Best First Off-Road Mod

What is the best way to improve the off-road ability of a non-TDR 4x4 V6? I'm running 100% stock at the moment with highway tires. I have budget of about $1,000. Here are my ideas, but shoot me some suggestions.

1. Off-road tires
2. 5100's
3. Bud Built skid plates
4. Rear locker

 

I would get sliders and skid plates first if I had to do it again. A rear locker is very nice though since you are a not TRD.

Matt

 

Tires, without a doubt.

 

if you can install the locker yourself then locker, but i vote tires. tires make a huge difference.

 

Tires is a no brainer man.

 

Not on the list, but winch and recovery equipment gets my vote.

 

It's a 2009 - Check out the photos of some mild off-road action at the Badlands in Indiana.

 

5100s and tires. hell just tires would surprise you what you can do. I have a prerunner with no locker and I can do a good bit when I have good tires

 

Tires will determine your lift. Lift without tires looks awkward. Do both at the same time, and there's your first mod.

 

This^^^^^
then sliders

 

The badlands are great time. I use to camp there a couple times a year and ride dirtbikes and quads.

 

We should try to get a meetup going for the Badlands. Looks like tires are winning so far. I have the Hankook DynaPro MT, Firestone Destination M/T, and Mud-Terrain T/A® KM2 in mind. Anyone got an opinion on which is better or if there is a better tire out there? I have an extra set of the toyota steel wheels that I plan to mount them on.

 

Don't have actual facts or stats for ya, but I would go with the km2's. love them.

 

Don't know why anyone would put lift before tires.. you could lift your truck 10 foot but still not have traction with the stock tires..

 

Rear diff breather relocate

 

I did a lift first, too, because I needed to fit the tires I wanted. If a person plans on getting the exact same sized tire as stock, then get them first. Whipper just got 265 Duratracs without a lift, and it LOOKED lifted.

 

You can it will just rub, I ran 285/70/16s and I think I could run them with no lift honestly, there is also a member who ran 285/75/16 on stock suspension. Going by the title of the thread though, tires are more important, but I would guess 90 something percent of people do tires with the lift

 

BFG!!!!!!!!!

 

tires.
tires.
tires.

did I mention tires?

 

The general consensus is you need a lift to wheel, I've seen a stock truck do pretty damn good without a lift but with a decent set of tars'