Top 10 First Jeep Wrangler Modifications
What are the most important modifications you can make to your Jeep?
Right after buying a Jeep the possible upgrades are nearly endless? So where do you start, how do you choose what do do first? It’s important to prioritize your upgrades based on how you plan to use your Jeep as well as focus your spend on the upgrades that are going to offer the best bang for your buck. We went to our readers to get their real world opinions on where to start.
1. Tires and Wheels
Literally where the rubber meets the road your tires are going to impact your Jeeps handling and performance more than anything. If you plan to spend a lot of time in mud, snow and sand upgrading to a good Mud Terrain tire can make a huge impact in how capable your Jeep is. We have grouped wheels in here because depending on your tires you might have to update your wheels but for most situations your stock rims will suffice. If you plan to do some serious rock crawling and plan to run very low tire pressure you may want to upgrade to bead-lock wheels or perhaps you just want a wider wheel that can help in certain circumstances. A good set of tires can help improve on and off-road performance and you will be surprised just how capable your Jeep is in stock form with a set of quality tires. For most we really like a good All-Terrain tire, very capable in so many situations from snow, mud, sand, dirt, slick rock and pavement. Some of our favorite are the BF Goodrich KO2s, Nitto Ridge Grappler, Falken Wild Peak, use those links to see reviews and prices on Amazon.
2. Recovery Gear
After picking up a good set of tires you are now bound to get yourself stuck at some point. Having the right equipment will not only make getting out of a tough situation much easier but could end up saving you a lot of money in damage caused from using the wrong equipment. Recovery gear can get expensive take some time to build out your gear. Here is where to get started. Tow Points, Shovel, Recovery Rope, Tire Repair Kit, Jump Pack, Traction Board, Winch, Hi-Lift Jack. Depending on who you wheel with and where will help determine what you need to get first. If someone you wheel with has a winch perhaps grab some traction boards first to help build out the groups recovery gear. If you are looking for a good kit to start with we really like the WARN Recovery Kit. While not the sexiest or most fun upgrades on the list they are absolutely critical to wheeling safely. Also knowing how to use this equipment is very important, get proper training it could literally save your life.
3. Skid Plates And Armor
Now that your Jeep is equipped with good tires and recovery gear it’s time to armor up. As your Jeep becomes more capable and you get more comfortable off-road you are bound to start pushing the limits. Rocks, tree stumps and other obstacles on the trail can do a number to your rigs undercarriage. That is why we highly recommend you look into upgrading the skid plates and armor on your Jeep. Depending on what trim level your Jeep is it may come with some body armor already. If you have a Rubicon you will have more armor including rock sliders. Start with the most critical areas first.
A. Oil Pan
B. Transmission Pan
C. Differential Covers
D. Rock Sliders
E. If you have a JL and want an solid all around kit we like this one from Rough Country.
Once you have those covered, you can move on to the less critical areas of your Jeep like control arms and others. Any damage to those areas above could leave you stranded or with thousands of dollars in repair bills. Keep in mind if you plan to only do moderate wheeling you might be sufficiently armored already and could be better off buying other accessories. Last but not least keep in mind that the weight of your Jeep can really add up, choose armor from reputable brands who take the proper care to treat the metal, this is not an area you want to rely on cheap knockoffs.
4. Lift Kits
Few upgrades are going to have as much impact on your day to day as your suspension. Whether you are looking to improve the look, ride or off-road capability of your rig the suspension is where to start. Like all upgrades how you plan to use your Jeep will impact which kit is going to work best. If you just want to add a little extra clearance and improve the look we suggest looking into a budget lift.
Our top picks for budget lifts.
1. Rough Country 3.5 inch lift kits with N3 Shocks $449.95
2. Fabtech 3.0 inch Sport Lift kit with shocks $639.00
3. Rubicon Express Lift Kit $697.97
Our Top Performance Lift Kits
1. Teraflex Sport 3 inch lift kit with Fox Shocks $3,012
2. Icon Vehicle Dynamics 3 inch stage 4 lift kit. $3,048
3. Old Man EMU Jeep Wrangler Lift Kit $1,545
4. Rock Krawler 3.5 inch X-Factor Lift Kit $2,214
5. AEV 3.5 Dualsport SC Suspension System $1,802
Performance lift kits are designed to increase both on and off-road performance by increasing articulation and offering tunable shocks that can be modified depending on the weight of your rig and the terrain. If you are really looking to push your Jeep to the next level you will want a performance kit.
