The world of aftermarket Jeep parts, or just car parts, can be a daunting place full of questions if you didn’t grow up around it.
Trying to navigate your way around can be hard and sometimes impossible when you don’t exactly know what you should be looking for.
We can’t answer every question about aftermarket/Jeep parts but in this article, we are going to give you what you need to help make the process a little easier when choosing parts for your Jeep.
Research Forums
Honestly, this is hands down the most important thing you can do when looking into buying parts for your Jeep.
Forums are a massive community of people ranging from brand new Jeep owners to those with years of experience.
If there isn’t already a thread answering the question you have, then you can create a new post and someone will point you in the right direction.
Make sure you learn the proper etiquette of forums before just barging in and posting all the time. Because chances are someone has already been through what you have and the answer is already somewhere on the forum.
When you start your search for whatever it is your considering, just head on over to Google and put in your question followed by “jeep forum”. This will provide you a list of results from several different forums out there.
As time goes on you’ll learn the culture and environment of the different forums and you can decide which ones you like more. Every forum is different and has different rules and ways of doing things.
Every forum usually has sub-forums for year specific vehicles and even more narrowed down to what type of problems or topics there are like engine work, suspension, and so forth.
Whether you choose to sign up as a member or not (we recommend becoming a member) you can usually find the answer to any question you might have and can gain some extremely valuable information on whatever parts or upgrades you are considering.
Here’s a list of our favorite forums we recommend checking out:
- Wrangler Forum
- Jeep Forum
- Jeep Wrangler TJ Forum (year specific for Jeep TJs)
- Pirate 4×4 (CAUTION: not family-friendly)
Remember Your Weight
When buying parts for your Jeep, it’s important to keep your total vehicle weight in mind.
In today’s time, we have come a long way in the area of fabrication and have found a way of making certain things like aluminum extremely strong.
In many cases, parts that were once strictly steel, are now offered in an aluminum option which can save a lot of weight.
It’s not safe to just assume that if it’s offered in aluminum you should buy it over steel. But thorough thought into which might be best for you should be considered.
For example, we wouldn’t recommend getting an aluminum differential cover over a cast-iron one. Forget the weight, you want the strongest piece there protecting your differential.
However, you might consider using aluminum fenders or fender flares in place of steel if you know you don’t constantly bash up on the rocks. It’s not as strong as steel but it will keep you protected in the occasional rock run in.
There are different reasons for keeping the weight of your vehicle to a minimum. One of those reasons being fuel economy.
Whether you care about getting great gas mileage on the road or not, fuel economy does matter off the road.
If your vehicle weighs an absurd amount more than it was designed for, you’ll kill gas mileage and end up having to carry way more fuel than you were planning for off-road.
Other concerns with weight on your Jeep come down to how your Jeep was designed. Stock Jeep components were only designed to handle so much.
So unless you are willing to do the other upgrades necessary to handle the weight, you need to be smart about what you are putting on your rig.
Sometimes there is no avoiding the weight and you have to do what you have to do. All we recommend is putting serious thought into your choice and know the pros and cons of adding that weight.
Keep Things Low
It’s no secret that Wranglers aren’t designed for speed and race tracks. We aren’t saying it doesn’t happen, just not by factory design. Most Jeepers tend to stick with the philosophy of going low and slow.
So what exactly do we mean by keeping things low?
There are several ways to lift a Wrangler (any Jeep for that matter) and believe it or not there are definitely wrong ways to do it. The last thing you should do is to get the biggest lift you can just because you want a tall Jeep.
When you decide to modify your Jeep, the ideal thing would be to keep your center of gravity as low as possible. You can run very large tires and surprisingly keep your Jeep pretty low.
If you are familiar with Motor-Trend or Dirt Everyday, you’ll know they once built a Jeep named Tube Sock with which they ran 37-inch tires on a two-inch lift.
In order to keep things low on tires like that, there are other modifications you have to make like high rise fenders and probably trimming the hood and so forth.
The reason behind keeping things low is because of Jeeps short wheelbase and the ease with which they can flip or tip over if handled incorrectly.
Especially for rock crawlers, it is important to have suspension which allows you to flex tremendously but overall keep you as close to the earth as possible.
Hence the name Rock Crawling. You are staying low and crawling (slow) over the rocks.
If you look at desert race trucks or dune buggies, you’ll see large tires and think, “Oh man that truck has a huge lift!” But in reality, if you look, these vehicles have a low suspension, wide stance, and a long wheelbase.
Many Jeepers seek after this when they modify their vehicles. They look to stretch the frame to get the longer wheelbase, and they run larger tires on a flexible suspension.
We really can’t think of any reason to not keep things as low as possible but if you don’t believe us, head to the forums or test it out for yourself (make sure to wear lots of personal protection equipment).
Don’t Cheap Out
There are ways to save money when upgrading or modifying your Jeep. And there are many times where the cheaper option is honestly the better option.
Buying something just because of the brand that made it doesn’t always make sense and you should always do your research to find the most affordable option if the quality isn’t a question.
With that said, you can’t cheap out on parts that are critical to the functionality of your rig.
