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

Oil change this week at 37,692 miles. Had the dealer do it so they could handle a minor warranty repair at the same time. They always run vehicles in for service through their car wash but this time they even put on tire shine Can't wait to scrub all of that off at AOAA next weekend






...and with that the GX is fully in my care. Told myself I'd suck it up and pay to have it serviced at Lexus until the CPO warranty expired (for warranty/traceability reasons should I ever sell it) and that warranty expired this past Tuesday, 10/1/24. Next month (11/1/24) marks 3 years with it! Haven't had that many vehicles for 3 years (only a few actually) thanks to automotive ADHD, but the GX460 has staying power.


For fun, here's what it looked like the day I picked it up in 2021

 

In a way, I am glad that you took these nice pictures of your truck so you can have the Before Damage / After Damage pictures after going to AOAA ....LOL J/K

 

Haha I will do my best to avoid damage at AOAA, been there / done that LOL

 

It has a way of just happening

 

Something about that corner opposite the driver haha

 

I did and just got back last night, what an experience, in a good way.

 

Sounds awesome! Post pics

 

Well since you asked.

 

Looks like a good time, do any wheeling?

 

It was a great time indeed. unfortunately no for wheeling, truck was loaded with offroad unfriendly things, didn't want to get damaged or stranded far away from home especially with my son together. also that 6-7 or even 8 hours drive (depending on traffic) there and back was enough of driving time for me lol

 

Big podcast news!

With Off the Road Again still taking time off, long-time automotive media heavy hitter Dan Roth and I have teamed up to resuscitate/reincarnate/reinvigorate The Hooniverse Podcast. Jeff Glucker graciously handed us the keys to his baby, and we're beyond excited to be at the helm.

That's me and my goofy mug on the left and Dan on the right:


The show has a new format that we’re hoping breathes new life into a subject and field we both know and love. Episodes have an Intro story, theme, and topics related to such. Hopefully this makes episodes feel a bit different from the other car shows out there.

And yes, there will be off-road and GX content.

Anyways, here's the "new" show:

Hooniverse Podcast Episode 366 - Unintended Consequences

You can listen on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, and Spotify, and the video version is available on YouTube.



Stay tuned for more!

 

Few pics of the GX from AOAA last weekend

 

Takeaways:

• Skid plates and rock sliders remain absolutely invaluable. The Talons Garage skids and White Knuckle Offroad sliders are fantastic.
• Knew this a thousand times over, but clearance is everything. In those pictures where I'm hung up on the rocks and the winch line is out (which we didn't actually use in that instance, instead just stacked rocks and backed off the obstacle with some push power from friends), I was only in that situation because a) I probably could have lined up a little better for my approach and b) The right front lower control arm was 1/2" from clearing the rock I got stopped by
• The extra clearance from the Maganaflow Overland Exhaust makes a huge difference, and running windows down on a beautiful fall day with the V8 noises is truly a fantastic experience
• Starting to have more issues with the Grom VLine2, which now simply won't do CarPlay at all. Need to unplug it and plug it back in...
• Suspension travel with the Ironman kit is solid, but might be worth exploring the KDSS off switch mod for next year

 

super impressive, I wouldn't even feel comfortable with those trails even with my Tundra on 37s. But that is just me, it is good to see how capable these vehicles can be in the right hands.

 

The Tundra's limitations would undoubtedly be its size-- perhaps width even more so than length. The combination of the two would have made for a hard time on trail 39 at AOAA.

 

Episodes 367 and 368 of the Hooniverse Podcast are live!

Hooniverse Podcast: Episode 367 – You Could Just Not...



Hooniverse Podcast: Episode 368 - Gravity Bends Light




You can listen on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, and Spotify, and the video version is available on YouTube.

 

Magnaflow Overland Exhaust video!


Here's the video I put together of the stock exhaust versus the Magnaflow Overland system.





