GX550 Ultimate Build

Stock to Trail-Ready: Dissent Off-Road Build

 This GX550 was shipped directly from the dealership to Dissent Off-Road, customized to meet the precise needs of its owner—a businessman from Eurasia. He required a vehicle capable of navigating rugged terrain in remote areas reliably. Dependability was non-negotiable. He wanted a platform ready for long off-grid travel, combining everyday practicality with serious off-road performance. Starting with the basics, we stripped down the stock components and designed a build plan that balances rugged reliability with adventure-ready upgrades.

Front-End Protection

 This GX550 sports our high-clearance modular front bumper, equipped with a ComeUp 12.5 Solo winch and an Agency 6 winch shackle essential for recovery situations.

 One of our bumper’s key features is its open airflow design, which allows recessed air scoops to feed the OEM twin-turbo intercoolers, and additional openings allowing full hand access to the winch controls. Another critical design element is the ½-inch thick steel recovery points, which mount directly inline with the OEM frame mounts, and are chamfered for use with soft-shackles. These recovery points are fully integrated into the bumper’s support structure, offering durable and dependable recovery points available for your GX550 build.

 The bumper also includes mounting provisions for SAE road-legal Rigid triple fog lights and a 30” SAE light bar, providing unmatched visibility with a flush, seamless integration. The bumper can also be configured with lights from Baja Designs with street-legal SAE S2 pod lights in triplicate inside the wings and the Baja Designs S8 30" light bar in the center.

 Our bumper greatly improves approach angles, and features a tie-in skid plate that accommodates the OEM skid system or other aftermarket armor options. Most importantly, the GX550 bumper retains full factory sensor functionality, keeping all OEM sensors correctly positioned to maintain intended driving behavior.

Wheels & Tires

 For this GX550 build, we selected Icon Recon Pro wheels, sized 18×9 with a +25 offset (to maintain inner clearance while pushing the wheel outward). These wheels boast InnerLock™ bead retention pins, a DOT-compliant system using high-strength alloy pin barriers that lock the tire into the wheel’s inner bead. Cast from lightweight but rugged aluminum alloy, each wheel carries a ~3,200 lb load rating and includes a lifetime structural warranty. We finished the wheels on this build with custom bronze powder coat to match build accents.

 Chosen Tires for this build are a set of 5x Nitto Trail Grappler M/T in 37×12.50R18 (128Q), Selected for their large footprint, aggressive mud-terrain tread, and reinforced sidewalls. They provide excellent grip in rocks, sand, and deep mud, while remaining reasonably quiet and stable on-road. With portal geometry and offset tuning, the setup clears fully with no rubbing through the suspension travel.

Portals and Suspension

 For extreme off-road articulation and lift, this GX550 build integrates 74Weld Gen 2 Toyota portals with an ICON Stage 10 suspension system. The portals provide a 1.22x gear reduction (22%), 3.88” lift, and 2.75” width increase per side, allowing the vehicle to run much larger tires without extra stress on factory CV axles and tie rods.

 We utilize the portals to provide a true lift and we run the suspension coilovers with minimal lift keeping the geometry at OEM levels which greatly reduces stress on the independent front suspension. They feature billet 7075 knuckles with steel inserts, billet 6061 portal boxes, and 4340 heat-treated rear full float shafts, and are fully compatible with factory ABS.

 ICON’s Stage 10 suspension includes 2.5 Series CDEV coilovers with remote reservoirs that offer adaptive dampening based on road conditions and your preferences. Billet upper control arms with Delta Joints offer ball-joint durability with uniball performance. Dual-rate rear coils, and upgraded billet upper and lower control arms round out the suspension. The ICON Intelligent Control (IIC) app actively manages damping in realtime and allows you to set your dampening preferences. 

Roof Rack & Side Steps

 The Dissent aluminum roof rack is lightweight, versatile, and for this build finished with bronze accents. It’s designed to handle nearly any overland accessory setup, from Pelican 1750 cases with custom MOLLE mounts to MaxTrax, RTTs, or 180° awnings.

 We integrated a Roof Rack Scene Lighting Kit with adjustable mounts for Rigid spreader lights, giving the GX550 full scene illumination from above. AGENCY6 billet aluminum grab handles (bronze) adding secure handholds with a premium finish, paired with our black hardware kit for a sleek overall look and feel. 

