getting into crawling

[DanjaRanger]

hey guys so i have decided to get into crawling recently. i want to build a b2 into a worthy trail rig. i was thinking a d30 up front sas and a exploder 8.8 in the rear. also for the sas i was wondering what is better for crawling budget/fab wise, leafs or go with coilovers. i know leafs are proably cheaper but can they articulate well? for gears i was thinking 4.56 or 4.88 havent decided because i want to run 33s and think 4.88 might be overkill. what else do i need to upgrade to make a b2 worthy??

ps this project is down the road but i want to plan it a bit first.

 

[4x4junkie]

Leafs vs. coils is somewhat of a preference thing... Either one can be set up to flex well, however almost invariably (all else being the same) a coil setup will ride better (IMO, plain coils work fine, coilovers are probably a bit much for what sounds along the lines of a mild crawler build). Coils also typically don't interfere with your tires, allowing for a tighter turning radius as well.
I wouldn't mess around at all with a D30. If you think you really need a SAS, use a D44 at minimum. Otherwise I'd say throw a D35 under it and call it good (it's what i use and has done everything I've ever needed it to).
8.8" is a good choice for the rear.

If you're keeping the 2.9L V6, 4.88 is right about the perfect gear for 33s if it'll still be on the highway at all (if not, then 5.13s). IMO, 4.56 is not quite enough gear in any case though (if you're doing a 4.0L swap, 4.56 would be good in that case).

Other things you'll probably want for a crawl build are a dual t-case (double low-range), and of course differential lockers.

What trails you got in your area you're thinking of running?