Just moved to the Phoneix area, and have decided I want a little better offraod capability for my '01 V8 TRD 4x4.
Im looking for recomendations for the first modification I should preform on my truck. I use it mostly for mild to moderate jeep trails, with the occasional rocky wash / mountain trail.
Re: Recomendo: first modification for AZ off roading.
Thanks Mike....
Body Damage? not really, I havn't had a problem with it. Paint is another story. I've got some sweet Arizona Pin-Stripes.
Clearance? yeah, that would be nice. there are some pretty big rocks and ruts out there. should I go for a leveling kit of some sort? coilovers? how much lift would you recomend?
Traction? hasn't been too much of a problem on the trails I frequent, maybe later on that one. (lockers or limited slip is a much bigger job, right?)
Also, I do plan on getting new tires. I'm trying to figure out how much tire I can fit without any modification to the suspension system, or If i should get a bit more clearance / travel before I try to squeeze some big tires in there......
Re: Recomendo: first modification for AZ off roading.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oh2baru
Thanks Mike....
Body Damage? not really, I havn't had a problem with it. Paint is another story. I've got some sweet Arizona Pin-Stripes.
Clearance? yeah, that would be nice. there are some pretty big rocks and ruts out there. should I go for a leveling kit of some sort? coilovers? how much lift would you recomend?
Traction? hasn't been too much of a problem on the trails I frequent, maybe later on that one. (lockers or limited slip is a much bigger job, right?)
Also, I do plan on getting new tires. I'm trying to figure out how much tire I can fit without any modification to the suspension system, or If i should get a bit more clearance / travel before I try to squeeze some big tires in there......
yeah, I'm new to the whole off road thing.....
I'd suggest a coilover kit. For the tundra max lift should be 2.5". If you get the manual hub conversion and the diff drop kit, you can probably go with 3"
Traction, depends. Lock Right Lockers or the Powertrax is a fairly simple install and won't cost a lot if you do the work yourself. ARB or Detroit(locker or Truetrac) is where it get's to be expensive and the install requires correct measurements and contact patterns. I'd leave that to someone who knows what they're doing.
Tires - With no lift you can fit 265-75-16's (~31") tire. With a 2.5" lift you can fit 285-75-16's (~33") tire.
Re: Recomendo: first modification for AZ off roading.
Every region/area requires different modes for the terrain you r going to run.
you can put a 255/85/16 under with no lift.
Az pin striping comes with the territory, have so much now. just adds to the charm. Bought it to use it.
For az I would go with a good set of sliders,skid plates and a locker.
Be prepared for anything some heat in summer (water & sun protection) some cold in winter (blankey and or a old coat,matches signal mirror). hi lift jack with a sand platform,tow straps, jumper cables to name a few items.
The wash you are about to cross looks good and dry, what you may not be aware of its pouring rain a few miles up the wash and wham away ya go down the drainage.
Cacti is a problem child here as well thin sidewalls not only get rock cut but attract cacti.
So lots of things to consider
Used to be 4 wheeler supply on cave creek? was good to deal with.
Re: Recomendo: first modification for AZ off roading.
drop in the offroad forum if youre interested specifically in modding the truck for the dirt...
if youre really serious about running around offroad, get some good tires first, something that doesnt require any lift of modification. the best all-around bet for shared (offroad and onroad) driving is the bfg at/ko...sure, a revo is better on-road, but doesnt have the sidewall strength of the bfg and that's critically important. mud tires (goodyear, goodrich, whatever) will be fine in the dirt but will be awful on the road as soon as it rains, and will be exciting if it ever gets icy in az. the bfg at/ko has enough siping and a good void ratio that it can handle heavy rain and deep "thick" water (not mud, just dirty water with a form bottom) and performs very well on dirt, rock and sand. the sidewall profile at low pressure doesn't bubble or puddle, theyre very well designed with a strong sidewall that you can safely deflate and run low pressure on the rocks and not worry about tearing the tire open or separating the carcass from heat buildup in the sidewall at low pressure. i dont know if i have any good pictures in my gallery, but in general if i'm offroad in those pictures with the 35" bfg at/ko, they're between 12# and 15#.
anyway get some good all-purpose tires (look over the bfg website) then go pound around and pay attention to things like approach, departure and breakover angles, clearance to your pinch welds, stuff like that...then decide what you need most.
Re: Recomendo: first modification for AZ off roading.
I don't think you need much for offroading in our part of Arizona. I like the idea of having LSD though. A mild lift would be OK, but may not be necessary. I have my pinstriping already and everyone complains about it but me. This is a truck and it's gonna look like one (up to a point lol). If you go to Mexico and drive on beaches, I'd recommend larger tires and a shovel.
Re: Recomendo: first modification for AZ off roading.
I do some Geocaching gps kinda things and mine is used and slightly abused every weekend as some of these things are in remote areas.
I have no lift yet in fact I am currently running the 245's Big o's and they keep taking a hit with cacti in the sidewalls. just pull it out and the tires are holding up to it, course with the ply rating I can practilly run em flat.
Lifts and big tires look kewl but not always practical or required.
Come on up to Vegas in a couple of weeks for the Vegas get together. Should be another great time.
Recomendo: first modification for AZ off roading.
Re: Recomendo: first modification for AZ off roading.
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