So the 180K service is competed, the brakes are completed, and new CV Axle. The truck drives fabulous, better than it has ever before. I owe Onur (Beno) a huge thanks for helping with the service. It was a lot more work than I imagined, and I mean a LOT of work!
So continuing my build thread and evolution...
I started wheeling a bit more, since I had a lift and tires I went further. Now the 100 stock bumper is short, and sits up high (compared to most SUVs now days), but I still found myself sliding and bumping it on climbs. So instead of saving for a new front bumper, I bought some more lights.
Lights... oh I love lights. I added two more IPF's. They were shaweet at night. So back to the bumper, I started wheeling more. Which meant my bumper got pretty banged up. It was missing several tabs holding it on, and was scratched up. I saved for about a year and had my eyes (and wallet) set on a 03+ ARB Combo Bar. I finally ordered it and was so anxious to get it I called the shop every day to see where it was. It was shipped from the ARB distributor in Seattle,WA and was on there truck. 7 days they said...7 long, tiring, anxious days. I dreamed about installing it, i dreamed about how awesome it would look. But I was concerned about the weight. You see, I still had a lift... but I had factory torsion bars that had already seen (at the time) 105K. I wasn't sure how they would hold up with the added weight of the ARB dangling over the front end. I guess I would see. I called the shop on the 7th day and they said it was in Orlando, FL. WTF??? I had to go through Atlanta to get the Orlando! Apparently the shop didn't unload it and it would take another 2 days to get here. I was so pissed.
2 days later they call. I was so excited I sped off and went to the shop. I pulled in and there was a sweet looking 80 there. The owner had bought a brushgaurd (i removed mine the month before because I whacked it and bent it a little, and hated the way it looked) and said he was getting it installed. I said with a cocky voice, "geez, thats great. I just bought an ARB". He had never seen or heard of one so I showed it to him. It was still on the crate and all boxed up but I destroyed the box in excitement. I was thrilled and he was shocked at how well built and nice it was. He then proceeded to the front counter and said he didn't want the brushgaurd installed. And ordered an ARB lol. I drove home and installed it.
the ARB had 2 light mounts on the bottom and 2 on the upper bar work. I thought it looked stupid having them on the upper bar work, so I fabbed up a custom light bar that held the 2 lights.
I ran several trips, some easy, some hard. I blew the driver rear shock at RiverRock ORV in GA. That was a nice touch, especially since I had HD springs in the back. Then the following month I had a seized shock from over extension and encountering 2" thick ice (shown in the video below). I replaced the with 4X Bilstein HD shocks while keeping the factory torsion bars and they ride wonderful. Of course anything rides better than shocks that have 130K on them, one seized and another blown. It was a rough ride for the week of busted shocks. They HAD to go.
While one could put lights there, it would be about as practical as mounting your hi-lift there 
