Going to have about $1,500 to $2k to spend on truck come October. I'm looking for better performance/reliability.

1. 4.56 gearing and a trac-lock/Detroit in rear axle, traction bars. Maybe a trac-lock in front if $$$ exists

or

2. PCM rollback, FICM rebuild with Atlas 40, ARP's (1 at time method), SRL+/Looney Wild tune


Gearing will essentially eat my budget completely.
Option 2 will leave me about $500 to play with...but I already have a serious case of 1 tire fire since factory LS is gone

Opinions? Doing a poll to try and collate it

 

Personally engine and reliability would be first on my list, unless your gears are currently so high that its making driving difficult.. And then with the left over cash get the traction bars or at least a start for them, not sure how much those cost..

 

Sorry, I can do Option 1 in entirety...or option 2. I want to pick one route or other and see it to completion, then next go around fulfill the other option

I'm a Mechanic by trade, and have all the cool gadgets that I could do the gears install myself. Just can't justify paying over $1k labor. Especially as that'd free up $$$ for me to get front and rear trac-locks


Edit: gears and traction adder are needed because right now I can light up my right rear tire at will with 3.73 gears. Figure if I'm in there for a Detroit or Trac-lock that I'm not going to waste the opportunity to upgrade gears at same time. Besides, getting back 1-2 MPG wouldn't be so bad either since I drive 90% city

 

I have seen a picture of your truck stuck before . I'd do the gears and lockers.

 

I'd do the gears/lockers minus the ladder bars, and spend that money on the FICM tuning/rollback. I don't see the reason for the bars, if you're having an axle wrap issue ditch the blocks and add in leaves, 4.5" isn't that much lift.

I know you said you don't want to mix and match, but I didn't pick the tuning/studs option only because I wouldn't do a one-at-a-time job on the studs. I'd want new gaskets in there, plus a chance to at least check the heads. If you were in Texas I'd wonder why you're choosing to do it that way, but you being on the island/time constraints of deployment might make it worth the risks of doing it a second time later.

 

I voted "You're Crazy". Why? I don't know, sounded like the coolest option.


Do these ever go together?.................

 

@ MD - I can hope they go together. Truck already has plenty of *****. I just want it to have some more. Dunno why

I'm doing one at time studs because truck has 13,8xx miles with no indications of lifting. And I'm deployed 200+ days a year. I'm taking 10 days of vacation in August and that'll be first time I've had off since Dec. Not too much time for motor tears downs when you work 100+ hours a week. Wife gets jealous of my spare time

Need some ladder bars for the axle wrap. Unless I can score some cheap Icon/Deaver lift leafs, the blocks are going to stay to keep a decent ride. Looking at maybe forking over $$$ for OUO Bars that replace current blocks.

 

Because some power is never enough!! I've debated the 5 Star Tuner for my truck but even with great reviews and what seems like zero problems just can't seem to pull that trigger.

 

I like the programming option, but power means nothing if you can't put it to the ground. I'd go the traction route myself.