To lift or not to lift

[SeguineJ]

With any suspension just remember, springs carry the weight, shocks control the ride. The lowest lift you can run to do the job is the one you want. If your rig can fit 33s on a 2" lift, dont get a 4" lift. A low center of gravity is a good thing.

If you plan on running the Taco on more than just dirt roads I would suggest sliders to be you first investment. The longer wheelbase creates a lower breakover angle the door sills are very exposed and easy to hit.

Aluminum vs steel on a offroad rig:
I suggest aluminum anywhere above the midline of the rig(headlights and above). Things up here dont tend to get hit very often and if they do its not very hard. This ties back into the low center of gravity thing.

Bumpers: kind of dealers choice here. You know how you drive. If you hit your bumpers a LOT, I would go with steel. If you occasionally tap a corner dropping off rock than aluminum will hold up for years.

Sliders: Steel. You will hit them...often. If they deflect, that means your body just took a hit as well and you spend money on sliders to prevent that, right?

Skid plates: These can go either way. If you are constantly dragging your belly over sharp rocks, steel is your friend. It will last longer and not gouge very easy. If you hit it a few times here and there, save the weight and go aluminum. The skids are all supported by your steel chassis so they will take quite a bit of abuse.

Always keep your vehicles power to weight ratio in mind. Adding weight lowers your fuel economy and actually makes it harder to climb obstacles on the trail. Also, Weight breaks parts. The lighter you can keep the rig, the less headaches you will have. Look into options like a front reciever if you dont want to carry a winch on your daily commute as well.

This is extremely helpful.

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[DocNOS]

This looks fantastic! Would I need a pulley system for getting my 4runner unstuck? Seems like a cheaper solution than a new bumper and winch!

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Depending on how stuck you are and what size of winch you have. Pullies help multiply the pulling force.

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[DocNOS]

With any suspension just remember, springs carry the weight, shocks control the ride. The lowest lift you can run to do the job is the one you want. If your rig can fit 33s on a 2" lift, dont get a 4" lift. A low center of gravity is a good thing.

If you plan on running the Taco on more than just dirt roads I would suggest sliders to be you first investment. The longer wheelbase creates a lower breakover angle the door sills are very exposed and easy to hit.

Aluminum vs steel on a offroad rig:
I suggest aluminum anywhere above the midline of the rig(headlights and above). Things up here dont tend to get hit very often and if they do its not very hard. This ties back into the low center of gravity thing.

Bumpers: kind of dealers choice here. You know how you drive. If you hit your bumpers a LOT, I would go with steel. If you occasionally tap a corner dropping off rock than aluminum will hold up for years.

Sliders: Steel. You will hit them...often. If they deflect, that means your body just took a hit as well and you spend money on sliders to prevent that, right?

Skid plates: These can go either way. If you are constantly dragging your belly over sharp rocks, steel is your friend. It will last longer and not gouge very easy. If you hit it a few times here and there, save the weight and go aluminum. The skids are all supported by your steel chassis so they will take quite a bit of abuse.

Always keep your vehicles power to weight ratio in mind. Adding weight lowers your fuel economy and actually makes it harder to climb obstacles on the trail. Also, Weight breaks parts. The lighter you can keep the rig, the less headaches you will have. Look into options like a front reciever if you dont want to carry a winch on your daily commute as well.

That was the simplest explanation I have ever read.

Good job sir [emoji122] [emoji122] [emoji122]
Good job sir

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[SeguineJ]

@Michael I think you need to check out that little post from Anchor.

 

[Joey D]

I have the last generation Tacoma and it was plenty capable out of the box once I got rid of the highway tires Toyota sold it with. I only added lights to it for the longest time and that was mainly to make night time driving in a very rural area a little easier and to hopefully avoid a deer strike. I also never needed a winch, I had a set of Maxtrax that was able to get me out of any trouble (I'd suggest some sort of traction board, there are cheaper alternatives to Maxtrax too).

Now that I'm out in a more mountainous region of the country, I've been in some situations where a bumper upgrade would have helped, as would have rock sliders and some more ground clearance. So I've began adding those things as money has allowed.

I think the best advice is the advice that's given often, just run what you have until you have a need to upgrade it, then research it out and buy the equipment best suited to your needs.