 329lbs. Next year, I am looking to get to more remote places so this won't just be highway miles with this payload.

2) Wear and tear on components
yep, these toyota based platforms are well-built, but this is my DD and I want to be thoughtful about what abuse I deliver to it. Adding weight is proven to affect tires, brakes, and axles. Not sure how much/if it affects other components.

3) Braking distances
I drive solo - A LOT. However, I am always amazed at how different the braking is when I am carrying 3 additional passengers. A new brake system is always an option here (and I considered the EBC's Dan has up for sale)

4)MPG
For every MPG I lose, it costs me $150 more to drive every year (assuming 12k miles and $2.30 gas). Not much, but after 3-4 years it will pay for that hidden winch mount.

5) Performance
I owned sportier SUVs before the GX and I am not expecting the same performance, but I want to keep it as peppy as I can (too bad the TRD supercharger isn't made anymore).

6) Don't want to be in the constant upgrade cycle with suspension
I don't have the ability to build my GX out to what I want overnight, so I am getting a lift put in that suits me for today and hopefully the next 2 years or so. If I started adding >100lb constant load mods to the truck every couple of months (tire carrier, rear cargo management, fridge, roof rack, the Icognito, winch, etc) I worry that I would be continually switching out springs. I don't wrench much (wanting to learn) - so that is shop hours I have to pay for not to mention time the logistics and time off work required (living alone in a city with poor public transportation makes this painful).

If some of these lines of thinking are complete BS - call me out on it (seriously). I am new to this and want to make informed decisions.

-Ryan
 
Being weight conscious isn't a bad thing. Over-loading your vehicle could seriously damage it and could possibly cause an accident. However, you can become so weight conscious that you never put anything on your vehicle. While gas mileage may go down, off-road functionality should go up. I think what you intend to do with the vehicle should drive your modifications. To build a capable off-road vehicle is going to require some added weight, but again the return in performance is worth it. As long as you make smart modifications and you're adding functional weight, I wouldn't worry about it that much. Another way to think is, are you adding fat or muscle? Fat goes on easy, muscle does not, but it's more helpful, obviously. In the end, if you're so weight conscious all you'll eat is salad, and salad doesn't build muscle. Protein does. Hopefully, that analogy makes sense. Kind of rambled through that but this isn't a paper.
 
So many of us get focused on miles per gallon but you just really can't when you get into these kinds of rigs I wish mine got 25 miles per gallon but they just don't especially if you want to supercharger talk about loss of miles per gallon. I think you can meet all of your demands especially if you get the suspension set up right.
 
well to start off the GVWR is based off of the P rated tires they are sold with from the factory/dealer. if you add a LT tire, which you should if you are thinking about wheeling/back country exploring then you will need to calculate the new rating with the new tires... find out what the load is with the original tires, and then the load with the new LT tires and get the difference and thats how much more you will have. also if you tow a trailer and install a trailer brake controller, you are really upping the towing rating as well(as long as that trailer had brakes). axles are not an issue here with these trucks, compare a dana 60 axle shaft to a axle out of one of these(of any other 8" toyota axle) and you will see that the axles are almost identical in size, in fact you would probably need a mic/caliper to show the difference in them. brakes, ok, but again drive accordingly, yes you can upgrade to 5th gen 4runner brakes (thicker rotors, slightly larger(less than .25") diameter, and they calipers have bigger pistons and do not have the same caliper seizing problem ours do, you could even do driller rotors if you do a lot of braking or towing. anyhow your weight should be kept to a minimum ie no needless stuff being brought on trips, but yeah you are realistically gonna have a hard time "overloading" this vehicle to the point of failure or premature fatigue. -my 97 4runner weighs in at around the 5600lb mark on the curb, and its not having any more appreciable detriment than any other one that gets taken off road with 300k miles on it still on stock wheel bearings, motor and trans... ive done upgrades to it -tranny coolers, and bigger brakes and heavier duty suspension but all the links are stock(bushings do need to be replaced in the rear, i did the fronts a couple years ago(250k mi)... but thats normal maintenance for a vehicle of its age. i dont see these being any worse, probably better.
 
Ask Adventure Driven ... id be surprised if anyone is carrying as much as they do ...

@sledge916 you wanna chime in... who much do you estimate you carry ...what have you done to compensate

