superstar555

I did spend some time looking around, but didn't see a "first things to do/change" type of thread.

Any tips?

ASE

Mall Crawler = Nothing ... Hard Core Off-Road = $$$ ... where are you in this spectrum ? Be specific with your interest ...

superstar555

One step up from a mall crawler. Fire roads and back country trails. I have an FJ for the rough stuff.

ASE

Have an FJ ... have a GX460 ... for the latter ... Bilstein 5100 Shocks ... lifting the front end by just under an inch to reduce the level of front-end rake ... and 8-8.5" wide wheels with 18-25 mm of increased offset ... based on tires ... to place the edge of the tire tread in vertical alignment with the edge of the fender ... for a more planted look versus the stock (anemic) "Soccer Mom" stance that is way too inboard.

ScaldedDog

Do you need the 3rd row? If not, pull it. Even if you don't need drawers and all that, the extra room can be very handy. Lots of threads about how to do this.

Also, if you like auto-folding mirrors like every other car in this class has, they can be had for a $50 module and a few minutes work.

Lastly, if I wheeled mine - I don't- I'd think about a tranny cooler.

Enjoy!

Mark

gx460z2011

Techstream: fully disable easy entry and both seat belt chimes.

jonshonda

My biggest concern w/ anything off-road is navigation and recovery if needed. Sounds like you have experience with your FJ, so maybe start with how to get out of the woods safely? Remember in stock form around the world these things see all sorts of environments. I would say either run-what-cha-brung, or at very least upgrade to a more robust tire if the terrain is tough on tires.

superstar555

I need something special to do this (chimes) on a GX? FJ was just a key on/key off sequence.

ASE

^^^ ... tires ... the typical as-delivered Dunlop tires are garbage ... so do wheels (wider with more outboard offset) at the same time ...

superstar555

It came with Michelin Latitudes, so definitely a step up from Dunlop for mall crawling. Will probably trade for some Michelin LTX M/S as these have always been a good mix of performance for my “mid” SUVs.