After my first off road adventure I came away with a sense of what I needed to do next but also of some of the things I got right. I also earned my first badge.
The CB Radio was definitely a good move. Several of the Jeeps in our group had CBs and it made for easy communication within the group. The leader would give helpful information about any obstacles and how to tackle them.
If someone got held up in the back of the pack, they could radio ahead and let them know to hold up.
The Duratrac tires were flawless on the types of trails we were on. We didn't do anything where there were sharp rocks and also didn't get into any deep mud. We did however do a lot of loose dirt/gravel, off camber, shallow and slippery mud, water crossings and some smaller rock obstacles.
The experience left me wanting for more but I wanted a little more peace of mind with some of the problem areas of my Jeep.
The first thing that needed attention was the rocker panels. I opted for these smittybuilt rock rails. I also painted the lower rocker panel black (using spray paint truck bed liner). This helped hide the dent and also will protect from rusting since the paint had flaked off.
I also added a hood rack so I could carry a shovel with me. With winter coming up, it's nice to have a shovel.
Next up was some differential protection. I opted for these SOLID diff covers, both front and rear.
Lastly, for now, I wanted to get my axle breather tubes higher. So I relocated the front line into the engine bay and the rear one I routed into the rear tail light.
A set of sway bar quick disconnects were on the list but I was having trouble deciding on which ones to get because I was already thinking about a small lift... some lift kits come with sway bar disconnects, so I decided to hold off until I made a decision on whether to lift the Jeep or not. In the meantime I would just have to manually unbolt the stock links every time.
My next trail ride was just around the corner and I was anxious to see how my new improvements would work out...