5. Bumpers
The Jeep Wrangler comes well equipped with sturdy front and rear bumpers from the factory. Many Jeep owners find them sufficient to meet their needs, however if you are looking to upgrade your bumpers there are a host of excellent choices. We have put together an entire front bumper buyers guide to help you make the right choice.
If you plan to increase your tire size to over 35inches you will likely need to upgrade your rear bumper to one that includes a rear swingout capable of holding that heavy of a tire. Your factory mount on the tailgate is not capable of handling that heavy of a tire without buckling. Many Jeepers also like to utilize a rear bumper that can handle accessories like a Hi-lift Jack or Jerry Cans.
6. Rock Sliders
Rock Sliders are a no frills upgrade. Yes we mentioned them in the armor section but the deserve their own section. They are decently expensive, not a fun or sexy upgrade but can make a huge difference out on the trail keeping your Jeep safe. Rocks, tree stumps and other obstacles can easily cause a lot of damage to your rocker panels on your Jeep. But rock sliders can prevent that by putting nice piece of metal between your Jeep and the trail. Rubicon models come with rock sliders from the factory. For most off-roading they sufficient but if you really plan to wheel hard you are going to want to upgrade. The good news is we have an entire buyers guide to help you pick out the right sliders for your Jeep.
7. Lockers
Jeeps were built to go just about anywhere and lockers are designed to turn your Jeep into a true 4×4, putting power to all 4 wheels at the same time. If your Jeep is not a Rubicon model then you do not have factory lockers. Adding lockers to your Jeep can make a massive difference in just how capable your rig is. Luckily there are a few excellent aftermarket lockers to choose from. ARB, Detroit, WARN and Yukon all make lockers for Jeep Wranglers. Check prices on Amazon.
8. Lighting Upgrades
The factory headlights on the Jeep Wrangler are terrible. In fact they have been given a poor rating from the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (iihs)
Because your headlights impact both on and off-road driving and are a safety feature we highly recommend upgrading. There are dozens of aftermarket options We recommend choosing something that is DOT rated and comes from a reputable manufacture. We recently did a review on the Raxiom LED headlights and really like them. If you are planning to do a lot of off-roading at night you may want to add an LED light bar or even some pillar lights.
Rigid Industries makes some of the highest quality LED lights. We highly Recommend their pillar lights and light bar. See current pricing on Amazon.
If you like the look of the more rounded classic off-road lights we suggest checking out KC HiLites.
9. Floor Mats
The OEM floor mats in the Jeep Wrangler are mediocre at best. If you plan to do a lot of wheeling in Mud, Dirt, Snow and other messy terrain we highly recommend you pickup a set of full coverage floormats. Mats that interlock in the rear and have ample side wall from the front provide superior protection for your Jeep. Easy to install, and easy to remove for cleaning they will keep the carpet in your Jeep clean and looking new. We spend a lot of time in the mountains and desert so we are constantly bringing muck inside our Jeeps. However having a solid set of floormats makes it a non-issue. The good news is you have a bunch of great companies to choose from. WeatherTech, Rugged Ridge, Barricade and more. See full all of your options and pricing on Amazon.
10. Roof Rack
Jeeps have extremely limited storage space. So if you have a lot of gear, want to mount a roof-top tent or other accessories on the roof of your Jeep you might be in the market for a full roof rack or at minimum some cross bars. We have had a rack on our Jeep for over three years now and love it. We use it to carry several of our Plano adventure boxes that carry sleeping gear and tools. Like some of the other suggestions here we have an entire roof-rack buyers guide that you might want to checkout when deciding which one to buy. Keep in mind that Jeeps are already top heavy so be mindful of the load you are putting on your roof rack. It will impact your handling as the weight and center of gravity are being impacted.
One Upgrade At a Time
There is truly no limit to the number of upgrades you can make to your Jeep which is really cool. However it can be intimidating, start small make one upgrade at a time and focus on taking care of your needs first. Then start working on the wants that will meet your off-roading style most. What was the first upgrade you made to your Jeep and why? Jump into the comments and let us know! Think we missed something fill us in on that as well! If you enjoyed this article please subscribe to our newsletter.