Why did we move sub forums?

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I think the move makes sense in a way. I'm a 5th gen 4Runner owner and have considered switching to a GX460 in the past. In the end decided against as it didn't make sense financially since my 4R is already pretty built up and I didn't want to want to start a build all over again. I'm pretty happy with my 4R, there are things it does well and others that it doesn't do so well and while the luxury and the V8 of a GX460 were nice it wasn't enough to justify switching vehicles. Now that I've had about 1-2 years in researching and browsing the forums and GXOR here are a few things I've observed from GX owners. There's a bit of a superiority complex and almost a disdain for 4Runners, especially 5th gens. This could be for a couple of reasons. The popularity of 5th gens, the number of frat bro's and newb's that simply buy them because of an image, and yes I'll agree there are many things that make the GX a much better vehicle and value than a 4R.

GX owners identify the platform more as a Land Cruiser than a 4Runner even though we all know that the the GX comes off the same plant and factory line as a 4Runner. I think there's already a forum thread about that on here somewhere and many GX owners said it was more like a Land Cruiser than 4R. The only thing the GX has in common with a Land Cruiser is the nameplate internationally as as Land Cruiser Prado but you'd be surprised at how many GX owners like to point that out. I'm not trying to incite a war between the platforms but more or less my observations as someone who owns a 4R and has considered the GX and still consider it under the right conditions. I think GX owners would love nothing more than to distance their vehicles from the 4Runner. So in a way separating the forums to me makes some sense. I also think there are some inherent features and challenges that both the GX470 and GX460 have in common that the 4R's don't. There are still problems finding good bumper options and poorly retrofitted Australian ones haven't always been a direct fit given the unique body lines. Then there's the shared barn door and some versions having the air suspension and height control. Again, features and issues that the 4R don't necessarily face.

I mostly hang on t4r and I can see if that if mud wants more 4Runner presence on here they'd create a dedicated subforum for it. Also with the rising popularity of the GX platform (470 and 460) it's probably easier to see like and similar builds, mods, and problems for that platform than to group it with the 4R.

While I can somewhat agree with what you're claiming here (very small percentage), I have to say that the complex you're pointing out is few and far between. It's overwhelming how many of us GX owners are former 4Runner and Tacoma owners, it would make very little sense to bash on and look down upon the very vehicles that many of us once owned and loved. There are quite a few owners who converted from older series Land Cruisers as well, in theory that would be a step down to most but it's all just part of growing and adapting to your needs at certain chapters in your life. Both the GX and 4Runner have their pros and cons but I think most would agree that the GX is a nicer and more well rounded vehicle, that doesn't mean it's necessarily better.

The biggest issue we are complaining about here is the lack of separation amongst the generations/series of the GX model (which appears to be coming soon). The 120 series and 150 series share very little other than a namesake. While the design aesthetically is similar due to an evolutionary change, the underpinnings of the vehicles are different. I think it's great that the 4Runner and GX will now be separate and no longer part of the same series subform and it should help new comers to more easily navigate the subforms and it might even dispel some of the snobbery you mentioned since the owners will no longer be amongst one another. I doubt that this change will redirect much traffic from T4R though, that forum is a monster in comparison.
 
We can all get along. The 4Runner only exists in North America. It has some hold over parts to keep costs down. It’s a bullet proof platform. It’s not a Prado. Sure same frame and axles. Engine, transmission, t-case, interior, fit and finish are better on the GX.

Drive around in South Africa or Namibia, nope no 4 Runners. Similar but very different.

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New 4Runner owners often do not know that their 4th or 5th gen is actually a 120 or 150 series....and they frequently don't participate as a result. Breaking the GX into it's own strengthens the GX community AND offers a more visible presence for the later 4Runner generation owners.

I have some ideas for breaking the GX section into separate 470/460 sections, but still providing the option for some threads to interact with both sections. Likely a September project, waiting for the latest software update to exit beta and proceed after that.

Prefixes are an option as well, and easily filtered. Another Sept project/discussion.

Respect what you guys are working towards but I don't see this as an improvement. Your previous setup was educational to begin with in that it spelled out the platforms and labeled which vehicles fell under said platform, any discerning person whether through trial and error figured out where they belonged or be pointed in the right direction. I'm all for change if it will bring about a simplified process but this definitely seems more convoluted than it needs to be. I like Mud cause frankly this isn't T4R. I was active there for years but their layout has diminished in the past three years and is overrun with ads. I ponied up money to support Mud because of your format and content (plus I was sick of ads). T4R is a great resource for 4Runners but I don't go on there for any 150 platform information; they actually have a GX section tucked away that sees zero traffic. I get that you guys want to be masters of all but it'll likely come at a cost; call it growing pains perhaps. Unless I missed it, maybe a heads up too would have been nice. Granted you don't owe that to anyone but logging in today I was like what the hell...??? I hope what you come up with is an improvement and look forward to it but there will definitely be some angst in the community.
 
Can't wait till you break out the 470 from the 460's.
Too many differences between the two series along with posts not identifying which vehicle they're referencing.
The posts will be cluttered with comments, corrections, questions, etc. to what vehicle is being referred to.
I can just imagine purchases being made from a great review of a product to find out when the product arrives it is for the "other" series GX!
Or looking up products based on reviews only to find that it isn't made for one's own vehicle, BECAUSE it's only for the OTHER GX series!
And even worst case would be cutting off/removing something from a vehicle and finding out it was to be done on the OTHER series GX and not yours!!
And the mod won't work, so now you've destroyed whatever you were trying to mod.
Even now, I'm seriously wasting time have to open EVERY thread to see if it applies to my vehicle or not. And that's hoping that there is a reference to what series they referring to in the first post or two and not having to dig further.

