What would improve offroad performance the most

Well here is a rough draft of parts based of off @yotadude520's list. Please point out any errors or things I missed if you can. Also for my price estimates, feel free to revise.

 

Bro, @Bivouac doesn't mess around.

 

Looks good! Don’t forget to get the speed sensor though that goes in the transfer case along with the gear as it is different than the 2WD one. (Unless your TC has one already)

 

I will add since this is we all hope going to be a weekend Project when started !!

Every swap i was ever involved with buying parts here and there things always were forgotten adding another day or longer . With a Donor Vehicle everything is there.

The more involved the the swap the longer it will take .

I am sure we all have our own stories of when projects went south .

After all it comes down to the OP`s call.

Best of Luck no matter what you decide.

At least I had a motorcycle to ride rain or shine.

 

I mean…are u really ever gonna do a 4x4 conversion OP?
Just buy good tires, air down, a winch would be nice, and know ur limits (mud/snow)

 

Here is your best/ most budget option.

Get good A/T tires and air down. You can get a portable tire inflator for pretty cheap (doesnt have to be ARB or anything fancy)
go easy on the gas unless you gotta romp over something
skip the wheels cause they dont help you

and if you want to replace the shocks, 5100's are a great well priced option as long as you dont set them full height.

 

Not sure that is the "best" option. Budget, yes, best... I've been stranded many times with a 2wd truck that had the best tires money could buy. It looks like OP has made up his mind. It's now a build thread! I would advise against cracking open the tranny to look inside and swap output shafts, but if OP wants to spend the time to look inside, go for it! Curiosity is an admirable trait. I teach high school, so anything that keeps a young person off a phone is good to me. I mean anything is possible if you don't let things get in the way. I replaced my clutch, diff, and cylinder head in my driveway with hand tools and learned as I went along at 17. Heck, I even remember changing out MacPherson strut cartridge inserts when you used to re use the strut body as well as the spring. Lotsa learning went on. Stay curious.

 

My .02 i have 2wd with nice all terrains, i’ve impressed all of my friends of what i can make it up with a little momentum. Tires are super important. Don’t get mud terrains get all terrains. Do not skimp on the price of tire.

 

I have a built thread somewhere else on my profile. When I get around to all this you can find it on there!

 

We all have our own opinions .

Your the one funding the project so that means that your the one making the decisions.

Best of Luck!!

 

Thank you!

 

Actually my search on light bar brought me to this tread looking for tips on adding a roof light bar to my 99 Taco extended cab. Can anyone point me to a good place?