Roody’s 2018 Lexus GX460 Build, Adventure, and Hooniverse Podcast

Id be down . Maybe could we take off your ironman at a meet down there maybe at a @crashngiggles meetup? Then I can do some design work. After that I think you could come up for 1 day and we could at least 1/2 of it tacked up(other side should just be mirrored). Would likely take longer than an off the shelf solution, but it doesnt seem your in a rush. Also down to do a collab with Joel too, always fun to hang out with.

Edit I should mention we would need to meet up again for you to pick it up, whether thats my shop or down there somewhere

You are kind of in luck down there CT has no bumper laws it looks like. Here in NH SUV's have a bumper max height of 20" and trucks have 30" mine comes in at like 29.5" now...

 

In a perfect world that sounds great

I have my 2nd child due end of March so everything kind of revolves around that right now. The GX is just a party to the fun haha

 

First of all congratulations, and yeah I get it. The offer is out there if you want it but I get it if you want to save some time and go with a production one

 

Thanks dude, in all reality the front bumper project in any capacity will likely not be touched until the late summer or this fall so maybe we can coordinate some shenanigans by then

 

Really have me contemplating selling my 3rd gen for a GX

 

As a fan of the 3rd gen, I support the swap if you don't need a bed.

FWIW, I've almost made the switch a pickup a bunch of times since getting the GX but could never pull the trigger... probably because I can't find a pickup that would serve my needs as well as the GX does.

• Tundra and other fullsize trucks are too big for the trails here
• Tacoma won't fit the rear-facing car seats with ease
• Frontier just doesn't do it for me
• Colorado/Canyon would have to be a ZR2 and they're just "meh" other than the f/r lockers
• Gladiator is just too much of a safety and comfort and reliability question

 

The car seat is killing me and even when she's eventually forward facing, the legroom is less than ideal.

 

Yep... we found that the Doona stroller/car seat combo was incredible for the convenience factor but it's absolutely enormous and even in the GX it made for having to push the front seat further up than is ideal. That said we are absolutely going to use the Doona again when kiddo 2 arrives in March but yeah, anything less than a fullsize SUV, fullsize pickup, or minivan is admittedly less than optimal for a rear-facing car seat and even a forward facing one. I've had my first kid in everything from a Toyota GR86 to 2500 class trucks, and I know people all over the world get away with small cars in these situations and fortunately the question at hand here (Taco vs GX) is a matter of want and not need, but safety and comfort do play a big part in choosing a vehicle, and the GX is what I'd call "mediocre" when car seats come into the equation, partially because of the space and partially because of the door opening not being huge.

 

I'll be building a set of gx470 bumper this spring and doing some research I found that I can buy some 3d scans of the GX460 front end. That'll make the whole process a lot easier if you want to get something done locally.

Not trying to be pushy, just the option got easier for the both of us

 

That could be cool, how much are the scans?

 

$175, I’d cover it

 

Got it, yeah let's talk as it gets closer, no clue if my budget for the year will cover a new bumper for the GX as of now

 

Sounds good, I’ll post pictures of the 470 bumpers in the mod and meet up thread this spring . Should be fairly similar but we can change stuff

 

@Roody
How do you like the KO2s for the northeast? I will be getting either KO2s or KO3s for next set (obscure 295/75r16). I need a good all around tire. Daily driving, snow/winter performance, and mild offroad. I've sliced the sidewall twice now on the factory Goodyears with "kevlar" in a p-metric.

 

They're a very good tire all-around. Just check the weight as I know they've gotten heavier in KO3 form.

Haven't had the KO2 in as deep snow as I did the Toyos but they felt comparable in a light snow. No major difference, but bear in mind the KO2s I have are slightly taller/narrower than the A/T IIIs that were on it prior.

On-road: The Toyo Open Country A/T III is a slightly better tire. Less vibration, tracks straighter, less rolling resistance. The KO2 is more than acceptable and leagues ahead of something like an M/T or even the Goodyear Duratrac, and the pizza cutter size is fantastic for road use. With a more traditional height/width ratio in 295/75/16 you may have a slightly different experience that I can't attest to.

Off-road: The KO2 has the edge; just slightly more grip when it's not perfectly dry, which is almost always the case in the Northeast. As I'm sure you know. The KO2s I'm running are load D vs the Toyos were load E and the KO2s also just have more sidewall deflection which helps a ton on the rocks. I am super curious how the same-sized Toyos would compare as I suspect the BFGs would still have a slight edge.

Summary for a comparison that's not totally apples-to-apples and that you didn't totally ask for: A/T III is 5% better on-road than the KO2; KO2 is 5% better off-road than the A/T III. The KO2 is very good, I just have a hard time mentioning it without considering the alternative as there's so many great tires these days.

Summary for a summary: The KO2 is very solid all-around and most who have them like them. You may like the KO3 even more though I'll reiterate to double-check that you're not throwing an extra 5-10 lbs on each corner without knowing.

 

I appreciate the feedback. I know the KO3s right slightly narrower than the KO2s but heavier. KO2s list at 61.5 and KO3s at 63.5. I had been eying your GX when it was for sale. I picked up my 3rd gen a year ago and now wife is expecting lol. Should've got the GX. Glad you are keeping it though

 

2# isn't drastic per corner. Wouldn't worry much about it.

GX is still For Sale, or at least I get messages on Facebook every so often asking if it is. I guess somehow the listing never got fully taken down in some spots even though I deleted it. And now that I deleted FB off my phone and don't know the password (which is linked to an email I no longer have access to), the Lexus is likely going to stay "For Sale" indefinitely lol

In all reality, I would consider replacing it if I had something I wanted to replace it with... or if someone made the right offer... but right now, with kid #2 coming next month and so many other things in flux, keeping it just makes sense

 

as I sit here waiting for my kid #1 later this month, searching far and wide for a gx family hauler, I can confirm that your gx is still in fact on FB
pretty sure ih8mud still has it listed for sale as well

 

The exact same place I fell into. Planned to photograph and list the GX. Wanted a cheaper commuter car and a small plow/maybe dump truck for my property. Ended up with so many expensive projects in the background that it just doesn’t make sense right now.

 

Whoa, congrats! It's a hell of an experience having a newborn, you'll get the hang of it. Can be exhausting but also amazing.

What parameters are you looking for with your GX search?

& yeah not surprised, it will remain on FB since I don't know my login but I'll double check the Mud one

Yup. Sometimes keeping one big piece of the puzzle as solid and unmoving isn't the most fun but it's necessary. I've historically changed cars every 2-2.5 years but have already had the Lexus coming up on 3.5 years, and I could see it sticking around for a long time (or not, who knows).