What to do with $1500

Good to know. I was tempted by the price but I'll do oem. Thanks for your help.

 

I think getting either, automatically gets you the other

On a serious note, I'd take the $1500 and invest it so then you can have more money to spend on mods.

 

It's obvious, pick those things that matter the most to you.
I would not do a spacer lift. I would wait until you have more money and do a complete suspension lift. It's the safer and IMO the right way to do a lift. Spacer lifts can be a good cheap way to lift a truck that will never see off the pavement but they can have downsides like abnormal wear and tear to the vehicle.
$1,500 can get you a decent suspension lift if you have plans to install yourself. Labor costs will probably put you over the $1,500. You could get a nice OME lift for about $1,200 if you go with an AAL in the rear.

I want a lift really bad, but I decided go with new wheels and tires first. I need new tires before the winter so it only makes sense to do the wheels now since the tires are really a need. The lift will be my next priority and will take some time to save up for.

There are a ton of things I want to do with my truck, on most of it I'm waiting for what I currently have to go bad before I change anything out. for example do blacked out headlights when my current ones oxidize and fog over, get black leather seats when my cloth looks like shit in 10 years, etc. that's how I'm prioritizing things. It stretches out my build so I can enjoy it more since ever year I can look forward to doing something with it. It's all about the novelty lol.

 

Armor; skids and sliders
Lift kit
Tires (and wheels should you choose)
Recovery gear - winch, straps, shackles etc..

That worked for me and I don't think I would do it any different.

Here's my Prius..

 

Skids, sliders, bumper, then lift. I did it the reverse order and now will have to adjust my suspension for the extra weight. Skids and sliders are most important

 

I agree with Nick

 

Get a lift and tires! And then a rear locker

 

If you're off-roading it, get sliders first (trust me). Then a lift. Then added skid plate protection where you need it most (not sure what the 2nd gens came with stock, but a t-case skid is a good idea if you don't have one). Then bumpers.

Oh, and a rear locker is a must-have for off-roading. I'd make that one of my first mods if I didn't already have one. It's such a night/day difference between getting stuck in a seemingly harmless rut and climbing right through it, even with 4wd.

 

Our trucks came stock with a crushable skid under the Tcase, otherwise known as the exhaust crossover.

 

Yeah it's a good idea to have a solid one there. I have a Skidrow t-case skid plate, I bottomed out on a rock on the Miller Jeep Trail out here a few weeks back, pushed the skid plate up into my transfer case and caused a horrible grinding noise whenever I shifted under high RPM. Fortunately it was a relatively cheap and easy fix, just had to take it off and bend it back into place. But had that skid plate not been there, I would have most certainly been stranded without 4wd out in the middle of the trail, miles away from cell service or civilization.

 

Lifts hurt reliability. Armor first unless you have shit road tires, then get a good set of tires you like on there first. Stay within stock dimensions as much as possible for best results. Add shiny bits and accessories to push your usage a bit more and more. As you find weaknesses repair them and continue pushing on. Also consider a ham radio and license, CB helps as well.

Just know picking up a 3" lift for looks is a great way to find yourself dealing with a messed up CV deep in bush with no help near by.

 

If you stay under 3" you don't have to worry about doing a diff drop or high angle CV boots right?

 

Find a shell on craigslist

 

Anything more than an inch or so is going to put a bend in your CV boot. Eventually the touching folds will wear through, it just happens. You first genners have different guidelines for differential drops, it's a bit more recommended, the 2nd gen not so much as most are crap and actually hurt your differential by starving it of oil.

Don't worry about putting on fancy CVs you'll pay out the ass and not get much for it. If concerned keep the lift mild so the boot isn't rubbing itself and you'll be good.

 

Sliders,rear locker if you don't have an Off-Road. If you do,front ARB.

 

I love your setup

 

Trying to with not much luck

 

$1500?



This:


Then spend the rest on extra mags, ammo & cigars

 

That's a different budget Definitely have a Budget for that

 

Thanks man!!