Sometimes the saying is true that you get what you pay for.
For example, don’t be cheap on suspension parts, mounting hardware, engine components, and anything that might jeopardize your safety or the safety of others if it fails.
It’s never worth sacrificing safety and quality to save a few bucks.
Besides, when it comes down to it, you don’t want to find yourself stuck on the trail over a part you know would’ve held up if you had only saved some more money for.
As you get more involved in modifying your Jeep you’ll become more aware of different brands that have established themselves as superior quality.
When in doubt don’t be shy to go back to step one of this article and get the opinions of many experts in a forum on what they consider to be superior parts that have stood the test of time.
If you find yourself in a situation where the money is holding you back from an upgrade, from experience we can tell you that as hard as it might be, be patient and wait to go forward when you have the money.
If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. And just to be completely honest, owning a Jeep and doing the whole off-roading thing, is not a cheap hobby. You have to prepare yourself for that.
If you haven’t heard it yet you will, and that is the fact that Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket.
Check Locally
This tip isn’t a necessity but a strong suggestion. Anytime you are looking for parts for your Jeep, check local stores and fabricators.
You’d be surprised at how many people around you wherever you live are amazing fabricators or mechanics.
Similar to joining a forum, you should always check if there is local (whether the same city or close by) off-roading group. If there is we can almost guarantee that there will be ample amounts of people practically begging to help you out.
When you have the opportunity to buy from or find someone who does their own metalwork or suspension work, you can usually bet that they take a lot of pride in their work and will do a great job.
One shop in California is just that. The Dirtworx is a small “one-man” shop who makes some of the best quality stuff on the market.
With quality material and concentration to detail and superb welding, The Dirtworx is the perfect example of why checking with local tradesmen before going commercial.
You might miss out on a truly “one of a kind” piece of work on your Jeep.
Another benefit to checking with local shops or people first is you will probably get a much better deal for your money.
If you don’t have to pay for shipping and can pick up or have your parts installed locally then you’ll save yourself some dough for other parts.
On top of that, “one-man shops” usually don’t have to charge as much because they aren’t trying to pay a massive overhead that some more commercial companies will be worried about.
If nothing else, check locally to make a good contact and expand your fellow Jeepers/Automotive community. Besides making a good friend, 9 times out of 10 you’ll have a reliable source to help you out if something happens to your rig.
Measure Twice…Cut Once
Sometimes when you are picking parts or modifying your Jeep, you’ll find you have cut different pieces of your vehicle.
In these cases, it is 100% of the time a smart decision to make your measurements twice (double-checking to make sure things are correct) then only cut once.
This will ensure that you get things done right the first time and don’t end up with a bad cut because you didn’t double-check.
However, this saying can be applied outside of just measuring and cutting.
When you are choosing parts for your Jeep (or any vehicle for that matter), don’t rush things. Take your time and “measure twice”.
This can look something like the following:
- Determine the upgrade you are wanting to make
- Head to the forums and see what brands repeatedly pop up threads
- Make a list of 3 or 4 different brands that seem popular and reliable
- Head over to those companies websites and compare prices and materials
- After choosing your brand, make 100% sure it will fit your Jeep
- Order part and install
It doesn’t matter what kind of upgrade or part we are talking about here. It will never be a bad idea to double-check things.
This not only guarantees that you will end up with the right part, but it is an invaluable learning experience and opportunity to gain knowledge of what brands and companies are out there that are constantly proving to be the best.
As you continue to do this with the different parts you order, you’ll find the general knowledge base of your vehicle just skyrocketing till one day you’ll be the expert helping a new person in the forums.
Make a List and Check it Twice
Following the previous, the tip to choosing your aftermarket parts is one just as important.
Upgrading your Jeep is an extensive process. As important as it is to double-check the parts you are ordering for proper fitment, it is equally important to make a list of parts you will need to properly install the one part.
For example, say you want to switch from running 33″ tires to 37″ tires. While this is a major upgrade, it’s the perfect example.
When making this switch, it isn’t as easy as just buying the tires and switching them out.
You will need to alter your suspension, change your axles probably, redo the gearing in your differential, get new wheels with the proper backspacing, new driveshafts, and so forth.
There are many other things to change when making this one upgrade.
Similarly, with any upgrade or aftermarket part, you find yourself wanting, it is smart to sit down and make a list of all the other things this piece will affect and make sure you have all the necessities.
Quick pro tip: when ordering bolt-on parts for your Jeep, if the piece does not come with it, we highly suggest taking the time to order or buy grade 8 mounting hardware to replace what might come in the package.
Using grade 8 hardware isn’t always necessary but it is a great insurance tactic to ensure beyond any doubt that what your installing stays installed.
Summary
There are tons and tons of suggestions you will hear when looking for aftermarket parts. And believe us, one is never done learning in this area.
Whatever your current knowledge base is, we encourage everyone to keep an open mind to always learning new things.
As the off-road market and industry continue to expand, things are constantly changing and new things being discovered. You won’t want to miss on a possible amazing upgrade.
As always, we at Siberian 4×4 wish you the best and always keep the wilderness on YOUR side.