 Down below, Dissent Rock Slider Steps mount to the frame rails for true Rock slider-level of protection with an integrated step function; the tread plate improves grip and clears the 37" tire setup (only minor wheel-well trimming required).

Dissent Aluminum Roof Rack, Rigid Scene Lighting Kit, AGENCY6 Grab Handles

Rear Bumper & Swing-Out Options

 The rear features the Dissent Dual Swing-Out Modular Rear Bumper, built from 3/16" steel plate with 1/2" beveled recovery points that support soft shackles. Dual-shear hinges, gas-strut assist, and slam-shut auto latching deliver smooth, rattle-free operation of Dissent’s signature swing-outs.

 Full Sensor relocation (parking, cross-traffic, trailer plug) is integrated so OEM safety features remain functional. Optional rear combo lights for stop/turn/reverse, available with tinted lenses that maintain legal visibility when other accessories block factory lighting.

 Modularity lets you run dual swing-outs, a single, or none at all, truly a platform that's ready for changes, updates and upgrades at any time —add a ladder, full-size spare carrier with, fold-out table, or jerry can shelf. Each swing-out opens easily with a two finger operation and latches securely on the trail.

 We finished the rear with a MagnaFlow Overland Series cat-back exhaust system,
stainless, high-tucked, improved flow, with a refined tone.

Swing-Out Options:

Interior Mods & Electronics

 Inside, the GX550 is built for extended trips and organized living. 
The foundation is an Air Down Gear Up drawer and folding sleeper platform tailored for the GX550 — full-extension, lock-in/lock-out ball-bearing slides and modular drawer footprints that secure gear while freeing up a large sleeper platform when needed. The system includes drawer dimensions and a sleeper panel option that converts the cargo area into a 48" × 72" sleeping surface with large drawer capacity underneath.
 
 Air Down Gear Up For cold storage on long runs we used an ICECO CT30 drawer fridge system — a purpose-built roller drawer platform rated for heavy loads, built from galvanized steel so the fridge/freezer can slide out smoothly while keeping the cabinet corrosion resistant This keeps your fridge fully accessible and stable while driving.

 For Side Storage options we chose BuiltRight MOLLE panel bags, With custom MOLLE panels that mount cleanly to the inner window openings and are poised to carry tools, recovery gear, and magnitude of modular accessories. 

 Power for multi-day self-sufficiency: a Dakota Lithium DL+ 12V 320Ah LiFePO₄ battery provides ~3,840 Wh of usable energy in a compact Group-31 footprint, making it a great core battery for combined starting and camper use. Dakota Lithium Battery Charging and battery management is handled with a REDARC BCDC (40A) DC-DC charger to keep the lithium bank topped while driving as well as solar-ready connections for campsite recharge; REDARC’s multi-stage BCDC logic supports lithium chemistries and isolates the house battery from alternator charging quirks. 

 For storage or garage topping and bank maintenance we carry a compact NOCO two-bank onboard charger (NOCO’s GEN-series dual chargers can independently service two batteries and support lithium charging profiles), ensuring both starter and house banks remain healthy.  

 With convenience and Control in mind the electronics are all centralized with a Switch-Pros system (SP-9100) that combines a labeled switch panel and power module — giving you a tidy dash-mounted control surface for your entire build, RGB backlighting, and an isolated power module able to handle high-current accessories. The SP-series also simplifies wiring, keeping all the fuses and harnesses in one place, letting you toggle lights, pumps, compressors, and fridge circuits without hunting through messy switches. 

 Together, All of these components give the GX550 a professional, serviceable interior: slide-out storage and sleeper comfort, a drawer-mounted fridge that’s easy to access, modular MOLLE organization, a large, low-profile LiFePO₄ battery bank with smart DC-DC charging and shore charging, and a single clean switch panel contrite for everything with no stone left unturned.

Exterior Lighting

 Lighting on this build leaves no angle in the dark. This GX550 build features a complete 360° lighting system, engineered to enhance trail visibility and on-road safety while maintaining Dissent’s signature clean aesthetic.

