How would YOU spend your next $1,000 Runner bucks?

Tstinson

Tstinson

New member
My son worked hard for 2 years to save up, buy his first car and do a few things to it last year. He is about to graduate High School and wants to do one last thing or two to his truck this summer before diving into college in the fall.

He bought a '97 SR5 with 190K, great shape. He did the following...
3" Toytec lift
ARB bumper w/ Warn winch
Roof rack
Wheels & tires
Light bar
Train horn
Stereo & speakers.

He is currently saving for an ARB rear locker.

Just curious to know what you guys would suggest next?

Front locker? Exhaust? Bass boat metallic paint job??
 
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Rear locker. Just last night I was spinning out in mud without one. Maybe it's just me but I don't see the point of a front locker unless you're into extreme rock crawling. If you're going up a hill and one front wheel spins, so what, your rear wheels will be locked and have good traction. Your front wheels aren't going to pull you up anyways, they will hardly have weight on them. The only place I think a front locker would be really useful is if you are going backwards up a rough section. Am I right?
 
Tstinson said:
Bass boat metallic paint job??
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This, for sure.
Well, first of all- nice work on raising him right. Sounds like he's got a good head on his shoulders.
Since he has a good head on his shoulders- and has an ARB front bumper- I think it's safe to assume all the regular maintenance items have been taken care of.
If that's the case, I vote for a front locker. Actually- I take that back- I vote skids and sliders.
 
If the maintenance is up to snuff (TB, WP, new radiator, LBJs, fluids including diffs, spark plugs) then I'd say....a rear locker!
 
probably repairs
 

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I'm with Tyler on this one. Sliders and skids. He'll already have the locker in the rear. A locker up front will come in time. If he gets to the point on a trail he really wishes he had a front locker he'll be really glad he's got the skids and sliders on. lol
 
ARB locker....

ARB has a special deal going on until May. Buy one locker and get CKSA12 compressor for free. Check their website for more details.
 
Mark_BC said:
Rear locker. Just last night I was spinning out in mud without one. Maybe it's just me but I don't see the point of a front locker unless you're into extreme rock crawling. If you're going up a hill and one front wheel spins, so what, your rear wheels will be locked and have good traction. Your front wheels aren't going to pull you up anyways... Am I right?
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Mmm, maybe? No? But what if your rear doesn't have good traction? I went on a trail run yesterday, and definitely saw instances where a front locker would have eliminated the need for recovery. And it was no rock crawling run.

Since he's already saving for the rear, and front locker was on the options list, I assume he was asking about after the rear
 
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I would do maintenance. Repair all leaks, service all fluids, replace ball joints, check brakes, perform tundra 199 upgrade. A arb locker is going to cost way over 1k. I think just the locker without compressor is 1100.
 
Mark_BC said:
Rear locker. Just last night I was spinning out in mud without one. Maybe it's just me but I don't see the point of a front locker unless you're into extreme rock crawling. If you're going up a hill and one front wheel spins, so what, your rear wheels will be locked and have good traction. Your front wheels aren't going to pull you up anyways, they will hardly have weight on them. The only place I think a front locker would be really useful is if you are going backwards up a rough section. Am I right?
Click to expand...

Lockers show there stuff mainly when tires come off the ground. When your rear is locked and a front tire goes airborne your pretty much RWD. If you're front is locked that one front tire on the ground will pull you over the obstacle. Your pretty much doubling your rigs traction capability when adding locker.
 
Wow! Thanks for all the great suggestions so far, please keep them coming! Many of you suggested maintenance and while I think we have done a pretty good job so far, your suggestions have prompted us to at least check up on a few things.

Thanks for mentioning the rear bumper as well! I don't know why but we somehow put that on the back BACK burner until most everything else was done. Now, he's quite possibly there!!
 
I second the rear locker.

Unless you're in my boat and have exhaust rattle around the cat (potentially in the cat) then a new CAT!
 
Wait, this is a kid heading to college. I'm going practical on ya, sorry to be a killjoy...

1. Crap wheels. Scratched up, steel, plain, nobody would want to steel them.
2. Cheap seat covers. Nothing says 'nothing worth stealing in here' more than zebra skin, poorly fitted seat covers.
3. A full-window decal that looks like shattered glass for one of the rear windows. Just keeps the people who'd say "nice car" from getting too close.
4. Cheap stereo. Take out whatever head unit is there now, put it on a shelf at home, replace it with a $20 Wal-mart FM & Bluetooth only POS. That's what thieves will be looking in the windows for.
5. A cheap blanket to toss in the back - use this to cover anything that looks valuable. If he has a cargo cover, take it out and send it to me.

Save the rest for books. They're crazy expensive.

Congrats on raising a young man who sounds like he stands tall with his head on straight... College is going to work hard on screwing that up. :)
 
If this is his only car...I would say do as much maintenance and as little as possibly in terms of "upgrades" since he'll most likely destroy it break stuff off-road. He will need that $1,000 later.
 
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