First mods?

[cparke]

Brand new Wrangler owner. Wanted a jeep since high school and as soon as I started making adult money I picked up a 2018 JL 2 door. Already caught the fever of figuring out what I want to mod on it. I have a Sport S and in my area, NJ, there isn't much crawling. Instead, most of the trails I frequent are muddy. I was wondering it I should be focusing on getting new tires. If so, are 33's gonna do the trick? Trying to spend conservatively so 35's are out of the question at the moment.

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[Ratbert]

First "mod": air compressor.

 

[jjvincent]

I bought a new Jeep (sport) last year and my mods were to put on a tow bar so I could put it behind the RV. I promptly towed it out west and took it off road all over the place (including Moab) with it bone stock. I did some trim mods and the only other thing was a set of steel wheels and snow tires. I kept the stock diameter as I don't want to increase the ride height. I'm amazed that I stock form, the Jeep does quite well. I know that in Moab, I must have been the only guy with a stock Jeep.

 

[cparke]

I bought a new Jeep (sport) last year and my mods were to put on a tow bar so I could put it behind the RV. I promptly towed it out west and took it off road all over the place (including Moab) with it bone stock. I did some trim mods and the only other thing was a set of steel wheels and snow tires. I kept the stock diameter as I don't want to increase the ride height. I'm amazed that I stock form, the Jeep does quite well. I know that in Moab, I must have been the only guy with a stock Jeep.

I have to get out west a little bit for sure. I've taken my stock Sport S offroad once so far and it rode well. I see your from PA, any trails worth checking out in Eastern PA?

 

[Mikester86]

Typically recovery gear. But as always recommended, if you hit the trails with others who can recover your Jeep if necessary, than better tires will help immensely. If you are going to off-road it a lot then some mud tires would be great. Take it out as is and see how it does, then make your decisions from there.

 

[Garry in AZ]

Welcome to the Forum.
Everyone has an opinion on what the first few modifications should be. I believe the mods you do should be dictated by your specific needs.
If I was planning on doing some wheeling on muddy trails, I would want the ability to air down my tires, and then air back up for the drive home. This can be as simple and economical as getting a power tank and a tire pressure gauge. Whether or not you need new tires depends on what you currently have and their condition. Even street tires can perform okay if aired down. But smooth tires in the mud is always going to be sub-optimal.
I'd also want to have some good recovery gear, including a kinetic rope and a tow strap. If you are going to be on the trails alone (not recommended, but we have all done it) then you should also have a winch, a tree strap and/or anchor. Some type of traction boards could also come in handy.

Give some consideration to the actual use of the vehicle. If it's your daily commuter, larger mud tires will be noisy and hurt fuel economy. If it's a weekend toy, that will matter less. I see a lot of Jeeps with 35 or bigger tires, lift kits, skid plates, high clearance bumpers etc... that are seldom even on a gravel road. Add what you need, as you need it. And when you are considering a new mod, understanding the compromises it represents will be worth considering too.

 

[SandyUndercarriage]

Maybe not what you were thinking, but for a first mod, I'd recommend a Dead Pedal (or LED headlights if you have the halogen bulbs...)

https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadrat...diator-jt/qua-dead-pedal-jl-jt-pedal-with-pad

Good luck!

 

[DayJ]

Winch is always a good starter project, and allows you to help your self and others. The number 1 thing that will help the most are a good quality tire. My recommendation is some wrangler duratracs. Welcome to the Forum! 33's will do the trick until you get into stuff that you need to go bigger. But with such a short wheel base, you will be good for a while.

 

[GATORB8]

Recovery first. If you always go out with other vehicles, you can make due with a snatch strap and some shackles. If you plan to go out alone, winch.

Then take it out and see what it can do. If you're on a limited budget, you need to identify what is important to your driving style and the trails you run. Jeeps are pretty capable stock, no reason to waste money on modifications you will either replace later since they weren't good/big enough or regret because you don't even need them.

 

[jjb242]

M.O.R.E. Dead Pedal. Must have I.M.O.
https://mountainoffroad.com/collections/dead-pedals/products/dead-pedal-driver-18-jl

 

[JL MADDOG]

My first mods were to make the Jeep more comfortable and to work better for me.

1. Tinted windows - just gotta have them out here in the Valley of the Sun.
2. ESS module - hated that stop/start feature with a passion.
3. Dead pedal - Gives my left foot a place to rest comfortably while driving.
4. Seat Jackers by @DesertDoesIt - Great mod which definitely improved seating comfort.
5. Taller & Wider tires - Went with Toyo ATIII 285/75R17 tires on the stock MOAB wheels. They definitely provide more traction on the sand and rocks we wheel through here.

From there my mod list focused on what we would need for off-roading which is the primary use for our JL. Bumpers with hard points, a stronger spare tire carrier, adding a winch, installing a roof rack, additional lighting, recovery gear and related odds and ends.

My thoughts are to decide what you need to improve the vehicle to meet your needs and intended uses.

2/5/21

3/4/21

5/6/21

9/5/21

 

[Shibadog]

A decent all terrain tire will make a huge difference, esp if your Jeep has the basic “highway” tread many come with. Check out a set of KO2’s or similar (if you are patient you can find a set of Rubicon take off’s in the classifieds on this forum). You will be amazed at what your Jeep can do. Remember though that ANY vehicle (including a big tired Rubicon) can get stuck/hung up in the right situation-no one is unstoppable just because they’re in a Jeep. For light muddying and trail running your sport with decent rubber is a darn good trail rig. If you go solo into remote areas take some basic self recovery, survival stuff with you, specifically, an entrenching tool, snatch strap, come along, drinking water and energy bars/MRE’s etc. if you do manage to get stuck, and there is an anchor point, hook up the snatch strap and come along and you can usually get yourself out with a bit of work. If no anchors around, dig a hole, place you spare tire in it, dig a trench from the tire sloping up toward the Jeep, use the come along and snatch strap and pull yourself out. Is it easy ? Nope, but it beats staying stuck. You’ll appreciate/need the water and food in such a situation. I’ve been down some nasty, muddy trails over the last 48 years headed to hunting/fishing holes and exploring. For most of those years the above, plus matches, a space blanket, and a revolver was all that was with me. Always got safely back home. In recent years I got old, so I’ve ran a winch for a decade or so. But that’s because I got lazy . The most important tool to bring on the trail is the one between your ears. (Stupid is as stupid does). Good luck and enjoy your ride, There is nothing else like it

 

[kah.mun.rah]

One of the 1st things I would look for if on a budget and want to improve the look and add a little extra protection to your pinch seam on a Sport is a used set of Rubicon rock rails. You can typically find them costing between very cheap and free.

 

[Pinky Tuscadero]

LED headlights if it has halogen and I mean good LED headlights (600 beans)
Locking gas cap - remember $5 a gallon
Locking hood - recommend Bolt
Then Lift if you want and big tires, nothing less than 33"
Then... all the stuff everyone else will list
It's all good

 

[Cowboy from hell]

Keep it stock for now and see whats what for a while. Don't go maxing out credit cards for a bunch of crappy you think you need. I myself started out slow and plan on keeping my rubicon stock for a few years. All I bought for my rubicon is grab handles, sill guards, infotainment screen protection, rubber gasket for fenders gap, tinted windows, portable air compressor, tire deflators, recovery strap with d ring shackles, .....oh and a cooler and a fishing pole in the back! I do plan on a winch and bumper, more armor underneath, 35" tires and a small lift down the road. Im in no rush.......

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