AdvDrvn-Load2.webp
AdvDrvn-Load.webp
AdvDrvn-Trailer.webp
 
The Great Him said:
well to start off the GVWR is based off of the P rated tires they are sold with from the factory/dealer. if you add a LT tire, which you should if you are thinking about wheeling/back country exploring then you will need to calculate the new rating with the new tires... find out what the load is with the original tires, and then the load with the new LT tires and get the difference and thats how much more you will have. also if you tow a trailer and install a trailer brake controller, you are really upping the towing rating as well(as long as that trailer had brakes). axles are not an issue here with these trucks, compare a dana 60 axle shaft to a axle out of one of these(of any other 8" toyota axle) and you will see that the axles are almost identical in size, in fact you would probably need a mic/caliper to show the difference in them. brakes, ok, but again drive accordingly, yes you can upgrade to 5th gen 4runner brakes (thicker rotors, slightly larger(less than .25") diameter, and they calipers have bigger pistons and do not have the same caliper seizing problem ours do, you could even do driller rotors if you do a lot of braking or towing. anyhow your weight should be kept to a minimum ie no needless stuff being brought on trips, but yeah you are realistically gonna have a hard time "overloading" this vehicle to the point of failure or premature fatigue. -my 97 4runner weighs in at around the 5600lb mark on the curb, and its not having any more appreciable detriment than any other one that gets taken off road with 300k miles on it still on stock wheel bearings, motor and trans... ive done upgrades to it -tranny coolers, and bigger brakes and heavier duty suspension but all the links are stock(bushings do need to be replaced in the rear, i did the fronts a couple years ago(250k mi)... but thats normal maintenance for a vehicle of its age. i dont see these being any worse, probably better.
Click to expand...

That's an incredible oversimplification - the GVWR factors in suspension and braking as well, not just tire load.
 
JLee said:
That's an incredible oversimplification - the GVWR factors in suspension and braking as well, not just tire load.
Click to expand...

i talked about brakes... and others mentioned suspension, i figured thats a given of you are going to be going off road. but the number 1 reason for the limited GVWR is the tires that come stock on these. upgrade those and that will be your biggest gain.
 
Considering we're starting at 4800-4900 lbs, first I have to ask - how much additional weight are you considering?

How often? So many people "build" rigs to handle one specific scenario, and they are punished for it the other ~350 days of the year - is it worth it?

I'd also suggest where you add weight matters. For example, adding sliders is not a concern to me - it's down very low, and a modest increase (the weight of a child/pre-teen). Loading up the rear end or putting 200lbs on the roof is a whole different series of considerations.

I am completely satisfied with my rig as a DD - very comfortable and capable. When I've loaded it up to go camping or whatever (200ish lbs in the rear), I drive accordingly - slow down a bit, be even more aware of surroundings, allow some extra space, which helps mitigate the impact of load.
 
Well I bring about 100-150lb of spare parts and tools, 150lb ARB and winch, 150lb in camping gear, my wife and daughter 150lb, spare tire 70ishlb and while there is a different in braking and acceleration you just factor those into your driving. I do not feel like there is any additional wear and tear on the vehicle with us only packing that much in it a combined 30-50 days a year and the rest of the year just one person driving. While off roading at an event we unpack everything we can but when we are solo in the wilderness we have all of that weight with us. Like Katdaddy said Adventure Driven hauls all his gear year round and has not posted about any premature failures that I have heard of.

Overall these vehicle are built like trucks that can carry extra weight with no real problems. Just inspect your vehicle regularly for any wear and tear and be mindfull when driving. :steer:
 
I'm pissed, my GX is pissed- STARTING NEXT YEAR BOTH OF US ARE GOING ON A DIET!




Seriously though these things are tanks, they see the extra weight as a challenge. I decided to go with HD springs in the rear and a 2.5" shock body on the coilovers up front plus e load tires, ride is excellent and I'm prepared for bumpers and what not later down the road.

Good luck!
 
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I wouldnt worry in the least about loading your GX up with weight. Get a heavier duty tire and call it a day. If you get to the point that the truck feels too slow, re gear it and call it another day.
 
SouthernSS said:
I wouldnt worry in the least about loading your GX up with weight. Get a heavier duty tire and call it a day. If you get to the point that the truck feels too slow, re gear it and call it another day.
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And when that feels too slow get a supercharger and call it another-nother day
 
Be careful with the SCs, the 2uz does not like boost. It has "weak" rods that won't tolerate much boost. That and if you have an 05 or newer you are SOL, as the SCs didn't work with the vvti motors. Those two reasons are the reason Toyota stopped selling the SC for the 4.7

Sent from my XT1585
 
The Great Him said:
Be careful with the SCs, the 2uz does not like boost. It has "weak" rods that won't tolerate much boost. That and if you have an 05 or newer you are SOL, as the SCs didn't work with the vvti motors. Those two reasons are the reason Toyota stopped selling the SC for the 4.7

Sent from my XT1585
Click to expand...
Yeah it was kind of a joke... I'm a little tipsy at a holiday party haha :cheers: ... I think I'm funny
 
The Great Him said:
Be careful with the SCs, the 2uz does not like boost. It has "weak" rods that won't tolerate much boost. That and if you have an 05 or newer you are SOL, as the SCs didn't work with the vvti motors. Those two reasons are the reason Toyota stopped selling the SC for the 4.7

Sent from my XT1585
Click to expand...
I've heard that as well - I wouldn't put a supercharger on my truck unless I didn't care if it exploded. That said, Scott at ATS Racing has been making 375whp for ~60k miles on a VVT-i 2UZ with a TRD supercharger. He is running E85 with RX8 injectors and an aftermarket ECU running parallel with the stock ECU.
 
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