2006 SR5 DC off road reliability questions

Howdy folks,

I have read through a lot of suspension threads here over the last couple of days, but I still have some questions.

My truck has a little under 160k miles on it. My family and I are looking to do some exploring in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the coming months and years. I plan on doing a few minor mods to the truck to make it a bit more capable and reliable. No rock crawling or anything crazy will be done, but rough roads, mud, and snow are guarantied.

Firstly, I am considering a lunchbox locker in the front. Cheap and effective. I love snow wheeling, and while my LSD helps a bit, it isn't perfect. Any experience with these? I am wondering how likely it is to break something when it locks up. I have 32" Duratracs and stock axles. Not planning on any aftermarket bumpers or large amounts of weight being added.

Secondly, I would like to refresh the suspension. Pretty sure it's still all original from the factory. I read that 5100s are tried and true. That's the direction I am leaning. However, I want a slightly softer ride. I don't tow much. Maybe 5,000lbs here and there, infrequently. My concern is breaking something if I am going down rough roads. Washboard roads really shake the truck around a lot. And it definitely doesn't soak up moderate bumps that great. It feels very stiff to me, and I am worried that I might snap or bend something. I should note that I drive sensibly and cautiously, but sometimes those whoops sneak up on you. My frame isn't terrible by any means, but it does have some rust. Maybe I am being paranoid. Anyone have some suggestions here?

I am not looking to lift my truck. I don't think it needs it, and I am fine with the bit of rake it has (which the fiberglass topper has made a bit more mild).

Thanks a ton for any input!
(Note: pic shows my summer tires, not my Duratracs, which are around an inch taller)

 

I'd address reliability first since that's your focus...change those lower ball joints if they haven't been done. Run your VIN at the dealer and you may be able to get them for free if the recall wasn't performed previously. If it's been a while or you don't know, just go ahead and replace them. 5 bolts per side and $200 or so and you'll eliminate about the only failure point on the truck for the next 90K miles. And then make sure the timing belt and water pump service are recent as well.

Suspension is really a matter of budget, but softness and stiffness are all subjective. Either way new shocks all around will make the truck feel much better (it did on mine!). Anything from KYBs to 5100s to Eibach to OME and up into coilover territory should improve the ride. You don't want to go too soft, though, as otherwise you may end up bottoming out the suspension. We have the biggest, heaviest beasts of the 1st gens...it's gonna take some decent suspension to control all that weight. Any idea what you want to spend?

 

@SC T100 LBJs(30k ago), water pump, and timing belt(50k ago) all done.

As for budget, I am not trying to go nuts. I am not trying to build a Trophy truck (...well, I would love to if money was not a consideration ). So probably around a thousand. If I can find something for less, that's great. If a bit more, I can live with that.

 

If you aren't looking to lift, I'd look into running either the Bilstein HDs or the KYB Gas-A-Justs at all four corners. If you don't need a lift I'm not sure what benefit the 5100s would be over the HDs (basically what the TRDs came with). I've run the Bilstein HDs on an old Tacoma and I put the Gas-A-Justs on my T100. Both rode great and handled well. I was especially impressed with the Gas-A-Justs as they are a "charged" shock which helps hold the suspension up (they expand when installed and are much harder to compress by hand than standard passive shocks). I'm currently running Rancho quicklifts in the front with their adjustable 9000Xl shocks at all four corners and I'm pretty happy with it all for the price. If I were replacing today, I'd be looking at the Eibach Pro-Truck (standard replacement) or Pro-Truck Sport (optional front lift like the 5100s) shocks. But your original plan of 5100s is still a good idea as well. Just keep in mind if you won't be doing the labor add a few hundred bucks for an install and alignment.

 

You and your family exploring (I assume camping and equipment?) mean a big load in addition to that cap means your rear is going to be sagging...those springs are more than 15 years old and most likely worn. You might want to consider new rear leaf springs as well.

