Purchased an 80 Series as a family vehicle but who are we kidding? It won't stay stock for long (1 Viewer)

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Hey guys! I just picked up an 80 series (1995) from my best friend from high school. His brother had it before him and my buddy just purchased a new LX 570 so he needed to make space. I was looking for a daily driver as my Raptor is about to go under the knife again for more work. The agreement with the wife was "not mods to the Land Cruiser" but uh...I've never owned a vehicle I haven't modified in some way :bounce:.

The 80 Series I picked up isn't fancy. I'm 99% sure it does not have factory lockers and it doesn't have leather. But it has had regular maintenance done to it - the head gasket was replaced by a dealer in Washington in May 2020. Crankshaft seals and most seals in the engine bay have been replaced within the last 18 months so I'm fairly confident it's a mechanically sound vehicle that will be great for a daily driver.

The problem with it? It drives way too nice. So I pretty much am obligated to make it worse by modifying it ;). I'm used to driving vehicles that make funny noises driving around. My Raptor has a full bed cage with 4.0 external bypass shocks that click over expansion joints and it's going under the knife later this year to get a mid-travel suspension upgrade for the front to match the rear (16-17" up front, 18" out back). All that to say, I enjoy a vehicle with "character". I drive rental cars every week when I travel for work so I don't mind some minor quirks.

I have some ideas for mods but on suspension, I'm a little lost and looking to see if you guys can provide some direction for me. Here is what my future mod list is looking like:

  • ARB Winch Front Bumper
  • 4x4 Labs rear bumps. DIY kit and I'll have Brave Motorsports here in Houston weld it up for me. That 16 week lead time is nuts but the supply chain right now nuts so I get it.
    • I'm thinking single swing arm. I'm not sure why people go with a dual swing arm since they both have to be swung out to open the rear hatch. If there is a reason for dual swings let me know I just haven't found a reason why yet.
  • HID Retrofits in Clear Housings - I have retrofits in my truck and I'm addicted to how good it is. Lighting all around will be upgraded.
  • Suspension Lift - Here is where I need direction. My goal - Run the same tires I have on my Raptor - 37" Toyo Open Country R/T. That way if I have a tire issue I can run to Discount and have it swapped. If 37's aren't feasible, 35" General Grabber X3, Toyo Open Country R/T, or BFG KM3 would be the goal.
    • Dobinsons MRR Kit
      • Which kit is the right one? I see so many different ones with different options just for the MRR Kits. One for $4600+ with shocks, springs, front panhard bar, castor kits, sway bay extension brackets. Or one for ~$3000 with shocks, springs, rear sway bar extension bracket?
    • Icon - this is a name I'm familiar with in the Raptor world. Great name recognition for me
      • Their CDCV shocks are great on the Raptors - but their stuff is pricey. $3700+ for shocks, springs, brake lines, castor correction, sway bar relocation bracket.
    • I assume I will need extended brake lines for any suspension lift?
  • Leather seats and leather for the doors
  • Upgrade the head-unit so I can listen to something other than the 50 cassettes my high school buddy left me :rofl:

And here are some pics, because it wouldn't be an intro post without some pictures!

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Hey guys! I just picked up an 80 series (1995) from my best friend from high school. His brother had it before him and my buddy just purchased a new LX 570 so he needed to make space. I was looking for a daily driver as my Raptor is about to go under the knife again for more work. The agreement with the wife was "not mods to the Land Cruiser" but uh...I've never owned a vehicle I haven't modified in some way :bounce:.

The 80 Series I picked up isn't fancy. I'm 99% sure it does not have factory lockers and it doesn't have leather. But it has had regular maintenance done to it - the head gasket was replaced by a dealer in Washington in May 2020. Crankshaft seals and most seals in the engine bay have been replaced within the last 18 months so I'm fairly confident it's a mechanically sound vehicle that will be great for a daily driver.

