If off-roading is more the norm for you than not, then you need the best off-roader out there. And even then, stock cars may not run the whole track for you, even if you go the Jeep or any other off-roader way. Investing in a few good modifications can help you increase your off-roading game.
Remember that most good off-road mods are the ones that are specifically designed for your vehicle. The one-size-fits-all tendency does not work on modifications at all. And then there are bad or useless off-roading mods that do zilch for you or the car – here are then you must avoid at all cost.
10 A Tailgate Made Of Net
Having a tailgate made of net, or chains, is akin to using a sieve to hold water – not only will it not work, it will make you look stupid. So why do people take out a perfectly good tailgate and replace it with a net one? Because a few people believe that it reduces drag and makes the truck go faster (not). But for argument's sake, let's just say that maybe it does do that.
The problem is that it also reduces the structural integrity of the bed and makes it noisier and weaker. Plus now it's not going to hold anything properly either so there goes the payload. You may use the pickup as an offroader, but if it doesn't carry anything in its bed, what good is a truck?
9 A Fit-All Stinger Bumper
A Stinger is a kind of an addition to the front bumper that helps off-road vehicles maintain balance in extreme rock crawling runs. Since the engine is in the front, most vehicles are nose heavy and tend to lose balance in extreme dips or declines. The stinger bumper or pike prevents any rollovers but you will need these only when rock crawling.
Plus, each vehicle needs its specific stinger bumper – not a generic one that fits all. Using the right accessory, at the right time is what all off-roaders need to know. Most newbies learn from mistakes, including rather dangerous ones that can come about with a stinger bumper.
8 Fake Beadlocks For Show
So yes, beadlocks do look cool. The problem with them looking cool is many companies offer fake ones, which is a problem if you are an ardent off-roader. Beadlocks are a safety device that prevents the bead of the tires separating from the rim while they are punishingly driven on rocks and roads unfit for any car.
While off-roading, tires are often deflated a little for better grip and a wider footprint. While this is good thinking for the kind of road you are driving on, it also means that the grip of the rim and the wheel becomes a little weak because of the lower pressure. Beadlocks make sure the tire stays on the rim and prevents dangerous slip offs, but only if they are real.
7 Removing The Catalytic Converter
The catalytic converter may seem like an unimportant device to you, but this is probably what stands between us and the next ice age. Meaning it makes your car environmentally safer by halting toxic emissions and burning off bad gases so emitted by your engine.
However, some off-roaders, and we are talking the ones who are serious about their craft; remove the catalytic converter and add power to the engine by allowing direct gas flow. This is also called a test pipe. The thing is, this is a legal off-road mod only and not allowed on a street-legal car. Plus there are always better catalytic converters to invest in.
6 Bigger Isn’t Always Better
Mostly, slightly bigger wheels are better for any off-roader because they offer tougher treads and wider footprints – all leading to better traction. But when we say big wheels, we mean jumping up a size or two. We do not mean adding airplane wheels to your compact off-roader.
This isn’t a monster truck you are trying to make, is it? When you get new wheels, you need to rim up and sometimes jack up the suspension as well to make the wheels work for you. If the wheels are too big, they can leave the vehicle with a skewed center and make it behave like a beached whale. At every turn. Go to the experts instead.
5 One Size Universal Spring Upgrades
The one thing about all suspension upgrades is that they need to be tailor-made. Getting a set of universal, one-size-fits-all struts or springs is a great way to ruin your car’s suspension for good.
These parts have to match and work in tandem with the axle of your car. When the axle is not universal, how can suspension parts be? It’s a good idea to jack up the suspension if you are trading in for bigger wheels and plan to off-road as often as you breathe, but doing it right is even more important. A tailor-made coil-over suspension is your best bet.
4 Roll Some Coal
It may be called rolling coal, but coal has got nothing to do with it – except color-inspire that billowing cloud of black from the exhaust. If you dump excess amounts of fuel into your car’s engine, ostensibly to increase speed and power, your vehicle will emit impressive clouds of soot.
It may add to a minuscule amount of power and speed, but it also makes your vehicle visible, which may be the root cause behind it. While it may not harm the environment (much), it is an unnecessary and classless mod for an off-roader to have, period. There are cleaner ways to increase power and speed.
3 Off-Roading Spoiler
Hate to break it to you, but there’s no such thing. A good spoiler works by reducing drag and making a car go faster. So it would look perfectly at home at NASCAR or amateur race tracks. Putting a spoiler on the tailgate, or even the crew cab roof does nothing an off-roader in performance or looks.
Off-roading pickups have a tailgate that already reduces drag. And putting a spoiler on a Jeep is automobile hara-kiri. So please, let the spoilers be when its an off-roader you drive. If you have to mod your vehicle, get better tires and a jacked-up suspension instead.
2 Gullwing Doors
Call them gull wings, scissor doors or falcon wings. Call them anything, just don’t put them in your off-roader. And the reason here is nothing but safety. Even the best of off-road drivers or cars can get stuck at times. And by stuck, we mean trapped in death-defying conditions.
Your car door needs to be easily opened during these times. Gull wings are infamous for freezing up and jamming in tough situations and having them installed in your off-roader can turn it into a deathtrap. Plus trees and boulder overhead can also block access to the vehicle since these doors need space to open and shut. Let them be for the Lambos instead, you go get better lights.
1 Chopped Off Exhausts
So there are some mods that work for off-roading vehicles. Better tires, a better suspension, clearer lights, a snorkel if you plan on doing river crossings a lot and many more. What does not work for an off-roader, at all, is chopping off the exhaust pipe to make the car sound louder.
A loud car does not always make for a more powerful one much like all thunder does not bring rain. It does nothing for you or your vehicle’s off-roading performance other than turning it into a noise-polluting menace. Also if your off-roading drive is all about nature, why would you want to scare all the wildlife away?