How To Customize Your Jeep Like A Pro

At the moment, there are so many cool and creative ways to customize your Jeep that don’t involve taking a sledgehammer to your budget or destroying your Wrangler in the process. Instead, you just need to know where to look and how to start the process in the right way. With this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about customizing your Jeep from the ground up so that you have the ultimate vehicle when you’re finished with it. Keep reading:

1. Replace the Bumper 

Most Jeeps typically come with durable bumpers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade them. Replacing the bumper can dramatically improve the look of your Jeep, giving it a more aggressive aura. There are different models and styles of bumpers available for your choice but be sure to do your due diligence, so you don’t purchase a unit that rust or that doesn’t hold up to wear and tear. 

2. Invest in rubber floor mats 

If you’re travelling off-road, you can expect that your Jeep’s interior will get messy. Your vehicle probably comes with a drainage plug that allows you to take a hose to the interior before draining it but doing this again and again will take a toll on the interior. Also, while off-roading gets the exterior of your car dirty, the excursions can still get dirt and grime caked on the floor. To preserve the like-new quality of your Jeep, consider investing in rubber mats as they can go a long way to enhance cleaning after the adventures. 

3. Use LED bulbs for your headlights and taillights 

Your Jeep is equipped with a solid lighting system, but you can give your Jeep a face-lift by changing it. The most cost-effective option is to switch the OEM bulbs with an LED bulb in your headlights and fog lamps. The bright white light increases visibility and creates a modern look compared to the yellow light from the OEM bulbs. As a result, you will be able to better identify animals and obstacles and alert fellow drivers of your status so they won’t be alarmed when you roll by in the dark. 

4. Upgrade your tires and wheels 

As expected, your new Jeep will come with brand new tires, but you don’t have to settle for them if you don’t want to. There’s a variety of options to choose from, including Jeep tires for handling mud, bounding through sand, dealing with wet conditions and even oversized tires if you’re one of those that want to live their suspensions and make room for larger wheels. 

5. Opt for soft-top roof

Generally, most Jeeps come with two major roof options: soft top and hardtop. Hardtops are great in terms of performance and safety, but soft tops are a more popular option. With a soft top, your Jeep will look like it’s wearing a jacket, and you can easily remove it when you want fresh air to flood your interior. 

6. Opt for a Bigger Side mirrors

Sure, your Jeep comes with side mirrors, but you may find that the stock mirrors don’t give you the expanded vision that you need to drive with peace of mind. Changing your side mirrors with bigger and better mirrors is a great way to increase your safety and confidence. What’s more, you can choose an array of styles ranging from rugged to chrome and round to square design. 

Conclusion 

Finally, don’t neglect performance and suspension enhancements. While it’s true that there is plenty of flashy exterior and interior customizations out there, don’t forget that performance and handling go hand in hand with any form of off-roading. So, if you plan on taking your rig off-road frequently, you should seriously consider investing in serious upgrades such as new shocks and tires. If you want an online shop for all your jeep accessories and wears, opt for Black Dog Mods. This shop is known for its high quality, durable and long-lasting jeep wears.

So you finally got a Jeep Wrangler. The world-famous, battlefield-born legend renowned across the land for tackling the most difficult terrain with barely a yawn. From tires to tailpipe, Wranglers have been designed for decades of optimum off-road performance. Short wheelbases, powerful engines, solid front and rear axles, and light weight all combine to make the Jeep Wrangler the standard in off-road design. Many try to recreate the Wrangler’s capabilities – none have succeeded.

But, did you know it is possible to make your Jeep an even more capable off-road machine? You may not know it, but Wranglers are one of, if not the most customizable vehicles on the planet. The modification options are virtually limitless – lifts, tires, bumpers, winches, lighting, storage… the list goes on. But how to know what to do first? A beginning off-roader may not need a $7,000 stage 6 lift kit. A commuter will soon discover that 38″ Super Swamper Bias Tires are not a good choice for extended highway driving. Let’s look into the most popular Wrangler modifications, and what works best for you.

How to Make your Jeep Off Road Ready

Plan your Jeep Build

The first step after deciding to modify your Wrangler for heavier off road use, is determining what you plan on doing in your Jeep. How often do you plan on taking your Jeep off-road? What kind of terrain will it be? Will you primarily be off-roading solo, or in groups? These are all important questions that determine what mods you’ll need. Let’s start with the most basic and move to more complex options.

