Accessories For Your Jeep & 4×4 Truck

You wanted a nice Jeep or 4×4 truck likely because you wanted to enjoy the adventures these vehicles can take you on.

However, you want to make sure that you have the right accessories for whatever adventures that you want to take.

By reading on, you can learn all about these great accessories so that you can make the most out of your Jeep or 4×4.

Lights

There are different types of lights that you can purchase for your vehicle, such as:

LED Headlights

LED headlights are great because these lights last longer than the standard lights. They also use less power to produce a decent amount of lumen, so you can drive safely even at night.

LED Light Bars

If you are someone who enjoys taking your Jeep or 4×4 off-roading, you need quality LED light bars to give you the right amount of light for your adventure. These can be mounted on your hood, the top of your windshield, or the bumper.

Fog Lights

Adding fog lights to your Jeep or 4×4 can allow the driver to have better visibility, especially in the fog or snow.

Now that you know about the different lights, it’s important to know how to choose the best lights for your needs as well as where to mount them on your car.

The first part of this is to understand the difference between driving lights and fog lights. Fog lights are generally mounted either at bumper level or just below it.

Fog lights are meant to help you see a short distance in front of you, allowing your to see through hazards like fog so that you can drive safely.

Driving Lights

Driving lights are meant for distance. These are similar to the headlights that you already have on your car. The goal of these lights is to improve your visibility in the distance as you travel around.

These lights will be mounted at the same level of your actual headlights or above them depending on the type of lights that you have purchased. To optimize visibility, you will want to use these lights along with your high beams.

However, you will want to see what the manufacturer’s instructions are for the lights that you have purchased to ensure that you mount them in the right location.

Where do you place these lights? As previously mentioned, different lights have different mounting instructions depending on the manufacturer.

One of the most common places to place additional lights is at the bumper, primarily because this is the easiest place to go about this. With the right type of hardware and some drilling, you can easily install your lights. Ease is just one benefit of mounting your lights on the bumper.

Another benefit is that with the lower placement of the lights is that you can it can illuminate the road immediately in front of you as you drive around in hazardous weather conditions as well as when you are off-roading at night time.

Another popular place to put the lighting is on the top mount or the “A-pillar”. This is a great place to get maximum visibility because of the higher mounting location, especially for wide open location.

The problem with this location is that while you get the most visibility with this mounting option, this is the most difficult place to handle the mounting on your own.

You may want to consider getting the help of a professional if you decide that this is where you want to mount the lights.

Another issue with this is that it can add onto the clearance of your vehicle, though depending on the option that you choose this may not add any height if you already have a roof rack for your vehicle.

These are just the most popular locations for you to put your additional lighting, as you can also add lighting to your grill, rear bumper, or the hood of the car. There are pros and cons for adding the lights to each of these locations.

LED lights are the best choice that you can make for your lighting solution due to the added visibility you get from the higher lumen. You should also remember that you do not have to choose between which of these lighting solutions that you can have for your vehicle.

You can utilize all of these options to get the highest amount of versatility and visibility.

Covers & Tool Boxes

You can invest in great seat covers and truck bed covers are things that can provide comfort and customization to your vehicle.

If you want to keep your truck bed from getting scratched and dented, you should invest in either a bed cover or a spray in bed liner. Either will keep your truck bed like new.

Do you need tools for your job? Or have a lot of tools that you need to keep handy? A truck bed tool box is just what you need. You can keep them secure in the bed of your truck and easily access them when needed.

Winches

If you go off-roading at all, a winch is an item that you need. Should something happen where you need a tow truck, a winch can give you all the help that you and your other friends need.

You have quite a few options to choose from here, such as electric recovery winches and hydraulic recovery winches. The problem is deciding on which of the winches are the best option for you.

One thing to look at is the winch capacity, or the rated line pull, which is the most important consideration. The winch capacity is the tensile strength of the drum’s line in combination with the actual winch’s mechanical capacity.

Unless the winch indicates otherwise, this rating is generally based on the winch layer that is closest to the drum which is referred to as the first layer. There are usually 3 or 4 layers of the winch, with the first layer having the most pull and the lowest gear ratio.

To know how much pull you need for your vehicle, take the gross vehicle weight (GVW) and multiply the weight by 1.5.

You also have to consider the length of the line. You may think that the longer the line, the better the option, but this isn’t necessarily the case.

The longer the line is, the more likely you will end up with tangled wires which can cause problems when you need to use it. Generally, you should pick something with a 100-ft. line on the drum as well as another 50-ft extension. This can usually be enough for your needs.

Do you have patience for the line speed and spooling in? You need to know what your patience can handle when you are looking at the speed of these things.

Keep in mind that to get more speed, you need more electrical power, which can cause a drain on your vehicle. Find a balance that works for your needs and your patience.

Then there is the consideration between the electric winch and the hydraulic winch. If you are someone who frequently uses a winch, choosing a hydraulic winch is the best choice as these are durable and powerful winches that can be used regularly for a long time.

Electric winches on Jeeps just don’t get the power that they need to run for a continuous amount of time.

You do have different options as far as the winch rope goes. The two basic choices are synthetic rope and wire rope. These are both great options, but there are pros and cons to each of these choices.

Wire ropes are the common choice that people traditionally choose, as this is a more durable and resistant rope. However, it can be crushed if the rope isn’t respooled properly. If something breaks, wire rope can cause some serious injury or even death when hit with the rope.

Synthetic ropes are newer options on the market, offering a lightweight rope solution for winches. The problem with this type of rope is that it is more susceptible to suffer from chafing.

Weight Distribution Hitch

When you are purchasing trailer hitch locks, you can choose between a ball mount or a weight distribution hitch. The weight distribution hitch can be an essential accessory especially if you are towing something heavier for your adventure.

Steering Stabilizer

To get more control over your car’s steering, you can try using a steering stabilizer. This can help with issues like stabilizing any side-to-side movement. And don’t forget shocks and struts will always make a major improvement to the handling, stability and off-road traction for Jeeps of all years and models.

Truck and Jeep Lift Kits

Want to be able to go wherever you want safely, without worrying about if your vehicle can handle it? This is why you will want to invest in a lift kit for your vehicle. These kits are perfect for the hardcore adventurers as well as those people who just like the strong look they offer.

These are all great accessories that you are going to love for your Jeep and 4×4. Between truck bed liners and all of these other accessories, you can make your vehicle your own and create the perfect vehicle for your adventuring needs.

You should remember to do your research before investing in these accessories to make sure that you get the right product for your needs. It can also be a good idea, especially for lift kits, to buy these accessories new to avoid any potential problems.

Truck Tent

Like camping? If so there are tents made specifically for your truck that attach to the bed of your truck and use that as the tent base. This way you can stay out off the ground. This keeps you dry if it rains and away from bugs crawling around on the ground.