I'll preface this by saying I have a light build. No bumpers, no swing-out, no drawers. Just sliders, basic tools and an air compressor. I ran 35's (285/75r18) for a couple years with stock gears and I thought it was just fine power wise. I did not want for any deeper gearing. Only reason I...
17's and 35's are the right aesthetic to my mind. Moreover, 17" tires are generally a lot cheaper, many more sizes available, and many more load ranges available. Pretty much all AT tires in an 18" size are E-rated and heavier. Going with a 35x12.5x17 D-rated tire improved my ride quality...
Drive both, sit in both, look at both. Some prefer the 6-speed transmission, some prefer the 8-speed. I personally think the interior of the 16+ is way more snappy and the exterior is better too after you chop the front bumper in half. Most overlandy parts can be found for both variants, so...
Yep, I'm up to 4 torque wrenches at this point, including the big honker for the 305# 1fz crank pulley. That will be my weapon of choice when the zombie apocalypse comes.
My plan is to continue to beat up my plasticware until the BL is installed and then worry about bumpers afterwards. If I get an off-the-shelf bumper, I'll just adjust the plastic trimming accordingly. I have also seen from another MUDder with a BL that the dissent front bumper has basically a...