Lift + Tires = Ground Clearance

The bread and butter of off-roading modifications are a lift kit and larger tires. These two modifications work together to do one thing – achieve more ground clearance. Higher ground clearance means you’ll be less likely to get stuck on stumps, rocks, and most importantly, deep mud. Your Wrangler has two solid axles beneath it, each with a “pumpkin” or differential housing. These globe-shaped steel housings sit roughly in the middle of the axles and hang down lower than the actual axle tubes, making them susceptible to getting caught on obstacles or digging into deep mud, thereby high-centering your Jeep and rendering you helpless. Larger tires will raise the height of the suspension and axles, however the size of tire than can be added is limited to the height of the suspension. The stock suspension usually only allows one or two tire sizes larger than factory before rubbing on body or suspension components. A basic 2.5″ – 3.5″ Suspension Lift Kit will enable you to easily fit larger tires, while not breaking the bank, or sacrificing on-road handling.

Tires are the next ingredient, and a hotly-debated subject in off-road communities. Options range from slick all-weather road tires, to gnarly, knobby monstrosities that whine and sing down the road. Most off-roaders opt for either All-Terrain Tires or Mud-Terrain Tires. Mud terrains have a more aggressive tread patterns than all terrain, but usually wear out sooner. Mud terrain tires are also louder. Radial tires offer better on-road behavior and tread life than their agriculture-based bias-ply cousins.

Protect Yourself

Your Jeep was designed to be rugged, however most Wrangler owners do not take their Jeeps off-road all that often. This means that Wrangler designers made front and rear bumpers that work well for most light off-road applications, but may fall short of the durability and ruggedness required by more serious mud-dwelling users. Luckily there are many choices of aftermarket replacement bumpers available to fit the task. You should replace the weaker stock front bumper with a heavy gauge steel one for several reasons. Most aftermarket steel front bumpers have what are referred to as better “approach angles.” The approach angle is the angle of slope an obstacle can have relative to the ground that will not hit the bumper before touching the tires. Stock bumper approach angles aren’t great. The equivalent of this for the rear bumper is a “departure angle.” Besides better departure angles, many aftermarket rear bumpers have racks and brackets that can carry gear and supplies, like gas and water cans, jacks, and more.

An Off Road Essential Tool

After the flimsy stock bumpers are replaced with tougher and better ones, a mud-minded Jeep owner might consider a winch. A winch is basically a powerful electric reel usually mounted on the front bumper and spooled with steel or synthetic cable that can be extended and retracted. Winches are priceless off-road tools, capable of freeing even the most buried rigs. Winches often keep additional vehicles from getting stuck when attempting to rescue a truck or Jeep stuck in the mud.

New manufacturing processes have lowered the prices of winches substantially over recent years, making them a desirable choice for Wrangler owners.

Let’s Get Technical

Ok, you’ve got your lift and you’ve crammed the biggest meats you can fit under your fenders. But what other options are there to further your Jeep’s off-road capabilities? Probably the best bang-for-the-buck is a Differential Locker. Your stock Jeep axles are likely what’s referred to as “limited-slip,” meaning that power isn’t distributed to all four wheels equally. To change this and vastly improve your performance in mud and rocks, a differential locker will “lock” your axles, meaning all wheels receive even power. This is a more advanced modification, and will likely require a professional to install unless you have advanced mechanical experience and tools. However, once installed, a locker will have an equal, if not greater effect than a lift and larger tires.

Get Involved

The Jeep Wrangler is a unique, rugged, and let’s face it, cool vehicle. It only makes sense that there is a dedicated following of enthusiasts and clubs spanning the globe. These communities exist both online and in person. Most are comprised of good-natured, helpful people that will do anything to help their fellow Jeep enthusiasts. From amateurs to expert fabricators, all experience levels are encouraged to join a local Jeep community. Additionally, it’s a great way to make new friends while enjoying the outdoors, and the thrill that owning a Jeep Wrangler has to offer. An added bonus is having other Jeeps with you as you tackle the toughest off-road trails.

What do think is the most important component in building an off-road Jeep? Leave a comment and let us know!