Yeah, people can be that stupid and do things like that. Stupid does take may shapes and forms, that's why we have to TRY to keep stupid to a minimum and separate the two series ASAP.

It was a GOOD try Woody, and we all appreciate everything you do for our beloved site, but please give us back our own threads. 🙏
 
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Okay, NOW I'm getting pretty upset...
I have a blown Icon 3" front shock and I'm searching for threads on shocks to maybe find something other than Icon.
ALL THAT I'M SEEING ARE THE DOG-GONE GX470 THREADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please note, that in the above line, I AM screaming at you! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
GX470 shocks DO NOT fit GX460's (I have a 2013 GX460).
I can't filter out the GX470's in my search.
Since the GX470 has been around for 18 years, there are FAR more posts for 470's than 460's and trying to weed out the 470 shock from 460 shock posts is absolutely daunting.
In short, I NOW cannot find posts that I KNOW I've seen about shocks for the 460 without spending hours skipping through page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page of 470's content.
Suggestion: can you add the ability to (-)(word not to be search), like in Google, add a minus sign before a word and it will eliminate it from the search content?
 
Okay, NOW I'm getting pretty upset...
I have a blown Icon 3" front shock and I'm searching for threads on shocks to maybe find something other than Icon.
ALL THAT I'M SEEING ARE THE DOG-GONE GX470 THREADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please note, that in the above line, I AM screaming at you! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
GX470 shocks DO NOT fit GX460's (I have a 2013 GX460).
I can't filter out the GX470's in my search.
Since the GX470 has been around for 18 years, there are FAR more posts for 470's than 460's and trying to weed out the 470 shock from 460 shock posts is absolutely daunting.
In short, I NOW cannot find posts that I KNOW I've seen about shocks for the 460 without spending hours skipping through page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page after page of 470's content.
Suggestion: can you add the ability to (-)(word not to be search), like in Google, add a minus sign before a word and it will eliminate it from the search content?
there will be more of this until they break up the two...good luck @woody
 
Or... since the suspension is shared between the gx470 and every other 120 series platform we can call it the 120 series platform and look there with separate sub forums to be more tailored to gx Specific things but 120 platform for bigger picture things such as gasp, suspension, or engine, transmission, differential...
 
Lol 😂 well now you’re just trolling @andymmiami . Give it time @r2m . No doubt there will be plenty of frustration with both groups falling into each other’s areas but I’m hoping when this shakes out that it makes more sense. you got this @woody !
 
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I was trolling a bit yes. But I think the ideal situation is to have a 120 section and within the 120 section there is a designated 4 runner and a designated gx 470 section and anything that doesn’t work on both applications goes to their residence section. And anything that’s cross platform goes into the main bigger category of 120.
I know we want to incorporate the idea of GXOR but I think it would be better suited as separate 460 and 470 content.
 
The issue I see right now is almost all of the gx470 content is in the 4runner forum now?!? No one uses this site for the 4Runner there are tons of 4Runner specific forums. Almost everyone on of the threads in the new 4runner section are GX related and need to be moved into here. 👍
 
Aggravating.......half of the threads I have clicked on to read are GX470 specific which I could care less about since I have a 460. I really hate change just for the sake of change. Also who on here even has a 4Runner? I imagine everyone with one is on a different T4R specific forum. When I had my 3rd Gen Tacoma I wasnt coming to IH8MUD for answers....it was Tacoma World.
 
Subforums at top now


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You should put in for a Moderator; think you'd be damn good at it man. You're Johnny on the spot with information and very knowledgeable of the 460. Plus you've been at it for a while. You really should do it.
 
r2m: Try this query --> Google search results

Link below will allow you to use Google Search for the site



Other search options here:

Acrad, Thank you for the support and help, but unless you actually had a search come up with results, the links just came up with blank search pages.
I did use the MUD searches. I've have known about search and advanced search for years, and use it extensively when needed.
But what I needed was an exclusion phrase like a minus (-) before a word (in this case numbers) like 120, 470 to exclude them from the search, much like what can be done in Google searches.
Or better still, just our own site again!
Again, thank you for your input Acrad! :cheers:
 
Aggravating.......half of the threads I have clicked on to read are GX470 specific which I could care less about since I have a 460. I really hate change just for the sake of change. Also who on here even has a 4Runner? I imagine everyone with one is on a different T4R specific forum. When I had my 3rd Gen Tacoma I wasnt coming to IH8MUD for answers....it was Tacoma World.

I have a 5th gen 4R. I only hang on mud because of the Land Cruiser sections. I almost feel compelled to post in the 4Runner section now to justify the new section LOL. But yes, there's a wealth of information on T4R that would be very hard to replicate here.
 
Are the LC200 and LX570 more similar siblings than the GX/4R/Prado variants?

IMO it probably makes sense to separate them some. Very few of the useful tech articles on 4R also apply to GX. Shared parts are many, but also mostly not topics of technical issues. There are some related to KDSS and such. But most mods are things like interior storage, tire fitment,bumpers and such that are not really shared due to body plastic differences and interior differences. Winch mounts, bumpers, skids, sliders etc. are mostly not shared fitment - For example, I'm pretty sure the new OEM 4Runner rock sliders don't fit on a GX without cutting the rocker panel plastics. I don't think they even fit KDSS 4Runners...

Since there's very few mechanical failures on the common parts, they aren't really the subject of a lot of threads.
 
RELAX, @woody said it was a work in progress. Every sub forum on mud has been great. As someone who is not on FB, GXOR is nice to view but I can’t post or search. I can’t see the FS over there or the OH specific section. I am happy @Vlad is trying to integrate gxor and mud more.
Half the posts on FB GXOR don’t specify if it’s a 470 or 460.
Thanks woody and vlad and the other moderators for pulling this together.
 
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