So far so good. Full review live on Hooniverse but here it is copied over:


"A low-hanging secondary muffler and accompanying outlet can seriously hamper a vehicle’s departure angle, in turn worsening off-road capability. Big pieces of superfluous metal grab and get hung up on obstacles, preventing forward progress, simultaneously damaging vehicle and trail. The Lexus GX460’s stock exhaust was guilty of these sins, and the proliferation of the J150 Series as a daily-driver-meets-off-roader platform led the kind folks at RealTruck to graciously send over Magnaflow’s high-clearance Overland Exhaust to put to the test.



I’ve had a lot of aftermarket exhausts on my vehicles over the years. Some were great, some were terrible, some merely ho-hum. Sounding good without being obnoxious is a tricky line to toe and getting away with no drone makes it all that much more difficult. I knew my GX460 needed a solution for the departure-angle killing stock exhaust but didn’t want to go overboard on the volume, which eliminated the risk of a one-off muffler-and-pipe combo. Yet I felt chopping off the stock setup ahead of the final muffler was a half-effort and not the ideal solution.


(The stock muffler was an eyesore and off-road liability.)

Cue RealTruck, which sent over the Magnaflow Overland Exhaust to test and review. As it turns out, the Magnaflow exhaust is a near-perfect solution and a fantastic addition to any GX460, regardless of if it’s taken off-roading or not. We knew it would help with the clearance and came away happily surprised by the sound, too.


The stock primary muffler (bottom) is quite a bit larger (and less free-flowing) than the Magnaflow counterpart

This is one of those situations where what you don’t see is more important than what you do. The real story here is the improvement in ground clearance. To give context, any low-hanging piece of a vehicle is subject to impacts when off-roading, and the bottom-most point inevitably takes the brunt of it. Off-roaders will be happy to gain an inch or two of ground clearance from a given upgrade as it pays drastic dividends for the departure angle. In the case of a factory exhaust system on the GX460, the secondary muffler that exits behind the rear axle and under the rear bumper was not only an eyesore but a piece of metal that sat so low it was only a matter of time before it and a rock had a battle of toughness.



To the numbers: With the stock exhaust, my lifted and 34-inch tire-wearing GX460 had 15.5 inches of clearance at the secondary muffler and 17 inches at the outlet. The new Magnaflow Overland exhaust increased those numbers to around 19.5 inches (the same across the whole exit area as there is no secondary muffler). That’s a huge improvement, and the first trip with the exhaust fitted saw some obstacles that would have severely impacted the factory setup. It also means peace of mind in not worrying about dragging the metal pipe across any surface. As for the muffler itself, there’s just less of it to worry about catching on something it shouldn’t.



Then there’s the sound: Though I knew the stock exhaust had to go for the sake of not removing it forcefully on a rock, my skepticism about whether the Magnaflow kit would make the truck too loud or not was extreme to the point that I literally held my breath upon the first cold start.



Those worries were unfounded: It sounds fantastic. You get a nice rumble upon startup, but it’s nothing ear-shattering or even significantly noticeable over stock. Think “OEM Plus” more than “very modified.” On the road, it’s definitely a step up in volume, no question about that, but the GX460 is so well insulated that the Magnaflow exhaust is factory quiet when you’re off the throttle. When coasting, the BFGoodrich KO2 tires are regularly heard over the exhaust. At low RPM highway cruising, the tires can usually be heard over the exhaust, too. But get on it, and it roars.



“That doesn’t sound like a Lexus” or “I’ve never heard a Lexus that sounds like that before” is one of the biggest compliments you can give a GX460 owner who cares about their vehicle’s sound. Magnaflow knocked it out of the park on this front, letting the 4.6L V8 announce itself with decent volume while keeping it restrained enough to never be annoying. Volume levels can go from mild to medium loud depending almost entirely on throttle inputs.



