This was actually my first thought in response to this question, even though I realize it's a little bit of a tangent since the question was about vehicle upgrades.

When I got my first 4WD rig (a stock '74 FJ40) I guess I thought it would go absolutely anywhere. I took it out and promptly got it stuck on a steep, deeply rutted track on the side of a mountain. Naturally, I had very little recovery gear or knowledge of how to get myself out. That was a long day!

The next year, 2004, I attended a training class held at an off-road venue and led by an International 4WD Trainers' Association certified master 4WD trainer. I have never regretted doing that. I learned basics of recovery techniques, recovery gear, driving techniques, modifications, responsible backcountry use/environmental ethics, etc. Also, as a novice off-roader I was pushed out of my comfort zone, in a controlled, supervised setting, and learned that my truck could indeed do some pretty amazing stuff. The experience also gave me a frame of reference for prioritizing which future mods I wanted to do on my vehicle.

^This^

Or alternatively...
...do maintenance, get recovery gear, go wheeling, break things, fix and/or upgrade them (yourself), go wheeling, break things, etc.

You brain will develop a lot this way, but it will cost you in blood, sweat, tears, and money.

I did it the hard way when young, but if I was getting into it now I would definitely go with 85_4Runner's plan.

Recovery gear...where do you suggest starting? What does a good recovery pack include?

I'd start in this order;
- A good brain, switched on and booted up fully.
- Full-sized shovel, saw, and axe, plus good set of leather gloves. It's amazing what some simple tools can get you out of.
- Set of 4' long 2x12's for ramp boards. MaxTrax are better and lighter if you've got the money.
- 12x12x4 inch wooden blocks for jack support
- Decent jack that you know how to use safely and that will work with your vehicle. Practice at home.
- Good 20' snatch strap with adequate shackles. Do some reading or get some training on how to safely use this. Assumes good recovery points on your vehicle.
- Tire chains for at least two wheels.
- Winch, shackles, snatch blocks - more training necessary.
- Exhaust powered air jack. Anyone actually carry/use one of these?

- Or, go with a buddy who has all of this stuff.

tires.
recovery gear (recovery straps, max trax, d rings).
navigation (gps, maps, mounting equipment).
diff breathers
suspension lift.

I saved suspension lift for last, because the 5th gen, in stock form, has decent enough clearance to get most places. skid plates aren't really needed unless you're doing MOAB type terrain all the time (the stock skids are more than sufficient for general use). Front and rear bumpers are nice to have but not required; I would get sliders before i get bumpers.

Tires are the most important mod to get, no question about it.

So, yeah, I got tires, sliders, and Bilsteins. I have put some pretty nice marks on the stock skid plates, but before I invest in new skid plates, do I really need them? Why shouldn't I just grind and bang the factory skids till there are holes? I have the Trail so it has engine, trans, and gas tank skid plates. I check under my rig when I get home from every off road trip, and all of the damage to date is on the skid plates.

I guess I should really ask, what scenario could happen that I would wish I had better protection underneath?

Thanks in advance for your input!

IMO, skids are an area where some people spend too much money and put too much weight on their vehicles. If you're frequently driving in offroad parks and/or your deliberately looking for challenging trails with big rocks and obstacles, then I could see the case for some aftermarket skid plates.

If you're just looking to explore and check out roads and trails with your vehicle (more of an overlanding focus), the stock skid plates work just fine. If they're getting bent and bruised too much, either look at getting a lift or find a better line to drive. Mine have seen all kinds of abuse over 2 or so years of exploring....they're all still in one piece, if a little rusty and dented.

I'll be replacing mine probably within a year or two, mostly due to the rust (NY winters at work there), but I'll be putting a set of ARB skid plates (Toyota Prado 120 -150 - 4Runner - FJ Cruiser ARB Skid Plates (5421100)), which offer a slight improvement over the stock skids while keeping the added weight and cost to a minimum.

Skids are a wear item. There is no point in over-spending on them.

This is the order I wish I'd done it:

1) Recovery/emergency gear first. No question. Good gloves, shovel, (axe/saw and pick-ax if in that type of area), tow strap, snatch strap, shackles, a couple of short sections of 2x10's for bottle-jack support. Flashlight and emergency supplies (food, water, tissues or toilet paper). Maybe TREDS or similar if you're in mud or sand. Tool kit. Some form of hand-winch, line extension, tree savers, etc. if you wheel alone. After all this, the best recovery gear available is a buddy in a second rig.

