If You Had To Do It Over (Lift)

[Lwing]

Hi there

First post, really impressed with some of the Tracs on here. Just paid off my house, sold my truck, thinking of a ST and building it up to reward myself. Would like to get it right the first time. Will be 4x4, daily driver, highway capable, weekend wheeler, mostly rock and hilly deactivated road on Vancouver Island. Thinking of finding a 01-05 and getting 33's underneath it.
Have done a bunch of reading on here and there seems to be a few regrets and some great choices.
I don't want a body lift! thinking SOA in the rear, if you had the choice would you go Coils in the front, or SAS, would love to get some lockers, ARB.
So if any experienced ST guru's would care to share there complete dream build , parts list, accessories, I would love to here it. Budget is not an issue right now as long as my wife doesn't find out.
I am not the most mechanically inclined but have a few good friends that are solid mechanics for help, ( beer and cash)
Thanks in advance
Lwing

 

[OffTrac]

If I had your goals of daily driven and 33s, my ideal Sport Trac would be this excellent build:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=400109

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Either that build or Chad551's SAS. Honestly if you wanna play in the rocks than SAS and 35's and up are the way to go. I would've sold my show truck and built my Trac the way I'm finally trying to (As soon as I get back to work).

The problem is the Trac is so long and low front the factory that to clear bigger rocks or hills (crest of the hills primarily) that they need quite a bit of lift to gain ground clearance.

I like what I've been able to do with my rig with it's current setup (steel bumpers and rock sliders are probably the best offroad mod I've done to gain approach and departure clearances, the 12k lb. winch was the next best thing) but for the terrain around my area I need to have atleast 6" more frame clearance and I'll be getting that with the SAS, SOA and 37's I'll be running.

I honestly never would've never lifted and wheeled my rig with the IFS if I would've known how often I would need to replace parts and how bad the lack of clearance and flex would be on the frontend.