The problem with it? It drives way too nice...
Rides too nice? Agreement with wife? Damn dude, for a family rig just forget the lift/tires!
 
Hey guys! I just picked up an 80 series (1995) from my best friend from high school. His brother had it before him and my buddy just purchased a new LX 570 so he needed to make space. I was looking for a daily driver as my Raptor is about to go under the knife again for more work. The agreement with the wife was "not mods to the Land Cruiser" but uh...I've never owned a vehicle I haven't modified in some way :bounce:.

The 80 Series I picked up isn't fancy. I'm 99% sure it does not have factory lockers and it doesn't have leather. But it has had regular maintenance done to it - the head gasket was replaced by a dealer in Washington in May 2020. Crankshaft seals and most seals in the engine bay have been replaced within the last 18 months so I'm fairly confident it's a mechanically sound vehicle that will be great for a daily driver.

The problem with it? It drives way too nice. So I pretty much am obligated to make it worse by modifying it ;). I'm used to driving vehicles that make funny noises driving around. My Raptor has a full bed cage with 4.0 external bypass shocks that click over expansion joints and it's going under the knife later this year to get a mid-travel suspension upgrade for the front to match the rear (16-17" up front, 18" out back). All that to say, I enjoy a vehicle with "character". I drive rental cars every week when I travel for work so I don't mind some minor quirks.

I have some ideas for mods but on suspension, I'm a little lost and looking to see if you guys can provide some direction for me. Here is what my future mod list is looking like:

  • ARB Winch Front Bumper
  • 4x4 Labs rear bumps. DIY kit and I'll have Brave Motorsports here in Houston weld it up for me. That 16 week lead time is nuts but the supply chain right now nuts so I get it.
    • I'm thinking single swing arm. I'm not sure why people go with a dual swing arm since they both have to be swung out to open the rear hatch. If there is a reason for dual swings let me know I just haven't found a reason why yet.
  • HID Retrofits in Clear Housings - I have retrofits in my truck and I'm addicted to how good it is. Lighting all around will be upgraded.
  • Suspension Lift - Here is where I need direction. My goal - Run the same tires I have on my Raptor - 37" Toyo Open Country R/T. That way if I have a tire issue I can run to Discount and have it swapped. If 37's aren't feasible, 35" General Grabber X3, Toyo Open Country R/T, or BFG KM3 would be the goal.
    • Dobinsons MRR Kit
      • Which kit is the right one? I see so many different ones with different options just for the MRR Kits. One for $4600+ with shocks, springs, front panhard bar, castor kits, sway bay extension brackets. Or one for ~$3000 with shocks, springs, rear sway bar extension bracket?
    • Icon - this is a name I'm familiar with in the Raptor world. Great name recognition for me
      • Their CDCV shocks are great on the Raptors - but their stuff is pricey. $3700+ for shocks, springs, brake lines, castor correction, sway bar relocation bracket.
    • I assume I will need extended brake lines for any suspension lift?
  • Leather seats and leather for the doors
  • Upgrade the head-unit so I can listen to something other than the 50 cassettes my high school buddy left me :rofl:

And here are some pics, because it wouldn't be an intro post without some pictures!

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Welcome to the club!

A lot of folks get the second arm to carry fuel or bolt a cooler to (10mpg doesn’t get you far enough).

A lot of people need to do a little trimming for 37s, but if you move axle forward a little it minimizes that.

Try to keep your lift in the 2.5-3” range, after that you end up diving into an empty pool of potential issues. DO NOT use caster bushings, you will be disappointed over time. Find a solution that allows the use of OEM bushings (radius arms or caster plates). Here is some info on correcting caster and what people have done: Compiling/comparing lift and caster data - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/compiling-comparing-lift-and-caster-data.1099600/

Add one of these: Delta Vehicle Systems Panhard Lift Bracket, 3" & 5" - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/delta-vehicle-systems-panhard-lift-bracket-3-5.1085308/ or the eimkieth weld on bracket to your list of suspension needs.

