With the weather getting warmer many off-road enthusiasts can hardly wait to hit their favorite trails. Many of these trails may require you to do a bit of rock crawling, if that is the case we are going to offer you some tips on how to improve your Jeep’s rock crawling ability.
Rock crawling is one of the most popular activities among off-roaders. To ensure that your Jeep is properly outfitted for rock crawling one of the first things you should do is upgrade the tires and wheels. Some rock crawling trails require that tires have heave duty treads to maneuver safely through the course. If you use your vehicle primarily for crawling you should tires that were designed specifically for that type of activity. If you tend to use your vehicle on multiple surfaces perhaps an all-terrain type of tire would be best for you and your needs.
After you have upgraded your stock tires the next step should be to upgrade the drive train. Many experienced off-roaders recommend replacing your limited slip differentials with locking differentials which turn the two-piece axles of a Jeep into a single unit that is designed to deliver the maximum amount of torque to all the wheels all of the time. If you plan to use your Jeep for off-roading adventures you may want to consider making this upgrade.
The next most popular modification that off-roaders tend to make is lifting their vehicles. To increase the level of clearance and improve the approach angles for rock crawling it is highly recommended that you install a lift kit. Kits can range in size from ½-inch to 4-inches. A lift kit commonly includes all of the necessary equipment to safely and successfully modify any other systems that will be affected by lifting the Jeep.
Experts also suggest that if you are going to use your vehicle for rock crawling that you also install skid plates and body panels. The skid plates will help protect any exposed located in the under carriage area. It will help protect the gas tank and oil pan from experiencing any rock damage while rock crawling. Rock guards and steel body panels are used to protect the passenger compartment and the body of the vehicle from rock damage.
Rock crawling enthusiasts also recommend that you install a winch on your vehicle. A winch will provide you with the ability to safely pull your vehicle out if it should become stuck. You should choose a winch that is rated 6000 pounds or more to ensure that you can safely pull your vehicle or other vehicle out if it should become stuck. You may also need to upgrade your battery to a heavy duty batter or dual battery system to ensure that you have enough power to operate the winch. Installing a winch also means that you may have to upgrade your bumper in order to mount it correctly to your Jeep.