As for the lunchbox locker....I would not do that on a mostly hwy driven vehicle...I'd go with a TrueTrac...

https://youtu.be/x40WGUtdaLI?t=366

 

I came across this forum post recently, and it really helped me in understanding how all the different types of differentials work.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1415013-nothing-special-s-guide-to-differentials.html

 

@SC T100 Thanks for tossing a couple ideas out there! I will look into all of them. My main concerns are, a) bumps being too jarring for my older truck and b) a bit smoother highway ride for getting from point A to point B.

@speedtre That's a great video! Thanks a lot for the link! I have read a lot of back and forth as to whether or not a lunchbox is any good in the front, but a lot of it seems to be theory. I haven't read a lot from guys who have actually used one at length. I really want to avoid the cost of an air or e-locker if I can, and I want something a little more capable than an LSD. So many choices
And you're probably right about my springs/leaves. When we go exploring, yeah, we will probably have three or four hundred pounds of gear with us. I'm not sure yet if we are going to get a modest camper, or just AirBnB it.

@lsaami Hey man, that's a great thread! That guy covers a lot of territory. Does it feel to you like he is getting bogged down by theory? He puts forth a lot of great info, though. Very much worth taking into consideration. Thanks again!

And honestly guys, maybe I'd be better off skipping a locker and just throwing that money into a hitch-mounted winch?! Truth is, I am probably shooting for a little more capability than I need. But if anyone is familiar with Michigan's Upper Peninsula, you know that getting stranded somewhere in the winter time can be a very serious situation.

 

it honestly depends on what you’re doing. In taken my Tundra with open diffs though a first “road” covered in 6” of snow while pulling a 7000lb trailer. It was tough, but it did it. It’s good tires and smart driving, the way you have it now will get you 95% of where you want. Plus, there’s always the parking brake trick.

 

Yeah, it does pretty decent as is. These pics are from our first of the year back in November. We got 30-something inches overnight. I go to work before the plows had been out.

Entrance to the job sites neighborhood was plowed in and snowed in. Once I got through the snow bank I was in snow deep enough that it was coming over my hood in large enough quantities that my wipers couldn't not keep up with it.
I broke a path.

Picked up a bit of snow going through the snowbank.

Bumper plowed the driveway(our plow truck was at a different job)

 

@SC T100 So, upon reviewing shocks and thinking about things, I have a couple questions for you. If I went with the 5100s, I would be okay with maybe an inch of lift(or whatever their notches can approximate). I don't want to overly stress any components with a lift.

If I don't go with the 5100s, I am interested in 9000XLs. Have you liked those? Is the adjustability useful?

I like the idea of being able to adjust the firmness so I can more effectively switch between wheeling and towing. However, an extra inch of lift would be one step closer to being able to fit a 33 or 35 inch tire in there.

Thoughts?

 

Go for the 5100's and don't look back, they'll stand the test of time and will hold up better to the 1) weight of the DC and 2) larger heavier tires you're talking about putting on there

I too have had (many) T100's and 2 Tundras. I've run Gas-Adjust and 5100's on both - my current DC has gas adjust on there that the prior owner installed. They'll be getting replaced with 5100s when I refresh my setup. I am nearing 220k and plan to go at least 300k (which should be 5-6 more years for me).

I have no experience with Rancho.

 

I've never used the 5100s myself, but a lot of users here are very happy with them. And yes, raising the front up one clip for an inch lift in the front won't really affect anything too badly...you'll just need to get an alignment. It's once you go up over 2.5" or so is when issues arise.

As for the Ranchos, I like them and they seem like a good budget option. I have really liked the adjustability. I run the fronts pretty stiff (7 or 8, I think) and the rears lower (around 6) and the ride is very nice and controlled. When I towed a heavy Jeep I cranked up the rears all the way and it never felt loose or unstable. It towed really well. And the front quicklifts with the adjustable shocks gave me about 2.25" of lift in the front. You may want a rear block or AAL as the rear will sit slightly lower (aka bro lean) without something. I'm running a 1.5 inch block.