As dealer of both Icon and Dobinsons, they are both quality. The Icon springs are set up for “stock to medium” weight vehicles, so rear might sag with lab bumper and a 37 hanging off the back. Any lift you put on, you should fully expect to adjust with spacers to some extent, if you want a particular stance 95% of the time.

Anything over 1.5” it’s going to be a safe bet to add brake lines.

PLEASE go with Mosley Motors for a leather kit.

If you want to discuss differences between Dobs and Icon at length, feel free to send me an email: info@deltavs.com
 
@Delta VS any info(inside or not) on Mosley Motors for leathers kits? Seems they have put those on hold until their supplier can get back up to speed with no ETA (as we all know in this current environment)
 
Wondering how you came up with this list? Is this build to create a look you like or for wheeling? And if you have a cloth interior, keep it. So much better. If you want leather, there are tons of people who would love to trade (me included).
 
@Delta VS any info(inside or not) on Mosley Motors for leathers kits? Seems they have put those on hold until their supplier can get back up to speed with no ETA (as we all know in this current environment)
No, no info. I did not know Cam had put things on hold. Understandable though given current climate. Supply chain is still getting worse before it gets better. There’s always Scheel-mann seats that I’d be happy to supply!
 
No, no info. I did not know Cam had put things on hold. Understandable though given current climate. Supply chain is still getting worse before it gets better. There’s always Scheel-mann seats that I’d be happy to supply!
I was doing some leather research for @UltraFJ40 's hundy, that's all :)
 
Rides too nice? Agreement with wife? Damn dude, for a family rig just forget the lift/tires!
If you didn't have an account from 2003 I would swear this was my wife. She said the exact same thing! :D

Welcome to the club!

A lot of folks get the second arm to carry fuel or bolt a cooler to (10mpg doesn’t get you far enough).

A lot of people need to do a little trimming for 37s, but if you move axle forward a little it minimizes that.

Try to keep your lift in the 2.5-3” range, after that you end up diving into an empty pool of potential issues. DO NOT use caster bushings, you will be disappointed over time. Find a solution that allows the use of OEM bushings (radius arms or caster plates). Here is some info on correcting caster and what people have done: Compiling/comparing lift and caster data - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/compiling-comparing-lift-and-caster-data.1099600/

Add one of these: Delta Vehicle Systems Panhard Lift Bracket, 3" & 5" - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/delta-vehicle-systems-panhard-lift-bracket-3-5.1085308/ or the eimkieth weld on bracket to your list of suspension needs.

As dealer of both Icon and Dobinsons, they are both quality. The Icon springs are set up for “stock to medium” weight vehicles, so rear might sag with lab bumper and a 37 hanging off the back. Any lift you put on, you should fully expect to adjust with spacers to some extent, if you want a particular stance 95% of the time.

Anything over 1.5” it’s going to be a safe bet to add brake lines.

PLEASE go with Mosley Motors for a leather kit.

If you want to discuss differences between Dobs and Icon at length, feel free to send me an email: info@deltavs.com
I guess my question on the second arm is if you're getting a single arm, doesn't it span the entire width of the truck? You could then still add a mount for fuel cans on the single arm. If the single arms are only half length, I fully understand the idea behind dual swing arms. My Raptor has a 26 gallon tank and 8.5mpg off-road doesn't go very far. Down in Baja last month I was extremely glad I carried an additional 5 gallons and on a few occasions, borrowed another 5 gallons from some of the guys with SuperCrews and 36 gallon tanks.

Your website is already bookmarked ;). Quite a few things from y'all that I'll eventually be adding (center console and front shifter console for starters). I'll definitely add the Panhard Lift Bracket to the list.

I'll definitely shoot you an email on Icon vs Dobinsons. I really like the idea of being able to control compression and rebound. It's incredible how much more vehicle control you can get if you have the ability to control all aspects of the shock based on your driving style and terrain, rather than having to rely on an "all around" shim stack.

