I've been trying to make heads or tails of a lot of this stuff since I bought my truck last winter. The plan was originally to lift it before the end of last summer, but I decided to do Phish summer tour instead. I'm back to shopping though, as my rear shocks are shot and rusted. I'm looking at a 3" lift. I'd probably toss myself in the category of "mall crawling with occasional trail usage". It wasn't until after I'd bought my truck that I realized that perhaps it would have been better to just by a car, and then buy a beater 1st gen that I could have given a serious lift job to, but instead I must take in careful consideration the delicate balance between on-road comfort, handling, and gas mileage and off-road capability.
From what I've largely taken away from my research (as someone with ADHD, a lot of this is like learning a new language and feels very overwhelming at times) is that price isn't necessarily the driving factor in making a purchase, but moreso in "What Best Suits My Needs". While it should be noted that I am not trying to spend a fortune on this, I'm also not trying to be cheap either. I don't want to have to think about replacing suspension components again for a long time. That being said, it's worth noting that I'm considering more upgrades that will add weight to the vehicle, so I need to consider a suspension system that will maintain in its height in the face of a couple hundred pounds in metal being added to the vehicle over the next few years (Namely an aftermarket bumper and sliders).
I've mostly been looking the stuff offered from OME, Toytec, and Icon. I'm also trying to figure out what best suits my needs in terms of new UCA's. I've been perusing the other thread on the FJ site, the UCA buying guide, but still have trouble figuring out what best suits my needs.
I guess to sum it up, I'm thinking of adding sliders and a more heavy duty bumper over time, am interesting in getting the vehicle up 3" and level via the suspension. I live in the Northeast of the country, in PA, so I primarily will be riding trails in the PA/NJ/NY/VA/WV sort of areas, but I do venture out west (and will be returning to Moab this summer) occasionally, so while I'm not doing the craziest of rock crawling, I am doing more (and interested in doing more) than just driving down a sand or dirt trail. I don't want something that's gonna sag instantly (or worse, sag considerably after gaining the extra weight), so a lower lift with a longer life might be worth my interest more (this being from my takeway from OME's claims that their 2.5" lift will maintain its lift more reliably than other companies 3" lifts, etc). I'm not trying to spend a fortune, but I'm not trying to be cheap, so all options considered here. Happy to do some mix and match buying as opposed to a "complete kit" if I'm better helped to understand exactly what I need to make the puzzle pieces fit so to speak.
I'm not asking people to shop or pick parts for me per se, I'm asking people to help me understand what sort of things I should consider when purchasing parts based on my needs so I don't spend too much or too little, or overlook something important. This is all really new to me, and still very overwhelming with so much information on the topic on the front page. Hopefully I made some sense! haha
I've got a 2003 SR5