I think the 1st thing on your list of to-do's for offroad is to ditch the running boards since they will be the 1st victims of just about any rock. If you are not going to be rockcrawling keep it stock up front but go ahead and lift it a few inches that will allow you to increase the tire size which will also give you even more lift. I wouldn't rule out a minimal body lift either 1 or 2 inches max. Lockers will be a major upgrade for any offroad travel and a winch will be a must have if you are traveling solo. Spare parts if you go down south will be your best friend as things get pretty rough down there. Check out the link Cheesy posted above if you want to see what you will be up against in a South America run.