Should I lift my 4x4 truck a little?

[RxZ]

Originally Posted by Krazyjohnny

Rxz,

Unfortunately 4x4s got popular to those that think of them as a status thing instead of the tool they were meant to be. The vacuum/electric engagement stuff today is so those who want to look like a rugged individual on their way to the mall or around here in the North Dallas area, Harley shop, can just flip a switch or push a button to engage the 4x4. I prefer a mechanical lever and locking hubs. My Jeep has unit bearing hubs that are similar to those found in the front axle of a 1 ton Dodge or Ford HD pickup. That means I just shift the Atlas T-case into 4wd hi or lo and go on.

I can agree with this, and I now what you mean about North Dallas! I get into that area enough to know the type. That said, there sure is a lot of scenery in the Target in Frisco

My 4runner has the lever you pull to engage 4wd, and although it has auto locking hubs, my plan is to put in some manual locking Aisen (sp?) hubs at some point. All in due time. I am not planning on making this a monster rock crawler rather a capable daily driver, but I would like to go out with my brothers on some of their excursions to dirtier areas of East Texas.

[High Country Herb]

I solved the problem of the electric bulb hub lockers on my 96 Chevy K1500. I installed a "4x4 Autolock" that replaces the bulb with a mechanical piston driven by a cable into the cab. Not only does it provide positive engagement, but also allows me to use low range in 2WD. That can be pretty handy for backing trailers on dry pavement.

My truck did fairly well at Moab, for a full size. With only a 1.5" lift and 32" tires, I was able to do most of the trails. Even my short cab short bed scraped the rear bumper a few times. Turning radius isn't that of a jeep, but probably better than an extended cab Toyota.

"Leveling" kits; There is actually some good reasons to make the front sit higher than the rear. As I have found racing autocross, lowering the rear stabilizes the vehicle. Off road racers have been doing it for years on trophy trucks and pre-runners, neither of which need to carry much weight. I don't care for the look, and my truck squats enough already with a truckload of bricks.

[Grreatdog]

Personally, after three 4x4's with and four without I hope to never own another one with manual locking hubs. So far through two 4Runners, a Cherokee and my Ranger I have never had the 4x4 fail to engage when I needed it and I have never had one break. I was never a fan of manual locking hubs in SC mud and even less of a fan in MD snow and ice.

[taosgsr]

This added 1.5 to the front and 2 in the rear. I also installed airbags to carry the weight of the camper. I typically run a wider tire so I can air way down in sand with the camper and trailer.