Yeah - the AT is easier, just like ON ROAD.

Armor and tires before lift...too early a lift, before you have calibrated your "OH SHIT!" factors, and you get into trouble off camber, etc.

I recommend a BL before getting the tires though...JUST to be able to GET larger tires, and, so that you can GET armor for the BL, like sliders, rather than getting the armor, and THEN doing a BL, so that the armor now has a gap, etc.