Your Jeep is already designed for off-road adventures, but if you want to leave the trail and explore the really rough terrain, you need to know how to transform it into the beastly off-road monster machine you’ve always dreamed about. Luckily, there are a few quick upgrades that make it simpler to accomplish than you might think.
Equip Off-Road Tires
The right tires are a great place to start. Most serious overlanders choose off-road tires that are larger than the stock options, which does require additional modification. That might mean adding wheel spacers or strut spacers, but it usually means lifting the suspension along with a new set of tires. Luckily, that’s the next key upgrade.
Increase Your Suspension
A simple 3 inch lift kit can work wonders for your ride stability and your choices for oversized tires. That makes it easier to invest in terrain-specific options as you challenge deep mud in a nearby swamp or loose sand on your local dunes. You can go bigger, and many people eventually do, but two or three inches of lift will do when you’re getting started. In many cases, it’s all you really need with a Jeep.
Protect Your Exterior
There are a lot of options when it comes to protection, but they are all built around the same goal, and that is keeping brush, branches, and loose stones from damaging your Jeep. Light guards, brush guards, and other exterior accessories that take the hit to keep it off your vehicle’s important parts are a key investment if you’re leaving the trail to explore at all.
Light Your Path
Understanding how to lift a truck gives you insight into how to improve your field of vision alongside your ride quality, but you still need to light up your path to make use of that improved vision. It may not matter enough in bright daylight, but as soon as dusk hits, the outdoors becomes unpredictably dark in pockets of trees and low places. Additional lighting can help you reach camp when you run late or light up the site so you can relax.
Prepare for Obstacles
An investment in a solid winch and hoist combination kit can help you clear the path for others when you encounter fallen trees and branches. It can also pull you free if you get stuck in the mud, and it’s great for helping others through the same situation. Even without hoist capabilities, a good winch kit is a must-have safety feature for overlanders that are planning on serious time in the field.
Customize Your Jeep for Your Favorite Activities
How big should your tires be? How much lift do you need? A lot depends on what you’re going to do. Honestly, if you’re just running established trails and looking to keep things stable when they get loose and sandy or the rains hit and patches turn to mud, a two-inch lift and all-terrain tires will do the job. If you’re leaving the trail and you might have to climb small obstacles, then you need more, and extreme lifts are typically for rock climbing rigs and other specialized setups. Start planning your dream machine today.