As far as castor plates vs bushings - my truck has all FK Rod Ends and 1" balljoint heims, so I'm fully aware of the maintenance involved in those products. Is there a reason everybody uses bushings rather than rod ends/heims other than maintenance? On my truck it's just part of my 2 year maintenance schedule. But if there is a reason for bushings (availability, etc...) I'm all ears.

Wondering how you came up with this list? Is this build to create a look you like or for wheeling? And if you have a cloth interior, keep it. So much better. If you want leather, there are tons of people who would love to trade (me included).
Mostly Instagram lol. 37's ride super smooth due to the extra sidewall which is nice. Especially on washboard roads or rough terrain. Larger tires allow you to travel through more terrain, usually, than smaller tires. I doubt I'll do much rock crawling, not really my style. I'm more of a speed guy but, I'm aware of the...limitations...of the engine also. All that to say, I'll probably mostly be on flat land around the Texas area more than anything. Probably go to Austin to try out the Hidden Falls Adventure Park, but that's probably as extreme as I'll get with this rig. Then again, if my 3 year old daughter and wife end up loving camping, I can see us going on more adventures.

And for the leather - I thought I saw something about adding seat coolers and heaters. Don't really need heaters in Texas, although they would be nice for my back every once in a while. Seat Coolers though...absolute necessity down here 🥵
 
Your wife is smart - don't modify it. You already have a vehicle that is modded out. The 80 series is quite capable in its stock form and drives down paved roads with the family in it comfortably and doesn't think twice when you turn off onto a dirt path. At least drive it stock for a while, read up on mods and regrets on mods and make an informed decision before jumping in with both feet down the lift/tires/driveline vibration, over armored weighed down vehicle path. Just my 2 cents.
 
Your wife is smart - don't modify it. You already have a vehicle that is modded out. The 80 series is quite capable in its stock form and drives down paved roads with the family in it comfortably and doesn't think twice when you turn off onto a dirt path. At least drive it stock for a while, read up on mods and regrets on mods and make an informed decision before jumping in with both feet down the lift/tires/driveline vibration, over armored weighed down vehicle path. Just my 2 cents.

For sure. I'm not going to just start writing checks for parts right now. It needs a new front bumper as it has a small bruise on it and the rear bumper has some rust on it that doesn't seem to have spread since my buddy had it, but I'd like to get it taken care of.

I guess here's a better question. Are 35's possible on stock suspension? If they are, that might be the ticket for a while. Wheels, tires, and bumpers. Once the 35's wear down, throw suspension and 37's on it. If I have to cut I don't mind. IMO, the best tools a guy can have in the garage is a breaker bar, basic sockets, torque wrench, hammer, larger hammer, and a cutoff wheel.
 
And the reason I mention 35's is I'm pretty good personal friends with the owner of Texas Motorworx in Dallas and they upgrade tons of Raptors to 37's. Probably able to get some Raptor take-off 35 BFG KO2's for pretty cheap.
 
If you didn't have an account from 2003 I would swear this was my wife. She said the exact same thing! :D


I guess my question on the second arm is if you're getting a single arm, doesn't it span the entire width of the truck? You could then still add a mount for fuel cans on the single arm. If the single arms are only half length, I fully understand the idea behind dual swing arms. My Raptor has a 26 gallon tank and 8.5mpg off-road doesn't go very far. Down in Baja last month I was extremely glad I carried an additional 5 gallons and on a few occasions, borrowed another 5 gallons from some of the guys with SuperCrews and 36 gallon tanks.

Your website is already bookmarked ;). Quite a few things from y'all that I'll eventually be adding (center console and front shifter console for starters). I'll definitely add the Panhard Lift Bracket to the list.

I'll definitely shoot you an email on Icon vs Dobinsons. I really like the idea of being able to control compression and rebound. It's incredible how much more vehicle control you can get if you have the ability to control all aspects of the shock based on your driving style and terrain, rather than having to rely on an "all around" shim stack.