2) Tires. AT or MT depending on needs. Single most cost-effective off-road improvement you can buy.

3) Low armor. Sliders first, followed by gas-tank skid. Only upgrade the rest of the skids if you are in rock or just want to. Maybe skip this if you live where there aren't any rocks, but I say get anyway to protect against trees, stumps, etc.

4) Lift, but NOT a spacer lift. Save up for at least Bilstein 5100's all around ($350 + install) and rear spacer ($50) or rear springs ($200).

5) Bumpers for better angles and protection, but for lots of extra $$$$.

I did my upgrades in this order so far...
New tires first (BFG 275-KO2's). Very happy with this as a first choice.
ResQLink Personal locator beacon. May never use it, but gives me piece of mind and takes the edge off of thinking I may have to walk 20 miles home.
Recovery stuff (Shackles, 30 ft tow strap, shovel, universal tire repair kit)
Viair portable compressor and ARB EZ deflator. I use this one every time, so high priority.
Not yet installed, but in queue
Winch w/ Southern Style front bumper
2.5 inch King lift with Camburg UCA's
Wishing now I had done sliders before I spent all my money on lift, but maybe for Christmas :-)

Great thread, thank you!

I can second that, upgrade the brain. There really is no substitute for knowledge. Being trained by a certified trainer is one of the smartest things you can do. This isn't something that is offered in every city, every day; you are going to have to seek them out. Turn it into an adventure. Also, take the spouse, it will make a day on the trail that much more enjoyable.
In the interim, there is always YouTube. Just beware that the internet is an idiot magnet so be careful. Some simple things can be learned, some of which could actually save a life; like NEVER, EVER,EVER use a trailer hitch ball for anything other than attaching a trailer...



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I feel like taking the spouse would be better after you learn a bit. They aren't always so kind when you are still trying to make it through that learning curve

First 5 things on my list:
1. Fix the loose nut behind the wheel, aka the driver. Take a good off road class or practice in a safe area with some friends. Learn how to drive good lines.
2. Purchase good quality recovery gear for your terrain and use it in a practice situation before you need it for real. My kit includes for the Northeast: saw, snatch strap, tree strap, hi lift and a set of maxx tracks.
3. A set of good appropriate tires for the terrain.
4. Pack a good EDC bug out bag if you travel alone so you can get home safely.
5. Keep the truck LIGHT, weight is one of the worst enemies of good off road performance. Bolting 700lbs of steel skids, bumpers, sliders etc on a truck is really bad if you aren't driving the rubicon trail every day. Be honest with yourself and what trails you will be covering regularly and purchase protection accordingly. See item 1 here too. I frequently outdrive people I'm with in a 90% stock truck since I pick good lines.

Good luck and be safe!


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Here is my list

1. Rock Sliders
2. Lift
3. Tires

I would start with the rock sliders because they are fairly in expensive and very useful. I personally like larger sliders that extend out a bit for a couple of reasons.

• They can be used as steps.
• They give a little bit of extra protection in tight places on the trail, and you can bounce off a rock or tree and not worry about it.
• They can be used as a recover point if you are in an awkward spot. Very awkward...
• You can use them to secure things to the bed as a lateral tie downs (at least on my Taco).
• It also handy to stick my magnetic mount CB antenna to, when I go into garages.
• Not to mention it protects from door dings at the mall. The soccer mom can bang her mini-van door on them all day long and I don't really care.

The next thing is to determine if you will lift the truck, how much, and how will it be done. It can be cheap ~$150 or you can spend thousands. The reason you want to look at lift is because it will determine the maximum tire size.

Then the tires. You may need wheels with them to fit the gigantic tires. Buying these before the lift means that you will spend $1K on tires only to chuck them out in 20K miles when you put your $150 lift on the truck.

I've had my 4runnner about a month now and I've been reading around as much as possible since the wife and I are planning to do more camping and exploring. Not so much rock crawling but more overlanding.

My main focus now is trying to piece together my recovery gear (at the same time I'm getting my camping gear together)

Upgrade/install lighting

Appropriate tires

Awning (maybe a roof rack later)

Lift

I have zero experience of any type of off road driving, but I have visions of grandeur of wanting to build an awesome rig that will take me to out of the way places I'd like to see. The above really resonated w/ me. I've been able to locate an off road park w/ instructors within an hours drive. I plan on attending later in the summer or early fall. Thanks for the sound advice.