There’s a unique appeal in taking your truck off-roading with a couple of friends. Trucks are expensive enough on their own, but considering the risks associated with off-roading, it’s important to ensure that you have the right upgrades installed on your truck to keep your vehicle from incurring massive repair bills. You don’t want to fail a trail like this 2021 Fortuner did either. To some people, if there’s one thing worse than a hefty bill, it’s broken pride. If you’ve just bought yourself a nice truck like a Toyota Tacoma or an SUV like a Toyota 4Runner, here are the upgrades you need to prioritize:
Tires
Tires help your truck maintain traction on the road and they also determine how much ground clearance your truck has. Tires have a direct effect on the climbing ability of trucks, and they also improve overall comfort. However, note that you should never install tires that your suspension can’t handle. Most times, if you’re buying bigger tires, you’re also going to have to buy a better suspension system that can support them.
Suspension
Stock suspension systems are designed only for road use. While there are many commercials out there that claim that your truck can handle rough terrain, you have to take them with a grain of salt, as those performance tests are done by professionals during ideal conditions. This is rare when traversing a real trail. Suspension upgrades not only allow you to install much bigger tires, but they also improve your truck’s handling and ride comfort on and off the trail.
A Lift Kit
A lift kit increases the ground clearance of your truck. This allows trucks to take on a wider variety of obstacles, and this also provides a major improvement to your truck’s aesthetics. Keep in mind that installing a lift kit increases the weight of your truck, which means that its driving characteristics will change. You’re also going to have to buy better brakes to compensate for the weight increase, so be prepared.
Chassis Protection
Chassis protection is an essential upgrade for anyone who goes off roading because this protects the vulnerable parts of your truck’s underchassis. The last thing you want is to damage an important component of your truck because of a moment of carelessness. Anything that helps you avoid expensive repair bills is a good upgrade. Bullbars and grille guards are also beneficial purchases.
Winch
A good winch will help you get yourself out of deep pits and muddy riverbeds, and it will also help you get other off-roaders out of situations like these. You may even want to buy a vehicle extraction tool to go with your winch.
Lights
Stock lights are underwhelming, and they are meant only for road use. Visibility is important on and off the trail. When you’re out on a trail a good light source can mean the difference between reaching your destination or getting stuck. Nice lights are difficult to come by, which is why it’s important to buy your lights only from reputable sellers like XK Glow.
There are plenty of other upgrades to choose from, but these should be at the top of your list as these not only give your truck the best performance improvements, but they also bring the best value for your money.