Quick & EasyThere's nothing sweeter than finding something you can bolt in, on, under, or behind your rig that will make it better, safer, or more fun. It's even sweeter when your ultra-widget is easy to install and gives you instant gratification. We took about three seconds to think of some examples to share with you. None of these installs took more than a few hours to accomplish, all used common hand tools, and almost all are affordable without a severe reduction in lifestyle.
Hi-Lift JackIt's just one of those tools you absolutely need to have in a trail vehicle. With seemingly infinite uses, a Hi-Lift jack should be one of the first tools you put in your trail rig. Hi-Lifts are available in 36-, 42-, 48-, and 60-inch heights in either all-cast or cast-and-stamped steel versions. We ordered a 60-inch all-cast jack in the company's new red powdercoated version since it will be housed in an open-air vehicle.
Hi-Amp Toyota AlternatorIf you own a Toyota and haven't browsed through the Northwest Off-Road catalog, then you should. We found a hundred or so cool upgrades for our '85 4Runner. One that makes sense for those running winches or off-road lights is the Northwest Off-Road high-amp alternator. Available in 90-, 110-, 130-, and 160-amp versions, only the 130- and 160-amp models require minor alterations to install.
Spidertrax Bantam Winch StuffWe've used Master Pull winch rope in the past with good results. It's lighter than steel cable and won't kill you if it breaks, and you don't need to wear gloves to handle it. In addition to mind-blowing Suzuki parts and innovative widgets, Spidertrax Off-Road carries a full selection of Master Pull winch rope as well as its own aluminum hawse fairlead. The Spidertrax billet aluminum fairlead lets the winch rope glide smoothly over without fraying or tangling. We installed the rope and fairlead in about 10 minutes.
Upgraded IntakeIt seems that Edelbrock has an aluminum intake for just about every domestic engine under the sun. Hell, if we could find one for our Cadillac 500, you should be able to get one for your Ford, Chevy, or Dodge. We chose to upgrade our not-installed-yet '70 500 from the stock boat anchor to a high-performance Edelbrock Performer intake. The results will be better mileage, more power, and way less weight.
Crutchfield TunesThink auto mail-order stereo components and you'll invariably think Crutchfield. The company has all of the newest and hottest brands and a whole line of components from simple slide-in upgrades to pieces for building a full gonzo show-stopper system. But best of all, they've got plug-in wiring adapters for stereos and speakers so you won't have to cut and splice your existing wiring harness. We called up the pros at Crutchfield and told them we wanted a good-sounding system that wouldn't break the bank and that we could install in a few hours. They put together a package including every connector, wire, speaker, and part. Even the remote control to the Alpine stereo came with batteries. Here's what we got.