Here's the whole article whole article with pics and info:

The "sky high rockcrawler look" is definitely gone (although I'm sure some of you with 10" lifts and 38s are laughing at that statement <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />) but I'm happy with the 33s over the 35s. The difference on the highway is noticeable. RPMS @ 60 mph gps, is 2900 rpm. About 100-150 higher than before. The truck will never see much above 70 mph so that's not an issue. The negligible difference in tire height is made up by a nice new fresh set of MTRs and lower over all height for better off road stability. Handling is a lot better now and she's more of a joy to drive than before.

Total reduction in suspension and tire lift by the project, brought it down by about 2.5-3 inches. Suspension lift is now around 4". I'd go lower if I could, but I'm at my uptravel limits. This is pretty much it.

Bottom line, the vehicle fits the "expedition" role much better now than it did before, but can still tackle a trail or two, when needed. It's most important role is to get me to the middle of nowhere and back in one peice, however, rather than compete with the ATVs at the local OHV park, hence the reason I "detuned" it. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

This is what she looks like right now:

I have a feeling that this was directed, at least partially toward me. It funny, though, because your truck still has more suspension lift than mine. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I guess I don't get why it bothers you so much that some build a truck for off road use only... but different strokes for different folks. I do have to say that your decision to run 33s makes perfect sense for you. It was miserable DD-ing my truck on 36s, and guess what? 36s really aren't all that big. Personally, I think there really two sensible approaches: A light/medium-duty truck on 33-35s if you don't mind not being able to run all the trails in the land... or a off-road-only rig if you want to run every trail in the park.

Anything in between those two is just a bad compromise: It' slow, uncomfortable, and gets 10 MPG on the street, and you have to take it easy on that killer 10-foot ledge that looks like lots of fun to climb, because you can't drive it home if you break it.

Truck looks good.

i'm glad i took a break on my truck, as that looks like where i'm headed to rather than a full-on offroad build. nice to know there's somewhere out there that doesn't think its insane to switch to crossover steering with 33s.

You mean like this...


For Colorado, at least, a 4Runner on 33's is just about the perfect compromise for being able to drive to the trails, do the trails, and drive home. Your "new" rig could do the vast majority of trails here. Nice work!

Mark

I agree....most trucks with 35's and up sacrifice on road drivability as a DD. Some people are willing to put up with it but 33's are plenty for me. Rig looks nice with the new rubber on it. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

No I honestly didn't have anyone in particular in mind when I mentioned the "sky high rockcrawler" look. And of course I was just joking. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> It's kind of ironic though that I could compain about 6" of lift and 35s being too tall, when most "rockcrawlers" are much taller.

Also, tall is not necessarily a problem if the suspension is wide enough to compensate.

35s and around 4" of lift make for a decent rig, even on the highway, but I wanted even more drivability since I rarely do any extreme off roading these days. In fact, 95% of my driving is now pretty much highway or dirt roads, so I'm setting up the truck accordingly. So far, the set up works pretty well. And I still have a good suspension, tires and lockers for that rare occasion when I'll need them.

And honestly, I'd feel a lot more comfortable about hitting some of the off camber trail obsticals now than I did before, so in a way, the off roadability has improved, since the truck was lowered about 3" total.

Now on to my next project....Redoing the entire rear canopy camping/storage area...for the 2,578th time. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Next thing ya know... you'll be doing an IFS swap. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

J/K.. nicely done. I don't mind my lift except when I try to park here at work and scrape the ceiling of the parking structure, because that dang 4Runner gas tank doubles as a rockfinder. One of these days I'm afeared it's gonna get un-house-broken if you take my meaning.

But I do know the allure of building something that is all-purpose. The Chili is still all-purpose, but kinda out on the edges of it.

Nicely done!

Ha!. thanks. ya, no, I'm still happy with the SAS. In fact, I'm much happier with the SAS the way it is set up now and if given a choice I wouldn't go back to IFS.

However, if I started over with an IFS rig, I might think twice about doing an SAS, just because all the expense and hassle probably wouldn't be worth it...but now that I have it, I'm not complaining.

I am with you.
my truck 85 extra cab, bobbed bed. winch. 3.5 inch lift alcans, dual cases, cross over steering. budbuilt skid plate (we will get this for the wifes truck)
detroit rear, power trax no slip front, 5.29 gears. new motor cam header... wasted alot of money on some of this stuff. had a 5 inch sky junker lift for a while. never again. 33 inch tires.

wifes truck early 85, bobbed bed, both have rock sliders,
no lift, 34 inch tires, stock motor. and she kicks butt in it. go's through stuff that locked trucks have a hard time. she is a very good driver and spotter.
we cut the fenders the backs of the fenders. stock steering that works better then my cross over. (going to look into pump pressure on mine). she can slide the front over on gravel with the tire against a rock.. I can't.
I am going to try hydro assist on mine, because of the expensive cross over. on her's when she is ready we are going full hydro. I just have to get the piston matched up just about perfect because she will keep pulling on the wheel to try to turn sharper when it is already on the stops. so I worry that she will push the end of the axle off.
for 21 year old shocks.. no kidding it rides good and flexes (not bad). may go with a little longer shocks so we don't have to spend 500.00 for new drive shafts. she will get the bud built single case mount, marlins 4.7 transfercase gears, and for now a welded rear.
later will be 5.29 gears if she wants them and welded rear still and a power trax no slip for the front.

oh and her paint job, cost 40 bucks, she had soooooo much fun with it. still giggles when she drives it.
camo pink with a wave of butter flies going from the pass side hood, up and over the hood and down the drivers side.

in closing, I spent way to much doing mine right, we are doing hers with all that I have learned about what works and what don't. to start with I wanted mine to look nice and work well. hers had alot of bed rust. so saws all, she didn't care as long as it works.
I wish that I had, had no fear of the saws all when I built mine, I could have saved thousands of bucks.
been through 1 set of downy springs.. junk
been through 2 sets of sky jackers... not for the hard core rocks.
alcans are working great and at 1/3rd the price I paid for the others.
the wifes stock springs are working great, just the shocks need to be a few inches longer.

wheeeffff.. I feel better now. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cyclops.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Believe me, I know ALL ABOUT spending too much money on the way and down the learning curve. I could have had two or three trucks, or one nice Land Cruiser 80 series, for what it cost me to figure stuff out and learn lessons the hard way.