As far as castor plates vs bushings - my truck has all FK Rod Ends and 1" balljoint heims, so I'm fully aware of the maintenance involved in those products. Is there a reason everybody uses bushings rather than rod ends/heims other than maintenance? On my truck it's just part of my 2 year maintenance schedule. But if there is a reason for bushings (availability, etc...) I'm all ears.


Mostly Instagram lol. 37's ride super smooth due to the extra sidewall which is nice. Especially on washboard roads or rough terrain. Larger tires allow you to travel through more terrain, usually, than smaller tires. I doubt I'll do much rock crawling, not really my style. I'm more of a speed guy but, I'm aware of the...limitations...of the engine also. All that to say, I'll probably mostly be on flat land around the Texas area more than anything. Probably go to Austin to try out the Hidden Falls Adventure Park, but that's probably as extreme as I'll get with this rig. Then again, if my 3 year old daughter and wife end up loving camping, I can see us going on more adventures.

And for the leather - I thought I saw something about adding seat coolers and heaters. Don't really need heaters in Texas, although they would be nice for my back every once in a while. Seat Coolers though...absolute necessity down here 🥵
Cam/Mosley Motors are the only seat coolers I’m aware of.

35s on stock suspension? Maybe toss some 2” spacers in the front and back and probably good to go.

Most folks get an 80 so that when they refresh everything woth OEM parts, they don’t have to think about it for another 15-25 years, heims don’t really fit that use case. And they NOISY. (Used to be sponsored by FK so am quite familiar with their stuff). They also get an 80 for plush, quiet ride it can provide, which spherical bearings of any kind are going to squash quickly.

The caster bushings specifically are typically low quality and don’t do enough to correct the caster. That’s all I was referring to on that front.

I have a set of external bypass Icons and an assortment of parts inbound to get some of those dialed for 80 Series and maybe offer them, might be more of a “contact us” thing though.
 
Also, there are MANY owners of 4x4 labs bumpers here, so hopefully some of them will chime in on the swing arm questions. Didn’t realize they were available in one long arm type setups. Seems like an awful lot of weight on one arm to me.
 
Cam/Mosley Motors are the only seat coolers I’m aware of.

35s on stock suspension? Maybe toss some 2” spacers in the front and back and probably good to go.

Most folks get an 80 so that when they refresh everything woth OEM parts, they don’t have to think about it for another 15-25 years, heims don’t really fit that use case. And they NOISY. (Used to be sponsored by FK so am quite familiar with their stuff). They also get an 80 for plush, quiet ride it can provide, which spherical bearings of any kind are going to squash quickly.

The caster bushings specifically are typically low quality and don’t do enough to correct the caster. That’s all I was referring to on that front.

I have a set of external bypass Icons and an assortment of parts inbound to get some of those dialed for 80 Series and maybe offer them, might be more of a “contact us” thing though.

Also, there are MANY owners of 4x4 labs bumpers here, so hopefully some of them will chime in on the swing arm questions. Didn’t realize they were available in one long arm type setups. Seems like an awful lot of weight on one arm to me.

All of that makes sense. Thanks! Also makes a lot of sense for the dual swing arms rather than one. I could see the pivot wearing out prematurely with a spare + ladder + fuel cans.

Don't tempt me with a good time on external bypasses. That's all I know from the prerunner world 🥳
 
Everyone is going to give you recommendations, so I will too. Don't do 37's, unless you are also going to re-gear. IMHO, 35's are at the edge of needing lower gearing. You really open up a can of worms above 35's. Braking, steering, gearing. And the list goes on. Stay 35's, especially for your use. Just let some air out to make the ride smoother. I'm guessing that 35's on the cruiser 16" rims have close to the same sidewall as the 37's on your raptor (which is most likely on larger wheels).

