I just picked up 2 Sammie's, an 87 and an 88. One is a full body varient, the other is a targa. Both are 4WD. I work extensively on jeeps so know my way around a garage, but this is new. I'm keeping the full body as a utility truck but wanting to build the targa into a dedicated hunting vehicle. I have to do this build on a limited budget and have limited fab tooling at the moment. This will be used in central texas, so will face moderate hills, lots of rock and tree fall, and intermittant mud (if this drought ever ends). It will never see road or highway use and will NEVER go above 40 MPH. What are some of the best improvements to make? I have a spare Weber 32/36 I was going to install, I mounted a rear-facing elevated seat in the rear, but the rest is stock. I did a refresh on thre engine, I had a rod bearing fail, so engine is in good shape. Sorry about the length, and thank you for your input.

Small lift, 30-31" tires and traction aid(s). You will be amazed.

I was looking at a 2 1/2 SPOA lift, what other traction aids would you recomend? And what about gearing?

if you have the coin; ARB's front and rear

on the cheap; lunchbox locker (lock rite,spartan) rear, save for ARB (or other selectable) for the front.

The SPOA lift will give you a 5" lift minimum.  Just a heads up.