For those with builds, what would you do differently?

Got to thinking today. Pretty happy with my build but there are a couple things I'd do differently now that I know more.

1. TG, BAMF or other sliders. One of my first mods and done before finding TW. Not happy with the mounting scheme of the ones that I bought.

2. Seriously consider the aluminum version of the Elite front bumper or go with a TG low profile. My front end is heavy.

Any of you re-do things a little differently?

 

I don't understand...are you saying you WOULD or WOULD NOT use the sliders you chose? Which did you choose? Which mounting system do you not like?

 

He is saying those two things he listed, he would do differently.

I would like more info on the sliders as well. I also am debating an aluminum bumper over steel because of weight.

How bad is the added weight on Tacos? Can it truly be felt?

 

I've avoided aftermarket front bumpers and winches just because of the weight issue. Stock, our rigs are already too front-heavy. An aluminum bumper, it seems to me, wouldn't hold up on any kind of impact.

I had one of those old classic Smitty tube-type front bumpers on my '84 Runner. It held up pretty well, with glancing blows off of Rubicon rocks, but it was kind of heavy ( not as much of an issue with a Runner). And the lower mounts were on the body mount bolts (not good).

I think the best 'lite-weight' protection would be thin-walled tubular steel. But it would be considered disposable. One good hit, protecting your front end, and replace it. Much cheaper than repairing a severely damaged front end.

 

I'm listing what I would do differently.

For the sliders, I got some from rocky-road.com. They are beefy but I wish they had just made them as weld-ons and had 4 mount points instead of 3.

The weight on the front end can be felt. I've got an Elite plate bumper + Budbuilt IFS skid. Eventually, I'd like to add a winch so I'd be pushing 200+ lbs up on the nose. I definitely can feel the front end when I turn.

 

I would go with the TG low profile bumper, it has a receiver hitch on the front. You could just mount a winch on a receiver plate and keep it in a tool box in the bed. That way you dont have to weight in the front all the time and you could use it in the rear and store it in a tool box in the bed..

 

I think the OME 882s were too much... same with adding the D6XL to the Dakars. I should have gone with OME 883s and just the Dakars.

Another thing, i should have got a manual transmission. I wanted the auto at the time so that my wife would be comfortable driving it in traffic. Hindsight, she rarely drives it and the manual would be much more fun. Plus I'm on the fence about adding a supercharger, and from what I read/hear, a manual takes no mods (maybe a beefier clutch down the road) while it is recommended that the auto gets some valve body mods and a cooler.

Oh, and manual hubs would sure be nice!