And if you like to go fast, you have the wrong rig. You like to drive fast on uneven, washboard roads, you already have a great rig for that. The cruiser will never do what the Raptor can do in that regard. Not what is was designed to do. Sure, you can re-engineer anything.

As always, JMHO.
 
Everyone is going to give you recommendations, so I will too. Don't do 37's, unless you are also going to re-gear. IMHO, 35's are at the edge of needing lower gearing. You really open up a can of worms above 35's. Braking, steering, gearing. And the list goes on. Stay 35's, especially for your use. Just let some air out to make the ride smoother. I'm guessing that 35's on the cruiser 16" rims have close to the same sidewall as the 37's on your raptor (which is most likely on larger wheels).

And if you like to go fast, you have the wrong rig. You like to drive fast on uneven, washboard roads, you already have a great rig for that. The cruiser will never do what the Raptor can do in that regard. Not what is was designed to do. Sure, you can re-engineer anything.

As always, JMHO.
I had figured I would have to re-gear if I went to 37's. Was thinking I'd have to go to 4.88's for 37's. May even go 4.88's with 35's just to have a little more pickup and go. With only 4 gears, there isn't any way to make it an efficient rig in the first place, let alone on the highway, so I don't see a ton of downsides to re-gearing. From what it sounds like after hearing what you all have to say, I think 37's will be a long term mod - not something I'll try to tackle right away. Seems like some Dobinsons flexi-coils up front and variable taper springs in the back with 2.5-3" of lift is the ticket for 35's and bumpers.

The Raptor has 17" wheels and 37's. I was thinking about moving to 17's for the 80 series also.

I like to go fast because that's what I know. I'm also a little bit of a bitch when it comes to going to fast - I rolled my first Raptor at about 45mph while off-road so sliding around at speed is a little stomach turning for me lol. I legitimately do hate mud, the clean up is awful, so I'm not going out of my way for it. I don't see myself doing a lot of rock crawling, but maybe I will - there's just not any rocks (or hills) around the Houston area. I think the highest hill around here is the interchange from 290 to Beltway 8 lol. I know this is a slow rig and I'm here for it. Like I said, this will be mostly a family vehicle, but I want it to be fun to drive when it's also just me in the truck. And I like for it to look a little different than what everybody else is driving around the mall parking lots.
 
In answer to your 35’s on stock suspension, yes it can be done. I have done it, but without fender flares. Front was great, but the rear was limited in articulation off road. Did not stop me from driving ”fast” on gravel/rutted roads, but the limitation would remind me at times. This was not a daily driver (even though a friend used it this way while we repaired his Ranger) as 10 mpg was not wallet friendly. But it rode well and was a ball to drive! Good luck with your build!
 
Something to consider is that the 4x4 labs bumper requires cutting the rear crossmember. If the cross member isn't rusted out, you may want to consider keeping it and using a different bumper like thhe delta or slee. Doesn't sound like hard rock crawling is in your plans, so the advantage of the 4x4 slight better departure angle isn't likey needed. There is obviously the cost differences but their added functionality and ability to remove the bumper and go back to stock is a plus if you find your wife doesn't like dealing with swingouts all the time.

I know you plan for 35's than 37"s but it sounds like you don"t crawl, like to go fast and want to have fun. You may want to consider 33's, a mild lift (0-2")but with quality components. You will keep your center of gravity lower, have less wear and tear and breakage of components, be able to accelerate and slow down faster, not have to re-gear, not have to deal with driveline vibrations etc. The discounted 35's sound like a nice draw, but the cost savings in tires will quickly be surpassed with other required mods and 33's will handle the terrain just fine.

