First Five Mods (Mojave)

[Zachanadandy]

13" lightbar in the grill by day 8 of ownership.

AEV 2" lift and 37s by 1100 miles

Bumper and winch before it hit 3k miles

Being able to wheel tough trails like charlaroue gap trail north of Tucson make it worth every penny. A new rear bumper is needed after that trip but otherwise unscathed.

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[PuddleJumper]

mine was all within the first few weeks.

1. winch+bumper
2. mobile radios
3. spare fuel solution
4. 37s
5. Tazer

 

[Zachanadandy]

unless you've wheeled before you bought your gladiator, don't get stuck in the trap of thinking you NEED a lightbar and winch.

Here's a little guide about when to buy your first winch:
Buy a come-a-long. Practice with it with a tree in your yard. Get comfortable with it. Then store it in your off-roading "go bag". The very first time you use it, decide if you really need more or not. That's when you get to (maybe) buy a winch. For a LOT of people, their very first time using their come-a-long might be years after they buy a jeep. Extrapolate. If you had a winch, and used it once every 3 years, then you're paying how much per recovery pull? A winch is like a boat. The best kind is someone else's.

Here's a little guide about when to buy a lightbar:
Buy a really good flashlight. I didn't say expensive. I said good. check out reddit.com/r/flashlight. I grabbed mine for $35. super long throw, crazy bright too. Store it in your off-roading "go bag". The very first time you use it, decide if you really need more or not. That's when you get to (maybe) buy a lightbar. For a LOT of people, their very first time using a lightbar off-road is never.

If you're like 98+% of jeepers, even those with legitimate off-road dreams, i've just saved you about 5k.

Either that, or i've sent you on one slightly nervous off-road trip, of which you'll have many others to remember so it wont matter.

Or you've just left them stranded with a very long walk and a $500 tow bill. A come along is not strong enough for any really stuck 5k+ pound vehicle. My winch and bumper were under $1k combined and worth every penny the 1st time I buried the jeep to the frame in mud. The flashlight comparison is asinine, strap 40 flashlights to your hood and see if it helps with nighttime visibility and increases the speed you can safely run in the dark?

 

[Rahkmalla]

Or you've just left them stranded with a very long walk and a $500 tow bill. A come along is not strong enough for any really stuck 5k+ pound vehicle. My winch and bumper were under $1k combined and worth every penny the 1st time I buried the jeep to the frame in mud.

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world. ”
― Archimedes

My come along is deadlift rated for 6k and pull rated for 12k, no different from the most common winches around. Inability to move it is a function of not enough leverage and mechanical advantage. My come-along moves SLOW so you know it's got a lot of advantage to it, and i have the optional extended handle.

the 6k and 12k ratings are on a double line as the come along has a snatch block as part of the initial package. I have an additional 16k rated snatch block if that's not enough.

I told people to buy a come along, not a crappy come along.

The flashlight comparison is asinine, strap 40 flashlights to your hood and see if it helps with nighttime visibility and increases the speed you can safely run in the dark?

Most people AREN'T running in the dark was my point

 

[Zachanadandy]

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world. ”
― Archimedes

My come along is deadlift rated for 6k and pull rated for 12k, no different from the most common winches around. Inability to move it is a function of not enough leverage and mechanical advantage. My come-along moves SLOW so you know it's got a lot of advantage to it, and i have the optional extended handle.

the 6k and 12k ratings are on a double line as the come along has a snatch block as part of the initial package. I have an additional 16k rated snatch block if that's not enough.

I told people to buy a come along, not a crappy come along.

Well then you've only cost them a few hundred dollars and several hours of back breaking labor... if you think you'll ever need a winch, just buy the winch. Several hours of my time doing hard labor in the mud is easily worth the $800 difference. The 10' length of most come alongs that size means re-rigging a dozen times just to pull what you can in 1 shot with a winch. Hard pass.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Or you've just left them stranded with a very long walk and a $500 tow bill. A come along is not strong enough for any really stuck 5k+ pound vehicle. My winch and bumper were under $1k combined and worth every penny the 1st time I buried the jeep to the frame in mud. The flashlight comparison is asinine, strap 40 flashlights to your hood and see if it helps with nighttime visibility and increases the speed you can safely run in the dark?

agreed

 

[PuddleJumper]

@Zachanadandy @Rahkmalla Gentlemen, better yet the middle ground. FB market place both. easily find a 250-300 dollar smittybilt X2O and a 80 dollar lightbar.

 

[Lap it Up]

It's hard for me to call everyday normal vehicle parts like bed liners, floor mats, door sills, steps, tonneau covers, etc. "mods". Those are a given for most, especially if you daily drive it.

I guess I consider these my first "mods"

1) 17"x9" w/ -12 offset wheels and 35" Cooper Evolutions
2) Tazer
3) AEV 2" Mojave lift with Geo Brackets
4) Exhaust suitcase removed, and straight pipe installed
5) Fox Shox steering stabilizer

 

[JamesWyatt]

First mod for any non-Rubicon model should be quick disconnects, IMO.

1. Apex autoLYNX quick disconnects
2. BFG 315/70/17 KO2s / Method bead grip wheels
3. Fox ATS 2.0 steering stabilizer
4. RSI SmartCap
5. RokBlokz muds flaps

 

[Janster]

#1) Ironman Step sliders
#2) Bakflip G2 hard trifold cover
#3) Cargo rail system in bed
#4) Windows tinted
#5) Redline hood struts

 

[Killer]

My first 8 immediate mods to my '25 Mojave;

1. 35" tires on Vision Tactical 17x10 -25 wheels
2. Tazer
3. Roll N Lock Tonneau cover W/ T Slots
4. Paracord Handles for front doors, seat backs
5. Bullet Point Dash Mounts and charger (with 12v 5V USBC Adaptors)
6. Pre Runner Lights
7. Full tilt Audio System - Audio Control Tweeter, 3 1/2" Mid, 6 1/2" Mid bass, 8" Subs, 1100 W 5 channel Amp
8. Hidden GMRS install with "hidden" mike connection and stereo interupt

And soon to be:
9) Frt Bumper
10) Winch (Already purchased but not installed) + Yankum fairlead
11) Rock Lights - already purchased
12) Hidden Air compressor in rear driver side bed panel
13) Diode Dynamics SAE Driving Lights

and not mods, but added trauma kit, boo boo kit, recovery bag (Tree Saver, Kinetic Rope, Snatch Ring, 4 soft shackles, hitch recovery point, gloves, dampener) Tool Bag, Jumper Cables

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