5th gen mod plan - looking for feedback

[skinny420]

Looking for opinions / comments regarding the plan below. Will be my first SUV. Thanks to all of the members of this forum, I've learned so much lurking on here for the past few weeks. I consider myself a Toyota devotee. Have owned a 77 Corolla 1200 cc, 91 Camry 4 cyl, 96 Camry 6 cyl, 2005 Sienna, and 2010 Camry 6 cyl.

Plan on buying used 5th gen, most likely a 2014 SR5 w/ cloth seats. Will be daily driver. Recreational trail riding/camping and beach driving. Live in NC piedmont so get moderate snow *sometimes*.
Each of these will be done 4-6 (or more) months apart. Not wanting to go into debt for these nice-to-haves.

Regarding minor lift; sometimes tow utility trailer or pop-up camper. Thinking will be best to keep some forward rake when unloaded so it isn't nose up when towing.

Please see the ?s either direct or implied below and offer your opinions…

1. rear diff breather mod – seems this is highly recommended b/f
   hitting any deep mud holes / crossing creeks
   1. does anything similar need to be done in the front?
2. tires
   1. BFG TA KO2
      1. 265/70/17 (stock)
      2. E or C rated?
3. lift (minor)
   1. option 1: Bilstein 5100's all around w/ addition of spacer in
      rear
      1. 5100 front set to 1.75"
      2. 5100 in rear / 1.5" Daystar spacer
         1. will spacer lift affect fitment of sliders mounted to frame?
         2. that is, will spacer lift move body/frame in rear such that
            sliders mounted to frame would have bigger body gap in rear?
   2. option 2: Bilstein 6112 front / 5160 rear
      1. 6112 front set to 1.5-2"
      2. 5160 in rear w/ additional lift provided by bigger springs
         1. looking for ~2" lift/longer springs; not 100% sure what
            brand/model will suit me best here
         2. OME? model?
         3. other?
4. roof rack and associated
   1. Gobi. Ranger or Stealth?
   2. Gobi ladder
   3. beefy rear hatch struts
5. sliders (do I even need or just go w/ tubular step?)
   1. option 1: BAMF
   2. option 2: Bud Built
6. winch
   1. Mount: Bud Built hidden winch mount
   2. Winch:
      1. ?
7. upgrade skid plates?

 

[cjacob316]

Spacer has nothing to do with the body, it goes above the rear spring, simulating a 1.5 inch longer spring.
Need for sliders is up to you and your usage.
No budbuilt winch mount for a '14
skid plates again depend on your usage of the vehicle.

If you plan on bottoming out or hitting rocks, then skids and sliders could be worth your while.

 

[jasonv]

for your needs it doesn't sound like you need a winch, skid plates or rock sliders. skip the shocks with reservoirs and go 5100's and spacer in the back. get the lighter tires. all this aforementioned stuff is for people who do serious wheeling. why over complicate things and spend way more money than you need to?

 

[1engineer]

You should buy it, drive it stock for six months in your situations and you will know exactly what you need. Nobody will know better than you what you specifically need.

 

[96r50]

You should buy it, drive it stock for six months in your situations and you will know exactly what you need. Nobody will know better than you what you specifically need.

:iagree: This is the best way to figure out the difference between what you need and what you want.

If you want a fun project go ahead and extend the rear differential breather. If you're buying used you may want/need new tires but if you aren't planning on doing anything nutty off road you can stick with P or possibly C rated tires with a reasonable tread pattern (Cooper AT3, BFG AT etc). No point paying the weight penalty for E rated tires if you don't need them. Everything else can come later.

And of course, :rtfm: :biggrin2:

 

[Dalko43]

Drive it around a bit and get a feel for its capabilities (in the environment where you live/drive).

I'd say tools are more important than mods right off the bat...a bag with some pliers, tape, gloves, small hammer, a driver and a few common ratchet heads, flat-head, multi-tool, ect.

Keep a shovel and/or axe handy if you plan on going anywhere "remote."

Learn how to get the spare tire down and operate the OEM jack.

A hi-lift jack may make sense (though you need a mounting point to be able to lift your truck with it), but again you need to ask yourself where/how you plan on driving this thing.

You do all those things, and then start to drive around...you'll quickly see for yourself what additional mods you may need for your truck.

 

[DesertCanyons]

Rock sliders

If you're going off road around North Carolina where there are rocks and dirt gullies then get the rock sliders. They can save expensive rocker panel and door damage. Dings at the rocker panels can happen when you least expect it. Believe me, I know.

Skip the tube step or running boards. These can cause more damage when they bend or buckle.

Don't wait until you get damage. Plan ahead and get the sliders before doing any serious off-road driving or gnarly trails.

 

[skinny420]

Thank you all for the feedback. Very helpful!

 

[Friggin Idiot]

1. tires
   1. BFG TA KO2
      1. 265/70/17 (stock)
      2. E or C rated?
   
   
2. roof rack and associated
   1. Gobi. Ranger or Stealth?
   2. Gobi ladder
   3. beefy rear hatch struts

The C rated 265's aren't 3-ply but 2 ply, hence the huge weight difference. If you're going with the E rated 265's why not grab the 275's? They don't rub on stock trucks, and depending on where you obtain them are a few bucks cheaper than the 265's. They're also a little wider and taller than the 265's, bigger contact area and softer footprint. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but that also means lower demand on traction under normal conditions and more traction reserve for poor conditions.

Have you looked at the full length roof racks by [MENTION=68079]drabbits[/MENTION]? They've impressed me, and if I had a need would likely the one I'd purchase.