I read that link you posted, you are right it doesn't mention the oiling part. I've had them on my old Camaro and it is kind of a PITA to clean/re-oil. And no matter how much you let them drip dry there is some that gets through, was never a fan.


As far as offroading, I would say the best bet is:


1)Good tires first in 275/60r20 if you have 20's, or 33" equivalent


2)Good shocks, I have bilstein 5100's all around and love them(I'm using 1" lift). You state you don't want to level so they are adjustable just leave them on the stock height. If you decide to level later you can raise it. I would recommend though you raise it a little it would be better for off roading.


3)For performance, really nothing major you can do. Most people say the best bang for the buck is buying a used Edge, I have one I picked up for $200 and like it.

 

+1 for bigger tires. That is the single most effective upgrade. I know you said you don't want to go bigger, but you can go up to 33" tires without having to lift/level.

Do you have skid plates? Not a performance upgrade, but I was thankful for mine when I nailed it on a rock the weekend after I put it on.

What about off road lights? Again, not really a performance upgrade, but they are fun/useful if you are off-road in the dark.

There are all kinds of things you can carry to be better prepared. A high-lift jack, shovel, solid set of tools, tow strap/chains/rope, mini air compressor so you can air down/up, maps, first aid kit, camper shell for multi-day trails...

 

I'm using this equally on and off road. SOooooo... I don't know about getting bigger tires? I just need function, not looks and the larger tires need diff rims and the tires that actually seem to function are pricey and the others are just for looks. It doesn't seem to seem like a justifiable upgrade for medium off roading.
I'm currently looking at the BF All-Terrain T/A LT275/65R18 E's... I thought they were a good bang for the buck and wouldn't be tooooo noisy on the highways and get good grip on muddy roads/feilds? Thoughts appreciated.

No skid plates, trying to keep weight down and MPG up... I'm in Oklahoma so there really isn't much for me to worry about with the underbody. I'm mostly on washed out dirt roads, some fields... nothing major.

I'm putting a 20" bar in the bumper and two spot lights on the rear. I was going to put a lightbar on the cab, but the body shop I talked to said they had wind noise like crazy!
So far what I am doing:
1. K&N OEM replacement filter.
2. Hands free single din radio w/ bluetooth.
3. A TYT TYT-TH-9800 Two Way Radio for the bottom din with antena hard mounted on top of cab.
3. 20" lightbar in bumper with two spots on rear underneath bumper. Both with toggle switches.
4. Bilstein 5100's all the way around... Looking at them again it seems that the lift is optional?... I could use the 2" up front to level it out instead of buying levelers... am I looking at this right?
5. LED Fogs, Reverse lights, top mount brake/bed lights, and LED's inside the cab. I put on the "best" (That O'Reilly's sale) OEM replacement Hi/Lows... but I just turned on my fog lights (Installed today) and they are considerably brighter than my low beams.... Do they make a better plug and play for brighter Headlights?
6. A programmer, Hypertech is really the only one that catch's my eye.
http://www.autoanything.com/performa...rtech-hyperpac
7.....? Maybe a camper shell down the road? I want the paint to match and I just can't swing that right now.

Am I missing anything? Suggestions?

 

Sounds like you've got plenty of fun mods planned already. It's totally up to you if you want /need bigger tires. I'm no expert, but the functional reason to have bigger (taller) tires is to increase your clearance, and the functional reason for a lift or level is so you can fit those bigger tires. I'm less familiar with mud and sand, but I think that is where a wider tire is advantageous. I recently went from 275/65R18 Wrangler SR-A's (commuter tire) to 275/70R18 BFG Ko2's. They are the same width, but an inch taller. They fit on my stock wheels. I have the 3.73 axle and have seen no change in my mpg around town. They are a little louder than my old tires, but I would describe the noise as a hiss, not a roar, and I only noticed because I was trying to pay attention.

For the headlights, I think people like 4x4truckLEDS.com for direct plug and play, but they are pretty spendy. I haven't tried them myself, but I think that is the route I want to go after reading lots of headlight threads on here.

 

Search is your friend. All the questions you are asking have been answered numerous times and are readily available on this site.

 

gonna chime in just to say i have noticed no difference in mpg adding the rci full skid plate package. yes it weighs 80lbs for the steel version, but i am sure the cover and diaper weighed 40lbs.

as far as the tires i am taking off my bfg's tomorrow. i would offer to give them to you but they at 17". i am going back to hancook. i do a lil off road here and there. and i prefer my truck set up for work and a random trail here or there.

ignore the random before coffee/after drinking comments. the search function here sucks.

 

I tried searching first... I have a TBI that was a gift from the war in Iraq and I can't remember things very well.... That's why I made a suggestion thread with a list.

 

I'm going to go ahead and make this a build/upgrade thread.
First thing I did was rewired all of the door speakers. The previous owner put in Kickers but wired them like CRAP... they were dropping in and out and sounded HORRIBLE.
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/garyinhere/, on Flickr
So the speakers are now wired and installed properly. Time for a Kenwood Bluetooth hands free single din. I went with single din because I couldn't find a good double din with Navi... when I could the maps were crap. .....Soooooo I am putting in a quad-band 2 way radio for when I'm out of cellphone range underneath it. And I mounted a Garmin Nuvi to the windshield... It has really good maps and navi and doesn't look out of place on my windshield.
Next the chrome mirror covers were peeling. The truck was hit on the passenger side in the past. They did a great job fixing it but couldn't buy the matching 2 piece mirror for the passenger side, so they bought a 1 piece and put chrome covers on both sides... it was a pain to remove the old ones, but it turned out pretty nice.

 

It seems like all my pics posted 2x each?... and it appears that I can just share my album and you can click through it on the forum?

 

Tire rack has the best price on bilsteins