As for installation of the kit, it was easy and straightforward. We can’t say the same of the uninstallation of the factory exhaust; rusted bolts necessitated removal of the pipe via cutting rather than simple disassembly. The Magnaflow exhaust itself went on in less than 30 minutes with no hiccups whatsoever. You have to reuse the factory exhaust hangers and bolts for where the catalytic converter meets the first section of exhaust pipe that goes into the muffler, so be careful around those during disassembly, but Magnaflow’s gasket-less design makes putting things together as simple as tightening down the hose clamps.

All-in-all, the Magnaflow Overland Exhaust represents a big improvement over the stock setup in clearance and sound. It’s always best to approach an aftermarket exhaust with caution and skepticism, and even for this Magnaflow kit we still say “your mileage may vary,” but our experience with it indicates it’s a well thought-out and executed product worthy of a place on any enthusiast’s GX460.

 

State of the GX Update - End of 2024 / Start of 2025

• I've owned it for over 3 years now which is actually quite a long time for me to own a vehicle. I do occasionally think of letting it go but overall I'm very happy with it. The only reason I'd want to get out of it is because I only off-road it 6-7 times/year, which is likely to stay the same for the next few years but then increase once my family ages out of the newborn/toddler phase, and this is the perfect vehicle to do things like travel west to do Moab/CO and the likes with once that time comes.
• The D-load 34x10.5R17 KO2s suit it great overall and I love how the rolling resistance is lower than it was E-load 285/70/17 Toyo A/T IIIs. That said, I might try tall/skinny 35s this year; could certainly use the extra clearance. Just need to find a way to keep weight to a minimum.
• The Magnaflow Overland exhaust has made a huge difference in my feelings towards the truck. Cars/trucks/SUVs are supposed to please all of the senses, and this definitely helps with the audio part, which is a big one for me. I do sometime question whether it was a good idea to install it or not, but the OEM kit it long gone, so it's Magnaflow or nothing.
• The Grom VLine VL2 has partially left the chat. Bluetooth still works but CarPlay doesn't, and not even in plugged-in form. I've tried everything. She's dead, jim.
• The Accessorides remote start isn't currently working but I have a contact number at tech support that will reportedly help solve it once I have the time to do some troubleshooting
• As much as I love the Ironman bumper, I'm beginning to think something slimmer/more streamlined might be a good long-term plan. The Ironman setup weighs like 150 lbs and improves the approach angle over stock but definitely is the limiting factor when coming up to an obstacle in the truck's current form. A tube bumper or something that protrudes less would look less like the Aussie-spec truck I wanted this to become but would make it better at what it's meant to do.
• If the budget ever allows, it's getting wrapped a different color. In the interim, I might wrap just the roof white... anything to help with the heat in the summer.
• Not all SUVs are created equal, I knew space was somewhat limited in the GX vs others in the market but with a 2.5 y/o and another on the way I can already see the cargo hold being a slight issue when it already has tools/recovery gear in the back. And the 2nd row is fine for most instances but shockingly small when a massive rear-facing car seat is in the equation. Probably time for me to just pull out the 3rd row already.
• Just approaching 39k miles, when I was younger I used to do >30k miles/year but between working from home and driving press cars I've only put 10k miles on the GX since I bought it in Nov 2021

Here's the GX as it sits, next to my brother's T4R:

 

150 lbs is crazy. Mine is 73 without hoops. My friend wants me to build one for his GX470, not sure when though.

I know we talked about doin a rear. Let me know if you'd like me to build either, life's crazy right now but spring into early summer could be a possibility.

 

A rear bumper is definitely in the plans. My back end (heh heh) is "good" as-is but eventually I'd like to do a swing-out built into the chopped OEM rear bumper. But that can wait until a need arises.


Wanna go down the rabbit hole of a 460 tube bumper? Maybe something pre-runner esque? Collab between us and @JDUB-Fabrication ????

The old out of production C4 bumper is rad but unavailable



Or something like this which has no traceability


Money no object I'd grab a Lil B


Jack you know I'd love to make this happen the big question is getting my truck up there for a few days to leave it for fabbing and traveling back/forth