Before you build
What owners wish they'd known.
Smart is the essentials at a lower cost.
Tires & Suspension
Lightweight overland wheel with a 2,750 lb load rating that offers near-beadlock performance at lower tire pressures without the maintenance or legality issues of true beadlocks.
Most affordable 3.5" lift kit for the JL Wrangler that clears 35" tires. Good starting point for builds on a budget, with the understanding that additional steering and driveline corrections are needed.
Note: For most builds a complete lift kit is the whole job, a 2-3 inch lift with new shocks and springs. Go past 3 inches on a Tacoma or 4Runner and you'll want upper control arms and an alignment; rear sag from towing is a separate fix with air helper springs.
Best budget portable compressor for overlanding. Small enough to stash in a glovebox, powerful enough for 33-inch tires, and reliable enough for years of trail use. Pairs perfectly with a MorrFlate kit.
Set-and-forget automatic tire deflators with proven 20+ year design. Solid brass, accurate within 1 PSI, and adjustable from 6-30 PSI. Screw on, walk away, and all four tires reach your target pressure automatically.
Armor & Protection
Affordable step slider that doubles as rock protection for JL Wrangler. 100% bolt-on with no drilling, cutting, or welding. Good middle ground between flimsy side steps and expensive dedicated rock sliders.
Dead-simple, affordable diff protection that takes the worry out of rocky trails, at $210 for both axles, it is cheap insurance against a $2,000+ diff repair.
Recovery & Safety
Traction Boards
X-Bull Gen 3.0 Recovery Traction BoardsRope & Shackles
Factor 55 Standard Duty Soft Shackle 7/16" x 10"Tire Repair
ARB Speedy Seal Series II Tire Repair KitLighting
A solid mid-range pod light from a legacy off-road brand, the compact form factor and multiple mounting options make them versatile for any build.
Additional Gear
The fire extinguisher you will actually mount and carry. At 10 oz it fits anywhere, leaves no residue on electronics, and has 50 seconds of discharge, 5x longer than a traditional extinguisher.
Organized by injury type so you're not digging through a bag while someone's bleeding. Covers up to 6 people for a week. Fits in a glovebox.
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Custom build plan