What off-road mods to be done first?

And the air down tire pressure mod

 

First tires. Size and type desired compared to the stock size highway tire it comes with. More diameter means more total ground clearance, which is desirable. Know your stock wheel size too so you know your whole starting point. Thin is easier to fit in the wheel well.
Second, remove or replace things underside that are just in the way of clearance- exhaust crossover reroute. It robs you of an inch+ of clearance for no reason. Rear U-bolt flip kit. The ubolt ends will drag bottom when wheels are in ruts. Get rid af any running board or step.
Armor- I took my armorless, stock 1/2 ton trucks off road for 20 years by constantly stopping and spotting over small rock terrain however I was lucky too. Skid plates and sliders makes such process MUCH easier with peace of mind and makes bouldered terrain possible. Non-angled sliders double as a small step board.

 

Yeah the stock U bolts do hang down a bit same with he exhaust hanging out the back - the tie rod sleeves .. . . . I was going to go with them but was advised against it - spindle gussets though definitely.

 

Listening to some of these responses makes me think I need to upgrade to a M1A Abram’s before ever attempting a trail.

 

Not *any* trail, just some of them. My truck is stock suspension and just an engine/transmission skid. Some trails would literally gut a Civic and did scrape my engine skid but I did finish them.

Your biggest limit will be your confidence level and skill level. Sometimes it is best to turn back when it just starts to get challenging for you on any day or just for "today" (doped up on night-nurse/Vicks because of a cold or just because you have not enough time left in the day).

 

Right! Trail running vs rock crawling For trail running, sliders and skid plate should do the trick!

 

I don’t consider trail running and rock crawling as different things. I think there are easy trails and hard trails. Hard trails often have a lot of rocks, but also steep inclines, mud, sand, big trees, and sharp corners.

 

#1) The rear differential breather mod. Unless you will never cross a creek or mud hole over a foot deep!
#2) Spare Tire Flip Over mod. So you can access the air stem!
##) Later, as needed, upgrade the shocks to Bilstein 5100s or better. Replace the tires with the tallest that will fit, without rubbing (265/75-16).
*My Tacoma is a 2nd Gen Off Road 4x4, but these may still apply to 3rg Gens.

 

Skinny 33s on stock wheels fit just fine with no mods.

In my limited experience, shocks make little or no difference, especially if we are talking about slow speed trail crawling. I’ve had SR5, OR, and King shocks. There is very little difference. I’m guessing there might a difference if I was doing high speed off-road endurance racing, but there is no opportunity for that where I live.

I’ve seen custom made buggies with no shocks at all.

 

Well, most of my four wheeling is in sand and long desert dirt roads... and large tires with fat sidewalls are needed.
As soon as my stock Bilstein shock leaked, I replaced them. You don't drive off road without shocks... Your tires will hop and you shake the truck needlessly and will ruin the dirt roads for others (by washboarding them).

 

If you are on a dirt road then you are not off a road.

 

Skids. First time I went out on a solo trip, I high centered on the crossmember. Didn't have a winch at the time and took me an hour of digging and stacking rocks.

 

Yep - there are different forms off road . . . all which have different requirements. Just to mention a few:
1.) overlanding - just getting to a primitive camp site or fishing hole.
2.) desert racing
3.) hard core rock crawling
4.) trail riding - easy, intermediate, difficult and extreme the last two that can involve some rock crawling

 

I always tell people to think about how power transfers through the vehicle, start at the end (tires) and work your way back in. Good general rule of thumb for any car, off road, track, whatever. Tires should be first.

 

That is an excellent point. The very first thing I did was replace the stock Goodyears with 265/75R16 on a completely bone stock Off Road. When I was scarping my Predator steps on a trail rated easy I turned back. Talking to a few experienced off road guys they told me loose the steps as they are attached to the body (and probably were hanging down 3" or 4") and get some sliders that are bolted to the frame and while I was at it get a steel engine skid plate as the stock flimsy thing up front was almost useless. So that is what I did and stayed on easy rated trails at first then worked my up to intermediate trails. Completely stock suspension and 32s gaining experience and with the help of good spotters and more experienced off roaders.

I have since lifted it with bigger tires, 5100s more armor and lots more and do more difficult trails with no problems

 

A good tool can be a kinetic rope as well. I had just a strap for years but struggled on some things with only a strap

 

I always feel like kinetic isn’t a starter item. It’s a lot of force and it needs to be used by someone with a little bit of experience.

they are better for sure.

 

i agree, they definitely take a bit more thought. A snatch strap can be a good way to learn on a cheaper dime too for kinetic. wont last as long but you can get a semi close feel for it!

 

I've only needed a snatch once, and its usually because of stupidity haha I bombed through clay and mud, had a tacoma rescue my little jeep back in the day and saw how effective it was.

For the most part I stay out of crazy stuff now, I've switched to 300lb bikes.

 

Where i buy some common sense? Im running low