Julien Dumont
Words by Steve Fennell
As two popular consumer shows - Mountain Expo West and East - have already taken place with great turnouts, and with SEMA leaving a wealth of products in its wake, the availability of new gear to trick out your Jeep or 4x4 is at a peak.
Winter is the time of year to do all those upgrades to your rig you talked about all last season. Our advice? Do them now and reserve those weekends in the late spring and summer to enjoy them all. It’s easy to dream big with extensive mods but if you’re happy with your Jeep’s off-road prowess, don’t fix it if it ain’t broken. This leaves a wide choice of aesthetic mods that aren’t difficult, won’t break the bank and they’ll add more performance and convenience than you may realize. Here are four of them to pass your free time on the cold weekends until the snow thaws
Differential Covers
Okay, this may be a little more involved than say, installing grab handles or a soft top, but the rewards are genuine with added protection to this vital system. The install is fairly straightforward with a basic differential cover kit.
But why consider it? As stock covers on vehicles like the Wrangler serve as a good shield, hitting a rock or other unforgiving obstacle head-on can potentially dent, bend or cause it to peel off the housing. You’ll know when you hit it and the damage can cause gear lube to leak, and/or allow debris to enter the housing leading to premature wear of the gears or other components.
ARB
Many diff covers are available - this is just one of ARB’s bullet-proof designs for hardcore, rock crawling wheelers.
Many aftermarket covers are built of cast iron, heat-treated aluminum or A356-T6 cast aluminum to take harder impacts with solid-as-a-rock construction and tough mounting surfaces, thus making them ideal if you commonly rock crawl or run tough trails.
Another reason to consider doing this upgrade is it offers optimal cooling capabilities of the gear oil. Keeping the differential oil from heating too much while running hard is essential to ensure the longevity of the gears and bearings (and hence the vehicle itself). As a result, many covers have cooling fins on the surface area, larger oil capacities, and aluminum designs since aluminum acts as an effective heat conductor, thus keeping the oil at a decent temperature.
If you commonly perform your own maintenance, you’ll also appreciate that many diff covers have gear lube drain plugs and dipsticks to ensure proper fluid levels and provide easier gear oil changes when needed.
Most importantly, they look pretty spiffy and will enhance the profile of your Jeep’s undercarriage. Chapters could be written about the advantages and disadvantages of diff covers, so it’s best to speak to manufacturer reps or your 4x4 local shop about some of your options to ensure it’s the best mod for the kind of off-roading that you do.
Mesh Grille Inserts
The original seven-slotted stock grille on any Jeep is unmistakable. There are countless customized options to replace this age-less classic design, but if you’re happy with your Jeep’s front profile as-is, you can (and maybe should after a season of wheeling) replace the mesh grille insert behind it.
Omix ADA
Grille mesh inserts provide a cleaner front-end profile. This design from Omix-ADA is mounted on a 2 door Jeep JL.
These are widely available and all get equally dirty with bugs, mud, leaves and any other debris that comes head-to-head with your rig. For less experienced DIY’ers, this is a project that when you do it once, you’ll do it in half the time the next go-around.
While a basic mesh grille insert may not offer a lot of bling, it will at the very least make your front end look a lot cleaner, offer some appealing aesthetics, and provide added protection for the rad. It will also provide good airflow to the rad and protect it from dirt, debris, and getting damaged.
Many designs are on the market and we like the one-piece Mesh Grille Insert - Black from Rugged Ridge (part # 11401.31) for the JK. While it’s UV-treated, has a five-year limited warranty, constructed of steel and stainless steel components, and offered in mesh or perforated designs, it’s easy to install with a minimal amount of tools (e.g drilling wasn’t required). No-fuss, no muss with effective results.
If you have the extra cash, opt for the company’s Outer Rings with Billet Grille Inserts - Black (part # 11401.30) that attach to the stock Grille (again for the JK). It’s available in aluminum or plastic; with mesh or billet accents; and in chrome black, or polished aluminum finishes. For added style, screen-printed patterns and many other finishes are available.
ARB
Rocks will be a little more negotiable with a properly installed rock slider.
Rock Sliders
Rigged from below the door between the front and back tires, rock sliders (or rock rails) are primarily designed to protect the bottom of your off-roader and can take a beating over rocky and tough terrain.
Offered by many manufacturers like ARB, Go Rhino, and Body Armor, to name a few, rock sliders are spec’d out to most model year Jeeps (and other off-road vehicles). They are available in aluminum or steel with square tube, round tube and even hybrid designs, which feature a combination of both. There’s also a choice of welded or bolt-on mounting options. While the former is more durable, they take more time to install and of course, are more expensive. But if you’re not handy with a welder or an expert DIY’er, bolt-on style sliders are an alternative that still provide great performance.
Although they make for the ideal garage/driveway project, some drilling will be required through the lower body of your rig. So, once they are on there’s no coming off unless you want to do some bodywork to fill the mounting holes. Once completed, the slider should have a secure, tight fit since they are designed to support the weight of your vehicle while going over tough obstacles.
It’s important to remember that if you opt for a steel set of rock sliders, be sure they are powder coated. Many steel rock sliders are but some aren’t, so it’s important to have them treated (or determine if they are treated) before ordering and installing.
Omix ADA
This is another tail light guard called the Elite Tail Light Guard from Omix-ADA. Most are simple to install and look pretty darn good.
The Wrangler JL and Gladiator JT have set themselves apart from every Jeep that has come before, with distinctive styling and refinements at every turn. The unique shape and design of the tail lights is one of the most iconic symbols of this generation of Jeeps, and now you can preserve your tail lights while accenting what it is that makes them so special. Rugged Ridge Elite Tail Light Guards encase your light housing inside a cast aluminum shell, keeping them safe from bumps and blows. The Elite Guards ingenious 2-piece design offers protection in every direction, while accenting the lights original shape and trademark character. Cleverly concealed hardware makes the Elite Tail Light Guards appear to be part of the original design, and not an aftermarket afterthought. Each guard is finished with a premium satin black powder coat for an OE quality appearance and a long life. Works with OE LED tail lights only and works with factory blind spot monitoring systems. US Patent no. US10059251.
Tail Light Guards
Any exterior component on a Jeep is susceptible to damage and taillight guards are designed to prevent the rear light lens from smashing or cracking while on the trails. While they can be one of the easiest mods you’ll ever do, they look pretty rugged and cool.
We always claim that we like cheap and easy, but we also like cheap, easy and functional. The aftermarket product that caught our attention was Am Off-Road’s Black Euro Tail Light Cover for the 2011-2018 Jeep Wrangler JK/JKU. They normally retail for about $45.99 USD and simply bolt-on to the existing tailgate light holes, which means no drilling. They also have a cast steel construction, black satin powder coating finish and are sold as a two-piece set. Widely available at consumers shows, your local parts shop, or even Canadian Tire, you’ll likely find a number of choices at a reasonable price and value.
Browsing online or shopping the upcoming shows to determine your next DIY project is just as exciting as installing and reaping the benefits from them on the trail. So be sure to add these projects to your existing DIY list for added convenience and safe running for next year’s wheeling season.