you need traction up front too. how else are you going to steer? personal experience, gf lives in the country, with dirt/gravel roads and mud pits to get to her house. with street tires i would be sliding all over the road, and if the mud holes were any deeper might get stuck too.
i also off road as much as i can. and yes 2wds can off road as well.
why lift? i dont know about you, but 235/75/r15s dont look all that great on a truck, just too small. And i use my truck or play off road too much to put low profile tires on it. why not get a 4x4 you say? well at this point i dont have a choice i was forced to get this truck many years ago, and i dont have the money to buy anything else. so i make due with what i have. also, not all of us like or want fiberglass fenders. so to run larger tires (anything larger than 32") you have to lift it.