 Up front, a Rigid Industries triple fog light setup provides a blend of SAE-compliant street performance and powerful off-road illumination. Each fog pocket supports Rigid’s SAE-rated amber or white fogs, alongside Spot and Driving optics for flexible light patterns. A Rigid 30" SR-Series SAE light bar spans the lower grille opening — delivering a crisp, long-range beam ideal for open desert and night trail approaches.
 
 Above, the roof rack houses a Rigid Revolve 40” light bar, adjustable Rigid flood and scene lights, mounted on pivoting brackets that can be aimed to camp areas or side trails. The aluminum housings and IP68 waterproof ratings ensure reliable performance in rain, snow, or dust.

 In the rear Interior, a Kingpin 40" interior light bar mounted on the inner hatch, provides flood-level coverage for visibility and campsite illumination, paired with Kingpin Touch Lights — compact, low-draw LED pods that activate instantly at the tap of a finger. All lighting circuits are routed through the Switch-Pros SP-9100 system, allowing complete control from the cabin with backlit labeling, programmable dimming, and memory recall — no dangling relays or bulky dash switches.

Lighting Options Overview

Outro

 The GX550 build showcases what happens when purpose-driven engineering meets adventure-ready design. Every element—from the 74Weld portals and ICON Stage 10 suspension to the modular drawer systems, Switch-Pros controls, and premium lighting—was selected to maximize performance, durability, and usability in any terrain.

 At Dissent Off-Road, we don’t just build trucks; we craft fully integrated machines where form, function, and rugged capability are seamless. Whether you’re looking to replicate a build like this GX550, customize your own, or have our team engineer a one-off project, we provide the expertise, components, and attention to detail to make it happen.

 Explore our components, accessories, and build options, and let us help you turn your vehicle into a capable, adventure-ready machine—designed to perform as hard as it looks.

Build Gallery

Build Sheet

Front-End Protection

• Dissent Off-Road GX550 High Clearance Winch Bumper
• Rigid Triple Fog Light Kit (SAE)
• Rigid SR-Series 30” SAE Light Bar
• ComeUp 12.5 Solo Winch
• Agency 6 Billet Winch Shackle (Bronze)
• Perry Parts Bump Stops

Wheels & Tires

• Icon Recon Pro Wheels (Custom Bronze Powder Coat)
• Nitto Trail Grappler M/T 37x12.50R18

Portals & Suspension

• 74Weld Gen 2 Toyota Portals
• ICON Stage 10 Suspension (CDEV, Coilovers, UCAs)
• ICON IIC Intelligent Control App
• Adjustable Track Bar + Greaseless Rod Ends
• Billet Aluminum Upper Control Arms (Delta Joint Pro)
• ICON Billet Upper & Lower Control Arms
• Dual-rate Rear Coils
• Rear Links & Full Float Shafts

Roof Rack & Side Steps

• Dissent Off-Road GX550 Aluminum Roof Rack
• Agency 6 Billet Grab Handles (Bronze)
• Roof Rack Scene Lighting Kit – Rigid Industries
• Pelican 1750 Long Cases (with Custom MOLLE Mounts)
• Dissent Off-Road GX550 Rock Slider Steps

Rear Bumper & Swing-Out Options

• Dissent Off-Road GX550 Dual Swing-Out Modular Rear Bumper
• Dissent Off-Road Ladder Swing-Out
•  Dissent Off-Road Tire Carrier Swing-Out
  
• MagnaFlow Overland Cat-Back Exhaust

Interior Mods & Electronics

• Air Down Gear Up Drawer System + Sleeper Platform
• ICECO DS27 Drawer Fridge/Freezer
• BuiltRight MOLLE Panels & Bags
• Dakota Lithium 320Ah DL+ LiFePO₄ Battery
• REDARC BCDC 40A DC-DC Charger
• NOCO Dual-Bank Onboard Charger
• Switch-Pros SP-9100 Power System
• Morflate 4-Hose Kit & Compressor

Lighting

• Rigid Triple Fog Kit (SAE + Spot + Driving)
• Rigid SR-Series 30” SAE Light Bar
• Kingpin 40” Rear Light Bar
• Kingpin Touch Lights
  

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