Basic Off Road Set Up-???

Hey. I am looking to do some mild/moderate off road trails. I am fairly new to this and am looking for guidance. I would like to keep things fairly close to stock right now in terms of suspension. What are some recommendations for an off road set up?

I am looking for suggestions for the following:

Vehicle Recovery essentials

On board air- Is this essential?

Front Bumper- how much will a stock bumper hold me back?
Any suggestions for replacement bumper?

Thanks.

 

The front bumper will not necessarily hold you back, but there are benefits to aftermarket bumpers. You can easily add a winch to them and what not. It isn't a cheap mod either.

For recover, check out this stickied thread:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/off-roading-trails/15254-off-road-tips-gear-list.html

and scroll down to "The Basic, Minimal Off-Road Checklist"

 

Since I'm on topic, and I've been thinking these questions out too:

Is the stock front bumper a big hindrance on approach clearance? (I already know that most aftermarket rears have a lower profile)
What order would you upgrade? bumper/skid/slider/etc?
Regardless of manufacturer/make, is the stock tire size fine?

Even though the OP says he isn't going to do it, at what point do you begin considering lifts?

 

Honestly?

If you guys are worried about approach & departure angles, then you should be thinking about a suspension lift first and foremost.

Putting aftermarket bumpers on will weigh the truck down a bit anyway and you'll need some suspension work to help hold that extra weight. Save your money and get a lift & some bigger tires down the road!!

Onboard air - not essential. You can have liquid CO2 for starters without spending a lot.
http://www.lieblweb.com/tacoma/General/LiquidCO2/LiquidCO2.htm
Then later on, when you have time to research & $$, you can put an full onboard air system in.

If you're not talking about lifting ...I would highly recommend getting some rocker guards. These will protect your rocker panels - especially since you'll be lower to the ground. Good skid plates wouldn't hurt either to protect the underbelly.

Get yourself a good tow strap, a good recovery point, & a group of people to wheel with and have fun!!

You'll know soon enough...what you'll need for the next time.

 

I ask because I didn't know if it was better to get the aftermarket bumpers first. My thought was you would be raising the bumpers up and adding in the benefit of some armor to boot.

I didn't think about the weight - thanks!

 

I've got plans for outfitting my taco for wheeling, but as of now it is bone stock as far as tires/suspension/bumpers... I can still wheel anything around here aside from rock-crawler runs. They do very well even in the stock configuration. The front bumper is not a limiting factor but you'll need to be conscious of where it is so you don't hit it on something.

You are more than well equipped to run any trail considered mild/moderate. For anything more advanced you'll want: learn about adjusting tire pressure for various terrain (it will make your life much easier on the trail), get a cheapo cig-lighter air compressor to air up afterwards, bring a shovel and tow strap at least.

good luck!

 

a good set of tires and a lift is what I would do first.

 

Also, the best time to get an All-pro or ARB bumper is right after you thrash the stock one.

Another thing is "wheelin' skill", knowing what to look for and how to get your rig through it without damage. I've seen a skilled driver get a stock suzuki Samurai through the Rubicon, and I've seen an unskilled (over equipped rig) driver get stuck in a rut I could probably drive a schoolbus through...

Plus it never hurts to get out and pace the section you're about to drive and pick your line beforehand.

 

If you're gonna go the route of buying an aftermarket bumper - you almost have to get one that's winch compatible. It's not a lot of extra weight, but enough that it'll probably dip your stock front end downward. That's the last thing you'd want on an non-lifted truck.

If you're looking to protect the front-end, and this might be a cheesy suggestion so please pardon (it's a stepping stone). I had a WAAG front brush guard on my 96 tacoma for years before I went with an aftermarket bumper. It was cheaper than a bumper and I could care less how much I trashed it up..... it worked fine for years and I got my moneys worth out of it. You'll see the two bars in the front...
http://www.lieblweb.com/cpg/albums/ToyotaTacoma/1996Tacoma/normal_124.jpg
Sometimes people will add extra support brackets (custom made) to help make it more firm up at the lights.

 

You know, you just woke me up.

I'm sure I can shovel money at my truck and still drive the mild/moderate courses like a pure dumbass. I've already got myself scheduled to start meeting with my local 4x4 club (they are all jeep owners ), I'll try learning/watching first before spending thousands to drive over a mole hill

I guess I'm just wondering how much I need to protect myself from myself - or... well maybe that came out wrong. Crap, I'm not explaining myself right. Hope you can make sense.

Sorry to pirate the thread - hopefully this just the OP more relevant stuff to read

 

Since I already have it... is this usable for our truck's outlet? I haven't checked to see if it would overload the truck, and I haven't figured out a way to secure it up

 

thanks for the info everyone. I def think i will purchase recovery straps, receiver with shackle. I was thinking a high lift also so i could pull myself out if needed. I think i will hold out on the bumper. Sliders are something i am seriously considering. Not only good off-road, but prevent a-hole jersey drivers from denting my truck in a parking lot. I think i will also go with a portable air system.

 

I looked at this but didnt scroll down far enough! That provides a lot of info, thanks

 

Sounds like a good start. Since this is the first truck I've had without a winch (yet) I got the Hi-Lift winch kit (turns the HiLift into kind of a come-along sort of) and 20' of extra chain. It's a really slow/laborous process but it works great. And since I've got the stock bumpers and no sliders (also another good reason to get sliders) I got the Hi-lift wheel lift gadget that has 2 hooks that hook right into the wheel to lift up a corner of the truck, works great; this thing is useless for changing a flat unless you bring a jack-stand too though, more of a recovery aid.

I can easily justify getting sliders before a front bumper...