I have OME 865s in the rear (roughly 2" lift) and 33s, no running boards or step sliders, plus a 45 pound 2.5 year old with his car seat in the second row middle. I am tall, and my wife is tall. I can reach up and in, and get him into his car seat from outside the truck, for now at least, though it gets a little harder on the abs and back the older and heavier we both get. For my wife, it means getting in the truck with him and then putting him in the seat from there. A little bit of a production, but she doesn't complain.
if your wife is short, getting in and out without steps, and getting kids in and out without steps, is going to be a pain. It's up to you to gauge just how much pain she's up for. Keeping it at 2" and 33s sounds the most reasonable. As for 4" lift and 35s... only if you're just using this for expeditions.
As for the step stool - I keep an apple box in the back of my 100 to make entry easier for my 80-year old mom. it's not that big of a deal to carry around but on the other hand it's not something that gets used every time I leave the house. That indeed would be annoying to have to rely on.
if your wife is short, getting in and out without steps, and getting kids in and out without steps, is going to be a pain. It's up to you to gauge just how much pain she's up for. Keeping it at 2" and 33s sounds the most reasonable. As for 4" lift and 35s... only if you're just using this for expeditions.
As for the step stool - I keep an apple box in the back of my 100 to make entry easier for my 80-year old mom. it's not that big of a deal to carry around but on the other hand it's not something that gets used every time I leave the house. That indeed would be annoying to have to rely on.