You will end up doing what you want to do, but sometimes hearing other ideas helps. If you end up camping with your family later on or decide to do some road trips and explore the country, you may end up wanting a more comfortable ride with less wandering on the highway and gearing that can handle mountains but also cruise at 75mph on the freeway. Life circumstances change and an 80 series does a good job handling those changes when it is closer to its original design than when heavily modded. Will it look as cool around town? Probably not, but that matters little if you end up selling it after modding it out and finding it isn't what you hoped it would be. Can it be done and can it be done well? Sure it can as evidenced by a few of the builds on mud, but there tend to be more disenchanted owners than those who work it all out to dial everything in. You just don't see too many of them because they dissapear from the forum after their flurry of posts during their build followed by a "For Sale" post. Just some thoughts to consider. Try to get a complete picture of the pros and cons of each mod you add, the things that will need to be done to make the mod work or correct for the problems they introduce, the overall goals not just short term,but long term and the overalll cost you are willing to spend. If you do that, you should be happy instead of dissapointed at the end.
 
Something to consider is that the 4x4 labs bumper requires cutting the rear crossmember. If the cross member isn't rusted out, you may want to consider keeping it and using a different bumper like thhe delta or slee. Doesn't sound like hard rock crawling is in your plans, so the advantage of the 4x4 slight better departure angle isn't likey needed. There is obviously the cost differences but their added functionality and ability to remove the bumper and go back to stock is a plus if you find your wife doesn't like dealing with swingouts all the time.

I know you plan for 35's than 37"s but it sounds like you don"t crawl, like to go fast and want to have fun. You may want to consider 33's, a mild lift (0-2")but with quality components. You will keep your center of gravity lower, have less wear and tear and breakage of components, be able to accelerate and slow down faster, not have to re-gear, not have to deal with driveline vibrations etc. The discounted 35's sound like a nice draw, but the cost savings in tires will quickly be surpassed with other required mods and 33's will handle the terrain just fine.

You will end up doing what you want to do, but sometimes hearing other ideas helps. If you end up camping with your family later on or decide to do some road trips and explore the country, you may end up wanting a more comfortable ride with less wandering on the highway and gearing that can handle mountains but also cruise at 75mph on the freeway. Life circumstances change and an 80 series does a good job handling those changes when it is closer to its original design than when heavily modded. Will it look as cool around town? Probably not, but that matters little if you end up selling it after modding it out and finding it isn't what you hoped it would be. Can it be done and can it be done well? Sure it can as evidenced by a few of the builds on mud, but there tend to be more disenchanted owners than those who work it all out to dial everything in. You just don't see too many of them because they dissapear from the forum after their flurry of posts during their build followed by a "For Sale" post. Just some thoughts to consider. Try to get a complete picture of the pros and cons of each mod you add, the things that will need to be done to make the mod work or correct for the problems they introduce, the overall goals not just short term,but long term and the overalll cost you are willing to spend. If you do that, you should be happy instead of dissapointed at the end.
Why do you have to come in here with reason and sound advice?

After reading some more, I think the most I'll do is 35's. 37's would be fun, but the more I read and digest, the more of a hassle it seems to be. On my truck, I jumped head first into the mods and the truck still drives like a dream, but it's more off-road prerunner than it is family vehicle. Being a SuperCab doesn't help, but that's not the point - the point is what you made. Building it out fully you tend to sacrifice quite a bit of NVH or handling. My boss refuses to ride in my truck because he thinks the bed is going to fall off with how loud the King 5 Tube External Bypasses are. I enjoy the sound, but not everybody does.

That being said, whichever route I go, I'm going to try and use quality components. I'll be spending more time on here lurking and posting to see what the right route to go is. I just read the entire thread on the @eimkeith RAM product and then looked at his PCK for lifted vehicles. I'm relatively impulsive in my purchases so it's going to take some discipline to make sure I only buy once and cry once. Having to buy multiple times is never fun for ones ego or having to explain it to the accountant (my wife :lol:). Hell, my biggest thing I'm trying to figure out now are wheels. My google skills must be lacking because I can't find wheels specs that seem to be generally accepted for the 80 series. 17x9 with what offset/backspace? or 17x8.5 with what offset/backspace?
 
This thread is a solid read

 

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