Total Nube Questions

Hey guys. I'm new to Taco's and don't real have any off roading experience. I am a former Mustang guy. Ive had a few 4X4's but never really live anywhere where there was any good off road stuff going on when I owned them. I used to be into car shows and a little bit of drag racing. I've been into cars and trucks my whole life and have worked in the car biz for 10 years (auto body shop estimator). I have some questions and I am writing this when I have a spare minutes at work. I know I'm suppose to search old posts for my answers but I dont really have time for research and I like being social on a new site. I dont want to turn my truck into a "mall cruiser". Although I like the way it looks when they are like that I dont have the spare cash to just make it look cool. I want the mods to have a purpose. I bought a 17 TRD Sport 4X4. I would like to do some light off road stuff in the future. How capable is my truck stock? I figure the first thing I should focus on is tires. How weak in the diff in my truck? What is a reasonable lift to think about? Should I consider a rear locker or is that not necessary for now? I would have held off for a TRD Offroad but they had this truck and the wife gave me the green light that day at the dealership and I had to act before she changed her mind...

 

Drive it off road and see how it goes. Its probably capable enough for anything you're going to do to start out.

 

Buy some better tires and go.

 

That is kind of what I was thinking. The old drag racing method... drive it until you break something and then make that area stronger. I am limited here in the St. Pete, Florida area trail-wise but I am hoping to move to NC soon. I'd love to just throw 10 grand at it but I don't have it like that, yet...

 

just go till you get stuck, leave your wife in the truck then post a question asking how to get out of it...

 

How big a tire could/should I go without a lift?

 

265/70r17 bfg ko2's load range C

 

This^

 

that moment you're such a noob you spell noob wrong.

it all depends how rough of off roading you plan on doing.
a good set of tires and you can do a fair amount of stuff.

I wouldn't add a locker until you get into it and see whether or not you really need one.
Start with tires and go from there. Maybe do a 2-3inch lift to increase approach angle and fit larger tires for more ground clearance.
I've noticed that the term off roading is too vague to say. What is moderate to some could be small to others or vice versa.
To me I'll be doing a lot of overlanding and trails with a mix of rocks, water crossings, ruts, bogs, mud you name it. Most of the trails I go to are 4lo almost all the time. Lockers are sometimes needed too. These trails are usually rated around here as hard to extra hard trails...so ya they're rough. Same time driver skill can make all the difference. I've seen guys with 35s, fully locked rubicons get stuck in places where a little TJ with open diffs and 31s got through no problem because of driver skill. Same spot watched a stock FJ just with better tires get through fine meanwhile a lifted ranger with a rear locker and 33s got stuck.

Whats moderate to me seems to be more advanced to others, meanwhile to some my moderate is probably a joke to them. Ask a guy who has a purpose built off road rig only and see what he thinks is moderate lol. I know one guy I've gone with calls the extra hard trails easy, but he's got a fully built rig with bead locks, massive flex and 37s. He lives in the middle of nowhere and wheels probably 3-5 days a week for the past 15 years. So its to be expected that to him its nothing.

 

Well, I googled Nube and people were using it! Lol

 

I like Nube.

Newb, Noob, Nube. It's all the same.

Welcome to the forum.

 

I like nude better.

 

I know this is probably rehashed 1000X already and Im not looking for a huge debate but what is a decent, affordable 2-3" lift?

 

.. what's your budget.

 

what's your definitition of affordable?

 

only seen newb and noob haha.

 

Let's do it this way.

$500 +/- [5100s, AAL]

$700 +/- [5100s, lift coils, AAL]

$1000-1250 +/- [5100s, lift coils, full replacement leaf pack]

$2000+ [coilovers, replacement leaf pack]

Not including alignment cost, labor costs for installation, or replacement tires in appropriate size.

 

$3000+ and into the territory of high end extended travel stuff like Fox, Icon and Kings
If you live where I live and deal with the shit exchange rate...Fox ultimate kit is $5200 just for parts (with dakar leafs)
That one's going to hurt the bank but oh well.

 

Considering you already established "light offroad use", and "limited budget", I would recommend you do nothing to your truck. Even with the street tires, it's more than capable for light offroad use. Don't rush into mods now which forces into using a tight budget. Give it some time, save your spare coins, and think about this more after you've done a couple of "light offroad use" adventures.

 

I would go with OME shocks, dakar leafs and new UCA which 3" front and 2.75" rear lift and 32-33" tires. That will take you places further than you might want to in a DD vehicle. I wouldn't look at ARB lockers till you start putting 35" tires so you can regear at the same time but you will have other issues to solve before you get to that point.

Dont go cheap do it right the first time and plan your build based off what you will actually be doing like more rock crawling trails or over landing.