Mod Priority List

I'm wondering what everyone's order of priority is for upgrades to a Gen 2 for off-roading. It seems the OR package is good enough to get you most places, but the truck doesn't have much in the way of defense. So, my first move I think would be rock sliders. I've seen some people say better tires should be first. Or have you found a lift the most important first mod?

 

1. Sliders
2. Skids
3. Tires

 

1. Tires.
2. Lift
3. Bumpers
4. Winch
5. Skids
6. Sliders

Tires first. Everything else is worthless if you can't get power to the ground under slippery conditions.

The lift will help with ground clearance and approach angle, as well as make the truck look and ride nicer.

Bumpers will help you need more approach angle or slide off the trail into something. They also provide a place to mount a winch. A winch is worth its weight in gold. I've used my winch 20+ times recovering myself and others. Paid for itself over and over and over again.

5. Skids. Common sense, they protect expensive stuff.

6. Sliders. Needed for rock crawling or really tight trails with lots of trees.

 

Depends on what terrain your gunna be wheeling. Easy stuff, with no rocks? or easy stuff with rocks. Rember that a lift/tires will only get you into worse shit, with the long rocker panels on these trucks you just begging to get hit. Anything to do with rocks you need sliders first. You would be amazed with what a stock truck can actually get through with a set of sliders.
If your going to be hitting mud puddles and dirt. I would go with a lift and tires.

 

seat time is #1 the more you have the less built you have to be because you will know how to hadndle the situation. if you don't have alot of seat time skids/sliders so you don't damage your rig to bad. and a good set of at's or mt's depending on what type of stuff you are going to wheel. as you get better with the light wheeling and want to try something harder start building with a lift and lockers. start slow don't build a beast and not know how to handle it that's when you get in trouble. i have seen guy's toss a bunch of money at a new rig and roll it because they think the rig can do it and it probably could if the guys had more experience.

 

Based on how I did my build I know from error that I should have done it this way...
1- Locker/Re-gear/Breather extention
2- Tires (At's or Mt's)
3- Suspension (lift, shocks, leafs)
4- Brakes (no better defense than being able to stop)

I have not been in the off road sport very long, since about 2006. Smileyfish (props to you man) is right when he says start slow. I ran around bone stock until last year. I have to re-adjust when I get home because my locker/regear will be put in before then. IMO I say if you start learning with the locker it will give you a quicker idea of your limitations before you add travel and grip. (I would like to think) No one would disagree with stopping power. When you boil it down that's a life saver.

Good luck with your build man, and have fun with it :-D

 

x2

This is my planned route except did square tube sliders first cause I needed some steps. If you want larger tires, you should have the lift first.

 

My MOD list constantly changes; new exhaust just bumped everything but here is the list;

1) Weld on sliders have now become bolt-ons..-new Frame
2) Tires & wheels may become just tires
3) Front bumper has now become;front receiver & winch basket..
4) Winch now that # 3 is much smaller $$$
5) Rear bumper
6) locking both front and rear-waiting till winter with ARB

 

Tires
Skids
Lift
Sliders
CB
Recovery points
Lockers

 

Tires, lift
Sliders
recovery gear (hi lift, straps, shackles, etc...)
skids
bumpers
winch

I did the lift and tires first and ran it like that for a long time with just basic recovery gear. As I started doing more stuff I added more recovery kit. Then I added a bumper. Then a winch. Then an IFS skid when my skid started taking a beating. Then I added the sliders.

I don't mind the way I did it except I would have gotten sliders after the tires and lift if I could do it over. They're immensely helpful in self-recovery aside from protecting the truck from shit.

 

First is recovery gear, tools, and an air compressor, so you can air down and air up at the end of the day, and repair your second tire if you get a more than one flat out on the trail. But as with everything else, you should probably start modest here, and add to your kit as you go. No need to max out your credit card equipping for the first trip. What if you don't like it?

Seat time. Buy no modification until you've been on the trail where you could have used it.

Double cabs have horrible breakover angles. I see double cabs get high centered at our local OHV park. So if I had a double cab, I'd probably lift first.

Sliders are kind of an exception to "buy it only after you needed it once" rule, as by the time you need them, you've already bent a rocker panel. And once you're lifted, you need somewhere to jack from.

 

IMHO you need sliders first if your actually going to wheel it. Sliders will get you much farther than a lift and tires on an otherwise stock vehicle. I took my truck on a "stock Friendly" run the first week i had it and i had to go on every single go-around. Once i had sliders on i only had to take one go-around. The rocker panel on the truck is the biggest and most vunerable part of these vehicles. Also its one of the hardest parts to fix. A Rocker with a dent could be upwards of 2k to fix. if you smash your front bumper it is an excuse for an aftermarket bumper. But you can just unbolt your rockers.

 

I appreciate everyone's input. I think everyone providing their thoughts and reasoning behind the order can generate some good discussion and will be helpful to others.

A question about the breakover angle on DCs- why is it different? Comparing it to an AC they have the same wheelbase and the same ground clearance, so I would think breakover angle would be the same. But even Toyota lists them differently- 21 vs 24. I don't get it.

 

1. Strap and a couple shackles
2. Sliders if you plan on actually wheeling
3. Lift and Tires

Establish a budget and a goal. Watch CL and the forums for good deals.

 

Here is some reasoning for sliders being early on the list...

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/of...lets-see-your-trail-damage-5.html#post2993686

 

I agree. My experience has been the same. Almost two years later, I still have a stock 4x4 taco, Off Road, with HD-SKO sliders and my truck still goes through some very tough places.



^Rock blasting aside you can see where the outer edge of the slider saved my rocker panels through Mengel's Pass in Death Valley.

 

X2 in that order the only thing I did differently is bought my bumpers before my skids. Skids will be coming this summer

 

Good question. I always assumed the DC just had longer wheelbase but as you point out - it doesn't.

Perhaps the back seat floor pan hangs down lower?

Nothing beats just looking at it. At the next trail meet, just get two standard ride heights next to each other, access cab and double cab, and look to see what the difference is.

Final thought about lift vs. sliders - sliders provide protection - less likely to drop rocker panels onto a rock. lift provides additional clearance - with the net result also that you're less likely to drop rocker panels onto a rock. Best protection and capability is achieved by having both.

I did my lift before my sliders - but I wheeled more carefully.

 

Got a pics of that trip up online? I want to go there.... Maybe next spring....

 

yea but lift,tires,lockers, ect. Will only get you into tougher terrain... sliders will protect you.